At F.C. Porto, a Toxic Presidential Race Feels Typical for 2024

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband defended his decision to vote against military action in Syria, dismissing criticism from Wes Streeting. The public split in Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet arose after the health secretary criticized Labour's previous stance on Syria, stating that hesitation by the UK and US prolonged Assad's rule. Mr Miliband, now Sir Keir's energy secretary, led efforts to block strikes in Syria in 2013 to deter chemical weapons use. Full Article

The dire situation in North Gaza governorate, besieged for over two months, has severely limited access to basic services, with UNRWA providing vital assistance to Palestine refugees. UNRWA has delivered 6.7 million medical consultations in Gaza, with medicine stocks running low, while the UN Secretary-General called for Africa to have a stronger global role and urged an end to violence in Myanmar, where opium production remains a concern despite a slight decrease. Full Article

On November 28, a masked man attacked a Colruyt supermarket in Antwerp by throwing three firebombs, causing panic but resulting in no serious injuries. The suspect fled on an electric scooter, prompting a police investigation to identify him. Authorities are seeking information from the public to determine the motive behind the arson attack. Full Article

The police watchdog has deemed the actions of armed police who knocked a 13-year-old boy off his bicycle and arrested him for pointing a water pistol at a woman in Hackney, east London, as “reasonable”. The boy's mother complained about the adultification and discrimination against her black son during the arrest, which resulted in him being taken to the hospital with bruising and swelling. The incident was treated as a firearms incident, with armed officers...

Across the UK, millions are struggling with record-high costs for essentials due to rampant inflation, with household bills, groceries, mortgages, and rents all reaching new highs. In October, inflation spiked to 2.3 per cent, the steepest rise in two years, driven by higher energy bills, significantly outpacing wage growth. Despite promises of support from the government, recent research shows a bleak outlook for low-income households, with thousands facing winter without essential payments, and a projected...

In the first special edition of Berlin Playbook, Gordon Repinski and guests, including Robin Alexander from WELT, reflect on the political year, discussing the breakdown of the Ampel coalition and examining where the SPD, Greens, and FDP went wrong in their ideologies and predictions. They also speculate on the upcoming election and the possibility of Friedrich Merz becoming Chancellor, exploring potential cabinet roles. Berlin Playbook provides daily political updates at 5 AM, while the newsletter...