Greens directly challenge UK's ailing Labour Party with vote win
The Straits Times
LONDON, Feb 27 - Hannah Spencer's victory speech on becoming the Greens' fifth lawmaker on Friday barely touched on the environmental issues that have defined the party, instead attacking \"billionaires\" profiting from Britain's working class. Read more at straitstimes.com.
LONDON, Feb 27 - Hannah Spencer's victory speech on becoming the Greens' fifth lawmaker on Friday barely touched on the environmental issues that have defined the party, instead attacking "billionaires" profiting from Britain's working class.
It was a direct challenge to the governing Labour Party of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, criticised by some on the left of his movement for abandoning the party's traditional socialist values to fight a threat from the populist Reform UK.
The landslide victory of the Greens in a so-called by-election in northwest England's Greater Manchester has emboldened the voices calling for Starmer to abandon a strategy of tracking to the right on issues such as tackling illegal immigration to fight Brexit veteran Nigel Farage's Reform.
And while governing parties almost always lose by-elections when voters often air their anger, the thumping defeat could empower those on the left to again challenge Starmer after an attempt earlier this month to force his resignation failed.
STARMER STRATEGY NEEDS TO CHANGE, UNION SAYS
The head of UNISON, Britain's biggest trade union which is a large Labour donor, said Starmer was "reaping the electoral consequences" of his strategy in the election for a lawmaker to represent the voting area of Gorton and Denton in parliament.
The ships had been at sea for quite some time due to military operations. Read more at straitstimes.com.
She also spoke on the diversification of crude oil procurement sources. Read more at straitstimes.com.
LONDON, March 25 - Britain should cap how much donors who are living overseas can give to political parties and pause cryptocurrency donations, an independent review said on Wednesday, a move that could hurt Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK party. Read more at straitstimes.com.
March 25 - Libya’s coast guard has begun towing away a damaged liquefied natural gas tanker that several Mediterranean countries warned posed an environmental risk after drifting unmanned for weeks, the Tripoli‑based Government of National Unity (GNU) said. Read more at straitstimes.com.
WASHINGTON, March 25 - The Pentagon said on Wednesday it had reached framework agreements with BAE, Lockheed and Honeywell to boost production of defense systems and munitions as part of its shift to \"wartime footing.\" Read more at straitstimes.com.
Tan Ruisong was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for corruption. Read more at straitstimes.com.
KYIV, March 25 - Ukraine will aim to repel Russia's new springtime offensive along the front line during a breakdown in U.S.-backed peace talks by building on recent tactical successes and battlefield innovations like mid-range strikes. Read more at straitstimes.com.
BERLIN, March 25 - The German army is working to accelerate wartime decision-making through artificial intelligence tools capable of analysing battlefield data more rapidly than humans, drawing lessons from Ukrainian and other forces, its commander told Reuters. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The federal government is accused of allegedly blocking access to evidence in the shootings. Read more at straitstimes.com.
BUDAPEST, March 25 - Hungary will gradually stop sending natural gas to Ukraine until crude oil flows on the Druzhba pipeline resume, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Wednesday, escalating a standoff with Kyiv over energy supplies disrupted by the war. Read more at straitstimes.com.
GENEVA, March 25 - Gulf Arab states told the U.N. Human Rights Council on Wednesday they face an existential threat from Iran as they condemned Iranian attacks on their infrastructure, which the U.N. rights chief said might constitute war crimes. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The shiny balloon first appeared around Valentine’s Day, quickly becoming a social media darling. Read more at straitstimes.com.
ISTANBUL, March 25 - Turkey \"is playing a role passing messages\" between Iran and the U.S. to encourage de-escalation and direct negotiations, Harun Armagan, vice chair of foreign affairs for President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party, told Reuters on Wednesday. Read more at straitstimes.com.