(This article is part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.)

For many across the world, the poll outcomes of the United Kingdom, Iran, and France herald some relief and hope, as they broadly reflect a setback for conservative parties and right-wing forces.

After 14 years in power, the Tories were finally voted out, while newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to “begin the work of change”. Our London-based correspondent Sriram Lakshman tracked the election and its outcome closely. Notably, five independent pro-Palestine candidates, including former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, won in the U.K.’s general elections, in the wake of Israel’s devastating war on Gaza, which many voters deemed a key poll issue.

While the results have been welcomed by many, it is also important to be mindful of the remarkable performance of ultra-right wing leader Nigel Farage, who won after losing seven times, and his party, Reform UK, that won more than 14% of the vote, albeit only four seats. As The Hindu editorial observed, this will be a worry in the context of the party’s openly xenophobic rhetoric against immigrants. It also brings to the fore the challenge in sustaining the new regimes amid the political and economic crises facing the world.

Wasting no time settling in, Mr. Starmer spent his first few hours in the office holding phone calls with U.K. allies and partners, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Discussing the Free Trade Agreement, the Prime Minister said he stood ready to conclude a deal that worked for both sides,” Downing Street said, describing the India-UK relationship as “strong and respectful”.

Meanwhile, in Iran, reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian won the presidential runoff election, besting hard-liner Saeed Jalili. A protege of former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, the surgeon-turned-politician assumes the presidency at a time when the Islamic Republic is witnessing social tensions and economic woes at home and heightened geopolitical risks abroad. His supporters want reform, but the establishment wants the status quo. Mr. Pezeshkian’s challenge is to do what even his mentor, Mohammad Khatami, failed to do: bring in incremental reforms at home, steady the economy, and stabilise Iran’s ties abroad, writes Stanly Johny in this profile of the new President.

The victory of Mr. Pezeshkian, a reformist who opposes moral policing of women and calls for engagement rather than confrontation with the West shows that the Islamic Republic, plagued by economic woes and social tensions, is still capable of springing a surprise. The rest of the world must do more to engage with reformists in Iran, The Hindu’s editorial on the poll outcome said.

As our newsletter reaches you today, all eyes are also on France, where the left is emerging as the biggest group in the new parliament but has yet to even agree on a figure who it would want to be the new Prime Minister.

How will these poll outcomes impact India? Our Diplomatic Affairs Editor Suhasini Haidar presents a detailed overview in her latest episode of Worldview. Watch here.

In the neighbourhood:

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Sabry Ali Sabry has said Colombo would lift the ban on foreign research vessels beginning next year. The ban was imposed in January 2024, after India repeatedly voiced concern about Chinese research vessels calling at Sri Lankan ports. Our report.

Reflecting the tricky India-China balancing act that governments in our region are forced to pursue, a leading member of the Bangladesh government has said India is a time-tested political friend of Bangladesh, and China is a friend necessary for Bangladesh to attain its developmental goals.

Meanwhile, days ahead of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to China, India’s envoy to Bangladesh Pranay Verma has identified ‘energy connectivity’ as a key pillar of the “transformative changes” that are shaping the India-Bangladesh relationship.

Should India review its Myanmar policy in view of the humanitarian crisis? Kallol Bhattacherjee spoke to former diplomat Rajiv Bhatia and human rights lawyer Nandita Haksar

Top 5 stories we are reading this week

A woman from the United Kingdom pleaded guilty to murdering her parents and living in their home for several years after, as per a report in the Independent. Virginia McCullough, 36, entered a guilty plea to the murders of Lois McCullough, aged 71, and John McCullough, aged 70, between June 17 and June 20, 2019, during her appearance via prison video call at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday. She hid their bodies inside the house and kept residing at that location.

The woman lied to the doctors and relatives that her parents were unwell, on holiday or on vacation to cover her tracks. Her actions came to light on September 15, 2023, when Essex police executed a warrant at the Pump Hill residence after her parents’ doctors expressed concerns about missing visits. At that point, the 36-year-old admitted to stabbing her mother and poisoning her father with prescription drugs, according to the cops.

McCullough confirmed her identity, entered guilty pleas to both counts and stated that she understood the judge’s remarks. She will be sentenced on October 10 and 11.

As per the outlet, Judge Christopher Morgan said, “You will understand that there is a single sentence that can be passed upon you in these circumstances. Consideration however has to be given to the minimum term.”

Meanwhile, people living around the neighbourhood described the woman as “quite chatty” and a “little bit odd”, according to The Guardian. Dave Oldershaw, a neighbour, said McCullough was “carrying on, going up to the Chinese (takeaway) like nothing has happened”. He “thought she lived on her own” at the house and stated that he “only knew her to say hello to – she wasn’t trouble.”

A worker at a nearby shop said the woman had told him her parents had moved to be by the seaside. He said he had not seen them since the Covid-19 pandemic but would previously “see them two or three times per week”.

According to the employee, McCullough appeared “a little bit odd sometimes.” “She would come in and go ‘do you want a coffee’ then five minutes later, there would be a coffee sitting there,” the worker continued.

British opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer looks on as he visits Morrisons supermarket during a Labour general election campaign event in Wiltshire, Britain, June 19, 2024
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Two polls have found the UK’s Labour party was set to win a record-breaking number of seats and the incumbent Conservatives due for a historic drubbing in July’s general election.

With voters heading to the polls in just over two weeks time, the latest pair of nationwide surveys — by YouGov and Savanta/Electoral Calculus — showed Labour set to win either 425 or 516 out of 650 seats.

Either of the results would be the current opposition party’s best-ever return of MPs in a general election.

ALSO READ | Snap poll: On the surprise election announcement for the U.K.

Meanwhile, the twin polls showed support for the Tories — in power since 2010 — plummeting to unprecedented lows, with one estimating they would win just 53 seats.

The Savanta and Electoral Calculus survey for the Daily Telegraph newspaper predicted Rishi Sunak would become the first sitting U.K. prime minister ever to lose their seat at a general election.

The poll, which forecasts three-quarters of Mr. Sunak’s cabinet also losing their seats, would hand Labour a majority of 382 — more than double the advantage enjoyed by ex-prime minister Tony Blair in 1997.

It also showed the centrist Liberal Democrats just three seats behind the Conservatives on 50, and the Scottish National Party losing dozens of seats north of the English border.

Record Tory defeat?

The YouGov survey predicted Mr. Sunak’s party would win in just 108 constituencies.

That was a drop of 32 on its prediction from two weeks ago, reflecting how badly the Conservatives’ election campaign is perceived to have gone.

The 108 seats the Tories are predicted to win in the poll would still be their lowest number in the party’s near 200-year history of contesting U.K. elections.

Mr. Sunak is widely seen as having run a lacklustre and error-strewn campaign, including facing near-universal criticism earlier this month for leaving early from D-Day commemoration events in France.

In contrast, Labour leader Keir Starmer, set to become prime minister if his party prevails on July 4, has sought to play it safe and protect his party’s poll leads.

YouGov also found anti-EU populist Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party on course to win five seats, including in the Clacton constituency in eastern England where the Brexit figurehead is standing.

Mr. Farage has said he will attempt to co-opt what remains of the Conservative party if he is elected and it fares poorly on July 4.

London:

The British parliament dissolved on Thursday ahead of a July 4 general election, which looks set to bring Labour to power after 14 years of Conservative rule.

Five weeks of campaigning officially began as 650 seats of members of parliament (MPs) became vacant at one minute past midnight (2301 GMT) in line with the electoral schedule.

The first week of campaigning has seen a shaky start following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s rain-drenched election announcement, with many observers taking the downpour as a bad omen.

Sunak set the election for July 4, instead of later in the year as had been widely expected, in what observers said was an attempt to regain momentum as his party slides in opinion polls.

After 14 years in opposition, the Labour party now has the chance to win back power with its leader Keir Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, at the helm.

– Mass exodus –

Trailing double digits behind Labour in polls, the ruling party also faced a mass exodus of parliamentarians, some throwing in the towel in the face of bleak chances of victory.

Some 129 MPs have so far announced that they will not be standing for re-election. Among them are 77 Conservatives, an unprecedented exodus for a governing party.

Among the Tories standing for re-election, some have made no secret of their annoyance at having been caught off guard by the July election date.

Steve Baker, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, stood by his decision to continue his vacation in Greece, saying that he would be preparing his campaign there.

Signs of infighting also spilled into the open with one Tory MP backing a candidate from the right-wing populist Reform UK party in her constituency, before being promptly suspended by the Conservatives.

– Faltering start –

After the election announcement, Sunak travelled across the country, promoting Conservatives as the “safe” option.

His campaign met with some early snags, including a visit to the site where the Titanic was built drawing comparisons between his leadership and captaining a sinking ship.

Doubling down on older voters and right-wing supporters, Sunak’s campaign has seen pledges to bring back national service and what is billed as a £2.4 billion ($3 billion) tax break for pensioners.

However, Sunak’s week of intense campaigning and bid to surprise the country have done little to boost favour.

Polls put Labour on average at 45% of voting intentions, against 23% for the Tories, suggesting that, given the simple-majority voting system, Labour will enjoy a very large win.

In a bid to turn things around, Sunak is hoping to win points in the scheduled debates with Keir Starmer, the first of which is set to take place next Tuesday on ITV.

– More infighting –

Meanwhile Labour is seeking to capitalise on the public’s weariness with the Conservatives, who have seen five prime ministers since 2016 alongside a slew of scandals and economic woes.

It has tried to focus on its shift to the “natural party of business” after winning the backing of 120 industry leaders this week.

After a resounding defeat under left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn in 2019, Starmer has pushed the party to the centre in a bid to win back voters, including by purging Corbyn and making moves to root out anti-Semitism.

However, the past week has exposed the long-standing factional splits within the party, with MP Diane Abbott expressing her dismay at the party’s desire to bar her from candidacy.

Starmer has insisted that the fate of Abbott, who was suspended last year for comments on racism, had not yet been decided. But the treatment meted out to the highly respected 70-year-old, who has spent 37 years as a member of parliament, has provoked fierce criticism.

Starmer has also faced condemnation from leftist voters who accuse him of rolling back promises he made during his successful leadership campaign.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, recently revealed what he has in common with his wife Akshata Murty. Mr Sunak jointly shared a post with his wife alongside two happy photos of them. He further revealed the six things that they have in common.

“People always ask us – ‘What is the thing you have most in common?'” he said in his post on Instagram. “It’s not just our shared love of watching Friends reruns and eating Spanish food,” Mr Sunak continued.

The UK PM said that they share a common belief and value system. “It’s the values that we share. We share the belief that hard work should decide where you go in life. We share the belief that it takes bold action to make a difference,” he wrote in the caption of the post.

Concluding the post, Mr Sunak said, “We share the belief that our children will inherit a better world than the one we share today.”

A few days ago, Akshata Murty posted a message of support for her husband 4 ahead of the July 4 general elections. She shared a post on Instagram with two photos of her husband and the message, “I’m with you, every step of the way.” Ms Murty’s message for her husband struck a chord with social media users, who offered their support to him 

This election comes at a time when Sunak’s Tories are struggling to retain power after 14 largely chaotic years in charge. Sunak is the party’s fifth prime minister since it ousted Labour in 2010 and was selected by Tory MPs in October 2022 after Liz Truss’s disastrous 49-day tenure.

Many outlets in the UK were virtually unanimous in describing his decision to hold a vote six months before he had to as a “gamble”. But Sunak attended several radio and television interviews on Thursday during campaigning and insisted insist he was right to call the vote.

Labour Leader Keir Starmer (centre), accompanied by Deputy Leader Angela Rayner and Naushabah Khan, Labour councillor for Gillingham and Rainham, speaks to the media on the first day of campaigning at Gillingham football club on May 23, 2024 in Gillingham, England.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Rishi Sunak, his Conservative Party colleagues and Opposition Labour Leader Keir Starmer and his shadow cabinet hit the campaign trail with gusto on Thursday, a day after the British Prime Minister surprised many within his ranks by calling an election just six weeks away on July 4.

The 44-year-old British Indian leader’s rain-soaked speech on the steps of 10 Downing Street on Wednesday evening sent the political corridors of the country into a flurry of activity, with Mr. Sunak hitting the ground running with a campaign event in east London right after with his three poll pitches of “Clear Plan, Bold Action, Secure Future”.

ALSO READ | U.K. by-election results deliver double blow for PM Rishi Sunak

“Over the next few weeks, I will fight for every vote,” he pledged.

Asked by the BBC why he chose to fire the starting gun for the election race getting drenched in the pouring rain, Mr. Sunak replied that it showed that he is “not a fair-weather politician”.

“I believe very strongly in the traditions of our country. And when prime ministers make important statements like that, they do it on the steps of Downing Street come rain or shine. And I believe in those traditions and that’s why I did what I did,” he explained.

ALSO READ | On course for power, U.K.’s Opposition Labour prepares for a quick change

The Opposition Labour Party Leader, Mr. Starmer, kicked his campaign off with a simpler one-word message – “Change”.

“On July 4 you have the choice. And together, we can stop the chaos. We can turn the page. We can start to rebuild Britain, and change our country,” he declared.

Conservatives trailing

The reaction to a summer general election, which was not expected before October when Mr. Sunak would have completed three years in office as Prime Minister, has been mixed – with many Tory MPs fearful of losing their seats due to the anti-incumbency that has built up after 14 years of the party being in charge.

Almost every pre-election survey shows the governing Conservatives trailing behind Labour, which is holding a firm 20-point lead after securing decisive wins in the local elections held just earlier this month and seen as a sign of things to come.

“I am feeling quite emotional about all this. I was anticipating an autumn departure from Parliament and still had important issues to raise on behalf of my constituents between now and then. I am sad that I won’t now get to do that,” said Tracey Crouch, one of the backbench Tory MPs more vocal about the displeasure over the election timing.

“A great amount has been achieved over those 14 years and during this campaign, I look forward to speaking to voters about my record of delivery both locally and nationally,” said another backbench MP Priti Patel, who chose to be more positive.

Sunak’s gamble

Poll watchers believe that Mr. Sunak decided to take the gamble of an earlier election as he was convinced that nothing much would improve by the October-November timeline being pitched earlier. With inflation hitting a 2.3% mark this week, indicating an improvement in the cost-of-living crisis that has crippled the U.K. economy since the COVID pandemic, he decided to take the plunge into a trim six-week election campaign.

The economy will be the central plank of Sunak’s pitch to the nation, saying the inflation figures are “proof that the plan and priorities I set out are working”.

Immigration and investment in the defence sector will be some of his other key focus areas, claiming that the Opposition by contrast has no clear plan on these crucial issues.

The Labour Party, on the other hand, is on a slightly easier wicket with its focus being on how they plan to turn things around after the “chaos” of a Conservative Party-led government.

The British Parliament is now into just days of so-called “wash-up” when the government finalises and concludes non-contentious pieces of legislation before its dissolution next week. Under the timeline now set, a new Parliament is likely to be in place in the week following the election results on July 5.

A beer named after Osama bin Laden, one of the world’s most notorious terrorist leaders, was sold out after it went viral on social media. The excessive demand forced Mitchell Brewing Co. employees to momentarily disconnect phones and shut down their website, as per a report in the BBC.

According to the company’s website, it is their “most popular production” and is a “light refreshing lager with a hint of citrus taste”. Its label shows a cartoon caricature of the Al Qaeda leader, who was killed in 2011.

Notably, the Billinghay, Lincolnshire-based firm also makes Kim Jong Ale and Putin’s Porter. The brewery and pub are run by a couple- Luke and Catherine Mitchell. Luke Mitchell, the co-owner said, “They’re all tongue-in-cheek names – a nicer outlook on some horrible dictators.”

Several pictures of the beer were posted on social media. “We’ve woken up the last couple of mornings with thousands and thousands and thousands of notifications,” Mr Mitchell told the BBC. His wife added, “It’s been crazy. The phone just hasn’t stopped for the last 48 hours.”

Mr Mitchell said that people laugh when they see the names of the drinks and he thinks that someone can get offended. “Everyone laughs when they see the names on the bar. As far as I’m aware, no one’s been offended, but I’m sure there is someone out there,” he added.

“I think there’s always a risk of somebody being offended,” Mrs Mitchell continued.

From every barrel of Osama Bin Lager, the brewery pays 10 euros to a charity that aids the victims of 9/11 terrorist attack.

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announces the date for the general election at Downing Street on May 22, 2024 in London, England.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a national election on May 22, naming July 4 as the date for a vote his governing Conservatives are widely expected to lose to the opposition Labour Party after 14 years in power.

Ending months of speculation as to when he would call a new poll, Sunak, 44, stood outside his Downing Street office and announced he was calling the election earlier than some had expected, a risky strategy with his party behind in the polls.

“Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future,” he said, listing what he considers to be the highlights of his time in government, including the introduction of the so-called furlough scheme that helped businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic. “We will have a general election on July 4.”

Sunak heads into the election not only far behind the Labour Party in the polls but also somewhat isolated from some in his party, increasingly dependent on a small team of advisers to steer him through what is set to be an ugly campaign.

But he seems to have decided with some economic gains, such as inflation falling and the economy growing at its fastest pace in almost three years, now was the time to take a risk and present his agenda for a new term formally to voters.

The former investment banker and finance minister took office less than two years ago, and since then has struggled to define what he stands for, becoming increasingly frustrated that what he sees as his successes have failed to be appreciated.

Both parties have all but kicked off campaigning for an election, with the attack lines on the economy and on defence already firmly drawn.

Sunak and his government accuse Labour of being poised to increase taxes if in government and that the party would not be a safe pair of hands for Britain in an increasingly dangerous world as it lacks a plan, charges the opposition denies.

Labour accuses the government of 14 years of economic mismanagement, leaving people worse off, with a series of chaotic administrations that have failed to give the stability businesses have craved to spur economic growth.

If Labour win the election, Britain, once known for its political stability, will have had six prime ministers in eight years for the first time since the 1830s.

‘Ready to go’

Labour said before the announcement it was more than ready for an election.

“We are fully ready to go whenever the prime minister calls an election. We have a fully organised and operational campaign ready to go and we think the country is crying out for a general election,” Labour leader Starmer’s spokesperson told reporters.

Starmer kicked off his party’s election campaign last week by pledging to “rebuild Britain”, setting out the first steps he said Labour would take if it forms the next government.

Labour is running about 20 percentage points ahead of Sunak’s Conservatives in the opinion polls but some party officials are concerned their advantage is not as solid as it appears, fearing many voters remain undecided.

Sunak might be aiming to capitalise on that uncertainty and also to wrongfoot Labour, which has still to complete the selection of all its parliamentary candidates, a party veteran said.

Sunak will also hope that some economic gains and the first flights in his centrepiece immigration plan of sending illegal asylum seekers to Rwanda might also boost his party’s fortunes. The earliest possible date for those flights is June 24, 10 days before the election.

While some Conservatives welcomed the move to call an election, not all were happy.

“Death wish 2024,” said one Conservative lawmaker on condition of anonymity.

A woman from England has been devastated after surviving two house fires just over two years apart. After Kayley Hill’s home in Cheltenham was damaged by fire in February 2022, she spent hundreds of pounds refurbishing it, as per the BBC. According to the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, the blaze was caused by an electrical tin opener.

On April 16 this year, her kitchen had another fire. The family was compelled to move in with Ms Hill’s grandfather while repairs were being made. It is to be noted that no one was hurt in the accident. Ms Hill, who has three children ages 11, eight and six, was shopping when a neighbour called to check on her safety.

She told the outlet, “They told me my house was on fire. It’s been hard to process it happening again. It’s very stressful. I don’t have the money to redecorate again. My eldest child is too scared to return. After the first fire, he kept checking all the plugs to make sure they were turned off. We’re all scared it’s going to happen again.”

One dog was saved by firefighters, according to a fire department official. The fire was put out in less than 30 minutes. “Two fire engines, one from Cheltenham East and another from Cheltenham West were sent to the property where there was a fire in the kitchen. Crews used one hose reel and two sets of breathing apparatus to put it out. The fire caused 40 per cent damage to the kitchen and some smoke damage.”

London:

Britain has sent a first asylum seeker to Rwanda as part of a controversial but voluntary scheme for irregular migrants whose applications have been rejected, British media reported on Tuesday.

The British government last week adopted a highly-criticised law allowing for irregular migrants to be deported to Rwanda.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government plans to begin the expulsions by July.

But the man who left the UK on Monday had agreed to be sent to Kigali following his asylum rejection at the end of last year, several media said.

The African national left on a commercial flight, media said.

In exchange for his agreement to leave Britain, he is due to receive up to £3,000 ($3,750), according to government sources quoted by the Times newspaper.

Contacted by AFP, the British Home Office did not confirm the reports.

“We are now able to send asylum seekers to Rwanda under our migration and economic development partnership,” a government spokesperson said.

“This deal allows people with no immigration status in the UK to be relocated to a safe third country where they will be supported to rebuild their lives.”

The British government on Tuesday said it expects to deport 5,700 migrants to Rwanda this year in the scheme aimed at deterring migrant arrivals on small boats from northern Europe.

More than 57,000 people arrived on small boats after trying to cross the Channel between January 2022 and June last year, according to official statistics.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)