The JSPrice Perception

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The next 12 months will make or break London

Sadiq Khan bids for a third term as Mayor of London (Image: The Guardian) You can tell that a general election is around the corner when the Conservative Party is escalating its attacks on the Labour Party. These recent weeks have two particular Labour figures targeted; one being its Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner, who is under increased scrutiny over the nature of the selling of an ex-council house in Stockport. I won't delve into this story as it is an active case with the local council and police involved, and Rayner strongly denies any wrongdoing. The other who is on the backend of constant criticism by his political rivals is Sadiq Khan, currently running for a third term as Mayor of London. No one has ever won the London mayoral election on more than two occasions. Since it was established in 2000, Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson each won twice, as has Khan. At every election, we have seen the outcome finalised after the second round of counting. This time around, if the pol

End Middle East's crises? That's up to the US and Iran

A lot is riding on Joe Biden - and Iran - to end the Middle East crises (Image: POLITICO.eu) There have been threats, in recent weeks, of the conflicts taking place in dotted parts of the Middle East 'expanding' to across the region . Whether it is the situation in Gaza, which the current horrors there have been going on for more than 100 days , or what is happening in Yemen and the Red Sea, where the Houthi military group is at loggerheads with ships belonging to the UK, United States and others. At the heart of these troubles are innocent lives being lost or displaced, and there is little sign, hope or willingness of resolution by those who should be negotiating peaceful solutions. But also at the heart of these are the United States and Iran. For decades, their governments have exchanged countless war of words, and for years, they've ruffled each other's feathers by using proxies and existing forces to needlessly flex their military muscles. These have often been

Person of the Year 2023: Saudi Arabia

Cristiano Ronaldo is a big hit in Saudi Arabia (Image: ZAWYA) If I were to summarise 2023 in a few words, on a personal level, I can describe the year as being very busy, ploughing through a never-ending to-do list with little sparks of fun in between. Somewhat most poignantly, I feel I have a clearer sense of what I want (and need) to do over the coming months. However, I also feel that I haven't moved forward as much as I would have liked, leaving this year as I started it. That being said, I sense a very productive and constructive 2024. When it comes to more global affairs, I suppose scenarios are pretty similar across the scale. Countries who were in conflict in January remain in that state to this day, world average temperatures continue to concern experts, and oppression and poverty in many nations show no signs of heading to the right direction. But the lack of progression this year could open the door to potential for significant and intriguing changes over the coming 12 m

Harry and Meghan aren't 'tearing the royal family apart'

Harry and Meghan at the Invictus Games earlier this year (Image: Us Weekly) I couldn't help but roll my eyes the other weekend while flicking through The Sunday Times. Traditionally shying away from tabloid-style celebrity gossip, it dedicated more than half a page wondering what happened to Meghan Markle , the Duchess of Sussex. Usually, it is a story I would forget quickly after reading, but since then, and bolstered by a certain book, it had suddenly been difficult to ignore the fact she has been forced to the front and centre of the news agenda once more. The past twelve months has been quite the rollercoaster for the actress-turned-royal-turned- possible-actress-again . The year started with the ripple effects of the hugely successful Netflix documentary series about the recent journey of her and her husband, Prince Harry, and then the publication of Harry's autobiography in January, bought by millions within days of release. Both of which ruffled the feathers of any roy

Change political narrative to ease Israel-Palestine crisis

Rishi Sunak and Benyamin Netanyahu (Image: Al-Monitor) I've been gravely concerned about the political narrative in reaction to the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas. Those across the globe who follow the news, online or offline, will have found it nearly impossible to escape hearing or watching the horrors that have taken place in Israel and Gaza in recent days. For the latter, innocent Palestinians have faced threats, intimidation and suffocation - both figuratively and literally - something they're far too familiar with. For the former, the attacks the country endured last Saturday (7th October) was something they'd never seen of that scale for a very, very long time. There has been a lot to digest in this short period of time, and many of us have struggled to get the full, true picture of what happened then and what's happening now. The basic facts are bleak enough. Hamas, listed as a terrorist organisation by the UK government in 2001 (proscribed fully in

Multiculturalism: the pride of Britain

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman (Image: iNews) I am often baffled when people in Britain are critical of multiculturalism and then use racist rhetoric when describing or coming across unfamiliar cultures. There is a sense of unblissful ignorance when it comes to learning something new about others. It doesn't help that individuals in power fuel this narrative just so that they can get the backing from those who go out of their way to judge others for no reason than being close-minded when defining what 'British culture' is. The individual in power mentioned above is Suella Braverman, the UK government's Home Secretary. She delivered a speech in Washington DC coming up with wild claims that not only multiculturalism has 'failed' but also that LGBT+ refugees shouldn't be allowed to come to Britain on the basis of their sexuality or change of gender identity . These were to argue that, therefore, the UK should prepare for life away from the reli