Nigel Farage is a no-show as his party blasts ‘socialist twins’ Starmer and Sunak – POLITICO

LONDON — Nigel Farage didn’t bother showing up — but his Reform U.K Party is making a big pitch to “save Britain” from both the Tories and Labour. The right-wing populist party — led by the businessman Richard Tice with the arch-Brexiteer Farage as party president — set out its stall for the next election … Read more

The NHS is facing the longest strike in its history. Here’s why – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. LONDON — It might be a new year, but England’s cherished public health service is facing the same old problems. And its legions of striking junior doctors are just getting started. From January 3, junior doctors working for the National Health Service in England will … Read more

Biden’s foreign policy headache in 2024 – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Ivo Daalder, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, is CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and host of the weekly podcast “World Review with Ivo Daalder.” United States President Joe Biden starts 2024 in circumstances that any incumbent would envy. The economy is … Read more

What is home in the age of exile? – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Tatyana Margolin is co-founder of STROIKA, with a mission to reverse the tide of rising authoritarianism by building, resourcing and connecting resistance movements around the globe. One can reliably gauge the latest geopolitical upheaval by who is sleeping on the red pullout couch in … Read more

Democracy is in peril in the world’s bonanza year of elections – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Is 2024 the year when democracy hits a tipping point and slides toward autocracy? It may seem like an odd question to ask at a time when countries representing nearly half the world’s population, or an estimated 3.8 billion people, are sending their voters … Read more

China’s Xi says reunification with Taiwan ‘inevitable,’ ahead of crucial vote on island – POLITICO

Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country’s reunification with Taiwan was “inevitable” in his New Year’s address on Sunday, just weeks before the self-ruled island holds elections that could reshape relations between the two. “The reunification of the motherland is a historical inevitability,” Xi said; “China will surely be reunified,” according to the official translation … Read more

Dominic Cummings says Sunak sought ‘secret deal’ for election help – POLITICO

LONDON — Dominic Cummings — adviser-turned-nemesis of Boris Johnson — claimed Saturday he held talks with Rishi Sunak about a “secret deal” to help the prime minister win the next election. The bombshell revelation is likely to anger Tory MPs who see the mastermind of the Vote Leave campaign for Brexit as a divisive figure, … Read more

What the stars have in store for world leaders   – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Nerdy political scientists, pompous think tankers and pretentious academics: Out!  Astrologers: In!  The world has become so uncertain and destabilized at this point that you might as well ask the stars for predictions about what could happen in 2024.  So we did just that … Read more

2023: In pictures – POLITICO

As the curtains draw on a tumultuous year, 2023 leaves behind a tapestry of unraveled events, painting a world shrouded in uncertainty and grappling with an ominous glimpse of the future. In a kaleidoscope of occurrences that defy easy categorization, selecting defining images for an annual overview becomes a difficult task. To encapsulate the essence … Read more

BJP’s hopes for 2024 soar as outgoing year ends on happy note

The BJP has generally had more good years than bad since 2014 but few have still ended on a happier note for the party than 2023, as it steps into the new year of national elections, full of hope of retaining power at the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third straight term. … Read more