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2 weeks ago | 
engelsbergideas.com | Jack Dickens
On 24 July 1908, a wave of celebrations swept across the Ottoman Empire. In town squares and city streets from the Balkans to Anatolia and the Levant, vast crowds gathered, while sprawling red and white banners heralded the beginning of a new era of ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity and Justice’.
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4 weeks ago | 
reaction.life | Jack Dickens
Europe’s “coalition of the willing” assembled in Paris earlier today. Its aim? To confront the reality of a transatlantic alliance without Washington’s steadfast support. As President Trump persists in negotiating with Russia over the heads of NATO allies, European powers are attempting to reassert themselves on the international stage.
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4 weeks ago | 
reaction.life | Jack Dickens
The new spending plans announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in her Spring Statement could be disrupted by economic and geopolitical headwinds, experts have warned. Earlier today, Rachel Reeves unveiled new plans for public spending in the House of Commons after the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast that her previous proposals, outlined by the budget in October, would have increased government debt and violated the Chancellor’s own fiscal rules.
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1 month ago | 
reaction.life | Jack Dickens
President Trump is still striving for his next “deal of the century”, and events may be turning in his favour. In the latest chapter of the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire saga, the United States announced a potential breakthrough this afternoon. Following the latest round of US-brokered negotiations in Saudi Arabia, the White House released two separate statements declaring that Ukraine and Russia have both agreed in principle to implement a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea.
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1 month ago | 
reaction.life | Jack Dickens
Just in case you hadn’t had enough of knife-edge elections in North America, Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, called a snap election on Sunday. In doing so, Carney, who has been in office for less than two weeks, has gambled on framing the contest as one in which Canada’s future and sovereignty are at stake. It is likely that he will seek to wage a campaign battle centred on the twin threats of tariffs and Trump from now until polling day on 28 April. It should be a fascinating ride.
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1 month ago | 
reaction.life | Jack Dickens
Does anything work in Britain any more? The question has become a cliché as Brits grumble continually about creaking infrastructure. But today it seemed the doomsters were right after Heathrow Airport was forced to shut down following a fire at a nearby substation that supplies it with electricity. The fire began late on Thursday night and was only brought under control by 6:30am. The power cut caused by the blaze has since caused havoc in the United Kingdom’s largest international airport.
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1 month ago | 
reaction.life | Jack Dickens
Amid the geopolitical uncertainty unleashed by the Trump administration, President Emmanuel Macron may be making a political comeback, according to recent French polls. A survey conducted by Ipsos indicates that the president’s favourability rating among French voters has recovered by five percentage points, rising to 27% this month, up from the doldrums of 22% in February. The poll shows that international events have had a significant impact on how the French view their president.
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1 month ago | 
reaction.life | Jack Dickens
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has launched a new wave of repression in an effort to reassert his control over Turkey and sideline political challengers. His main target is none other than Istanbul’s charismatic mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has been detained by the Turkish police on charges of corruption and aiding terrorism. According to İmamoğlu’s wife, the police arrived at the mayor’s house at dawn, and later took him away for questioning.
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1 month ago | 
reaction.life | Jack Dickens
Vladimir Putin has agreed to halt all strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure for a period of 30 days following a telephone call with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, this afternoon. According to the White House’s official report on the call, Presidents Trump and Putin have also agreed that “technical negotiations” will now begin on a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, and to secure a “full ceasefire and permanent peace”.
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1 month ago | 
reaction.life | Jack Dickens
Good evening. It’s Jack Dickens here standing in for Caitlin Allen, who is off on holiday for a well-deserved break from global events. Here’s your daily briefing from the Reaction team. Ministers are pressing ahead with plans to cut £5bn a year from government spending on health-related benefits, despite signs of rising discontent within the Labour party. Amid protests from his own MPs, Sir Keir Starmer now faces a serious test of his leadership.
