insert_link World The far-right has surged to the lead in France’s elections. But forming a government remains a tall order By Romain Fathi, Australian National University Exit polls after the first round of the French legislative elections indicate the far-right National Rally party leading with about 34% of the vote. The New Popular Front (a coalition of parties from the far left to the moderate left) was in second with about 28% and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition was a distant third with about […] todayJuly 1, 2024 11
insert_link World Social media platforms are blocked in Iran. Candidates in this week’s presidential election are embracing them anyway By Amin Naeni, Deakin University After Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash on May 20, the Iranian government had to schedule an early election to choose a new president. The regime has approved six presidential candidates to run in the election on June 28. The pool includes four hardliners, one centrist and one reformist. The main competition is expected […] todayJune 26, 2024 9
insert_link World Iran’s Khamenei urges ‘high participation’ in presidential vote Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday called for "high participation" in Friday's presidential election to replace Ebrahim Raisi, who died last month in a helicopter crash. "We emphasise the importance of high participation (in the election) because it is the pride of the Islamic republic," Khamenei declared in a televised speech three days ahead of the vote. "In every election where the turnout was […] todayJune 25, 2024 8
insert_link Namibia More than 300 thousand Namibians register to vote The Electoral Commission of Namibia has announced that since the commencement of the general voter registration, a cumulative total number of 366,036 eligible Namibians registered as voters inside the country and at all diplomatic missions abroad. This figure represents an average of 29,918 registered voters per day during the period 10 to 15 June 2024. ECN spokesperson De Wet Siluka. todayJune 20, 2024 12
insert_link World French voters scramble for proxy votes More than 550,000 proxy-vote applications have been submitted so far in the build-up to the French general election. The second round of the vote falls at the start of the French school summer holidays. Ross Cullen reports. todayJune 19, 2024 10
Namibia Namibian youth turn backs on political parties, survey reveals https://youtu.be/xWLE28d7Arw By Valeria Handobe Owner of Survey Warehouse Christie Keulder says that young Namibians are distancing themselves from political parties, with many stating that they no longer feel close to any party. This follows a survey conducted by Afrobarometer in March this year, which revealed that only 56% of young people voted during the 2019 national election. Afrobarometer is a pan-African non-partisan survey research network […] todayJune 7, 2024 7
insert_link Namibia Politicians urged to simplify manifestos to engage young voters https://youtu.be/94YOzZof2fs By: Valeria Handobe, via News on One Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) Youth Leader and Head of Communications, Julia Nekwaya called on political parties to make their manifestos more digestible for young voters. Nekwaya was speaking at the EduVote panel discussion, hosted by the Global Shapers - Windhoek hub, which aims to amplify the voices and perspectives of young voters, encouraging them to actively engage […] todayJune 3, 2024 9
insert_link World India praises vote conduct with Modi tipped to win By Abhaya SRIVASTAVA India's election commission said Monday a staggering 642 million people voted in just-concluded six-week-long polls, a day ahead of the results which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is widely expected to win. Nearly all observers believe Modi's appeals to Hindu nationalist sentiment will give him a third term in power, a decade after he first took office. Exit polls show 73-year-old Modi is well […] todayJune 3, 2024 4
insert_link World Can Iran avoid a political crisis after its president’s death? By Ali Mamouri, Deakin University The death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash this week occurred during one of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s most challenging periods. Raisi, a prominent figure in the political elite, held substantial sway over Iran’s domestic policies. He was also central to Iran’s recent moves to improve relations with its rivals in the region. Given his sizeable influence, […] todayMay 21, 2024 12
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
