India, Aug. 1 -- UK's Labour Party has officially retained control of Greater Manchester after Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig secured a decisive victory over Reform UK candidate Sian Astley in a fiercely contested mayoral by-election, according to the BBC.

The high-stakes ballot, triggered by Andy Burnham's departure for Westminster, transformed into a crucial national litmus test following months of volatile polling across northern urban centres. Returning officers confirmed that while Craig dominated the initial primary tally with over 47 per cent of first-preference choices, the supplementary vote system necessitated a second-round runoff to clear the absolute majority threshold, ultimately yielding a comfortable 66 per cent...