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Kerala

Congress to Contest in 16 Kerala Seats

Allies Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is likely to contest on two, and one seat each will be given to Kerala Congress (Joseph) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (B)…reports Asian Lite News

The Congress will contest 16 seats in Kerala, while the rest of the four seats will be contested by the constituent parties, announced Kerala Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan after the party’s Central Election Committee meeting here on Thursday.

Kerala has 20 parliamentary seats.

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is likely to contest on two, and one seat each will be given to Kerala Congress (Joseph) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (B), he said.

“In Kerala we are contesting- 16 out of 20 seats. The rest of the four seats are being contested by our constituent parties. Today, the CEC has decided on the candidates for those 16 seats. Tomorrow, the AICC will announce the names of the candidates,” Satheesan told reporters.

When asked about speculation of K C Venugopal and Rahul Gandhi contesting from Kerala, Satheesan refused to answer saying he is not “competent” to announce the candidates.

Meanwhile, the Congress party’s second Election Committee meeting will be held on March 11 in the national capital to discuss the candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Earlier, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge arrived at the party headquarters on Thursday for a Central Election Committee meeting to discuss candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.

After the meeting, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said “We had the first central election committee regarding the parliament candidates. We finalised seats from Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Lakshadweep. The procedure is going on; a formal announcement will be made very soon.”

When asked if he will be contesting the Lok Sabha elections, former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel said that the spokesperson will speak.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot said, “It was a good discussion. Discussion was held on all the seats. As soon as CEC decides, you will be told. Whatever decision is taken AICC will brief.”

After the meeting, Congress leader Deepak Babaria said that the discussion was held and it was CEC’s opinion that a discussion should be held on March 11.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is the chairperson of the committee and its members include former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

The Lok Sabha polls are likely to be held in April-May this year. (ANI)

Karunakaran’s Daughter Joins BJP

In another setback to the Congress party ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls, Padmaja Venugopal, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary and late Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran’s daughter, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here in the national capital in the presence of party’s Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Javdekar and several other leaders.

Venugopal said that she was not happy with the grand old party.

” I am so happy, A little bit tense because I stood with my party for so many years. For the first time, I am changing a party, because I was not happy with the Congress party for so many years. Especially, from the last assembly elections,” she said while addressing the media.

“I even sought an appointment from the central leadership, but they couldn’t give me one. My father had the same experience. He was also unhappy. So, that is why I took the decision,” she added.

Attacking the Congress party, Venugopal said that there is no “leadership” in the party.

“I didn’t ask for anything, rather I wanted to work peacefully. I believe that strong leadership should be there in each party. In the Congress party, there is no leadership. I have immense respect for Soniaji but I couldn’t see her. Because of the fact that she didn’t give me an appointment,” she said.

Padmaja Venugopal also heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that he is a strong leader.

“I believe that Prime Minister Narendra Modiji is a very strong leader; this is the sole reason why joined this party,” she said.

Meanwhile, Prakash Javdekar welcomed Venugopal to the party and asserted that the BJP would create history in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

“There is going to be a big churning in Kerala. I welcome Padmajaji. We are very happy. Our Prime Minister has given us a target and we are going to create history in the coming Lok Sabha polls,” Javdekar said.

Venugopal, in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, contested from Mukundapuram (now Chalakudy) but lost. She contested the Kerala Assembly elections in 2016 and 2021 but lost both times.

Venugopal has served as Congress vice-president and was recently appointed as the general secretary of the KPCC.

The BJP, in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, drew a blank while the grand old party swept 19 out of 20 in the state.

The Lok Sabha polls are slated to be held in April-May this year. (ANI)

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-Top News USA

Poll: Majority Doubt Biden’s Mental Capability

The approaching election presents a juxtaposition, with voters viewing it as a contest between two candidates well beyond the standard retirement age. The next president will grapple with global conflicts, domestic emergencies, and a strained Congress…reports Asian Lite News

A recent poll indicates a growing skepticism among U.S. adults regarding President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities, with approximately six in ten expressing doubts about his capacity to effectively serve as president. This sentiment has transformed his upcoming State of the Union address into a critical evaluation for a potential second term.

The survey, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, reveals a slight increase in concerns about Biden’s mental capability since January 2022. Concurrently, nearly six in ten respondents also lack confidence in the mental acuity of former President Donald Trump, the 77-year-old Republican front-runner.

The approaching election presents a juxtaposition, with voters viewing it as a contest between two candidates well beyond the standard retirement age. The next president will grapple with global conflicts, domestic emergencies, and a strained Congress.

In his State of the Union address, scheduled for Thursday, Biden is expected to address these challenges and more, seeking to persuade Americans that he merits another term. However, entering this significant event, only 38% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s presidential performance, while 61% disapprove. Discontent spans various issues, including the economy, immigration, and foreign policy.

Despite some approval for his handling of healthcare, climate change, and other issues, satisfaction dips concerning immigration, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the economy—topics likely to feature prominently in his speech before Congress.

Moreover, a majority of Americans perceive the national economy as worse off under Biden’s leadership, though personal financial outlooks remain relatively positive. The survey also reveals deep concerns among respondents regarding the age and potential cognitive decline of the candidates, casting a shadow over the November election.

Last month, President Biden turned the tables on Trump when asked about the claims that he is too old to run for a second term, saying that “he’s about as old as I am,” ABC News reported.

US President Biden, while campaigning in New York, stopped by 30 Rockefeller to appear on NBC’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers.”

The president’s sit-down with the comic included questions about his age and his 2024 agenda versus that of former President Trump, the Republican front-runner for the nomination, reported ABC News.

“Some documents recently leaked, some classified documents–and this isn’t a gotcha show but I do want to ask about it–that says you are currently 81 years old,” Meyers said.

“Who the hell told you that?” Biden joked. “That’s classified.”

Turning to a more serious note, Meyers highlighted the fact that polls showed that voters are concerned about Biden’s age as he runs for a second term and asked how Biden plans to address that on the campaign trail.

“Number 1, you got to take a look at the other guy, he’s about as old as I am,” Biden said, hinting at Trump, who is 77.

“Number 2, it’s about how old your ideas are,” Biden added.

“Look, I mean, this is a guy who wants to take us back. He wants to take us back on Roe v. Wade. He wants to take us back on a whole range of issues that, for 50, 60 years, have been solid American positions,” he said.

“I think it’s about the future,” Biden said. “And everything, every single thing we’ve done, and I think we’ve got some good things done…they told us we couldn’t get them done because things were so divided,” he added.

The interview comes as Biden seeks to tamp down voter worries and Republican criticisms about his age and stamina by ramping up his appearances, as reported by ABC News.

Moreover, the choice of venue was also decided, targeting an important demographic: targeting, younger voters. (with input from agencies)

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-Top News PAKISTAN

Pakistan Gearing Up to Hold Presidential Poll by March 9

The six-party alliance, set to form a coalition government at the Centre under the PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif, has already declared PPP chairman Asif Ali Zardari as its consensus candidate for Pakistan’s top constitutional office…reports Asian Lite News

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is gearing up to hold the election for the office of Pakistan’s President by March 9, two days prior to the retirement of half of the senators after completing their six-year terms, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

A senior Pakistan Peoples Party office-bearer said, “The president will be elected by the present senators after setting up all four provincial assemblies,” adding that the election could be held on March 9 or 10, according to Dawn report.

The six-party alliance, set to form a coalition government at the Centre under the PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif, has already declared PPP chairman Asif Ali Zardari as its consensus candidate for Pakistan’s top constitutional office.

The Article 41(4) of Pakistan’s Constitution reads, “Election to the office of president shall be held not earlier than sixty days and not later than thirty days before the expiration of the term of the president in office: Provided that, if the election cannot be held within the period aforesaid because the National Assembly is dissolved, it shall be held within thirty days of the general election to the Assembly.”

As the general elections were conducted on February 8, Pakistan’s presidential election needs to be held by March 9, just two days prior to the retirement of half of the 100-member Senate, Dawn reported.

The elections in Pakistan’s Senate were also due in the first week of March, Dawn reported, citing sources. However, due to the delay in the general elections of the national and provincial assemblies, the Senate polls will now be conducted either in the last week of March or the first week of April, which implies that the upper house will remain dysfunctional and incomplete for some period.

According to the PPP leader, it is due to the upcoming presidential election and to ensure Zardari’s win that the party has stopped its two senators – Nisar Khuhro and Jam Mahtab Dahar, from taking the oath as Members of Provincial Assembly in the Sindh Assembly.

According to the formula applied for the president’s election in Pakistan, the vote of a senator is considered a single vote, while in the Sindh Assembly, one vote will be equal to nearly four votes. With this formula, Zardari will benefit in the presidential elections.

Notably, Pakistan’s incumbent president, Arif Alvi, is already on an extended tenure after completing his five-year term on September 9, 2023. According to Article 44(1) of Pakistan’s Constitution, the Pakistani President will hold office for five years from the day he assumes charge. However, he will continue to hold the office until a successor is chosen.

The term-wise data of senators suggests that the PML-N and the PPP will lose a large chunk of their members–69 per cent and 57 per cent, respectively as they will retire on March 11 after completing their tenure, Dawn reported.

However, both the PML-N and PPP will be able to add to their tally in the Senate after the elections held on February 8. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will have a disadvantage if it fails to hold the intra-party elections before the Senate polls, and it may have to depend on the SIC to get representation in the upper house of the parliament.

Until now, the total strength of the Senate has been 100, including 23 members each from the four federating units and four each from the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Islamabad.

The 23 seats that are given to a province include 14 general seats, four reserved for women, four for technocrats, and one for a minority member. Only 96 members will grace the chamber, as the representation of the erstwhile tribal areas will end after their merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the 25th Constitutional Amendment.

This implies that 48 new senators–11 each from all four provinces on general and technocrats’ seats, two from Islamabad, and two minority members from Punjab and Sindh will be elected to Pakistan’s Senate, Dawn reported.

Presently, the house has 97 members due to the death of PML-N’s Rana Maqbool Ahmed and the resignations of PTI leader Shaukat Tarin and Anwaarul Haq Kakar of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) who assumed the charge of Pakistan’s caretaker PM. (ANI)

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-Top News EU News Europe

Romania Sets September Date for Presidential Election

The massive blast brought down the building and caused severe damage to neighbouring houses in the western part of the camp…reports Asian Lite News

 At least 17 Palestinians were killed and more than 34 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, local medical sources told the media.

The sources added on Wednesday that rescue efforts are still ongoing, and the casualties include women and children, Xinhua news agency reported.

The recovered victims were all transferred to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the city of Deir el-Balah, the sources said.

Eyewitnesses told Xinhua news agency that an Israeli warplane fired several missiles at the house sheltering several displaced families.

The massive blast brought down the building and caused severe damage to neighbouring houses in the western part of the camp.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll from Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,313, with 69,333 others wounded, as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said in a press statement on Wednesday.

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-Top News Africa News Politics

South Africa’s opposition launch poll campaign

In a country plagued by an energy crisis and high unemployment, some 27.5 million registered South Africans will elect a new parliament which will then vote in a new president...reports Asian Lite News

The Liberal Democratic Alliance, fighting to keep its place as South Africa’s official opposition party, was to launch its electoral campaign on Saturday ahead of a hotly contested vote.

In the capital Pretoria the party led a march from the center city to the seat of government, the Union Buildings. Under the scorching sun, streets were flooded with a sea of the DA’s signature blue as supporters sang along to an energetic brass band as they marched behind their leader. He, John Steenhuisen, was expected to unveil the party’s new manifesto. “I’m here today to see some change, we want to give this political party a chance because you never know it could work” said Pontsho Mona, 24, “because truly speaking the ANC has failed.” The ruling African National Congress is set to launch its own manifesto next week. The image of the 110-year-old ANC has been fractured and stained by corruption, cronyism and a lackluster economic record.

In a country plagued by an energy crisis and high unemployment, some 27.5 million registered South Africans will elect a new parliament which will then vote in a new president. Some polls show the alliance currently battling with leftist party Economic Freedom Fighters for second place behind the ANC.

A recent Ipsos survey put the two parties tied at between 17 and 20 percent. Formed in 2000 as a fusion of three mostly white parties, the DA has struggled to escape its white, middle-class image and win over black voters. But Simon Nkabinde, a 68-year-old pensioner, said he has put his faith into the DA after being “constantly lied to” by the ANC. “I had been complaining about not having a tar road in my township since 1991 under ANC leadership but nothing happened for 30 years,” he said. “The DA has now won our municipality and has started building us a tar road.” The center-right  party has formed a coalition in the hope of unseating the ANC.

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-Top News UK News

Health to become a key UK poll issue

The upcoming strike means thousands more canceled appointments and operations, putting further pressure on the NHS to deal with a backlog that is likely to be a key issue in the general election later this year…reports Asian Lite News

Thousands of doctors in the early years of their careers in England are to go on strike later this month for another five-day stretch as their long-standing pay dispute with the British government remains in stasis.

The British Medical Association, the union that represents the so-called junior doctors, said on Friday that the government had “failed to meet the deadline to put an improved pay offer on the table” and that they would go on strike from Feb. 24 to Feb. 28.

The junior doctors, who form the backbone of hospital and clinical care as they train up to be specialists in a particular field, have walked off the job on nine occasions over the past year and last month they went on strike for six days, the longest in the history of the state-funded National Health Service.

“We remain willing to carry on talking and to cancel the forthcoming strikes if significant progress is made and a credible offer is put forward,” the BMA’s junior doctors committee co-chairs Dr. Robert Laurenson and Dr. Vivek Trivedi said.

The union says newly qualified doctors earn 15.53 pounds ($19.37) an hour — the UK minimum wage is just over 10 pounds an hour — though salaries rise rapidly after the first year. The BMA has been asking for 35 percent “pay restoration” as its starting position but has said it is willing to negotiate.

The Conservative government has said it won’t negotiate unless the union calls off the strike.

“We already provided them with a pay increase of up to 10.3 percent and were prepared to go further,” said Health Secretary Victoria Atkins. “I ask the junior doctors’ committee to cancel their action and come back to the table to find a way forward for patients and our NHS.”

Senior doctors, known as consultants, and other medics have been drafted in to cover for emergency services, critical care and maternity services during the strikes. The consultants themselves are also in dispute with the government over their recent pay award but have yet to set any dates for any further strikes.

The upcoming strike means thousands more canceled appointments and operations, putting further pressure on the NHS to deal with a backlog that is likely to be a key issue in the general election later this year.

Britain has endured a year of rolling strikes across the health sector as staff sought pay rises to offset the soaring cost of living. Unions say wages, especially in the public sector, have fallen in real terms over the past decade, and double-digit inflation in late 2022 and early 2023, fueled by sharply rising food and energy prices, left many workers struggling to pay their bills.

Many groups within the NHS, such as nurses and ambulance crews, have reached pay deals with the government, but the union representing junior doctors has held out, and negotiations broke down late last year.

If it goes ahead, the strike would be the junior doctors’ last on the current mandate, which expires at the end of the month. Further strikes would require another vote among members which the BMA is currently undertaking.

The government is seeking to apportion many of the problems in the NHS on the junior doctors, while the main opposition Labour Party, which is way ahead in opinion polls, points the finger at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for personally blocking progress.

“He bears responsibility for the canceled operations and appointments desperate patients will face once again,” said Wes Streeting, Labour’s health spokesman. “This can’t go on. Patients are desperate and staff are worn out.”

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-Top News Europe UK News

UK govt taking poll interference threats seriously, says Shapps

A report by US software company Microsoft in November last year said Russia, Iran and China were likely to engage in sophisticated influence and interference efforts before the 2024 US election and other polls…reports Asian Lite News

The UK is taking threats of foreign interference elections expected later this year “very seriously”, the defence minister said on Sunday, after a warning from a counter-terrorism official.

“Obviously, that’s something that we take very seriously,” Shapps told the Sky News channel. Counter-terrorism bodies and other institutions would “be looking very carefully at that”, he said.

UK counter-terrorism chief Matt Jukes said Friday that the espionage threat from foreign states — such as China, Russia and Iran — is greater now than it has been “since the days of the Cold War”.

He said the police had set up a new unit to counter the threats of interference ahead of the election, which is expected to be called later this year. “We are talking about parts of the state apparatus of Iran, China and Russia,” Jukes said.

A report by US software company Microsoft in November last year said Russia, Iran and China were likely to engage in sophisticated influence and interference efforts before the 2024 US election and other polls.

All three countries were expected to seek to shape geopolitical outcomes in their favour amid major ongoing or potential regional conflicts, the report said. Interference bids are likely to take place on online platforms than those targeted in 2016 and 2020 polls.

The counter-terrorism chief also warned that conflict in the Middle East had led to a surge in Islamist activity and that the UK was facing “a radicalisation moment”. He said there had been a 25 per cent increase in information flowing through police systems about terrorism and violent extremism.

The unit would use powers granted by the National Security Act passed in July to  make it harder for countries to spy and interfere in the political process, he said.

“We are talking about parts of the state apparatus of Iran, China and Russia,” Jukes said.

A report by US software company Microsoft in November last year said Russia, Iran and China were likely to engage in sophisticated influence and interference efforts ahead of the 2024 US presidential election and in other pivotal elections worldwide.

All three countries were expected to seek to shape geopolitical outcomes in their favour amid major ongoing or potential regional conflicts, the report said.

Interference efforts were  likely to take place on different online platforms than those targeted in elections in 2016 and 2020.

The counter-terrorism chief also warned that conflict in the Middle East had led to a surge in Islamist activity and that the United Kingdom was facing “a radicalisation moment”.

He said there had been a 25 percent increase in information flowing through police systems about terrorism and violent extremism, “a significant increase” on “usual levels”.

“We always see spikes after terrorist incidents but what we’ve seen since October 7 has been a spike which is higher and more sustained than ever before,” Jukes said in comments to local media.

“I would describe the speed and the scale of the impact of those global events as extraordinary.”

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India News

Congress Gears Up for Poll Campaign on Feb 3

AIIMS announced a half-day closure of its offices and institutions on January 22, 2024, as Ram Lalla ‘Pran Pratishtha’ at Ayodhya will be celebrated across India…reports Asian Lite News

Delhi Congress President Arvinder Singh Lovely divulged on Sunday that the grand old party will start its Lok Sabha campaign on February 3 from Delhi and said that the day will be observed as ‘Pledge Day’ to safeguard the democratic structure of the country.

Without specifically mentioning the party from whom they want to safeguard the country, he said, “On the 3rd of this February, Congress is starting its Lok Sabha election campaign from Delhi, and on that day, we are observing a pledge day. All Congress workers, along with our national leader Maikarjun Kharge, will pledge to uproot the party that is attempting to weaken the foundation of democracy in this country.”

In response to questions about seat-sharing and an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Lovely stated, “See, the Aam Aadmi Party is a definite partner in the alliance. Whatever decision the high command makes in the alliance will be acceptable to the people of Delhi. However, we are gearing up to contest on 7 seats, a positive development for us.”

On the Delhi government’s three-day Ramilia programme and AAP organising a Shobhayatra in Delhi on the day of Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, Lovely said, “It’s a good thing that the entire government is celebrating Lord Ram’s day. I hope they continue to celebrate it not just tomorrow but in the future as well.”

Regarding the decision by AIIMS to reverse its shutdown on January 22, Lovely, emphasised, “The basic principles of the Congress are rooted in honesty and are based on the ideals of Ram Rajya, where people of all castes and religions live with love and equality. If we embrace the virtues of Lord Ram in our lives, half of the country’s problems will naturally be resolved. Instead of engaging in politics amid all this, it is more prudent to symbolise faith in Lord Ram. There can be no discord between faith and politics in this matter.”

Earlier, the AIIMS announced a half-day closure of its offices and institutions on January 22, 2024, as Ram Lalla ‘Pran Pratishtha’ at Ayodhya will be celebrated across India.

Responding to the hate and attack faced by the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,’ Lovely, stated, “On one hand, you talk about being a worshipper of Lord Ram, and on the other, opposing the journey of love and affection–how is this in line with the ideals of Lord Ram?” (ANI)

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-Top News Politics USA

Trump Barred from Re-election Ballot for Insurrection

The ruling came under Amendment 14 of the US constitution that bars people engaging in insurrection from running for president…reports Asian Lite News

Donald Trump became the first former or incumbent American President to be struck off the re-election ballot for insurrection. In other words he is not fit to run for election.

This is yet another first for the former President who has notched up several ignoble firsts: only US President — once in office and then out — to be impeached twice, criminally charged with mishandling classified papers, trying to overturn an electoral outcome.

In a decision that’s being historic, the Colorado Supreme Court barred Trump from running in the state’s presidential primary ruling he had engaged in insurrection on January 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters invaded the US Congress — at this urging and direction — to prevent lawmakers from certifying Joe Biden as the next President, which is a procedural formality of the presidential election process. He is facing upwards of 90 charges in a medley of cases brought against him by federal and state authorities.

“A majority of the court holds that President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of President under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution,” the court ruling read.

“Because he is disqualified, it would be a wrongful act under the Election Code for the Colorado Secretary of State to list him as a candidate on the presidential primary ballot.”

The ruling came under Amendment 14 of the US constitution that bars people engaging in insurrection from running for president.

“No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the US, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the US, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the US, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability, says Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Three of the seven members of the bench dissented and the case for disqualifying Trump on this very ground has been rejected by two states.

The Trump campaign has said it will appeal the ruling.

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-Top News USA

Trump Edges Ahead of Biden in 2024 Presidential Poll

When five potential third-party and independent candidates are included, drawing a combined 17 per cent support, Trump’s lead expands to six points, 37-31, The Guardian reported…reports Asian Lite News

Donald Trump has nudged ahead of Joe Biden in national polling for the 2024 presidential election, a survey revealed, a day after the US president branded his predecessor as “despicable” at an event in California, the media reported.

The Wall Street Journal poll shows Biden with the lowest approval rating of his presidency, a finding broadly in line with other recent studies that have sparked concern in Democratic circles less than a year before voters go to the polls.

It shows Trump leading Biden by four points, 47 per cent to 43 per cent, the first time this survey has shown that the former US president is favored in a head-to-head test of the likely 2024 White House matchup, the WSJ said.

When five potential third-party and independent candidates are included, drawing a combined 17 per cent support, Trump’s lead expands to six points, 37-31, The Guardian reported.

Although Biden has expressed his desire to run for a second term, many in the Democratic party would like to see him stand down, fearing his advancing age – 81 on election day and 86 after eight years in the White House if he wins next year – will turn off voters.

The indictment of the president’s son, Hunter Biden, in California on Thursday on nine criminal tax charges places additional obstacles in his path to re-election, The Guardian reported.

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