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Muhammad has emerged as the most popular name for baby boys in England and Wales in 2023, with over 4,600 babies registered under the name, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), as reported by the BBC. This marks a significant milestone, as the name has been in the top 10 since 2016 but has now overtaken Noah, the previous favorite. Other spellings of the name, including Mohammed and Mohammad, also ranked within the top 100. The ONS treats these variations as distinct names, each contributing to the broader popularity of Muhammad over the years. For girls, Olivia continues its reign as the most popular name, followed by Amelia and Isla, unchanged from 2022. Hyphenated names have seen a surge, with over 19,140 instances recorded in 2023, up significantly from around 12,330 the previous year. New entries to the top 100 include Lilah, Raya, and Hazel for girls, and Jax, Enzo, and Bodhi for boys. The ONS highlighted the role of pop culture in shaping naming trends, pointing to influences such as singers Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, and music icons Miley Cyrus, Kendrick Lamar, and Elton John. The rise of names like Miley, Rihanna, and Elton coincided with high-profile album releases and tours in 2023. Television also played a role, with names like Wednesday gaining popularity, likely inspired by Netflix's Wednesday, released in late 2022. Seasonal names also trended, with Summer climbing to 86th place and Autumn ranking 96th. Royal names saw a decline in 2023, continuing a downward trend from recent years. Names like George, Archie, Harry, Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Charles became less popular compared to previous years. The ONS noted that changing cultural and media influences continue to shape naming preferences in the UK. The data for 2023 provides a snapshot of these evolving trends, with the list of 2024's most popular names yet to be announced.

French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver a national address on Thursday, following a historic no-confidence vote in the National Assembly that ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier and left France without a functioning government, reports AP. Macron is expected to focus on addressing the political crisis and may announce a new prime minister to lead the fractured parliament. Barnier, whose tenure lasted just three months—the shortest of any modern French prime minister—resigned Thursday morning at the Elysée Palace, as required by the constitution. The no-confidence motion passed with 331 votes in the National Assembly. For the first time Macron recognizes 1944 Thiaroye killings as massacre Urgency to Act Macron now faces the challenge of appointing a leader capable of managing a minority government in a divided parliament. Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly and a member of Macron’s party, urged swift action, emphasising the need for a leader who can unify and prioritise passing a new budget bill. French media reports suggest a shortlist of centrist candidates, though no names have been confirmed. The president’s delay in appointing Barnier after June’s legislative elections—over two months—has raised concerns about potential setbacks in selecting a replacement. Calls for Macron’s Resignation The no-confidence vote has emboldened opposition leaders, with some demanding Macron’s resignation. Manuel Bompard, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, argued that stability requires Macron to step down. Far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen did not explicitly call for his resignation but warned of growing pressure on the president. Macron in Morocco after his Western Sahara change brings a 'new honeymoon' Macron has rejected these calls, stating his commitment to serve until 2027, as mandated by the constitution, which does not require a president to step down after their government is ousted. Legislative elections cannot be held until July, adding to the political uncertainty. Economic Concerns The political turmoil has raised fears over France’s economy, with its debt projected to reach 7% of GDP next year without reforms. Analysts warn that Barnier's ousting may increase French interest rates, exacerbating the country’s debt issues. Moody’s cautioned that the government’s fall diminishes the likelihood of addressing public finances and deepens political gridlock. Macron’s address, set for 8 p.m. local time, is expected to outline plans to tackle economic challenges and chart a path forward for the next government.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte led a fresh push Wednesday for European countries to ramp up defense spending, a budget shortfall that President-elect Donald Trump used to berate US allies during his first term in office, severely damaging trust. After Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula a decade ago, NATO leaders agreed to halt the defense cuts that began when the Cold War ended and move toward spending two percent of GDP on their military budgets. Since Russia launched its full-fledged invasion almost three years ago, the leaders have agreed that the two percent target should be the floor rather than the ceiling for defense spending. On average, US allies combined meet that figure, but around a third of the members still do not individually. There is 'no consensus' on inviting Ukraine to join NATO: Hungarian official Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, threatened not to defend “delinquent” countries. NATO is founded on the principle that an attack on any member must be considered an attack on them all. Trump’s remarks undermined confidence that the US could be counted on in a crisis. “If you want to keep the deterrence at the present level, two percent is not enough,” Rutte told reporters after chairing a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. “We can now defend ourselves and nobody should try to attack us. But I want that to stay the same in 4 or 5 years.” In July, US President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts endorsed the biggest shakeup of the way the military alliance would respond to any attack on its territory by Russia since the Cold War. It was meant to deter Moscow from targeting any of the 32 allies. Under highly secret new plans, NATO intends to have up to 300,000 troops ready to move to its eastern flank within 30 days. The plans lay out which allies would respond to an attack anywhere from the Arctic and Baltic Sea region through the Atlantic and east to the Black Sea. But senior NATO officials concede that countries might have to spend up to three percent of GDP to execute the security blueprint successfully. A new spending target is likely to be announced next year. Rutte also said NATO might set specific targets for member countries to fill military equipment gaps. American top court weighs Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy insisted that “the time to act is now.” “We’re living in very dangerous times,” he said, singling out Russia and its role in conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, on top of its war on Ukraine. “We urge all allies across the NATO family to get serious about defense spending.” On his last visit to Brussels for a NATO meeting, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “this is a time for every ally to lean in, not lean back.” The United States is by far the organization's most powerful member country. “A stronger NATO means more capabilities to deter aggression, more effective allies to meet more complex challenges, and the peace and stability that allows our people to pursue fuller lives,” Blinken said. Rutte also underlined the importance of expanding Europe’s defense industry, with incentives to drive companies to set up more production lines and hire more workers to staff them, as Western support for Ukraine drains armament stocks. “We are producing not enough at too high prices, and the delivery is too slow,” he said. “We cannot have a situation where we just pay more for the same, and we see large kickbacks to the shareholders.” Rutte urged the allies “to work closely together to make sure that we produce at a much higher rate and acceptable prices.” He noted “a number of countries who are now buying South Korean (equipment) because our own defense companies are not producing at a rate we need.”  

Hungary's foreign minister said a meeting of his counterparts from NATO member countries in Brussels on Wednesday had produced “no consensus” on the prospect of inviting Ukraine to join the transatlantic military alliance, a step Kyiv sees as an essential condition for bringing an end to Russia's war. Péter Szijjártó, a fervent critic of Ukraine with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin's government, criticized some Western countries that have increased military support to Kyiv following Donald Trump's election to the White House, claiming such moves risked escalating the conflict. He warned that bringing Ukraine into NATO’s ranks “would be tantamount to initiating World War III.” Jewish settlers clash with Israeli troops after attack on Palestinian towns “We believe that Ukraine would not be able to add to European security in its present situation, but rather, as a country at war, inviting Ukraine into NATO we would risk ... the threat of war, namely, the threat of a NATO-Russian war," Szijjártó told a news conference. The meeting of NATO foreign ministers came as Russia makes advances on the battlefield in Ukraine while Kyiv's Western supporters seek to improve its position before Trump takes office in January. Trump has criticized the billions the Biden administration has spent in supporting Ukraine and has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. Leaders of the 32 NATO member countries have declared that Ukraine is on an “irreversible” path to membership. But NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Tuesday sidestepped questions about Ukraine’s possible membership in the alliance, saying that the priority now must be to strengthen the country’s hand in any future peace talks with Russia by sending it more weapons. Consensus among all NATO countries is required for admitting new members. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently suggested that extending alliance membership to territory now under Kyiv’s control could end “the hot stage” of the almost three-year war. Hamas and Fatah are near an agreement on who will oversee postwar Gaza But Szijjártó on Wednesday voiced skepticism over increased Western support being able to influence the conflict in Ukraine's favor. “In spite of the arms shipments pouring there, Ukraine’s situation on the battlefield gets worse every day,” he said. “If someone talks about the improvement of the situation of the Ukrainians as an easily achievable goal on the battlefield, they do nothing but deceive themselves and the Ukrainians as well.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Tuesday sidestepped questions about Ukraine’s possible membership of the military alliance, saying that the priority now must be to strengthen the country’s hand in any future peace talks with Russia by sending it more weapons. Rutte’s remarks, ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, came days after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that extending alliance membership to territory now under Kyiv’s control could end “the hot stage" of the almost 3-year war in Ukraine, where Russian forces are pressing deeper into their western neighbor. “The front is not moving eastwards. It is slowly moving westwards,” Rutte said. “So we have to make sure that Ukraine gets into a position of strength, and then it should be for the Ukrainian government to decide on the next steps, in terms of opening peace talks and how to conduct them.” At their summit in Washington in July, leaders of the 32 NATO member countries insisted that Ukraine is on an “irreversible” path to membership. But some, led by the United States, have balked at moving forward while the war rages and before the country’s borders are clearly demarcated. China bans gallium, germanium exports to US over chip sanctions NATO was founded on the principle that an attack on any ally should be considered an attack on them all, and the alliance has consistently tried to avoid being dragged into a wider war with nuclear-armed Russia. Zelenskyy argued that once open conflict ends, any proposal to join NATO could be extended to all parts of the country that fall under internationally recognized borders. Pressed on this by reporters, Rutte said: “I would argue, let’s not have all these discussions step by step on what a peace process might look like.” The first step, he said, must be to “make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to get to a position of strength when those peace talks start.” Ukrainian officials made it clear Tuesday they won’t countenance any half measures or stopgap solutions on NATO membership. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded statement saying Ukraine “will not settle for any alternatives, surrogates or substitutes for Ukraine’s full membership in NATO,” citing its “bitter experience of the Budapest Memorandum.” Trump vows to hit hard Hamas if hostages are not released by Jan 20 Under the international agreement signed in the Hungarian capital 30 years ago, Ukraine agreed to give up its Soviet-era atomic weapons, which amounted to the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal, in return for security guarantees from Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom. The foreign ministry statement called the Budapest agreement a “monument to short-sightedness in making strategic security decisions.” “We are convinced that the only real guarantee of security for Ukraine, as well as a deterrent for further Russian aggression against Ukraine and other states, is Ukraine’s full membership in NATO,” it said. Reflecting on his recent meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump, Rutte said he had underlined that China, North Korea and Iran were weighing in on Russia's side, putting the United States and the Asia-Pacific region at risk. “Whenever we get to a deal on Ukraine it has to be a good deal, because what we can never have is high-fiving Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping and whoever else," Rutte said, saying this would only encourage the leaders of North Korea and China to endorse the use of force elsewhere.  

Volkswagen workers conducted rolling two-hour strikes at nine German plants on Monday to express their opposition to proposed pay cuts and factory closures, which the company claims are necessary to adapt to a sluggish European auto market, reports AP. The strikes included the main plant in Wolfsburg, where workers protested against management’s cost-cutting measures, which could lead to the company’s first plant closures in Germany, AP reported. Volkswagen unveils electric luxury sedan at China auto show Volkswagen maintains that it must reduce costs in Germany to match the levels achieved by its competitors and its plants in eastern Europe and South America. Chief employee representative Daniela Cavallo stated that workers should not be the ones to bear the consequences of management's failure to create appealing products and a more affordable, entry-level electric vehicle, as reported by AP. “Everyone needs to contribute – both management and shareholders,” Cavallo said at the Wolfsburg rally, where employees drummed, whistled, and clapped, according to AP. She noted that the next round of talks, scheduled for a week from now, “could determine whether we move towards reconciliation or escalation. We are prepared for either outcome,” AP quoted her as saying. The so-called warning strikes, a common approach in German wage negotiations, are part of discussions for a new labour agreement following the end of a mandatory peace period that barred strikes as of Sunday, AP stated. The IG Metall industrial union indicated that any further job actions would be announced later. Volkswagen is pushing for a 10% pay cut for its 120,000 German workers and has stated it cannot avoid reducing factory capacity that is no longer needed. Employee representatives mentioned that the company has proposed closing three German plants, AP reported. Thorsten Gröger, regional leader of the IG Metall union in Lower Saxony, where Volkswagen is headquartered, stated that the company would not be able to ignore the strikes. “If needed, this could become one of the most challenging conflicts Volkswagen has ever faced,” according to AP. Although the company has not publicly disclosed its plans, it is dealing with reduced demand in Europe, rising costs, and growing competition from Chinese automakers. Volkswagen built its factories to serve a European market with 16 million annual vehicle sales but is now facing demand of approximately 14 million units. With a quarter of the market share, this equates to a loss of 500,000 cars annually, according to Volkswagen brand head Thomas Schaefer, as reported in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper and cited by AP. Schaefer noted that strong profits from China had previously offset higher costs, but the shifting conditions now require immediate action, AP reported. The walkouts started at the Zwickau plant in eastern Germany and were set to continue at plants in Braunschweig, Chemnitz, Dresden, Emden, Hanover, Kassel, and Salzgitter, according to AP. Volkswagen unveils electric luxury sedan at China auto show The next round of negotiations is scheduled for December 9, AP added.

Protests erupted for a third consecutive night in Tbilisi on Saturday following the Georgian government’s announcement to suspend negotiations for European Union membership, leaving 44 people hospitalized, including 27 protesters, 16 police officers, and one journalist. Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Georgian Parliament, voicing anger over the decision. The protests turned violent, with participants throwing stones, setting off fireworks, and burning an effigy of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Police responded with water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Government’s Defense Amid Growing Tensions Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze dismissed allegations that Georgia had abandoned its European integration efforts. “The only thing we have rejected is the shameful and offensive blackmail,” he said during a briefing on Sunday. Kobakhidze blamed opposition politicians for orchestrating the unrest and warned of strict legal repercussions for any law violations. Kobakhidze also downplayed the U.S. State Department’s announcement of suspending its strategic partnership with Georgia, describing it as an attempt by the outgoing administration to complicate the transition for the incoming U.S. leadership. EU and U.S. Criticism The EU issued a joint statement Sunday, with foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and enlargement commissioner Marta Kos condemning Georgia’s decision. They described the move as a departure from the pro-European aspirations of most Georgians, urging authorities to respect democratic freedoms and the right to peaceful assembly. The protests come in the wake of the EU’s decision to withhold financial support for Georgia earlier this year following the passage of a controversial “foreign influence” law, which critics argued undermines democratic freedoms. Read: Georgian protesters clash with police for second night after EU talks suspended The U.S. State Department also criticized the suspension of EU talks, expressing concerns about democratic backsliding in Georgia and supporting protesters’ rights to express dissent peacefully. Opposition Calls for Elections Opposition leaders have accused the Georgian Dream party of rigging the October 26 parliamentary elections with alleged support from Russia. They claim the elections undermined Georgia’s aspirations to join the EU, leading to widespread protests and an opposition boycott of parliament. Georgia’s pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili, in an interview with The Associated Press, accused the government of steering the country toward becoming a “quasi-Russian” state. “We are asking for new elections, but in conditions that will ensure that the will of the people will not be misrepresented or stolen again,” she said. European Aspirations at Stake Georgia was granted EU candidate status in December 2023, contingent on meeting the bloc’s recommendations. However, the country’s accession talks were paused earlier this year amid concerns over democratic backsliding. Protesters continue to demand a renewed commitment to EU membership and democratic reforms, highlighting the growing divide between the government and a population largely supportive of European integration. Read more: Georgia's ruling party picks former soccer player as its presidential candidate As tensions persist, the Georgian government faces mounting international and domestic pressure to address the crisis and reassert its commitment to democratic principles. Source: With inputs from agencies 

Icelanders headed to the polls on Saturday to elect a new parliament, following political disagreements that led Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson to dissolve his coalition government and call for an early election. Disputes over immigration, energy policy, and the economy contributed to the collapse of the government, which had struggled to remain united. Despite severe weather conditions that blocked roads across the island, all polling stations opened as scheduled. The ballot-counting process began after polls closed at 10 p.m. local time (2200 GMT), with results expected on Sunday morning. This election marks Iceland’s sixth general election since the 2008 financial crisis, which left the country’s economy in tatters and initiated a period of political fragmentation. Opinion polls suggested that the three governing parties would face significant challenges, with support for the current coalition — which includes Benediktsson’s Independence Party, the centrist Progressive Party, and the Left-Green Movement — declining sharply. Read: Iceland holds election amid debates on immigration, energy, economy Voters in Iceland, a country of around 400,000 people, will choose 63 members of the Althingi, Iceland's parliament, through a combination of regional constituencies and proportional representation. A minimum of 5% of the vote is required for parties to secure seats. Historically, voter turnout in Iceland has been high, with 80% of registered voters casting ballots in the 2021 election. The political landscape in Iceland has been deeply affected by the financial crisis, leading to a splintering of political parties. Since 2008, distrust in traditional political powers has given rise to new parties, including the environmentalist Left-Green Alliance and the Pirate Party, which advocates direct democracy. Key issues in the election include rising inflation, which peaked at 10.2% in February 2023, as well as pressures from immigration. Iceland has seen an influx of asylum-seekers, with more than 4,000 arriving annually in recent years, compared to fewer than 1,000 previously. In addition, ongoing volcanic eruptions in southwestern Iceland have displaced thousands and strained the government’s resources. The eruptions, which have caused significant housing shortages and disrupted local communities, have added to existing concerns over Iceland's housing market, exacerbated by the growth of the tourism industry. Benediktsson expressed hope that his Independence Party would emerge victorious, despite the challenges his coalition faced. However, analysts suggest that political fragmentation in Iceland is unlikely to subside anytime soon, as the economic and political landscape continues to evolve in the wake of the 2008 crisis. Source: With inputs from agencies

Thousands of workers, including teachers, healthcare professionals, and sanitation staff, staged an eight-hour general strike across Italy on Friday, protesting against stagnant wages, rising living costs, and declining public services.  The strike, organized by Italy’s largest trade unions, targeted Premier Giorgia Meloni’s budget policies, which unions claim underfund crucial sectors such as education and healthcare. Protesters also called for a fairer distribution of private sector profits to workers.  “These demonstrations are not just a message for the government,” said Maurizio Landini, leader of the CGIL trade union, during a rally in Bologna. “They are directed at business leaders and managers who have enjoyed unprecedented profits in recent years.”  The industrial action disrupted various services, including education, healthcare, and transportation. ITA Airways canceled several domestic and international flights, while schools and hospitals faced significant slowdowns. Although unions planned an eight-hour strike, Transport Minister Matteo Salvini restricted it to four hours in the transportation sector.  This marks Italy’s first general strike since November last year. However, unions risk penalties for involving sectors like healthcare and justice, which have already faced strikes. Italy’s railway sector, which has seen recent labor actions, was exempted from Friday’s strike.  Italy’s healthcare system, particularly in the under-resourced southern regions, has been grappling with severe staffing shortages. Many healthcare workers have sought jobs abroad due to inadequate salaries, leaving existing staff to manage increased workloads. “Low wages are driving people away. We often have to work double shifts just to maintain basic care levels,” said Anna Salsa, a member of the UIL healthcare union, during a protest in Rome.  Amazon India workers strike on Black Friday for better pay Rising grocery prices have further strained households, with consumer group Codacons reporting an additional annual cost of €238 ($251) for a family of four in 2024.  Despite starting salaries comparable to other European nations, Italy’s wage growth lags, resulting in a median annual salary of €35,000 ($37,000), one of the lowest among G7 countries, noted labor expert Maurizio Del Conte.   

Ireland is holding a closely contested parliamentary election on Friday, a pivotal vote that will determine the country’s next government and reveal whether Ireland will follow the global trend of ousting incumbents amid voter dissatisfaction driven by years of pandemic challenges, international instability, and cost-of-living crises. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0700 GMT), and Ireland’s 3.8 million eligible voters are selecting 174 lawmakers for the Dáil, the lower house of parliament, reports AP The Parties and Candidates The outgoing government comprises Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, two centrist-right parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century. Despite their rivalry—rooted in opposing sides of Ireland’s 1920s civil war—the parties joined forces after the 2020 election ended in a deadlock. They formed a coalition, sharing Cabinet positions and rotating the role of Taoiseach, or prime minister. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin served as Taoiseach for the first half of the term before handing over to Fine Gael’s Leo Varadkar in December 2022. Varadkar later stepped aside in March, making way for Simon Harris to assume the role, it said. Meanwhile, Sinn Féin, an opposition party, made historic gains in the 2020 election by winning the popular vote but was excluded from government as Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil refused to collaborate with it. The refusal stemmed from Sinn Féin’s leftist policies and historic association with the Irish Republican Army during the Northern Ireland conflict. Under Ireland’s proportional representation voting system, each of the 43 constituencies elects multiple representatives, allowing smaller parties and independent candidates with strong local followings to secure seats. This year’s election features an unusually large number of independent candidates, ranging from local activists to far-right figures and even reputed crime boss Gerry “The Monk” Hutch, the report said. Key Campaign Issues The soaring cost of living, especially housing, has dominated the election campaign. Ireland faces a severe housing shortage, a consequence of underbuilding during the 2008 financial crisis and prioritisation of commercial developments during the subsequent economic recovery. “There was no building during the crisis, and when the crisis receded, offices and hotels were built first,” said John-Mark McCafferty, CEO of the housing charity Threshold. The result is skyrocketing house prices, rising rents, and increasing homelessness. McCafferty noted that Ireland has financial resources, including €13 billion ($13.6 billion) in back taxes owed by Apple following a European Union ruling, but must address “big historic infrastructural deficits.” Immigration has also emerged as a contentious issue. Ireland, long characterised by emigration, has recently seen an influx of asylum seekers, including more than 100,000 Ukrainians and thousands fleeing poverty and conflict from the Middle East and Africa. The country’s 5.4 million population has struggled to accommodate these arrivals, leading to makeshift camps and protests. Although Ireland lacks a major far-right party, anti-immigration sentiment is growing, with some independent candidates campaigning on the issue. This shift has reportedly dented support for Sinn Féin, as some working-class voters express discontent with its pro-immigration stance, the also said. Election Outlook Opinion polls indicate voter support is divided across five main groups: Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, smaller parties, and independents. Fine Gael has faced campaign missteps, while Fianna Fáil has held steady, and Sinn Féin claims to have momentum. However, Sinn Féin’s path to power remains unlikely unless other parties reverse their opposition to collaborating with it. Analysts predict another coalition government led by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, potentially joined by a smaller party or independent lawmakers. “It’s just a question of which minor group is going to support the government this time,” said Eoin O’Malley, a political scientist at Dublin City University. “Coalition-forming is about putting a hue on what is essentially the same middle-of-the-road government every time.” Results Timeline Polling stations close at 10 p.m. (2200 GMT), with an exit poll expected shortly afterward. Official ballot counting begins Saturday morning, but final results may take several days. Forming a government could take weeks. Harris, casting his vote in Delgany, south of Dublin, remarked on the complex electoral process, saying: “We’ve got a long few days ahead of us. The beauty and complexity of our system mean tonight’s exit poll won’t even tell us the full story.”