As a result of the recent early elections in Britain, the Labor Party came to power and its leader Keir Starmer became the new prime minister. The Conservatives, who had been in power since 2010 and had replaced five prime ministers in a row (David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak), suffered a disastrous defeat, showing the worst results in the party's history.
We took this video from Guardian News YouTube Channel.
Despite winning the election Keir Starmer is completely new to politics. Starmer came from a simple working-class family, his father was a toolmaker in a factory and his mother was a nurse. Starmer's early involvement in politics began at the age of 16 when he joined the local youth branch of the Labor Party. He later gained experience as an editor for the leftist journal Socialist Alternatives and built a career as a human rights lawyer.
The new prime minister now faces many challenges, ranging from the country's economic situation to migration policy. Starmer, after his victory, explained that he will focus on reducing inflation, improving the quality of life of British citizens , as well as addressing prison overcrowding.
Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian emerged victorious in the second round of the Iranian presidential election, garnering 16.3 million votes in a contest with a total turnout of 49.6 percent. Despite a significant number of invalid votes - over 607,575 - suggesting some level of voter discontent, Pezeshkian's win signals a potential shift in Iranian politics.
We took this video from Associated Press YouTube Channel.
In his campaign, Pezeshkian pledged to maintain the fundamental structure of the Shiite theocracy while seeking to improve diplomatic relations with Western nations. He also vowed to revisit the controversial law mandating the wearing of the hijab, highlighting his commitment to social reforms. Pezeshkian's multilingual skills, including proficiency in Azerbaijani, Farsi, and Kurdish, set him apart as a modern and cosmopolitan leader. As the first president from western Iran in years, his election has inspired optimism for progressive changes within the country.
However, it is essential to note that the ultimate authority in Iran still lies with Supreme Leader Khamenei, who holds significant sway over decision-making processes. Pezeshkian's ability to enact meaningful reforms may be limited by the existing power dynamics within the Iranian government.
The collaboration between China and Russia in expanding Arctic container transportation has taken a significant step forward with the launch of the "Arctic Express No. 1" maritime-railroad service. This service will facilitate the transportation of containers from Moscow to Arkhangelsk, the sole port in northwestern Russia, from where the cargo will be further transported to China via the Arctic Ocean. Compared to the Northern Sea Route (NSR), this route will enable cargo to reach its destination one week faster.
In recent years, China and Russia have demonstrated a strong commitment to developing Arctic sea routes, with a focus on enhancing logistics and transportation opportunities between the two nations to foster closer trade cooperation. Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui emphasized the importance of such initiatives, highlighting the recent agreement between the two countries allowing for joint efforts in shipbuilding and technological innovation. In 2023, the trade turnover between Russia and China amounted to just over 240 billion dollars, thus exceeding the target of 200 billion dollars.
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