Minister

• South Korean President has accepted the resignation of Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho. • The departure follows a period of political tension after the liberal bloc implemented a controversial overhaul of the nation's criminal justice system. • Jung previously cited personal health struggles, specifically mentioning a sleep disorder during a late July meeting with the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

Luke Pollard warns government will force platforms to remove content, after latest deadly crash involving a car driving in wrong directionA minister has pressed social media companies to remove content from their platforms showcasing dangerous driving in the wake of a fatal collision that killed seven people in Middlesbrough.The crash in the early hours of Saturday, in which PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough died, occurred when a Volkswagen Passat, containing five individuals aged between 23 and 17, crashed head-on with a marked armed response vehicle while driving the wrong way on the A66. Continue reading...

Defence minister says police ‘need time’ but ‘in the meantime’ the government has told platforms to take down content glorifying dangerous drivingCleveland police and crime commissioner Matt Storey was on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning to take questions on the fatal A66 crash.Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak died when their Volkswagen Passat, believed to be using cloned plates, collided with a marked armed response vehicle early on Saturday near Middlesbrough.Without being able to say whether that was anything like involved in this case, it’s absolutely idiotic for anybody to be doing anything other than being completely 100% focused on the road when they’re behind the wheel of a vehicle.And for somebody to be filming themselves or doing anything like that is absolutely ridiculous, and of course nobody should be doing that. And it is a worrying situation if that’s becoming more prevalent because it is incredibly dangerous. Continue reading...

• India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is scheduled to meet with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. • This high-level diplomatic engagement follows the previous year's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and aims to address ongoing bilateral tensions. • The meeting is significant as it represents a critical effort to stabilize relations and manage security concerns between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

• Planning and Budget Minister Park Hong-keun and Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin held a joint media briefing on August 21, 2026, following the first Fiscal Management Strategy Council meeting in Seoul. • The meeting focused on resolving ongoing disputes between the two ministers regarding proposed reforms to the local education finance grant. • This coordination is critical for aligning national fiscal strategies with educational funding needs to ensure balanced government spending.

Move may signal attempt to improve relations between military-backed government and ex-leader’s partyThe jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has been ⁠transferred to a hospital in Islamabad for medical examination, fulfilling a longstanding demand by supporters who ⁠say his health has deteriorated during more than three years in prison.The move ​followed a supreme court order ‌this week and is ‌seen as a potential first step toward easing tensions between Khan’s party and ‌Pakistan’s powerful military establishment, which have been at odds since his removal from office in 2022. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Bridget Phillipson says politicians have helped fuel hatred and that police are not taking violence against women and girls seriously enoughUK politics live – latest updatesRacism and sexism have become normalised in Britain, the equalities minister has said, as she warned that young men were being sucked into violent misogyny by the “cesspit” of social media.Bridget Phillipson said she was increasingly worried about how commonplace misogyny and racism had become, fuelled by online interactions and statements by politicians she said would not have been acceptable a few years ago. Continue reading...

Eleni Petinos tells inquiry her sacking as a minister in Dominic Perrottet’s government was potentially motivated by her reluctance to get rid of the building commissionerGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe former New South Wales fair trading minister Eleni Petinos has given evidence at a corruption inquiry that she may have been used by fellow Liberals to try to get rid of the building commissioner David Chandler, recounting numerous attempts in 2022 to persuade her he was “dodgy” and should be sacked.She has also told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) inquiry that her subsequent sacking as a minister in the Dominic Perrottet government in July 2022 – allegedly for bullying staff – was unfair and potentially motivated by her reluctance to sack the building commissioner. Continue reading...

• Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Japanese Defence Minister have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation. • The agreement focuses on enhancing strategic partnerships and security collaboration between India and Japan. • This move is significant as it reinforces the geopolitical alignment of both nations in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure stability and security.

Rightwing populist’s inconsistent positions on Europe and Russia suggest he is testing how far he can push partners and electorateOne evening nine years ago in the Bulgarian town of Balgari, a Brazilian tourist approached the casually dressed, middle-aged man surrounded by bodyguards, bystanders and photographers. “Why are you important?” she asked. “I’m not so important,” he replied. She repeated the question and he admitted: “I’m the president.”Now, in 2026, the rightwing populist Rumen Radev is no longer the president, but the prime minister – the more powerful of the two positions – after his Progressive Bulgaria party secured an overwhelming majority in April’s election. While many in Europe breathed a sigh of relief that month at the demise of Viktor Orbán in Hungary, others wondered if Radev would become the EU’s next disruptor-in-chief. Continue reading...

More than 40 charities write to Pat McFadden and review head Alan Milburn over fears of stricter eligibility rulesMore than 40 of the UK’s leading charities have warned ministers against imposing tougher benefit sanctions or cuts on disabled young people, as the government considers how to encourage more young people into work.The charities raised concerns that an imminent review of young people and work by Alan Milburn could bring in stricter eligibility rules for keeping disability benefits – or remove them altogether – as part of a wider plan to boost flagging youth job rates. Continue reading...

Mykhailo Fedorov’s appeal is most direct challenge to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russian invasion in 2022Ukraine’s recently dismissed former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for a wartime presidential election in the most direct political challenge to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.The politician, whose abrupt sacking last month triggered a wave of protests, said that Ukraine had to “restore a full democratic process even amid a prolonged war” in a video address released online late on Tuesday evening. Continue reading...

Government assessment warns of supply shock that could leave homes and businesses without gas within a decadeGreat Britain risks running out of gas in the 2030s despite its growing clean energy sources, unless ministers take “unprecedented” action to guard against a future gas supply shock, according to an official assessment of the country’s gas security.The government is considering plans to provide direct financial support to safeguard the country’s ageing gas infrastructure after a consultation found that a “high stress scenario” could mean homes and businesses run out of gas within the next decade. Continue reading...

Discussions to focus on Australia’s acquisition of Mogami-class frigates as Japan plays down Albanese’s podcast commentsJapan’s defence minister will visit Canberra this week, the highest level engagement with Australia after controversy over Anthony Albanese’s comments about a gift of melons from prime minister Sanae Takaichi.The defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, will meet his counterpart and deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, on Tuesday, with discussions focused on Australia’s acquisition of Japan’s Mogami-class frigates and enhanced security cooperation. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese facing criticism after appearing to joke on a podcast about a gift of melons from Sanae TakaichiAustralian prime minister Anthony Albanese has rejected calls to apologise to Japan’s prime minister over a joke he made about melons on a satirical podcast, amid a media frenzy and accusations of sexual innuendo.Government MPs have defended the prime minister as criticism mounted over last month’s remarks, branded by the Coalition opposition as “grubby”. Assistant minister Pat Gorman told media: “I don’t know why we’re still talking about this”. Continue reading...

• The Modi government has agreed to a comprehensive parliamentary debate regarding the police action taken against student protesters on July 20. • Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to deliver the government's official response during the proceedings to address the controversy. • This agreement ends weeks of legislative deadlock in Parliament, allowing for a formal discussion on the crackdown.

Intervention follows days of delays and a near-miss between two planes on the Sydney aiport tarmac. Follow today’s news liveGood morning, and happy Monday. Here’s what’s on deck:Catherine King, the federal minister for transport, said she has asked Air Services Australia to come and talk to her today about a “pathway forward” after two aircraft were involved in a near-miss at Sydney airport on Sunday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Hamish Falconer wants ‘sense of renewed pace’ in post-Brexit talks while staying within Labour’s red linesThe UK will move faster and be more ambitious on achieving closer ties with Europe under Andy Burnham’s government, his new chief post-Brexit negotiator has said..Hamish Falconer, the new cabinet minister in charge of the EU reset talks, said there was “room to be ambitious” within Labour’s red lines on Europe, which exclude reopening discussions on the single market and customs union, and he would look at the “art of the possible”. Continue reading...

• Bangladesh's home minister has accused India of "playing the Hasina card," claiming India is leveraging its relationship with ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. • The tension arises amid political discussions regarding Hasina's planned return to Bangladesh in December of this year. • The home minister asserted that India cannot simultaneously maintain friendly relations with the Bangladeshi people while supporting Hasina's interests.

• Right-wing political groups, including Patriots for Europe, have criticized Spanish ministers for skipping a European Union meeting regarding the migration crisis in Ceuta. • Opponents argued that the absence sends a poor signal to Europe, despite the migrants being primarily Spanish-speaking individuals from Latin America. • An ally of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended the move, asserting that Spanish government ministers are not accountable to the European Parliament.

Exclusive: Rukhsar Ahmed was re-elected as an MP in Pakistan last week despite being on police bail in the UKA former Pakistani state minister has been arrested on suspicion of raping vulnerable young girls in Manchester in the 1990s, the Guardian can reveal.Rukhsar Ahmed, who was re-elected as an MP in Pakistan last week after five years out of office, is on police bail in the UK after his arrest in July 2024 on suspicion of rape and trafficking children in care as part of a grooming gang. Continue reading...

Jake Richard acknowledges ‘unimaginable pain’ of Harper’s family but says government faces an ‘unenviable position’Good morning and welcome to the UK politics blog.Ministers continue to defend the release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers as part of the government’s early prisoner release scheme, despite a potential legal challenge from the Police Federation.Well, look, we understand that people are angry. The Harper family are, of course, angry. The police are angry too.We’re angry that we’re in this situation where we face the unenviable position of having to make sure that we have a sustainable prison system, which is so vital to a functioning law and order system in our country, but also that we do right by victims as far as possible.Because without a functioning prison system, it means it’s difficult for police to make arrests, it’s difficult for our courts to try cases, and it could mean to the collapse of law and order in this country.We cannot be in that situation, so that is the challenge that we face as government ministers and the prime minister faces ultimately.I feel sick to my stomach, if I’m really honest with you. I’ve had a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach the past couple of weeks with this, and it doesn’t go away.And arguably, I would say that many of my members across Thames Valley also have this gut wrenching feeling, even at the prospect of these two killers being released in the space of weeks, potentially.Ministers will scrap the requirement for companies to prove their green and progressive values before they are awarded government contracts, and instead ask firms to prove they will help young people back into work.Women should not feel pressurised into experiencing an “ideal birth”, the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, promising a root-and-branch reform of standards after several damning maternity scandals.An official investigation has been launched into charities in England and Wales donating funds to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.Andy Burnham has inherited a Labour membership that is sceptical about increased welfare spending, supportive of higher defence spending, and ranks the climate crisis as one of the country’s biggest challenges, according to new polling.BP’s chief executive has urged Andy Burnham to make use of the UK’s oil and gas resources even as the oil company prepares to sell its North Sea business after 60 years in the ageing basin.The Conservative party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has defended the selection of a former neo-Nazi activist as a candidate for a local election in Somerset despite him being jailed in 2016 after he was convicted of racially aggravated harassment of the former Labour MP Luciana Berger.Pupils in Scotland’s schools received their exam results this morning, with exam pass rates at all levels having risen this year, including a record number of National 5 passes. Continue reading...

• EU ministers have expressed solidarity with Spain following a migration crisis in Ceuta, shifting from a stance of public blame to a collaborative effort to prevent future occurrences. • The move marks a significant reversal after EU leaders previously criticized Madrid's migration policies, warning that the instability could spread across the continent. • The crisis had previously escalated to the point where Italy suspended its air and sea links with Spain as a precautionary measure.

• European ministers have agreed to implement new measures to combat online misinformation following a crisis in Ceuta. • To improve shared situational awareness, member states plan to develop early-warning systems, including social media monitoring and pre-frontier intelligence. • EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, called for increased international cooperation to dismantle powerful smuggling networks.

• EU interior ministers held an emergency meeting to support Spain and ease diplomatic tensions following a crisis involving Morocco. • The gathering was prompted by a broad Europe-wide backlash against the migration policies implemented by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. • Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner emphasized that the meeting's primary goal was to stabilize the situation and provide collective backing to Spain.

• EU interior ministers will hold a decisive face-to-face video conference tomorrow to address the escalating crisis in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. • The meeting will focus on the role of Frontex, cooperation with Morocco, and the overall management of the European Union's external borders. • The crisis occurs amid a broader trend of temporary border controls already implemented by nations including Germany, France, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Norway.

• EU ministers are meeting to discuss migration strategies and border security following a crisis in Ceuta, with Spain seeking greater solidarity from member states. • Twenty-two national leaders, led by Italy and Denmark, have called for stricter external border controls to prevent "pull factors" that encourage illegal migration. • This tension centers on Spain's controversial plan to grant legal status to over 1 million undocumented migrants, which other EU nations fear will incentivize further arrivals.

Prime minister Sanae Takaichi visited Kumamoto prefecture almost a week after a magnitude 7.1 quake hit, killing 38 peopleJapan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has visited the south-western prefecture of Kumamoto, where recovery efforts are being hampered by heat and a lack of water supplies, almost a week after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake killed dozens and caused widespread damage.Thirty-eight people died during the quake, including one person who died of apparent heatstroke while taking shelter in a car in hot weather, officials said on Monday. Continue reading...