welcome to the daily global, where we ll bring you the top stories from around the world. 2024 is shaping up to be a year of elections. two billion people one in four of the world s population will go to the polls this year in votes that could change the global political landscape. 50 nations will hold elections. starting with bangladesh, the polls include seven out of the world s ten most populous nations india, the united states, indonesia, pakistan, russia and mexico. and the uk will go to the polls at some point this year. british prime minister rishi sunak has said his assumption is that a general election will be held in the second half of this year, despite some speculation it could take place in the spring. opinion polls put mr sunak s conservatives well behind the opposition labour party. with the details, our political editor, chris mason. can i welcome to you this morning, rishi sunak, the prime minister? mansfield in nottinghamshire a town the conservative
downing street. the liberal democrats have used exactly the same phrase in the last few moments to respond to what the prime minister has said. it is worth saying that there was no obligation or even expectation on rishi sunak to hold an election in the first draft of this year, in the spring, at any point, the decision for when to hold it is solely down to him and it must happen before the 28th of january 2025, but the day to down to him. so i think he was trying to get ahead of the speculation and kill off attacks that he was dithering by saying my working assumption is it will be the second half of the year. you mention the other party. politically, does it make it more difficult for them, if they have got longer, the whole campaign to go on, the apathy, is not likely to get worse? . , . ., , ., the apathy, is not likely to get worse? . ., ,~ ., worse? that is certainly a factor
hannah, so it s all in the language, isn t it? working assumptions of the prime minister to call a general election in the second half of this year, so it tells us, as chris was saying, a little bit, but at the same time it could mean anything, couldn t it? the same time it could mean anything, couldn t it? couldn t it? the thing to be really clear about couldn t it? the thing to be really clear about then couldn t it? the thing to be really clear about then is couldn t it? the thing to be really clear about then is this couldn t it? the thing to be really clear about then is this is - couldn t it? the thing to be really clear about then is this is still - clear about then is this is still rishi sunak s choice, whichever language you choose to use, the way it works here in the uk is that prime minister is give essentially five weeks notice for the campaign and then we have polling day. that has to be still no later than the 28th of january, 2025. has to be still no later than