The UK’s two major parties released their campaign manifestos recently, ahead of a general election on Dec. 12. The documents differ not only in their ideological leanings—Conservatives to the right, Labour to the left—but also in their sheer ambition.
The UK could block people without an ID from voting, should prime minister Boris Johnson win a majority in Parliament in the Dec. 12 general election. Johnson’s Conservative party listed the introduction of a voter ID requirement as a campaign pledge (pdf) in its election manifesto.
The mass protest movement that has gripped Lebanon since the middle of October, and which had recently seen its turnout lag, is now benefitting from a key strategic shift: avoiding tactics that might alienate some members of the public.
Over the past two weeks, huge crowds have turned out across Lebanon to protest government corruption and economic inequality. And with prime minister Saad Hariri resigning on Tuesday, they have some tangible results to show for their effort.
Prime minister Saad Hariri today submitted his resignation to president Michel Aoun, a key demand of the protest movement that has gripped the country in recent weeks.
Lebanon is the fifth-most indebted nation in the world relative to GDP, according to the IMF. Needing more revenue to service these daunting debts, last week the government introduced a tax on WhatsApp users.
Hundreds of thousands of people—including more than one million on Sunday—have taken to the streets in cities across Lebanon in recent days to protest economic hardship and government corruption. A general strike took place today (Oct. 21), with banks, schools, and shops closing around the country.
If the last three years has taught the British public anything, it’s that, when it comes to Brexit, twists and turns are practically inevitable.
The UK is firmly on track to delay Brexit for the third time, after an amendment tabled by Oliver Letwin—a former Conservative MP booted out of the party by prime minister Boris Johnson—passed in Parliament today by a vote of 322 to 306. The cleverly devised amendment formally withholds approval of Johnson’s new Brexit deal until legislation implementing the deal is enacted, and therefore triggers the earlier Benn Act that forces Johnson to request a delay from the EU until Jan. 31.
As UK lawmakers sit in parliament on a Saturday for the first time in nearly four decades, hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets in central London today to demand a second Brexit referendum. The march began at 12pm local time, arriving at the final destination of Parliament Square around 2pm.
For several years, the British public has said that Brexit is the most significant issue facing the country, and it’s no wonder: a divorce with the EU will have major economic, political, and social implications. But the UK’s relationship with the bloc hasn’t always dominated the British psyche: Indeed, it barely even registered with voters before the decision to hold a Brexit referendum in June 2016.
The UK’s Treasury plans to commemorate Brexit by minting millions of 50 pence ($0.61) coins. But like many of the Conservative government’s recent moves, there is a major flaw: the imprint date will be the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline, even though the chance of departing the EU then—or possibly at all—has shrunk considerably.
Lager-loving soccer fans have something to cheer about. Qatar—a conservative Arab nation on the Persian Gulf—is reportedly nearing a deal that would see the price of alcohol brought down, and its availability relaxed ahead of the FIFA World Cup tournament it will host in 2022.
UK spending on security for MPs topped at least £4.2 million ($5.2 million) in the latest data available, continuing its climb since Labour MP and Remain campaigner Jo Cox was killed by a far-right extremist days before the June 2016 Brexit referendum.
The UK Supreme Court today has ruled that prime minister Boris Johnson’s decision to “prorogue” parliament was unlawful. The most senior judges in the country agreed that Johnson had an “improper purpose” when asking the Queen for the five-week suspension.
Drone attacks against the Abqaiq and Khurais oil fields on Sept. 14 in Saudi Arabia have roiled oil markets and, by extension, the global economy. But no country is feeling the strain as much as the kingdom itself.
Tunisians head to the polls this weekend (Sept. 15) to elect a new president, with results due a few days later. This will be Tunisia’s second presidential election since the 2011 revolution—and its third free election since independence in 1956. It’s a crucial test for the young democracy, and the stakes are high.
The 2019 Canadian election has officially kicked off.
This past week in the UK parliament has been a momentous one. MPs have taken control of the parliamentary timetable, the Conservative government has lost its working majority, and prime minister Boris Johnson is now required to ask the EU for a Brexit delay until Jan. 31.
The UK parliament today voted to delay Brexit until at least Jan. 31. The country had been on track to crash out of the EU on Oct. 31, unless a new deal could be reached before then.
Since the UK narrowly voted in June 2016 to depart the EU, many Britons have sought to make sense of all the convoluted ways Brexit could unfold.
Canada’s economic growth in the second quarter was a slam dunk, according to data released today. One reason for the growth spurt was the Toronto Raptors, who bested the Golden State Warriors in the NBA finals in June. It was the first time a Canadian team won the title in the basketball league’s history.
Some parents stick to the classic baby names of kings and queens. Others prefer their children to have names that are a little more current.
Prime minister Boris Johnson today asked the Queen to suspend the UK parliament from around Sept. 10 until two weeks before the country’s scheduled departure from the European Union, on Oct. 31. The government has justified the move on the grounds that “proroguing” parliament is customary in order to set out a new legislative agenda. However, the planned suspension extends the traditional three-week parliamentary break for party conference season to five weeks. The suspension would run until Oct. 14.
