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☆ The trans soccer team that’s making history
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Hannah Ryan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

On the rainy evening of March 31, 2023, he captained what he says is the first ever all trans masculine soccer team in Europe in a match. “I was quite nervous before the match,” Webber told CNN. They now also aim to make soccer a more inclusive sport and connect the trans community. “After the all trans feminine team played their game and once I’d played with the all-gender team, she took me aside and said she’d been thinking about what we could do next and asked if I’d be interested in captaining an all trans masc team,” Webber said. “One day, there’ll be hundreds of trans people playing football all over the country at all levels.”

☆ UK growth hinges on more than a new pension giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Politicians and financiers think a consolidation of the country’s pension funds would breathe new life into its stocks, startups and infrastructure. Meanwhile, there is no doubt that UK defined-benefit pension funds, company-sponsored plans that promise a specific payment upon retirement, have moved away from UK equities. The proposals also entail creating a 100 billion pound pension fund, modelled on the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, a retirement giant with $536 billion assets under management. Overall, some 19% of these funds’ assets are in UK stocks, according to the Pensions Policy Institute. If UK assets can yield the risk-adjusted returns offered by other assets, pension funds will join in too.

☆ Trudeau's TikTok ban to curb social media reach of opposition leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jenna Zucker | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The leaders of the two biggest opposition parties - Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre and New Democratic party leader Jagmeet Singh - are among politicians who actively used TikTok to reach constituents. That prompted lawmakers from both the ruling Liberals and opposition Conservatives to go even further by suspending their accounts on TikTok. "Any limitation on social media is a problem for any opposition politician," Nik Nanos of Nanos Research told Reuters, saying they do not have the incumbent advantage of being featured regularly on more traditional media outlets. Singh also told reporters that taking a pause to assess how to safely use the social media platform is "something that I feel very comfortable doing and I have no hesitation to do." Poilievre - who has styled himself as an anti-establishment figure - has relied on a strategy of directly reaching voters through social media platforms such as TikTok, where he frequently attacks opponents and makes parody videos.

☆ UK PM Rishi Sunak overhauls government departments after bumpy 100 days in power
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.K. Prime Minister has announced a mini overhaul of his government as he seeks to reassert his authority after a shaky first 100 days in office. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday unveiled a new government department focused on energy security and announced a mini reshuffle of his cabinet as he seeks to reassert his authority after a shaky first 100 days in office. Sunak named former business minister Grant Shapps as head of the newly launched Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, whose focus will be on securing "long-term energy supply, bringing down bills and halving inflation." The prime minister also appointed former Trade Minister Greg Hands as his new party chairman, replacing sacked Nadhim Zahawi, in a mini-reshuffle of his top leadership team. The U.K. previously had a Department of Energy and Climate Change, but it was merged with the business department in 2016.

☆ Canada withdraws proposed measures banning certain rifles, shotguns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 3 (Reuters) - Canada has withdrawn proposed amendments to gun legislation that would have banned certain types of rifles and shotguns, the government said on Friday, after opponents alleged the prohibitions unfairly targeted farmers and hunters. The package includes a ban on the sale of handguns and prohibitions on the sale of large-capacity magazines. "(It's) about certain guns that are too dangerous in other contexts." Trudeau enacted the handgun freeze in October under executive order, and in November, his government amended the package to ban certain rifles and shotguns that hold more than five rounds, among other changes. Some firearms must also be registered, though not most long guns: rifles and shotguns.

☆ Canada's Trudeau urges Alberta to contribute to carbon-capture incentives
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We've seen for a while Alberta hesitating around investing in anything related to climate change. But CCUS is one of those tangible things," Trudeau told Reuters in an interview. The Canadian oil and gas industry wants a level playing field as Ottawa targets net zero emissions by 2050, the same goal set by U.S. President Joe Biden. "One of the challenges is there is a political class in Alberta that has decided that anything to do with climate change is going to be bad for them or for Alberta," Trudeau said. In the interview, Trudeau also took aim at his main rival, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, for casting Canada as "broken".

☆ Right-winger Ciotti wins French conservative party leadership
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Right-winger Eric Ciotti was elected as the next leader of France's formerly heavyweight conservative Les Republicains (LR) party after winning the second round ballot of party members on Sunday. Ciotti, who is on record as saying he wants to stop what he calls a "migratory invasion" of France, won 53.7% of the votes against Bruno Retailleau, a senator who scored 46.3%, LR acting chairwoman Annie Genevard said. Ciotti, whose home base is the Nice region, is politically further to the right than outgoing LR leader Christian Jacob. His program proposes to "rehabilitate the value of work, fight against violence and disorder in the streets, stop the migratory invasion and the rise of Islamism". Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide Editing by Ros RussellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Right-winger Ciotti wins 1st round of French conservative party leadership vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Right-winger Eric Ciotti is in poll position to become the next leader of France's formerly heavyweight conservative Les Republicains (LR) party after winning a first round ballot of party members on Sunday. LR or its predecessors have governed France for much of its post-war history. "I want to be the candidate of hope and of the return of a big political family on the right," Ciotti said in a tweet following Sunday's vote. Both Ciotti, whose home base is the traditionally right-wing Nice region, and Retailleau are politically further to the right than outgoing LR leader Christian Jacob. LR remains a key force in parliament, however, as Macron - who lost his legislative majority in parliament - often relies on the party to get his government's bills voted through.

OTTAWA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Inflation in Canada remains too strong, and higher interest rates will be needed to cool the overheating economy, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said in testimony at the House of Commons on Wednesday. "Inflation has come down in recent months, but we have yet to see a generalized decline in price pressures," Macklem said. The Bank of Canada raised rates by 50 basis points last month, lifting the policy rate to 3.75%, the highest since 4% seen in January 2008. Conservative lawmakers pressed Macklem to explain what the bank should have done differently to avoid the spike in inflation. Macklem reiterated that "with hindsight", the bank would have started tightening monetary policy sooner, adding the bank would review how monetary tools have worked during this period.

OTTAWA, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is coming under pressure from populist conservative rivals as the country veers toward a possible recession, with provinces vowing to oppose some of his Liberal government's key policies. New federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre is leading the charge, blaming Trudeau for skyrocketing inflation and laying responsibility for a housing shortage on "gatekeepers" in Ottawa. Both Alberta and Saskatchewan have lost court bids to overturn federal carbon pricing already. Alberta, Saskatchewan and other conservative-led provinces also oppose an assault-rifle buyback the Trudeau government is promising for next year. ECONOMIC HEADWINDSQuebec is a prime example of historical tension between Ottawa and the provinces.

☆ GOP Insider readers: Dump Trump!
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Kayla Gallagher | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

Insider asked its Republican readers to send in their thoughts on Donald Trump following the GOP's dismal midterm performance. Subscribers to Insider's newsletter were asked two questions: Do you agree with the GOP insiders who blame Trump? Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Image— Joe S.I don't blame Trump per se. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images— Julia T.I think Trump, DeSantis AND the GOP are EXTREMELY dangerous for our Democracy. The Republican Party needs to get away from the extremists in the party or the Republican Party will no longer exist.

☆ Bank of England to start selling emergency gilt purchases from Nov. 29
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In a statement on Thursday, the BoE said it would be open to offers from investors to buy the bonds from Nov. 29 onwards. Unlike the BoE's separate programme of auctions to unwind some of its more than 830 billion pounds of quantitative easing bond purchases, these sales will not take place at a fixed pace. "As a general principle only bids that are deemed attractive relative to prevailing market levels will be accepted," the BoE said. It called the plan "a demand-led approach to unwind recent financial stability gilt purchases in a timely but orderly way". New finance minister Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce around 50 billion pounds of fiscal tightening in a budget statement on Nov. 17.

☆ Truss phone was hacked by suspected Putin agents when she was foreign minister, the Daily Mail reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss's personal phone was hacked by suspected agents working for Russian President Vladimir Putin when she was foreign minister, the Daily Mail reported on Saturday. That includes regular security briefings for Ministers, and advice on protecting their personal data and mitigating cyber threats," the spokesperson added. The hack was discovered during the Conservative Party leadership campaign that led to Truss becoming prime minister, the Mail reported. Truss left office last week as prime minister and was succeeded by Rishi Sunak. The Mail said the messages that fell into foreign hands included criticisms of Johnson made by Truss and Kwarteng, "leading to a potential risk of blackmail".

☆ New UK PM Sunak delays highly anticipated spending plan to mid-November
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.K.'s annual budget announcement will be delayed after the new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took office Monday. LONDON — The U.K.'s fiscal statement will be delayed to Nov. 17 after it was initially brought forward to Oct. 31. Sterling rose to a six-week high as newly-appointed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with his cabinet for the first time Wednesday morning and amid speculation the budget statement could be delayed. Sunak became prime minister on Tuesday – Britain's third in 50 days – following the resignation of predecessor Liz Truss after her financial policies flopped and triggered market mayhem. The change in prime minister followed a fast-tracked Conservative Party leadership election.

☆ What do Indians think about Rishi Sunak’s rise? Like UK-India relations, it’s complicated
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Now, an Indian-origin man has become the Prime Minister of England,” a Zee News anchor said. Leon Neal/Getty Images Sunak and Boris Johnson watch as a sheep is sheared during a visit to a farm in North Yorkshire, England, in July 2019. Danny Lawson/PA Images/Getty Images Sunak speaks during a general election debate in Cardiff, Wales, in November 2019. Hollie Adams/Bloomberg/Getty Images Sunak and Murty are seen with their daughters, Krishna and Anoushka, while campaigning in Grantham, England, in July 2022. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested as much in a tweet welcoming Sunak’s appointment.

☆ Asia stocks struggle as Xi's leadership team spooks markets
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares (.MIAP00000PUS) fell to the lowest since April 2020 before an attempted rebound in beaten-down Hong Kong tech shares dragged it back to flat. "A short-term technical rebound is the main factor for today's rise," said Kenny Ng, a strategist at China Everbright Securities in Hong Kong. "(The) cumulative decline of Hong Kong stocks is deep." CHINA FLIGHTChinese markets remained volatile and jittery following Monday's withering selloff in Hong Kong. Xi Jinping's new leadership team has raised worries that China will increasingly prioritise the state at the cost of the private sector.

☆ Video shows Biden mispronouncing Rishi Sunak's name, celebrating 'Rashi Sanuk' becoming the UK's first prime minister from an Asian background
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Welcoming news of the UK's first prime minister of Asian background, Biden called him "Rashi Sanuk." "Just today, we've got news that Rashi, Rashi Sanook is now the prime minister," he told the audience at a White House event marking the Hindu festival of Diwali. A short video of the gaffe can be seen here:Sunak's leadership sets notable firsts for the UK — the country's first prime minister of an Asian background, and its first Hindu prime minister. Sunak's Hindu parents, the children of an Indian family, were born in colonial Kenya and Tanzania before emigrating to the UK. At a White House event earlier in October, he asked after congresswoman Jackie Walorski, who died two months earlier.

☆ Akshata Murty: Rishi Sunak’s wife is a software heiress who’s richer than royalty
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And thanks largely to his wife Murty, Sunak will be one of the richest people to reach the top of the political establishment. Murty has a 0.93% stake in her father’s Indian software company, Infosys, worth approximately $715 million. Even Queen Elizabeth wasn’t as rich – the Sunday Times put the late monarch’s net worth at £370 million (about $420 million) before she died. In April, it was reported that Murty enjoyed a tax status in the UK that meant she could legally avoid to pay taxes on her foreign earnings. “I understand and appreciate the British sense of fairness and I do not wish my tax status to be a distraction for my husband or to affect my family.

Average two-year and five-year fixed rates hit 6.65% and 6.51% on Thursday, according to Moneyfacts, the highest since 2008. FALLING PRICESA drop in gilt yields following Rishi Sunak's victory in the Conservative Party leadership race could potentially feed through to lower mortgage rates. But the number of loans available for first-time buyers remains at less than half those on offer before the mini-budget, according to Moneyfacts. NEW FIXESAs well as first-time buyers, brokers are dealing with thousands of people whose fixed rate mortgages are due to expire in the coming months. Redmond, who has had an offer accepted in east London, said it felt as though every turn of political event only made the fixed interest rate higher.

☆ Sunak will do his best for Britain, billionaire father-in-law says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rishi Sunak, his wife Akshata Murthy and his daughters Anoushka and Krishna attend a Conservative Party leadership campaign event in Grantham, Britain, July 23, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File PhotoNEW DELHI, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Rishi Sunak will do his best for Britain when he takes over as prime minister on Tuesday, said his father-in-law, Indian billionaire N.R. The 42-year-old, a practising Hindu who traces his roots to India, will be Britain's first prime minister of colour and its youngest leader in modern times. Sunak's rise to the position on Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, has delighted Indians, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he hoped the two countries' ties would improve further. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Congratulations to Rishi," Murthy, valued by Forbes at $4.5 billion, said in a statement.

☆ The UK's Conservative Party is gearing up for a new leader. Here's what to expect
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Britain is preparing to name its fifth prime minister in six years. LONDON — The U.K. is gearing up to install a new prime minister this week — its fifth in six years — following the sudden resignation of Liz Truss, just 44 days into the job. Truss' successor will once again be decided by a Conservative Party leadership contest drawn from a short-list of candidates. Those include frontrunner Rishi Sunak, who lost to Truss in September's leadership race, and Penny Mordaunt, who placed third. Here's how the race is expected to unfold over the coming days — or, potentially, hours.

☆ Rishi Sunak, the new UK prime minister, is yet another Goldman Sachs alumnus
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rishi Sunak, the new UK prime minister, once worked as a junior analyst at Goldman Sachs in London. Sunak also worked at one hedge fund and cofounded another before getting into politics. Sunak left Goldman Sachs to get an MBA at Stanford University. After finishing his studies, Sunak worked at the hedge fund TCI, before setting his own up – Theleme Partners – with a colleague. The party held its second leadership race in the space of just a few months, and Sunak became the UK's presumptive prime minister on Monday after his only remaining rival, Penny Mordaunt, withdrew.

☆ Rishi Sunak named UK's next prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Rishi Sunak is due to become the UK's next prime minister after an internal election by MPs. He established himself as the clear leader among Conservative MPs after Liz Truss resigned. Sunak is set to be the country's third prime minister in two months. At almost exactly that deadline, Mordaunt announced her withdrawal in a tweet, saying "Rishi has my full support"A change of prime minister in the UK does not automatically prompt a general election. Sunak will be the fifth Conservative prime minister in a row, and the first non-white prime minister of the UK.

Like Truss, Sunak promised a tough approach to illegal immigration and vowed to expand the government’s controversial Rwanda immigration policy. At the time Johnson was running to lead Britain's Conservative Party and Sunak was a member of Parliament. Danny Lawson/PA Images/Getty Images Sunak speaks during a general election debate in Cardiff, Wales, in November 2019. Danny Lawson/PA/Getty Images Sunak delivers a speech during the annual Conservative Party Conference in Manchester in October 2021. Hollie Adams/Bloomberg/Getty Images Sunak and Murty are seen with their daughters, Krishna and Anoushka, while campaigning in Grantham, England, in July 2022.

☆ Indians pinning their hopes on Rishi Sunak on Diwali
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Krishna N. Das | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW DELHI, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Many Indians are delighted at the prospect of Rishi Sunak becoming the first person of Indian origin to become British prime minister on Monday, just as Hindus across the world celebrate Diwali. "Rishi Sunak took oath as an MP on (Hindu holy book) Bhagavad Gita. Former British finance minister Sunak, 42, is a practising Hindu and is known to celebrate the festival of lights. Some Indians are hoping for closer British-Indian ties if Sunak does become prime minister. "@RishiSunak becoming the British PM will be a great Diwali gift for UK, & a reason for celebration in India," former Indian diplomat Rajiv Dogra wrote on Twitter.

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