All posts tagged: Parties

Ethiopia’s election: Parties, coalitions and candidates explained | News

Ethiopia’s election: Parties, coalitions and candidates explained | News

Published by Sam Flores

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Ethiopians vote on Monday in a general election to choose members of parliament, who will in turn select the next prime minister. The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) said 47 political parties and more than 10,900 candidates are in the race, including 2,198 for the federal parliament, 8,736 for regional and city councils and 73 independents. More than 50 million voters are registered, with official voter registration figures showing women account for around half of the electorate. Young Ethiopians make up a large share of the population, with a median age of about 19 years, according to United Nations population estimates, giving them a substantial presence in the country’s electorate. The contest brings together ruling, opposition, regional and independent politicians under Ethiopia’s federal parliamentary system, where the government is formed through a parliamentary majority and MPs select the prime minister. Here is a closer look at the main political parties, coalitions and independent candidates. Prosperity Party (PP) The Prosperity Party is the ruling political party in Ethiopia, led by Prime …

It Took John Lithgow Less Than 24 Hours to Know He Needed to Play Roald Dahl in ‘Giant’

It Took John Lithgow Less Than 24 Hours to Know He Needed to Play Roald Dahl in ‘Giant’

Published by Sam Flores

Escola was excited to catch up on New York theater and see one performance in particular: Laurie Metcalf, currently starring as Linda Loman in a celebrated Death of a Salesman revival. “I saw her twice in Doll’s House Part Two, and in Three Tall Women,” says Escola. “I think she’s my favorite stage performer working right now.” Which doesn’t mean they aren’t head over heels with Maya Rudolph, who currently stars in Escola’s hit play Oh Mary, and Meg Stalter, who will take over the role next on Broadway. “I just keep thinking that, well, now no one will want to do it,” said Escola, since each Mary has been so strong. “Every person that does it, I’m like, well now people don’t want to do it.” Clearly, Escola is wrong. Although the mood at the Moss was light and amiable, Giant’s subject matter is rather heavy, speaking directly toward ongoing strife in the Middle East—even though it takes place more than 40 years ago. “It’s simply incredible how immediate the subject is, how urgent …

Cyprus election sees parliament fragment as anti-establishment parties gain ground – POLITICO

Cyprus election sees parliament fragment as anti-establishment parties gain ground – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Finance Minister Makis Keravnos said that fragmentation is a pan-European phenomenon and is not unique to Cyprus. “I’m not worried; I believe these are part of democracy, and the democratic system has a way of self-regulating in the end. This government was not supported by major parties in parliament anyway,” he told POLITICO in an interview on May 23. “What matters is for a government to act rationally, to act as the government of all Cypriots.” Cyprus — which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU until the end of June — has ⁠a presidential system of government and the 56-seated parliament holds limited powers. The ⁠vote is widely seen as a benchmark of political trends ahead of the 2028 presidential election and flags the new alliances President Nikos Christodoulides may need to make if ​he decides to ​run for a second term as is widely expected. “This marks the end of an era for political parties that have been part of the political scene for 50 years,” said Harry Tzimitras, director …

Four swing House races in Pennsylvania loom large for both parties — and for 2028, too

Four swing House races in Pennsylvania loom large for both parties — and for 2028, too

Published by Sam Flores

Control of the House of Representatives could come down to four pivotal battleground races in Pennsylvania. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. With an increasingly limited map of competitive seats, both Democrats and Republicans are emphasizing the importance of these campaigns, which are about to get floods of money and investment from both sides. Some of that has already started, including from Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is on a party-building kick as he faces a re-election bid that, as of yet, is not expected to be particularly competitive. Shapiro, a potential 2028 presidential contender, has emphasized those four races, making primary endorsements in each and signaling he will be deeply involved in them as November nears. Help the battleground Democrats win, and Shapiro will be able to tell Democratic presidential voters about how he helped the party retake the House and defeat a broad spectrum of Republican House members. Fall short, and his political strength will come under further scrutiny. And there’s the Donald Trump factor, …

The Backward Logic of Chickenpox Parties

The Backward Logic of Chickenpox Parties

Published by skeptic

Anyone who has had chickenpox shares one distinct memory: the relentless, all-consuming itch. Ciara DiVita was only 3 years old when she caught the virus, but she remembers it well—along with the oven mitts she was made to wear to stop herself scratching. She also recalls being taken to hang out with her cousin while covered in blisters, in the hopes of deliberately infecting them. DiVita, now 30, was actually the second in the chain, having been taken by her parents to catch chickenpox from an infectious friend. “I imagine the chain continued and my cousin gave it to someone else at a chickenpox play date,” she says. A lot has changed over the past three decades, most notably the development of a chickenpox vaccine, meaning the virus is no longer the childhood rite of passage it once was. Thanks to the vaccine’s success, children today are much less likely to be exposed to the infection at school or on the playground. Chickenpox parties are also largely considered a relic of the past—a strategy many …

Gen Zers Are Attending Phone-Free Parties To Become More Socially Literate

Gen Zers Are Attending Phone-Free Parties To Become More Socially Literate

Published by Jenni Sidey

Gen Zers might be digital natives, but they are starting to get really sick of technology. In an effort to detox from screens, they are prioritizing phone-free entertainment, including parties that force them to socialize face-to-face. Social skills are certainly not their forte, so prioritizing tech-free time with their friends and peers is essential, and these phone-free parties are a perfect avenue to do so. Screens have become a huge part of everyday life for young people, but now, Gen Z adults are willingly putting their devices away and actually enjoying a night out. Gen Zers are attending phone-free parties to become more ‘socially literate.’ The phone-free party trend was first brought to light after The Washington Post shared a story about students at NYU who were ditching their phones in an effort to start socializing at parties more. They were hoping to encourage a student-led culture change that involved spending less time online and more time just living life. The article noted, “Instead of the socializing that American college culture is known for, many …

Inside Cannes’s Most Exclusive Parties, Featuring Joan Collins, Adam Driver, Isabella Rossellini, and Scarlett Johansson

Inside Cannes’s Most Exclusive Parties, Featuring Joan Collins, Adam Driver, Isabella Rossellini, and Scarlett Johansson

Published by Sam Flores

It’s Cannes Film Festival time again, which means that the days are longer, warmer, and, for the hot, rich, famous, and most fortunate, spent rubbing shoulders and sipping wine on the French Riviera. Keep up if you dare, because they’re about to get very busy. Wednesday, May 13 Dame Joan Collins, Isabella Rossellini, and Laurent Lafitte kick things off at a luncheon for their new film, The Duchess. Then, in the evening, the cast of Parallel Tales, the new French-language film from Oscar nominee Asghar Farhadi (A Separation, The Salesman), will celebrate at a dinner on the beach, with Veuve Clicquot flowing; the film features Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney, Adam Bessa, and Catherine Deneuve. Later still, Mubi and Plan B Entertainment’s Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma—directed by Jane Schoenbrun and starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson—toasts its premiere with Up Provence until the early hours of the morning. Thursday, May 14 Law Roach will be a guest of honor at a Magnum fête following the ice cream company’s inaugural …

Diet Coke parties are all the rage in India as aluminum can shortage bubbles up

Diet Coke parties are all the rage in India as aluminum can shortage bubbles up

Published by Sam Flores

The party was a hit with Gen Zers, who she says are craving more alcohol-free experiences. Tickets were sold out, and attendees showed up wearing Coke-themed outfits, danced to house and pop music, and made their own Diet Coke “concoctions” inspired by Dua Lipa’s recipes. The pop star has posted videos on TikTok in which she adds pickle juice and pickled jalapeños to the drink. “We had a cocktail menu, which we like to call the Coke-tail,” she said — it notably didn’t include alcohol. Around 150 people showed up at the party on April 26, she said. Demand for Diet Coke and drinks with alternative sweeteners has surged in India, where nearly 10% of the adult population is diabetic, according to a 2023 study by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The country’s youth, especially, has become health-conscious, Gupta said. “I saw everybody consuming it to a point where now in every house party which used to have Coke or Sprite bottles, it’s all been replaced by the zero sugar,” she said. The party …

At the Ali Forney Center’s Annual Gala, Tommy Dorfman, Liev Schreiber, and Virtual Zohran Mamdani Raised Over Million for LGBTQ+ Youth

At the Ali Forney Center’s Annual Gala, Tommy Dorfman, Liev Schreiber, and Virtual Zohran Mamdani Raised Over $3 Million for LGBTQ+ Youth

Published by Sam Flores

AFC president and executive director Alexander Roque underscored that sentiment, reminding attendees that LGBTQ+ youth make up nearly 40% of the homeless youth population in this country. And that each year, the Ali Forney Center—named for a queer homeless youth and advocate who was murdered in New York City in December 1997 at the age of 22—opens its doors to more than 2,000 young people ages 16 to 24 each year. “Tonight, over 400 young people are on our waiting list for a bed. Four hundred. That is not an abstract,” said an impassioned Roque. “That is 400 young souls who have known the heartache and heartbreak of family rejection. Four hundred young people standing at their own moment of decision, wondering if anyone will show up for them.” This year’s Ali Forney Center Seat at the Table gala raised more than $3 million, according to the AFC. “It’s a very proud moment for me,” said Schreiber, an Emmy-nominated actor known for his work on Ray Donovan. When he took the stage with his wife, …