Former Columbia University president Minouche Shafik tapped as UK economic adviser

LONDON -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday appointed economist and former Columbia University president Minouche Shafik as his chief economic adviser. It's part of a staff shakeup aimed at strengthening the government’s response to a sluggish economy and a heated political debate over immigration. Starmer’s center-left Labour Party government has struggled to boost economic growth and curb inflation, leaving Treasury chief Rachel Reeves facing unpalatable choices about taxes and spending in her budget this fall. Shafik, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, has held senior academic and civil service roles in Britain, and served a...