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☆ UK election 2024: British voters head to polls for a momentous election
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —British voters are heading to the polls Thursday for a crucial general election that is being seen as a referendum on 14 years of Conservative rule. The opposition Labour party suffered its worst defeat since 1935 in the last general election, but has since rebuilt itself under the leadership of Keir Starmer. Britain has had three Conservative prime ministers since the last general election in 2019, which Boris Johnson won by a landslide. News outlets are barred from reporting anything that could influence voters while polls are opened. An exit poll from British broadcasters will project the seat totals are soon as polls shut at 10 p.m. local time (5 p.m.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Liz Truss, Nigel Farage –, Brexit – Organizations: London CNN —, Conservative, Labour, European Union Locations: Britain, England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, British

☆ From Courtroom to Downing Street: Keir Starmer, Low-Key Lawyer, Is on Cusp of Power
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Stephen Castle | Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Keir Starmer, the leader of Britain’s Labour Party, nodded sympathetically as a young mother recalled, in harrowing terms, how she had watched closed-circuit television footage of the fatal stabbing of her 21-year-old son, whose heart was pierced with a single blow. “Thank you for that,” a somber Mr. Starmer said to the woman and other relatives of victims of knife attacks, as they stood around a wooden table last week, discussing ways to combat violent crime. “It’s really, really powerful.”It was not the most feel-good campaign event for a candidate the week before an election that his opposition party is widely expected to win. But it was entirely in character for Mr. Starmer, a 61-year-old former human rights lawyer who still behaves less like a politician than a prosecutor bringing a case. Earnest, intense, practical and not brimming with charisma, Mr. Starmer finds himself on the cusp of a potential landslide victory without the star power that marked previous British leaders on the doorstep of power, whether Margaret Thatcher, the 1980s free-market champion, or Tony Blair, the avatar of “Cool Britannia.”

Persons: Keir Starmer, nodded, Starmer, “ It’s, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, ” Organizations: Britain’s Labour Party

☆ A Culture War Erupted Over U.K. Stately Homes. Who Won?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A painting in Dyrham House, a grand mansion in southwest England, offers a panoramic view of the port of Bridgetown, Barbados, with sugar plantations dotted along a hillside. In another room are two carved figures depicting kneeling Black men, holding scallop shells overhead. They are chained at the ankles and neck. These works belonged to William Blathwayt, who owned Dyrham in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and, as Britain’s auditor general of plantation revenues, oversaw the profits that rolled in from the colonies. Explaining the history of a place like Dyrham can be contentious, as the National Trust, the nearly 130-year-old charity that manages many of Britain’s prized historic homes, has found out.

Persons: William Blathwayt Organizations: National Trust Locations: House, England, Bridgetown, Barbados

☆ Ad protests target Wimbledon’s ‘strawberries and cream’ image over event’s ties with Barclays
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Brandalism said it launched the campaign against Barclays Bank, which has a multi-year sponsorship deal with Wimbledon reportedly worth more than $25 million, over its ties to the fossil fuel industry and companies that supply arms to Israel. “Wimbledon must stop providing cover for Barclays’ grotesque lack of morals and immediately end the sponsorship deal,” Speedwell added. One of the “hacked” billboards shows the body of a tennis player on a grass court. Another of the pieces of art -- by Matt Bonner -- protesting Barclays' sponsorship of Wimbledon. BrandalismIn the statement, the bank argued that investing in oil and gas assets would continue to be important as the clean energy industry develops.

Persons: Brandalism, “, Kit Speedwell, ”, Darren Cullen, Barclays “, embargos, Matt Bonner, Tom Pilston Organizations: CNN, Wimbledon, Barclays Bank, Barclays, Brandalism, Lawn Tennis, Palestine Solidarity, Wimbledon Foundation, NATO, Transition Finance Locations: London, Israel, Europe, Gaza, Palestine, Brandalism

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Persons: Biden Organizations: Cottage Industry Locations: California

☆ ‘The Whole Country Is Falling to Bits’: Britain’s Young Voters Are Frustrated
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Their wages have failed to keep up with the surge in the cost of living, and many said they were living paycheck to paycheck. Mr. Kehoe, 26, serves food in the hospital. On Thursday, the day of Britain’s general election, he plans to vote for the center-left Labour Party because of the economic situation and the crumbling state of the National Health Service, he said. Thinking of the life that his parents built on salaries earned as a nurse and a truck driver, Mr. Kehoe says that young people have been left with far worse prospects after 14 years of a Conservative-led government. “If you go back 30 years ago, houses were a bit more affordable, life was a little bit easier,” he said.

Persons: Liam Kehoe, Kehoe, ” Organizations: Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Labour Party, National Health Service, Conservative Locations: British

☆ Young People Demand Change Ahead of Britain’s Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Megan Specia | Nikolay Nikolov | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

4:30After the Storm, a Fight for Survival in MozambiqueNOW PLAYINGYoung People Demand Change Ahead of Britain’s Election0:55Israel Orders Evacuations in Gaza City as Palestinians Report Strikes0:21Bodies Found Near Mount Fuji’s Crater0:39Bolivia’s Military Staged Apparent Coup Attempt1:48Following Protests, Kenya’s President Refuses to Sign Tax Bill0:12Evan Gershkovich Appears in Russian Court1:02Nairobi Police Use Live Rounds, Tear Gas and Water Cannons on Protesters1:22Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Must Serve in Military, Supreme Court Rules0:38Kenyan Protesters Storm Parliament as Lawmakers Pass Tax Increases1:02More Than 1,300 Die During Extremely Hot Hajj Pilgrimage0:41

Persons: Evan Gershkovich Organizations: Storm, Survival, Mozambique NOW, Young, Water Cannons, Kenyan Protesters Storm Locations: Mozambique, Israel, Gaza City, Nairobi

☆ Former Liberal Democrats leader on potential post-election tax rises
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFormer Liberal Democrats leader on potential post-election tax risesArabile Gumede spoke to Vince Cable, former leader of Britain's Liberal Democrats who served as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in the coalition government with the Conservatives. He took questions on what role tax pledges are playing in this election.

Persons: Gumede, Vince Cable Organizations: Former Liberal, Britain's Liberal, State, Business, Innovation, Conservatives

☆ Leaders in Their Prime Debate Substance in Detail (No, Not in the U.S.)
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Forty-eight hours before President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump clashed onstage in Atlanta on Thursday, the leaders of Britain’s two major parties, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, went head-to-head in Nottingham, England. To say their debates were different doesn’t begin to capture the Atlantic Ocean-sized chasm that separated them. In content, tone and atmosphere, the British debate showcased two politicians in their prime, sparring over the issues — frequently heated, not without personal jabs, but focused on the policy nuances of taxes, immigration and health care. Neither Mr. Sunak, 44, nor Mr. Starmer, 61, brought up his golf handicap. But this week’s back-to-back encounters showed how sharply these democracies have diverged, at least in this election cycle.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Sunak, Starmer, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair Locations: Atlanta, Nottingham, England, British, United States

☆ The King and Keir: Is Charles About to Get a Prime Minister He Likes?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Nearly 20 years ago, a wry young human rights lawyer, Keir Starmer, told a documentary filmmaker that it had struck him as “odd” to receive the title of Queen’s Counsel, “since I often used to propose the abolition of the monarchy.”Mr. Starmer, now the leader of Britain’s Labour Party, has long since disavowed his anti-monarchy statements as youthful indiscretions. In 2014, he knelt before Charles, then the Prince of Wales, who tapped him on the shoulder with a sword and awarded him a knighthood. If Sir Keir Starmer is swept into 10 Downing Street in the general election next week, as polls suggest he will be, he may end up more politically in sync with Charles then the last two Conservative prime ministers, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, whose terms have overlapped with the king’s reign. On issues including climate change, housing, immigration and Britain’s relations with the European Union, experts say, Mr. Starmer is likely to find common ground with a king who holds longstanding, often fervent, views on those issues but is constitutionally barred from taking any role in politics.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Mr, Starmer, Charles, Prince of Wales, Sir Keir Starmer, Charles then, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss Organizations: Britain’s Labour Party, Conservative, European Union

☆ Wimbledon 2024 storylines: Djokovic’s knee, Iga Swiatek on grass, Hawk-Eye challenges
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Charlie Eccleshare | Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

Is Iga Swiatek going to make her move on grass and further cement her position as the player to beat across the WTA? Probably not, since that meniscus belongs to one Novak Djokovic, the seven-time Wimbledon champion and the world’s best grass-court player. Then he showed up in London this week and started testing out the knee with practice sessions on the grass. Charlie EccleshareWill Swiatek win her first Wimbledon title? She’s never been past the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and her game isn’t a natural fit on the grass.

Persons: Novak, Matt Futterman, Charlie Eccleshare, Will Novak Djokovic, Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Casper Ruud, Clive Brunskill, Carlos Alcaraz, Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger, Frenchman Arthur Fils, Andy Murray’s, Murray, Jack Draper, Shaun Botterill, Tim Henman’s, Draper, Charlie Eccleshare Will Swiatek, Iga, She’s, Roland Garros, Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, it’s Boulter, Sloane Stephens, Jessica Pegula, don’t, Boulter, Raducanu, Stephens, Jonathan Nackstrand, Hannah Klugman, Agassi, Serena, Venus Williams, It’s, Coco Gauff, Aryna, she’s, Swiatek, Gauff, Daniel Leal, Pegula, Marketa Vondrousova, Danielle Collins, Tommy Paul, Paul, Sebastian Korda, Korda, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, there’s, Sally Bolton, John Walton, —, Wimbledon Charlie Eccleshare Will, Princess Catherine of Wales, Roger Federer, Rob Newell, CameraSport, Sebastian Bozon, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, Murray didn’t, ”, Jelena Ostapenko, “, Glyn Kirk Organizations: Wimbledon, WTA, Olympic Games, Court, Djokovic, England Club, British, Queen’s, London, Paris, Rothesay International, Nottingham, Eastbourne, Getty, Orange, Sampras, Wimbledon —, Swiatek, Alycia Parks, Queen’s Club, All England, U.S, All England Club, U.S ., Athletic Locations: Paris, London, Canada, SW19, Stuttgart, Warsaw, Rothesay, Eastbourne, Britain, Nottingham, Great Britain, AFP, Alycia Parks, British, Florida, American, Australia, France, Berlin, Wimbleson, Alycia, Israel, Palestine, there’s

☆ Hate Apple’s ‘By the Seaside’ alarm tune? You’re not alone
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Then Apple’s “By the Seaside” alarm sound went off. Moktan chose the jaunty, cheerful tune available as a ringtone and alarm on many of Apple’s devices, thinking that the song’s easygoing melody would make waking up a peaceful experience. Gyaltsen Moktan, a 26-year-old English teacher in Tokyo, says that "By the Seaside" reminds him of horror movie music. Courtesy Gyaltsen Moktan“By the Seaside” is perhaps Apple’s most polarizing alarm and ringtone, evoking comparisons to nails on a chalkboard, the word “moist” and screaming children on a plane. Boston Flake, a 15-year-old high school student in Utah, is in a love-hate relationship with the controversial alarm tune.

Persons: Gyaltsen Moktan, Moktan, ”, Gyaltsen, Carlos Xavier Rodriguez, Levi Hutchins, Antoine Redier, Seth Thomas, Boston, I’ll, ” Apple, Rodriguez, There’s, Rodrigo, Adele, Ryan Meadows, Krystal Roxas, Roxas, “, ” Moktan, Bill Withers, Grover Washington, Jr’s “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, YouTube, University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Boston, Showbiz, CNN Locations: New York, Tokyo, Japan, ”, knocker, Britain, United States, Concord , New Hampshire, French, Utah, San Bruno , California

☆ Can Keir Starmer give Britain the change it desperately wants?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Barring a major shock, Labour leader Keir Starmer will be the person walking through the famous black door of 10 Downing Street in less than three weeks’ time. His parents were political, naming their eldest after the first Labour leader in parliament, Keir Hardie. “He’s the first Labour leader in a generation to talk about class and snobbery,” Tom Baldwin, author of “Keir Starmer: The Biography,” told CNN. Jeremy Corbyn, then the Labour leader, made Starmer his Brexit chief following the 2016 referendum. Starmer, left, and then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn talk to the media at the EU Commission headquarters on March 21, 2019 in Brussels, Belgium.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Conservative Party –, –, Keir Starmer, Starmer, John Stillwell, Keir Hardie, “, ” Tom Baldwin, “ Keir Starmer, ”, …, ” Baldwin, Jeremy Corbyn, Corbyn, Osama bin Laden, Thierry Monasse, Boris Johnson, James Schneider, Dominic Grieve, ” Grieve, Grieve, ” Starmer, Stefan Rousseau Organizations: CNN, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Labour, Downing, Great, Great British Energy, European Union, Public Prosecutions, Crown, Service of, Wales –, University of Leeds, University of Oxford, NATO, EU, Conservative, Conservatives Locations: Britain, Great British, Service of England, London, Brussels, Belgium, Lancing, West Sussex

☆ How Britain’s Labour Party Became Electable Again
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two weeks before an election that is expected to catapult him into 10 Downing Street, the leader of Britain’s Labour Party, Keir Starmer, is tiptoeing on the campaign trail, the latest practitioner of the “Ming vase strategy.”The phrase, which refers to a politician gingerly avoiding slips to protect a lead in the polls, is credited to Roy Jenkins, a more freewheeling British politician, who likened a previous Labour candidate, Tony Blair, on the eve of his 1997 landslide, to a man “carrying a priceless Ming vase across a highly polished floor.”In truth, Mr. Starmer has been carrying the vase for a lot longer than this six-week campaign. He has nursed his party’s double-digit polling lead for more than 18 months, methodically repositioning Labour as a credible center-left alternative to the divided, erratic, sometimes extremist Conservatives. It’s the culmination of an extraordinary four-year project, in which Mr. Starmer, 61, purged his left-wing predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, and his loyalists; went after the anti-Semitism that had contaminated the party’s ranks; and pulled its economic and national security policies closer to the center.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Roy Jenkins, Tony Blair, Starmer, Jeremy Corbyn Organizations: Downing, Britain’s Labour Party, Labour Locations: British

☆ Swiss Court Set to Rule in Trafficking Case Involving U.K.’s Richest Family
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Isabella Kwai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A Swiss court is expected to issue a ruling on Friday on whether members of Britain’s wealthiest family are guilty of human trafficking over allegations they exploited domestic workers at a luxury villa in Geneva. Prosecutors charged four members of the Hinduja family — Prakash Hinduja, Kamal Hinduja, Ajay Hinduja and Namrata Hinduja — and accused them of trafficking several workers from India, confiscating their passports and forcing them to work 16-hour days without overtime pay in the villa. Lawyers representing the Hindujas have denied the allegations. The Hinduja family helms a multinational conglomerate with large holdings in automotive manufacturing, banking, oil and gas, real estate and health care. The Sunday Times of London recently estimated the family’s net worth to be 37 billion pounds, or $47 billion, and listed them as Britain’s richest family.

Persons: Prakash Hinduja, Kamal Hinduja, Ajay Hinduja, —, helms Organizations: Prosecutors, Sunday Times Locations: Geneva, India, London

☆ Britain's Stonehenge sprayed with paint by environmental protesters
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tourists visit the Stone Age monument Stonehenge. The Stonehenge stone circle, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, is one of the most famous landmarks in Great Britain. Environmental protesters sprayed paint on Britain's Stonehenge on Wednesday, with footage online showing orange marks covering some of the stones of the world-famous prehistoric megalithic structure. In video released by environmental group Just Stop Oil, two protesters were seen running towards two of Stonehenge's megaliths and spraying paint as another person attempted to stop them. The monument in southern England is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Britain's most visited tourist spots.

Persons: Gogh Organizations: UNESCO, Heritage Locations: Great Britain, England, Britain

☆ Nigel Farage: The US-style migration debate taking over Britain’s election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

“It’s a bit like God’s waiting room.”But Clacton is the front line of Britain’s migration debate. The Reform leader uses divisive language on migration, warning supporters of what he calls an "invasion" of asylum seekers. Despite years of tough rhetoric and policies aimed at deterring the arrival of asylum seekers – devised largely to placate Farage’s supporters – Britain’s asylum system is creaking. Laws prevent most asylum seekers from working, so while taxpayers fund their accommodation, they cannot contribute formally to the economy. That could widen even further the chasm in understanding between his voters and Britain’s asylum seekers, experts fear.

Persons: ” Danny Botterell, Nigel Farage, BEN STANSALL, Donald Trump, Nigel, ” Botterell, “, Farage, ” Farage, –, Rob Picheta, CNN Britain’s, Rishi Sunak’s, ” Zoe Gardner, “ Farage, “ They’ll, ”, Louise Brockwell, Danny Botterell, David Cameron –, Europe –, Sunak, Cameron, Farage’s, ted Britain’s, France –, ” Gardner, Masood, they’re, ” Masood, Brexit, Douglas Carswell, ” Carswell, ” “ There’s, Carswell, Bob Brace, Farage's, hasn’t, Jack, can’t, you’re, Bridget Tyril, Roy Whitehead, Keir Starmer, “ It’s, they’ve, Karen French, “ I’ve, He’s, James Johnson, Theresa May’s, pollster, Queen Elizabeth II, restauranter Dean Coles, Jehosh, Gardner Organizations: England CNN —, Seagulls, CNN, Getty, Clacton, Labour, Brexit Party, Tories, Jays, Sky News, Times, Home Office, Conservative, UKIP, EU, Brexit, Mississippi Center for Public, John, People, Trump, Downing, Partners, “, Conservatives Locations: Clacton, England, Clacton Pier, Europe, ”, London, “, AFP, United States, Britain, Westminster, India, France, Bibby Stockholm, Kent, Afghanistan, UAE, Essex, Jaywick, It’s France, Netherlands, Germany

☆ Live Updates: U.S. to Sign 10-Year Pact With Ukraine as G7 Leaders Meet
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( David E. Sanger | Steven Erlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Mr. Biden and Mr. Zelensky will meet on Thursday and sign a security agreement, said Jake Sullivan, Mr. Biden’s national security adviser. Mr. Biden faces the hurdle of convincing his allies, starting with Mr. Zelensky, that the United States plans to stay in the fight with Ukraine, no matter what happens in November. Mr. Biden told Mr. Zelensky last week, in France, that “I apologize for the weeks of not knowing what was going to pass,” and put the onus on Republicans in Congress. During a trip to Normandy last week, Mr. Biden appeared to have persuaded France, one of the last holdouts, to support the deal. “The administration has been quick to get aid to Ukraine once Congress moved, and that’s to its credit,” he said.

Persons: Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr, Zelensky, Jake Sullivan, “, ” Mr, Sullivan, we’ll, ”, Vladimir Putin, Pope Francis, Donald J, Trump, Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Biden’s, Vladimir V, Putin, Claudia Greco, John E . Herbst, Evelyn Farkas, Barack Obama, Ms, Farkas, ” Alan Rappeport Organizations: Ukraine, U.S, Kremlin, Group, Air Force, “, hobble, NATO, Mr, Reuters, European, World Bank, Eurasia Center, Atlantic Council, United, McCain Institute, Arizona State University Locations: Ukraine, United States, Italy, Israel, Russia, hobble Russia, Europe, France, Congress, Savelletri, Normandy, Belgium’s, U.S, Eurasia

☆ UK's populist right-wing party surges in popularity on Brexiteer Nigel Farage's return
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage walks to speak to supporters as he launches his election candidacy at Clacton Pier on June 4, 2024 in Clacton-on-Sea, England. Labour is expected to win 40% of votes to the Conservatives' 19% and Reform's 17%, the online polling showed. Farage's surprise return as Reform leader on Monday dealt a deadly blow to the party, threatening to steal a significant share of votes on the right. In the 2019 election, his then-Brexit Party agreed not to field candidates in hundreds of seats to safeguard a Conservative win. The announcement hurts Sunak's earlier efforts to win right-wing votes by hardening the Tories' stance on migration and the U.K.'s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Rishi Sunak's, Farage, — Organizations: Clacton Pier, Reform, Sky News, Labour, Conservatives, Conservative, Brexit, Tories, Brexit Party, European, Human Rights Locations: Clacton, England, London

☆ UK general election: Why the economy is the key issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Sunak will likely point to falling inflation and a strengthening economy as proof that his plan to “restore economic stability” is working. Here’s what data shows has happened to wages, living standards, the value of the pound, house prices and waiting times for medical treatment on the NHS. “Poor income growth has been an unfortunate feature of economic life in the UK over the last 15 years. On average, households now spend more than 29% of their after-tax income on rent, up from 24% in 2010, according to Zoopla, a property company. NHS waiting lists have grown steadily since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, contributing to worker shortages in the UK.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Tony Blair, Sunak, YouGov, Labour Party Keir Starmer, Jeff J Mitchell, Alastair Grant, Tom Waters, “, —, Nick Ridpath, Liz Truss, “ Brexit, Clare Lombardelli, Brexit Organizations: London CNN, Conservative Party of, European Union, Labour Party, Labour, National Health Service, Conservatives, Britain's, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Conservative, Bank of England, Office, National Statistics, NHS Locations: Ukraine, United Kingdom, “, United States, Germany, Britain, England

☆ Rob Burrow, Rugby Star and A.L.S. Campaigner, Dies at 41
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Alex Williams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Rob Burrow, a rugby standout who overcame his diminutive stature with fleetness and ferocity to become an eight-time champion of Britain’s Super League and who was later hailed for raising awareness of motor neuron disease after being diagnosed with it in 2019, died on Sunday. His death — from M.N.D., a group of neurological disorders that includes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or A.L.S., also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — was announced by the Leeds Rhinos, the British club with which he spent his entire 17-year professional career. It did not say where he died. Doubted at every turn for his small stature — he was about 5-foot-5 and 150 pounds — Burrow nevertheless became a star, earning nicknames like Mighty Atom and Pocket Rocket in the British tabloids. He was sapped of his physical gifts, however, when he was diagnosed with his neurological disorder at 37, just two years after his retirement in 2017.

Persons: Rob Burrow, Lou Gehrig’s, —, Burrow Organizations: Britain’s Super League, Leeds Rhinos Locations: M.N.D, British

☆ Digital bank Monzo posts first full year of profit after more than doubling revenue
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

A Monzo debit card being used at a payment terminal. Monzo, the British digital challenger bank, on Monday reported its first full year of profitability. The fintech startup said in annual financial results that its pre-tax profits totaled £15.4 million ($19.6 million) in its 2023-2024 fiscal year, swinging to the black from a £116.3 million loss the year prior. Monzo posted revenues of £880 million for the full year, up from £355.6 million in 2022. Monzo is one of Britain's largest digital banks, competing with the likes of Starling and Revolut as well as established lenders such as HSBC and Barclays .

Persons: Monzo, Starling, Revolut Organizations: HSBC, Barclays Locations: British

☆ Britain’s Royal Mail has been bought by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský for $4.5 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —The owner of Royal Mail has accepted a £3.5 billion ($4.5 billion) takeover bid from Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský, paving the way for the sale of one of Britain’s oldest and most iconic institutions to a foreign owner for the first time. The deal follows a torrid few years for Royal Mail, which was privatized in 2013. “Royal Mail is as British as it gets, and Labour will take the necessary steps to safeguard its undeniable identity and place in public life,” he wrote in the letter, which he posted on X. A low-profile Czech national, Křetínský made his fortune through a sprawling empire of European energy companies, retailers and football clubs. He is worth an estimated $7.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and owns a 27% stake in West Ham United Football Club.

Persons: Daniel Křetínský, Křetínský’s, Jonathan Reynolds, ”, Křetínský Organizations: London CNN, Royal Mail, Distribution Services, Labour Party, Conservative, Labour, Royal, Bloomberg, West Ham United Football Club Locations: Czech, United Kingdom, West

CNN —Ukraine should be allowed to use French weapons, including long-range missiles, against targets inside Russia from which Moscow attacks Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday. The SCALP missiles have a range of up to 155 kilometers (96 miles) and carry a 400-kilogram (881-pound) high-explosive penetration warhead, according to the Missile Threat project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Macron stressed that the French arms are to be used only against targets from which attacks are launched into Ukraine. “We must not allow them to hit other targets in Russia,” including civilian or other military targets, the French leader said. The meeting follows a similar agreement between Ukraine and Spain on Monday, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announcing a $1.08 billion weapons deal for Ukraine.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, “, ” Macron, Olaf Scholz, Guillaume Souvant, David Cameron, Putin, ” Cameron, let’s, Caesar, Viacheslav Ratynskyi, Germany’s Scholz, Macron’s, ” Scholz, Vladimir Putin, ” Putin, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Pedro Sánchez Organizations: CNN, French Defense, Missile, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Getty, British, NATO, Spanish, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Brandenburg, Germany, France, Bourges, AFP, Kyiv, ” France, Avdiivka, Donetsk region, United States, Uzbekistan, Europe, Belgium, Brussels, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Canada

☆ Spying Arrests Send Chill Through Britain’s Thriving Hong Kong Community
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2019, Mr. Cheng, a pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong and a former employee of Britain’s Consulate there, was arrested after a business trip to mainland China. When he was finally released, he no longer felt safe in Hong Kong, and in early 2020, he fled to Britain and claimed asylum. “It’s not hard to adapt to a new life in the U.K. in some ways,” said Mr. Cheng, 33. Last year, the Hong Kong authorities put a bounty on Mr. Cheng and other activists, offering $128,000 for information leading to their arrest. Still, like many Hong Kong activists living in self-imposed exile in Britain, he hoped his newfound distance from the Chinese authorities put him far from their reach.

Persons: Simon Cheng, Cheng, “ It’s, ”, — Organizations: Hong Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Britain, London

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