Politician on social media

On the morning of 28 October last year, the day of Iceland’s parliamentary elections, Heiðdís Lilja Magnúsdóttir, a lawyer living in a small town in the north of the country, opened Facebook on her laptop. At the top of her newsfeed, where friends’ recent posts would usually appear, was a box highlighted in light blue. On the left of the box was a button, similar in style to the familiar thumb of the “like” button, but here it was a hand putting a ballot in a slot. “Today is Election Day!” was the accompanying exclamation, in English. And underneath: “Find out where to vote, and share that you voted.” Under that was smaller print saying that 61 people had already voted. Heiðdís took a screenshot and posted it on her own Facebook profile feed, asking: “I’m a little curious! Did everyone get this message in their newsfeed this morning?” In Reykjavik, 120 miles south, Elfa Ýr … [Read more...] about Facebook says its ‘voter button’ is good for turnout. But should the tech giant be nudging us at all?

Whether you want to watch, listen, or follow the drama online or on social media, the BBC should have you covered on election night.OnlineThe BBC News website will have results for every constituency as they are announced, with a postcode search, interactive map and scoreboards. Our politics live page will have minute-by-minute updates in text and video, as well as expert analysis as the night unfolds. Online coverage will also include: Live video stream of the BBC's election night special The result of the exit poll as voting ends at 2200 GMT and on @BBCBreaking Analysis from polling expert Prof Sir John Curtice including early forecasts of which seats could change hands All 650 results will be tweeted automatically on @BBCElection, with updates from correspondents at counts around the country on Twitter using #BBCElection and at @BBCPolitics For the first time, the website will have stories written automatically on the election results for all 650 constituencies Live pages with … [Read more...] about General election 2019: Election results coverage on the BBC

In five words Not only Mozart and Trapp. Sound of the city I would have to say the Salzburger Stier (the Bull of Salzburg in English), an ancient organ located inside the fortress of Hohensalzburg. It plays a single chord three times a day and is loud enough to be heard throughout the old town. In the past, people said the sound reminded them of the crying of a bull, hence the name. The Stier used to be the local archbishop’s audible reminder of his power over the city, nowadays it mainly makes tourists wonder what the heck it was they just heard. Best building That would be the Heizkraftwerk Mitte, a caloric power plant located just on the border of the historic city centre. Planned by internationally acclaimed architects Marie-Claude Bétrix und Eraldo Consolascio it caused widespread public protest when it was presented to the public in 2003, due to its very modern architecture – many people claimed it was an eyesore and a blemish on the city’s skyline. It … [Read more...] about An insider’s guide to Salzburg: power plants, synth-pop and Cara Delevingne

Algerians are going to the polls to vote for a new president, eight months after protests forced long-time leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign.But massive anti-government demonstrations are continuing despite his removal from power, and could threaten the polls.Why are people unhappy?For close to a year, thousands of Algerians have protested every Friday in the capital, Algiers, and other cities across the country against any elections under the current government.They want all officials associated with the regime of ousted President Bouteflika to be removed from office, including interim President Abdelkader Bensalah and Prime Minister Nouredine Bedoui. "No election with the gangs", "they must all be removed" protesters have chanted week after week, referring to the politicians and businessmen in the inner circle of the ousted president who they see as corrupt. They say new faces must be brought in to organise "real elections" in a country where the winner of presidential elections … [Read more...] about Algeria elections under threat from a boycott

In November next year the United States will hold its midterm elections. Every seat in the House of Representatives, and a third of the seats in the Senate, will be up for grabs. For the Democratic party the elections represent a desperately anticipated opportunity to break the Republicans’ complete control of the federal government. If historical midterm trends and the voting patterns of recent special elections hold up, Democrats have a fighting chance of winning back the House, and an outside shot at the Senate. The Republicans will be more desperate than ever to retain their power. If the Democrats win just one chamber, the political landscape will be transformed. In addition to blocking the GOP’s legislative agenda, Democrats will forcefully scrutinise Russia’s interference with the 2016 elections and investigate President Trump’s remarkable commercialisation of his office. Impeachment of the Republican president will become a real … [Read more...] about Be wary: Trump and Putin could yet bring democracy to a halt