Facebook Says Russian Accounts Bought US Political Ads

Company finds fraudulent accounts spent $100,000 on ads during 2016 election cycle.

Facebook announced Wednesday that an operation out of Russia spent an estimated $100,000 on political advertising on the platform in the United States during the 2016 presidential election.

Facebook said that the money was spent on roughly 3,000 ads that ran between June of 2015 and May of this year. The ads were purchased by a collective of some 470 accounts and pages that used falsified identification information. Facebook said that these accounts and pages all seem to be connected to each other and likely were led by an operation out of Russia.

Deputy PM Nick Clegg resigns, as Liberal Democrats decimated in election

Published time: May 08, 2015 10:45 Britain's Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg (Reuters/Andrew Yates)

Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has resigned, after his party suffered “catastrophic losses” in the UK General Election.

“I always expected this election to be exceptionally difficult,” said Clegg.

“Clearly the results have been immeasurably more crushing and cruel.”

In his heartfelt resignation speech on Friday before noon, Clegg said “fear and grievance” had won, while Liberalism had lost.

He says responsibility for the Lib Dem collapse is his, calling it the price paid for making the decision to go into government with the Conservatives.

"This is a very dark hour for our party but we cannot and will not allow decent liberal values to be extinguished overnight."

"Our party will come back," he said. It will take resilience, but this is what his party was built on, he said.

He said he must take responsibility for the Lib Dem's loss, and thanked his colleagues for their hard and diligent work in recent years. He called his fellow Liberal Democrats members a “family” and added, “It is simply heart-breaking to see so many colleagues and friends lose their seats.”

He reportedly left the room in tears after delivering his resignation speech.

Nick Clegg is the second party leader to resign, after Nigel Farage of UKIP has resigned shortly before him. Ed Miliband is also expected to stand down.

People have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on his resignation. Overall, comments about him are quite positive, calling him a "gracious" leader and that he put his country before his own interests.

Dat awkward moment when #Clegg remembered to be inspirational about the importance of liberalism a tad bit too late. #GE02015

— The Greek Analyst (@GreekAnalyst) May 8, 2015

Long a Clegg fan. Still am. Intelligent, thoughtful, decent. Impossible situation for him, made mistakes but fewer than most others wd have.

— Stephen Tall (@stephentall) May 8, 2015

Huge respect for @nick_clegg and the #LibDems - put country before narrow party interest

— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) May 8, 2015

Clegg getting a standing ovation, for nearly wiping out his Party. How wonderfully British.

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 8, 2015

I hope history judges @nick_clegg's coalition years positively. Mistakes were made but he did what he had to with the cards dealt #ge2015

— ?St? ? (@thew00d) May 8, 2015

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UK General Election 2015

Published time: May 07, 2015 07:42
Edited time: May 07, 2015 10:31 Reuters/Darren Staples

The UK is choosing its new 56th parliament in the 2015 General Election. There are 650 constituencies across the country. Among the front-runners are the Conservatives, Labour and UKIP.

Political blogger Guido Fawkes has reported that the Conservatives are having problems with their voter software which is failing to generate knock up slips of people who are registered but have yet to vote.

"This is a message from CCHQ that I’ve been asked to send out to London officers: ‘Vote Source’ isn’t generating knock up slips in committee rooms. Can you urgently ring each user and ask them to stop generating more as it is making the queue even longer! You can generate them from the control room. Vs team working on issue will be fixed soon" they quote a source as saying.

One Kent local has notified us that UKIP's buses have been defaced vandals with a sense of humour...

@RTUKnews It would appear 3 of UKIP's Kent buses have been customised by local people... pic.twitter.com/k3fPdDTkcl

— julie wassmer (@juliewassmer) May 7, 2015

Our video agency has posted footage of David Cameron casting his vote early this morning with wife Samantha.

David Cameron casts his vote in Oxfordshire FULL VIDEO: http://t.co/Iji5JV7Qee https://t.co/Vg7LgBvNpB

— Ruptly (@Ruptly) May 7, 2015

While this is the most diverse general election the UK has had in decades, there is still a battle between the two main parties, Labour and the Conservatives, to gain the highest number of seats. But what are the differences between the two giants of UK politics?

"Regardless of how the British public votes today, one outcome is guaranteed: the UK will end up with some form of either a Labour government or a Conservative government.

The two largest political parties in Britain have several differences in policy.

The Conservatives support a referendum on UK membership of the European Union (EU), for example, something which Labour is strongly against.

Labour, meanwhile, pledges to introduce a mansion tax for the wealthy, a move the Tories are opposed to.

Beneath these differences however, much of the two parties’ policies reflect a Westminster consensus"

Read the full article here.

Are you sure you put your ballot paper in the right box? Here's RT's look at the weirdest and wackiest polling stations across the country.

My local polling station pic.twitter.com/8j4dvRVLIH

— Karen (@Karenippy) May 7, 2015

Here's a great info-graphic from the London School of Economics which shows you when each seat's result will be announced.

Keep your eyes peeled for RT's guide to the most interesting constituencies in the UK coming soon!

This is a really fun tool for finding out when your constituency's result is declared http://t.co/fwXTf5tnFH pic.twitter.com/hhcxw4tQlt

— Poppy Bullard (@PoppyBullard) May 7, 2015

The latest social media trend to take over twitter is also definitely the silliest. #DogsAtPollingStations has seen voters post snaps of their political puppies getting involved in democracy.

#IVoted and so did the dog. #DogsAtPollingStations pic.twitter.com/WYLkpKtr7L

— Phoebe (@justphoebe) May 7, 2015

Pixar Lamps at Polling Stations....sorry I mean #DogsAtPollingStations #WaterOrton #IVoted pic.twitter.com/k3CjZgzyo9

— Kelly (@DHPLover) May 7, 2015

Young Jarrah voting for the first time #DogsAtPollingStations pic.twitter.com/vA3A4DMvjz

— Courtney (@c_greatrex) May 7, 2015

We've voted, and on his birthday too. What a treat #DogsAtPollingStations @Benvironmentals #Rhondda pic.twitter.com/oMbCgrb4O4

— Esyllt Mair (@EsylltMair) May 7, 2015

NB. Dogs can't actually vote, but we live in hope.

Don't forget to tune in from 10:00 for our comprehensive election night coverage with Bill Dod and Polly Boiko.

Have you ever wanted to put together the ultimate cabinet? Well here's your chance. Seeing as it's unlikely that we'll have any real results for at least a couple of days, why not create your own Fantasy Frontbench? You can pick your MPs on age, gender, and policies for maximum representation.

Despite the results of this election being far from certain, activists are already planning to demonstrate against a 'Tory coup' which would attempt to de-legitimise any agreement between Labour and the SNP.

"Activist groups are planning to take to the streets as rumors abound that David Cameron’s Conservatives may be preparing an election ‘coup’ after labeling any Labour government propped up by the SNP ‘illegitimate’.

Commentators have issued warnings in the wake of what they consider a sustained campaign by various influential newspapers to influence voters against a Labour/SNP pact.

The Guardian’s Owen Jones warned against “sleepwalking into a dangerous moment,” while Adam Ramsey, co-editor of the Our Kingdom blog, said the Conservatives were cooking up “an attempt to delegitimize any partnership between Labour and the SNP.”

Read the full story here.

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Ed Miliband resigns as Labour Party leader after general election defeat

Published time: May 08, 2015 08:43
Edited time: May 08, 2015 12:23 Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband. (Reuters/Darren Staples)

Ed Miliband has stood down as Labour Party leader after his party suffered a crushing defeat in the UK General Election, accepting “full responsibility” for his party’s defeat.
In an emotionally-charged address, interspersed with repeated applause from supporters, he lauded what he termed the most “united, cohesive, enjoyable campaign I’ve ever been involved in.”
He reserved particular thanks for “all those people who’ve pounded the streets” for the party.
“Britain,” he argued, “needs a strong Labour Party,” and that it was “time for someone else to take leadership of the party.”
READ MORE: UK General Election 2015 LIVE UPDATES
He praised his deputy Harriet Harman, saying she would take over while that “open, honest debate” took place.
To those he met during the campaign, he said: “Thank you for sharing your stories with me ... thank you for the selfies, and the most unlikely cult of the 21st century… Milifandom!”

DID ED MILIBAND SERIOUSLY THANK THE MILIFANDOM WHAT A BAE

— nina (@caramellester) May 8, 2015
“While we may have lost the election, the argument of our campaign will not go away,” he said.
To his party he said: “I am truly sorry I did not succeed.”
“Thank you for the privilege, I joined this party aged 17, I never dreamed I would lead it … it will be a force for change again.”
“Pick yourself up and continue the fight. We’ve come back before and we’ll come back again.”
“When we see injustice, we must tackle it,” he said.

I'm very sad about Ed Miliband resigning. There goes a politician who genuinely cared about young people and actively tried to involve us

— izzie (@_is4belle) May 8, 2015
“It is people that make change happen, I will never give up on that cause. I will never give up fighting for the Britain I believe in. I will always be there in that cause with all of you.”
In light of Labour’s abysmal performance in Scotland, and amid rumors of another Scottish independence referendum, he reiterated his commitment to the Union.
“I believe in our United Kingdom, because it is the best way of serving our country,” Miliband said. “All of us in the months ahead must rise to the challenge of keeping our country together.”
Despite Miliband’s expression of confidence in his deputy, it took Harriet Harman little over an hour to announce that she would also be stepping down once a new leader is elected by the party membership.

This has clearly been a very disappointing and difficult night for the Labour party. To every member and supporter, I want to say thank you.

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) May 8, 2015
Labour suffered a humiliating defeat in Scotland, after the SNP won 56 out of 59 contested seats.
Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls is among senior Labour politicians to lose their seat. In a surprise outcome, contrary to pre-election polls, the Conservatives emerged with the largest share of seats. David Cameron is well on his way to securing a majority, while Labour and the Liberal Democrats have suffered humiliating losses.
Projections say Cameron will win 328 seats in total – enough to command a majority in the House of Commons.
Speaking earlier today after winning his Doncaster North seat, Miliband said: “This has clearly been a very disappointing and difficult night for the Labour Party.
“We have not made the gains we wanted in England and Wales, and in Scotland we have seen a surge of nationalism overwhelm our party,” s
aid Miliband, after comfortably securing his own seat with an increased majority.

Defeats are hard, but we’re a party that will never stop fighting for the working people of this country.

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) May 8, 2015
“I want to say to all the dedicated and decent colleagues in Scotland who have lost their seats that I am deeply sorry for what has happened.
“And I also want to say that the next government has a huge responsibility. It has a huge responsibility in facing the very difficult task of keeping our country together.”
“Whatever party we come from, if we believe in the United Kingdom we should stand up for people in every part of our United Kingdom because I believe that what unites us is much, much more than what divides us.”
In the early hours after the poll results came in, some Labour Party members had said it wasn’t the time to replace Miliband and that the blame for Labour’s defeat, most notably in Scotland, couldn’t be pinned on him alone.

.@Ed_Miliband: To every Labour member and supporter, I want to say thank you https://t.co/3tq2wjOtMi

— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) May 8, 2015
Labour will now face a leadership contest, with Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham, Shadow Justice Minister Dan Jarvis, Shadow Care Minister Liz Kendall and Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna considered potential successors.
The Liberal Democrats under Nick Clegg have been decimated in the election. Clegg called it a “cruel and punishing night”
for his party.

I am grateful to the people who worked on our campaign and for the campaign they ran. The responsibility for the result is mine alone.

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) May 8, 2015

The next government has a huge responsibility to bring our country together. What unites us is much, much more than what divides us.

— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) May 8, 2015

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London stocks surge as Conservatives claim election victory

British financial markets reacted with glee as the Conservatives claimed election victory.
Investors breathed a sign of relief as the prospect of a hung parliament faded as the results rolled in.
The outcome put sterling on course for its biggest one-day rise against the euro since 2009.
European markets are also upbeat.
Fidel Helmer is from Hauck & Aufhaeuser Bank:
“I think right now the clear election result is seen in a positive light. A tight result would have raised the question of how Great Britain wants to set up a government and under what conditions. This could have provoked instability.”
The stability may well be short-lived the Conservatives have vowed to hold a referendum on EU membership and after the resounding success of the Scottish National Party north of the border another call for Scottish independence will be reverberating around Westminster.

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Your General Election 2015 TV guide

By Daily Mail Reporter  After five exhausting weeks, the campaign is finally over and now the voters have their say. For those with the energy to stay awake tonight and watch TV, here's the Daily Mail's hour-by-hour guide to the seats to look out for...