BREAKING NEWS
UK introduces a bill that would eventually make the purchase of cigarettes illegal
Read full article: UK introduces a bill that would eventually make the purchase of cigarettes illegalLegislation intended to ban todayās British children from ever legally being able to smoke has begun its journey through Parliament.
Hereditary nobles have sat in Britain's Parliament for centuries. Their time may be up
Read full article: Hereditary nobles have sat in Britain's Parliament for centuries. Their time may be upBritish lawmakers are voting on a bill to strip hereditary aristocrats of the right to sit and vote in the House of Lords after more than 700 years.
Japan's new leader expresses regret for governing party slush fund scandal, vows stronger defense
Read full article: Japan's new leader expresses regret for governing party slush fund scandal, vows stronger defenseNew Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has opened his first policy speech in office by expressing deep regrets over the governing partyās slush funds scandal that dogged his predecessor.
South Africa's top court will decide if impeachment proceedings against the president can be revived
Read full article: South Africa's top court will decide if impeachment proceedings against the president can be revivedSouth Africaās Constitutional Court says it will hear a case next month brought by two opposition parties to revive impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Georgian parliament speaker signs anti-LGBTQ law after president refuses to sign it
Read full article: Georgian parliament speaker signs anti-LGBTQ law after president refuses to sign itThe speaker of the Georgian parliament has signed into a law a bill that severely curtails LGBTQ+ rights in the country and mirrors legislation adopted in neighboring Russia.
Czechs vote in the runoff election for a third of the seats in Parliament's upper house
Read full article: Czechs vote in the runoff election for a third of the seats in Parliament's upper houseCzechs are casting ballots in the second round of voting for a third of the seats in Parliamentās upper house.
Sri Lanka's new president calls a parliamentary election for November to consolidate his mandate
Read full article: Sri Lanka's new president calls a parliamentary election for November to consolidate his mandateSri Lankaās new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has dissolved parliament and called for a parliamentary election in an effort to consolidate his mandate following his weekend election victory.
Central Europe flooding leaves 16 dead in Romania, Poland, Czech Republic and Austria
Read full article: Central Europe flooding leaves 16 dead in Romania, Poland, Czech Republic and AustriaExceptionally heavy rainfall has been pounding Central Europe and has prompted deadly flooding in the region, with four new deaths reported in Poland, three in Czech Republic and one in Romania.
France's Macron holds talks with key political players in a bid to form a new government
Read full article: France's Macron holds talks with key political players in a bid to form a new governmentFrench President Emmanuel Macron is holding talks with key political players in a bid to form a new government.
Daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin will be nominated as new leader in parliamentary vote
Read full article: Daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin will be nominated as new leader in parliamentary votePaetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, will be nominated as the countryās new prime minister in a parliamentary vote, her party and its coalition partners said Thursday.
Australia and New Zealand are locked in a battle of tongue in cheek after MÄori words are removed
Read full article: Australia and New Zealand are locked in a battle of tongue in cheek after MÄori words are removedNew Zealand's prime minister is defending the removal of basic MÄori phrases meaning āhelloā and āNew Zealandā from a lunar new year invitation to an Australian official.
New Zealand's inquiry into systemic abuse follows 2 decades of similar probes worldwide
Read full article: New Zealand's inquiry into systemic abuse follows 2 decades of similar probes worldwideNew Zealand is the latest country to confront cruel, systemic and commonplace abuse of children and vulnerable adults in state and faith-based care institutions.
Inquiry finds 200,000 people were abused in care in New Zealand over decades in 'national disgrace'
Read full article: Inquiry finds 200,000 people were abused in care in New Zealand over decades in 'national disgrace'Nearly a third of the children and vulnerable adults in state, foster and faith-based care in New Zealand between 1950 and 1999 were physically, sexually, verbally or psychologically harmed.
Trumpets, tiaras and tradition on display as King Charles III presides over opening of Parliament
Read full article: Trumpets, tiaras and tradition on display as King Charles III presides over opening of ParliamentKing Charles III has arrived at Britain's Parliament to preside over the State Opening.
South African president says Parliament will open July 18 amid discord in the new coalition
Read full article: South African president says Parliament will open July 18 amid discord in the new coalitionSouth African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that Parliament will open on July 18 as he remains locked in negotiations with other parties to form a Cabinet well before then amid rifts in the new governing coalition.
How South Africa's rival parties 'found each other' in a last-ditch deal that saved a president
Read full article: How South Africa's rival parties 'found each other' in a last-ditch deal that saved a presidentSouth Africaās main political rivals are now partners in government after they came together in a last-ditch coalition deal that ensured President Cyril Ramaphosa was dramatically reelected with cross-party support.
South Africa's ANC says it has broad agreement with main opposition, others on coalition government
Read full article: South Africa's ANC says it has broad agreement with main opposition, others on coalition governmentA top official with South Africaās African National Congress party says it has a broad agreement with the main opposition and other parties to form a coalition government.
When South Africa's election results are expected and why the president will be chosen later
Read full article: When South Africa's election results are expected and why the president will be chosen laterSouth Africans have voted in a national election that could be the countryās most hotly contested in 30 years.
UK Parliament breaks up ahead of election day with pomp, ceremony and hard-nosed politics
Read full article: UK Parliament breaks up ahead of election day with pomp, ceremony and hard-nosed politicsBritainās lawmakers left Parliament on Friday for the last time before an election is held in six weeks.
Thousands protest in Georgia over the weekend against 'Russia-style' law on foreign influence
Read full article: Thousands protest in Georgia over the weekend against 'Russia-style' law on foreign influenceGeorgiaās parliament green-lit a final vote on a proposed law that critics see as a threat to media freedom and the countryās aspirations to join the European Union, after police dispersed the latest protests against it over the weekend.
Why did bill to stem āforeign influenceā trigger protests in Georgia over country's media freedom?
Read full article: Why did bill to stem āforeign influenceā trigger protests in Georgia over country's media freedom?Georgia has been engulfed by huge protests triggered by a proposed law that critics see as a threat to media freedom and the countryās aspirations to join the European Union.
Georgian lawmakers move closer to passing 'Russian law' targeting the media. Protesters gather again
Read full article: Georgian lawmakers move closer to passing 'Russian law' targeting the media. Protesters gather againGeorgiaās Parliament has moved a step closer to passing a law that critics fear will stifle media freedom and endanger the countryās European Union membership bid.
Pro-China President Muizzu's party sweeps Maldives parliamentary elections, preliminary results say
Read full article: Pro-China President Muizzu's party sweeps Maldives parliamentary elections, preliminary results sayMaldives President Mohamed Muizzuās political party has swept parliamentary elections in a strong endorsement of his pro-China foreign policy.
Lawmakers in Thailand overwhelmingly approve a bill to legalize same-sex marriage
Read full article: Lawmakers in Thailand overwhelmingly approve a bill to legalize same-sex marriageLawmakers in Thailandās lower house of Parliament have overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill that would make the country the first in Southeast Asia to legalize equal rights for marriage partners of any gender.
Philippine president tells Australia their strategic partnership is more important than ever
Read full article: Philippine president tells Australia their strategic partnership is more important than everPhilippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has told Australiaās Parliament that the strategic partnership between the two nations is more important than ever with the rule of law and peace in the region under threat from China.
UK Conservatives suspend a lawmaker after he accused London's mayor of being controlled by Islamists
Read full article: UK Conservatives suspend a lawmaker after he accused London's mayor of being controlled by IslamistsThe U.K.ās governing Conservative Party has suspended ties with one if its lawmakers after he accused London Mayor Sadiq Khan of being controlled by Islamists as tensions over the Israel-Hamas war roil British politics.
Germany's parliament votes to legalize limited marijuana possession and allow 'cannabis clubs'
Read full article: Germany's parliament votes to legalize limited marijuana possession and allow 'cannabis clubs'German lawmakers have approved a government plan to liberalize rules on cannabis, paving the way for the country to decriminalize limited amounts of marijuana and allow members of ācannabis clubsā to buy it for recreational purposes.
UK Parliament is in turmoil after a debate over a Gaza cease-fire raised fears for lawmakers' safety
Read full article: UK Parliament is in turmoil after a debate over a Gaza cease-fire raised fears for lawmakers' safetyThe chaotic debate over a cease-fire in Gaza reverberated through Britainās Parliament as the speaker of the House of Commons faced calls to resign and lawmakers said they feared for their safety amid pressure from all sides of the issue.
Zimbabwe's government backs a move to abolish the death penalty having last hanged someone in 2005
Read full article: Zimbabwe's government backs a move to abolish the death penalty having last hanged someone in 2005Zimbabweās Cabinet has agreed to back a move in Parliament to abolish the death penalty.
German lawmakers approve contested cuts to farmers' fuel subsidies and a revamped 2024 budget
Read full article: German lawmakers approve contested cuts to farmers' fuel subsidies and a revamped 2024 budgetGerman lawmakers have approved cuts to fuel subsidies for farmers that prompted angry protests, along with a 2024 budget the government had to revamp after a court ruling blew a hole in its financial plans.
A Communist candidate gets approval to run in the Russian presidential election
Read full article: A Communist candidate gets approval to run in the Russian presidential electionRussiaās national elections commission has registered the Communist Partyās candidate to compete with President Vladimir Putin in the March election that Putin is all but certain to win.
The right to protest is under threat in Britain, undermining a pillar of democracy
Read full article: The right to protest is under threat in Britain, undermining a pillar of democracyBritain is one of the worldās oldest democracies, but some worry that essential rights and freedoms are under threat.
India's opposition lawmakers protest their suspension from Parliament by the government
Read full article: India's opposition lawmakers protest their suspension from Parliament by the governmentDozens of opposition lawmakers suspended from Parliament by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modiās government for obstructing proceedings have held a protest accusing the government of throttling democracy in the country.
Thailandās LGBTQ+ community hopeful as marriage equality bill is set to be discussed in Parliament
Read full article: Thailandās LGBTQ+ community hopeful as marriage equality bill is set to be discussed in ParliamentNaphat Krutthai and Rasithaya Jindasri have been in a committed relationship for eight years, but only now they can consider getting married.
Man charged with terrorism over a fire at South African Parliament is declared unfit to stand trial
Read full article: Man charged with terrorism over a fire at South African Parliament is declared unfit to stand trialA man charged with terrorism and other offenses over a 2022 fire that badly damaged South Africaās historic Parliament complex in Cape Town has been declared unfit to stand trial.
The UK government blames Russian intelligence for prolonged efforts to meddle in British politics
Read full article: The UK government blames Russian intelligence for prolonged efforts to meddle in British politicsThe U.K. government says that Russiaās intelligence services have targeted high-profile British politicians, civil servants and journalists with cyberespionage and āmalicious cyberactivityā as part of sustained attempts to interfere in U.K. political processes.
Thousands protest Indigenous policies of New Zealand government as lawmakers are sworn in
Read full article: Thousands protest Indigenous policies of New Zealand government as lawmakers are sworn inThousands of protesters have rallied against the New Zealand governmentās Indigenous policies as the Parliament convened for the first time since October elections.
Britain's Parliament honors Elton John for his work fighting HIV in the UK and beyond
Read full article: Britain's Parliament honors Elton John for his work fighting HIV in the UK and beyondElton John has addressed Britainās Parliament at an event honoring his dedication to fighting HIV in the U.K. and beyond.
New Zealand leader plans to ban cellphone use in schools and end tobacco controls in first 100 days
Read full article: New Zealand leader plans to ban cellphone use in schools and end tobacco controls in first 100 daysNew Zealandās new prime minister plans to ban cellphone use in schools and repeal tobacco controls in the agenda for his first three months in office.
Chinese refugee challenges Australian law that imposes a curfew and tracking bracelet
Read full article: Chinese refugee challenges Australian law that imposes a curfew and tracking braceletNew laws rushed through Australiaās Parliament last week to mandate curfews and electronic tracking bracelets on some foreigners with criminal records are facing their first High Court challenge.
Albania's opposition disrupts a budget vote with flares and piled-up chairs in Parliament
Read full article: Albania's opposition disrupts a budget vote with flares and piled-up chairs in ParliamentAlbanian opposition lawmakers have disrupted the Parliamentās session again to protest what they say is increasingly authoritarian rule by the governing Socialists.
Kenya says it won't deploy police to fight gangs in Haiti until they receive training and funding
Read full article: Kenya says it won't deploy police to fight gangs in Haiti until they receive training and fundingKenya says it won't deploy its police officers to Haiti until all conditions on training and funding are met in line with last monthās approval from the U.
King Charles III will preside over Britainās State Opening of Parliament, where pomp meets politics
Read full article: King Charles III will preside over Britainās State Opening of Parliament, where pomp meets politicsKing Charles III is preparing to deliver the Kingās Speech at the State Opening of Parliament.
Malaysia will cut subsidies and tax luxury goods as it unveils a 2024 budget narrowing the deficit
Read full article: Malaysia will cut subsidies and tax luxury goods as it unveils a 2024 budget narrowing the deficitMalaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says subsidies will be progressively cut and new taxes launched next year as part of the 2024 federal budget.
Turkey hits Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and detains about 1,000 people days after Ankara blast
Read full article: Turkey hits Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and detains about 1,000 people days after Ankara blastTurkish warplanes have carried out new airstrikes against suspected Kurdish militant sites in northern Iraq days after a suicide bomb attack in the Turkish capital.
Turkey strikes suspected Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq after suicide attack in Ankara
Read full article: Turkey strikes suspected Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq after suicide attack in AnkaraThe Turkish defense ministry says its warplanes have carried out raids on suspected Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq following a suicide attack on a government building in the Turkish capital.
Thailand's new prime minister tells Parliament his government will urgently tackle economic woes
Read full article: Thailand's new prime minister tells Parliament his government will urgently tackle economic woesThailandās new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to act quickly to relieve the countryās economic problems in his inaugural speech to Parliament.
Australians are voting on creating an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Here's what you need to know
Read full article: Australians are voting on creating an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Here's what you need to knowAustralians will vote on Oct. 14 in a referendum that would enshrine in the nationās constitution a mechanism for Indigenous people to advise Parliament on policies that effect their lives known as the Voice.
Socialist wins key Spanish parliament vote that could pave way for new center-left government
Read full article: Socialist wins key Spanish parliament vote that could pave way for new center-left governmentSpainās newly elected Parliament has voted by a majority to elect a Socialist candidate as chamber speaker, breathing some life into acting Socialist Prime Minister Pedro SĆ”nchezĀ“s aspirations to form another leftist government.
Italy proposed a bank tax to help people with interest rate hikes. The move sent stocks plunging
Read full article: Italy proposed a bank tax to help people with interest rate hikes. The move sent stocks plungingThe Italian finance ministry is defending a proposed 40% tax on some bank profits as being in line with āalready existing rules in Europe on extra bank margins.ā.
Reformist Thai party is excluded from coalition to form the next government, runner-up party says
Read full article: Reformist Thai party is excluded from coalition to form the next government, runner-up party saysThe progressive political party that won the most seats in Thailandās general election has been excluded from a coalition to form the next government.
An alliance of Indian opposition parties ā called INDIA ā joins forces to take on Modi
Read full article: An alliance of Indian opposition parties ā called INDIA ā joins forces to take on ModiIndiaās fractured opposition parties have joined forces in a rare show of unity and formed an alliance to unseat the popular but polarizing prime minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Thai Parliament blocks leader of party that won election from being renominated for prime minister
Read full article: Thai Parliament blocks leader of party that won election from being renominated for prime ministerThailandās Parliament has voted against allowing the leader of the progressive party that finished first in Mayās general election a second chance to be confirmed as prime minister.
A vessel to accommodate asylum-seekers docks in UK as Parliament passes controversial migration bill
Read full article: A vessel to accommodate asylum-seekers docks in UK as Parliament passes controversial migration billA vessel that will accommodate up to 500 asylum-seekers has arrived in England as Parliament passed its controversial bill to curb migration.
Reformist Thai party, thwarted from forming new government, seeks law change to limit Senate's power
Read full article: Reformist Thai party, thwarted from forming new government, seeks law change to limit Senate's powerThe political party that captured first place in Thailandās general election two months ago ā only to see the countryās unelected Senators block it from taking power ā is fighting back.
Greece's government wins vote of confidence in Parliament to begin a second 4-year term
Read full article: Greece's government wins vote of confidence in Parliament to begin a second 4-year termGreeceās conservative government has won a vote of confidence in Parliament to start its second four-year term.
UK police reopen partygate probe into lockdown-breaching Conservative 'jingle and mingle' bash
Read full article: UK police reopen partygate probe into lockdown-breaching Conservative 'jingle and mingle' bashBritish police have reopened an investigation into lockdown-breaching government parties after viewing video of Conservative Party staffers dancing and drinking at a 2020 Christmas soiree.
Conservative Mitsotakis sworn in as Greece's prime minister while far-right sees election surge
Read full article: Conservative Mitsotakis sworn in as Greece's prime minister while far-right sees election surgeGreeceās center-right leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been sworn in as prime minister for a second consecutive term.
As Greece's center-right heads for a landslide, fringe parties jostle to squeeze into Parliament
Read full article: As Greece's center-right heads for a landslide, fringe parties jostle to squeeze into ParliamentUp to five small far-right and far-left parties may cross the 3% parliamentary entry threshold in Greece's repeat election on Sunday.
Australia's Senate votes for holding referendum on Indigenous Voice to Parliament within 6 months
Read full article: Australia's Senate votes for holding referendum on Indigenous Voice to Parliament within 6 monthsAustraliaās Senate has voted for a referendum to be held this year on creating an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, an advocacy body to give the nationās most disadvantaged ethnic minority more say on government policy.
UK parliamentary committee to conclude Boris Johnson 'partygate' inquiry
Read full article: UK parliamentary committee to conclude Boris Johnson 'partygate' inquiryA U.K. parliamentary committee has met to conclude its inquiry into whether former Prime Minister Boris Johnson misled lawmakers over parties at his Downing Street office that breached COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
Boris Johnson quits as UK lawmaker after being told he will be sanctioned for misleading Parliament
Read full article: Boris Johnson quits as UK lawmaker after being told he will be sanctioned for misleading ParliamentFormer U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says heās quitting as a lawmaker after being told he will be sanctioned for misleading Parliament.
New Greek parliament convenes, only to be dissolved as early as Monday
Read full article: New Greek parliament convenes, only to be dissolved as early as MondayNewly elected Greek lawmakers were sworn in Sunday but the Parliament in which they sit may be dissolved as early as Monday, ahead of fresh elections on June 25.
Modi opponents boycott opening of new Indian Parliament; PM says it breaks with colonial past
Read full article: Modi opponents boycott opening of new Indian Parliament; PM says it breaks with colonial pastIndiaās major opposition parties have boycotted the inauguration of a new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a rare show of unity against his Hindu nationalist ruling party.
Australian prime minister says he is working effectively to free WikiLeaks founder
Read full article: Australian prime minister says he is working effectively to free WikiLeaks founderAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he is working in the āmost effective way possibleā to secure the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
New Zealand budget plan offers modest financial relief ahead of election
Read full article: New Zealand budget plan offers modest financial relief ahead of electionMonths before an election, New Zealandās government is offering some modest financial relief to many people by making most prescription medicines free and increasing subsidies for childcare and public transportation.
Opposition disrupts Indian Parliament after Gandhi's ouster
Read full article: Opposition disrupts Indian Parliament after Gandhi's ousterMembers of opposition parties dressed in black disrupted India's Parliament and protested in the capital after Rahul Gandhi, a key opposition leader and fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was expelled from the legislature last week.
UK bans TikTok on government phones on security grounds
Read full article: UK bans TikTok on government phones on security groundsBritish authorities say they're banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok from government mobile phones on security grounds, following similar moves by the U.S. and European Union.
Tens of thousands march in Greece to protest train disaster
Read full article: Tens of thousands march in Greece to protest train disasterTens of thousands of people are marching in Athens and Greek cities to protest the deaths of 57 people and the serious safety deficiencies the countryās worst train disaster exposed.
New Zealand's new leader Hipkins cuts many contentious plans
Read full article: New Zealand's new leader Hipkins cuts many contentious plansNew Zealandās new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says he is axing or delaying many of his governmentās more contentious policy plans as he looks to refocus on priorities like the rising cost of living.
Indian tycoon Adani hit by more losses, calls for probe
Read full article: Indian tycoon Adani hit by more losses, calls for probeTrading in shares in troubled Adani Enterprises has gyrated as the flagship company of Indiaās second-largest conglomerate tumbled 30% and then rebounded after more than a week of heavy losses.
India's finance minister announces new clean energy funds
Read full article: India's finance minister announces new clean energy fundsIndian finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced several new clean energy initiatives in her annual federal budget speech on Wednesday, saying āgreen growthā is a top priority for the country.
Lebanese pound hits new low as political deadlock persists
Read full article: Lebanese pound hits new low as political deadlock persistsThe value of the Lebanese pound has hit a new low, now trading at 50,000 to the dollar, as the countryās deeply divided Parliament failed to elect a president for the eleventh time.
UK leader Sunak makes first visit to Scotland as PM
Read full article: UK leader Sunak makes first visit to Scotland as PMU.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to highlight the benefits of remaining in the U.K. when he meets with the Scottish leader during his first visit to Scotland since taking office.
Ardern, rival turn her hot-mic vulgarity into charity's win
Read full article: Ardern, rival turn her hot-mic vulgarity into charity's winWhen New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was caught on a hot mic using a vulgarity against a rival politician last week, it seemed the nationās politics could be taking an ugly turn heading into an election year.
Voters in Nepal line up to elect new members of Parliament
Read full article: Voters in Nepal line up to elect new members of ParliamentVoters in Nepal lined up to elect members of Parliament in hopes that a new government would bring political stability and help with development of the Himalayan nation.
Australia flags tough new data protection laws this year
Read full article: Australia flags tough new data protection laws this yearAttorney-General Mark Dreyfus says Australia could have tough new data protection laws in place this year in an urgent response to a cyberattack that stole from a telecommunications company the personal data of 9.8 million customers.
Australia holds day of mourning for queen with art, flowers
Read full article: Australia holds day of mourning for queen with art, flowersAustralia has honored Queen Elizabeth II with a day of mourning and a wreath of golden wattle ā the plant that blooms in Australia's national colors in the southern spring.
Queue for queen's coffin reopened, wait hits 24 hours
Read full article: Queue for queen's coffin reopened, wait hits 24 hoursA surging tide of people ā ranging from London retirees to former England soccer captain David Beckham ā have lined up to file past Queen Elizabeth IIās coffin as it lies in state at Parliament.
Charles III and the 'weight of history' of Westminster Hall
Read full article: Charles III and the 'weight of history' of Westminster HallIn his first visit to Britainās Parliament as monarch, King Charles III spoke of feeling the āweight of history which surrounds usā and referenced his āmedieval predecessorsā as he pledged to follow in his late mother Queen Elizabeth IIās footsteps and uphold the principles of constitutional monarchy.
What's next for the UK as King Charles III starts his reign
Read full article: What's next for the UK as King Charles III starts his reignThe death of Queen Elizabeth II has triggered a series of carefully structured ceremonial and constitutional steps, as Britain undergoes a period of national mourning and heralds the reign of King Charles III.
South African president hit by tough questions in parliament
Read full article: South African president hit by tough questions in parliamentSouth African president Cyril Ramaphosa faced a grilling by lawmakers in Parliament as they demanded answers from him on his handling of the theft of millions of dollars from his farm.
Sri Lanka's president to present relief budget amid crisis
Read full article: Sri Lanka's president to present relief budget amid crisisSri Lankaās government plans to present an amended budget for the year that slashes expenses and aims to provide relief to people hit hard by an economic meltdown.