Rhetoric

Madeleine Sumption says politicians make big claims about things they only partially control to appeal to votersKeir Starmer’s pledge to “smash the gangs” profiting from small boat crossings has followed a pattern set by Conservative-led governments of employing “bullish rhetoric” with little evidence that it can be delivered, an expert has claimed.Madeleine Sumption, the director of the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory, says the prime minister has repeated the mistakes of Rishi Sunak and David Cameron by making “bold claims with great certainty about things governments only partially control” . Continue reading...

Centre-left Robert Golob and rightwing populist Janez Janša are frontrunners in contest after polarised campaignCampaigners in Slovenia have warned of a surge in anti-Romany rhetoric as the country heads to the polls on Sunday, leaving many bracing for the outcome of a vote that has become, in part, a referendum on how the country treats its most marginalised.In Sunday’s vote, the prime minister, Robert Golob, of the centre-left Freedom Movement party, faces off against the rightwing populist and Donald Trump ally Janez Janša. Continue reading...

Forces have been stripped back since the cold war but political stasis is dangerous in the face of growing global threatsIt will have been more than three weeks since the US and Israel first attacked Iran when the first British warship finally arrives off the coast of Cyprus, a belated defensive deployment that has highlighted the lack of military capacity available to the UK.Nominally, HMS Dragon was one of three destroyers available out of six. In reality the warship has had to be hauled out of dry dock, prepared and then, after launch, tested for several days in the Channel. Its arrival date is still unconfirmed. Continue reading...

• Republican candidates are encountering challenges mobilizing voters for the 2026 midterm elections as President Trump continues promoting claims about election integrity and potential fraud, creating messaging conflicts. • NPR analysis indicates that the more Trump emphasizes election rigging or claims Democrats will win despite Republican efforts, the harder it becomes to energize GOP voters who may grow discouraged or cynical about electoral outcomes. • Political observers note that voters are already highly polarized, making traditional persuasion efforts difficult, while Republican turnout could suffer if messaging emphasizes electoral vulnerabilities rather than party strength and accomplishments.

US-based Zubeyda Muzeyyen, AKA DJ Haram, claimed a ‘Zio-Australian-Epstein empire’ was responsible for silencing dissentersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe premier of New South Wales has ruled out cutting funding for Sydney’s Biennale arts festival after Jewish groups condemned language used by US artist DJ Haram at an opening night event at the White Bay Power Station in Sydney.At the centre of the controversy was the artist’s claim during her set that a “Zio-Australian-Epstein empire” was responsible for silencing dissenters. The words appear to link Israel to the convicted sex offender and New York financier Jeffrey Epstein and, critics say, feed into longstanding antisemitic tropes. Continue reading...

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville posted that 'the enemy is inside our gates' juxtaposing a NYC iftar photo with 9/11 images, doubling down amid attacks in Michigan and Virginia. House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged Rep. Ogles' strong language on Sharia law but called the concern 'serious' without rebuke. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer condemned Tuberville's post as 'mindless hate' and un-American. The Michigan attacker, a naturalized Lebanese citizen who lost four family members in an Israeli airstrike, rammed Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township.