Parties

One Nation MP says failed WA candidate’s comments describing same-sex attraction as a mental illness are ‘highly offensive’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBarnaby Joyce has defended One Nation as “one of the gayest parties in Australia” after comments surfaced from one of its failed candidate describing same-sex attraction as a mental illness.The former National turned One Nation MP was asked to respond to a series of homophobic comments made by a former Western Australian legislative council candidate for One Nation in a video last month, as first reported by ABC on Wednesday afternoon. Continue reading...

• Israel has officially announced that national elections will be held on October 27, 2026. • The upcoming race will feature a variety of political parties and candidates competing in one of the world's most dynamic electoral systems. • The election is significant as it will determine the future leadership and policy direction of the country amidst ongoing regional and internal challenges.

• Political parties in Negeri Sembilan have intensified their campaign efforts in the final hours leading up to the state elections scheduled for tomorrow. • The surge in activity specifically targets undecided voters and aims to maximize voter turnout across the state. • These final maneuvers are critical as parties vie for a decisive majority in a highly competitive electoral environment.

• Politicians from both major parties are accused of ignoring the actual concerns of voters to chase viral social media trends. • The author argues that the press exacerbates this issue by exporting social media panic into real-world political discourse. • Polls indicate a significant majority of Americans, including both Republicans and Democrats, support the implementation of voter identification laws.

• The Lok Sabha is scheduled to discuss and process an anti-paper leak Bill during the 2026 Monsoon Session, following a consensus among all political parties. • In the Rajya Sabha, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva submitted a Suspension of Business Notice under rule 267 to demand the abolition of the NEET exam. • The demand for NEET's removal stems from concerns over student suicides, the destruction of careers, and the systemic disadvantage faced by rural poor students.

• The Premier League will host 20 opening weekend watch parties across 16 U.S. cities and Toronto, Canada, to engage North American fans. • These events are strategically timed to coincide with Ed Sheeran's tour, leveraging high-profile entertainment to attract larger crowds. • The initiative follows record-breaking viewership in the U.S., highlighted by the men's national team's opening World Cup match against Paraguay which drew 27.5 million viewers.

• Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has urged all political parties to refrain from spreading slander and false claims during the Negeri Sembilan state election campaign. • The call emphasizes the need for a clean and fair electoral process, discouraging the use of misinformation to influence voters. • This move matters as it aims to maintain political stability and prevent social polarization during a critical regional voting period.

• Opposition politicians, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, shut down proceedings in the Indian parliament on Wednesday to protest police violence and education scandals. • Protesters gathered outside the Delhi parliament building dressed in black and waving placards demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. • The demonstration, linked to the "cockroach" protests, highlights growing tensions between the Modi government and opposition parties over governance and human rights.

• The Supreme Court recently issued a ruling lifting restrictions on the amount of money political parties can spend in coordination with individual candidates. • Harvard Law Professor Nicholas Stephanopoulos suggests the ruling is unlikely to cause systemic changes but may allow wealthy donors to bypass existing individual giving limits. • This decision follows a trend of loosening campaign finance regulations, including the landmark 2010 Citizens United case which removed donation limits for corporations and unions.

• The U.S. Supreme Court struck down long-standing limits on the amount of money political parties can spend in coordination with their candidates in a case originating from Ohio. • These spending restrictions had been in place since the 1970s, having been originally established to combat corruption within the Nixon administration. • The ruling follows a broader legal trend, including the Citizens United decision, which prioritizes free speech by removing campaign finance restrictions.

• An Ohio court case has eliminated previous limits on coordinated spending between political parties and candidates. • The ruling follows a decision by the Trump administration to stop defending these coordination limits in court. • The Federal Elections Commission (FEC), the executive branch agency responsible for enforcing campaign rules, is now tasked with managing the fallout.

• Nearly 100 Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillors resigned from municipal bodies across West Bengal within weeks of the state assembly election results. • This mass exodus is described as a distinct and unprecedented decline for the ruling party, differing from the historical patterns of previous political shifts in the state. • The trend signals a potential crisis in leadership and stability for the TMC as it faces internal fragmentation and loss of local governance control.

• The Supreme Court ruled that national political parties are permitted to spend unlimited funds in direct coordination with their candidates. • This decision is expected to have a significant impact on the Texas U.S. Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. • The ruling matters because it removes previous spending caps on coordinated expenditures, potentially flooding the race with national party resources.

• U.N. experts report that all parties involved in the conflict in eastern Congo are currently violating established peace terms. • The report highlights that these factions are committing widespread abuses, exacerbating a region already plagued by instability. • The U.N. has characterized the situation as one of the most protracted, complex, and serious humanitarian crises on Earth.

• The Supreme Court ruled in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission that Congress cannot cap the amount political parties spend in coordination with their candidates. • The decision centers on the First Amendment right to free speech, mirroring the legal reasoning used in the landmark Citizens United case. • This ruling is significant because it eliminates coordinated spending caps, potentially shifting the bulk of political funding away from super PACs and directly toward party committees.

• A parliamentary inquiry has warned that Australian democracy is "under assault" from significant third parties ahead of the 2025 federal election. • To combat these threats, the inquiry is recommending the implementation of new laws to strictly police and regulate behavior at polling booths. • The Coalition has rejected these findings, with Liberal senator Jess Collins labeling the inquiry a "hyper-partisan witch-hunt" targeting church members.

• Twenty-three political parties and an Independent MP have submitted a formal letter to Chief Justice Surya Kant regarding the Election Commission of India's (ECI) SIR process. • The communication urges the judiciary to intervene and scrutinize the ECI's actions, citing specific examples of how the SIR process has negatively impacted citizens across various states. • This collective action represents a broad Opposition push to seek judicial oversight when other democratic channels are perceived to have failed.

• Twenty-three opposition parties and one Independent MP have written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna seeking Supreme Court intervention. • The parties are challenging the Election Commission’s (EC) conduct during the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging systemic bias. • This legal move is driven by concerns that biased electoral rolls could have "far-reaching consequences" for the integrity of the country's democratic election process.

Parliamentary inquiry recommends new laws to police behaviour at polling boothsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNew laws are needed to police behaviour at polling booths after Australia’s democracy came “under assault” at last year’s federal election – including from third parties such as Plymouth Brethren Christian Church members and rightwing lobby group Advance – the chair of a parliamentary inquiry has said.The proposed new code of conduct for campaigners was among several recommendations in the interim report from the Labor-led committee reviewing the 2025 ballot, which was tabled on Tuesday afternoon. Continue reading...

• The Supreme Court struck down Watergate-era limits on campaign funds for political parties, ruling that such funding is protected free speech under the First Amendment. • This decision follows a recent conservative court ruling regarding the Voting Rights Act, which allowed Republican-controlled Southern states to redraw congressional districts. • The combined legal victories are expected to provide a significant election-year boost for the GOP, potentially flipping several seats in Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida.

Case stems from 2022 lawsuit challenging Federal Election Commission’s enforcement of limits on ‘coordinated party expenditures’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxOne of the last remaining barriers between wealthy donors sending unlimited funds to federal political candidates fell after the US supreme court struck down a lower court ruling that limited spending by political parties in support of their candidates.The case, National Republican Senatorial Committee v Federal Election Commission, stems from a 2022 lawsuit by JD Vance, Republican former congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, challenging the Federal Election Commission’s enforcement of limits on so-called “coordinated party expenditures”. Continue reading...

• The Communist Party of China (CPC) is emphasizing the role of political parties in the Global South as essential drivers for global governance and modernization. • During discussions, the CPC highlighted its commitment to fostering friendly cooperation with parties in developing nations to promote economic growth and public welfare. • Tamara Duisenova, former Kazakh deputy prime minister, noted that the mission of political parties extends beyond elections to building a social consensus on the future.

• A study by the PopuList Project reveals that over 23% of Europeans voted for far-right parties in their most recent national elections, nearly doubling support over the last decade. • These populist parties are currently integrated into ruling coalitions in Italy, Finland, Czechia, and Croatia, while providing support to Sweden's right-wing minority government. • The trend highlights a significant ideological shift across Europe, with far-right parties leading polls in major nations including Germany, France, the UK, Belgium, and Austria.

Analysis by more than 150 political scientists finds proportion who back such parties has increased nearly fivefold since 1995Almost one in four voters in Europe now cast their ballot for far-right parties, research shows, a proportion that has grown nearly fivefold since the mid-1990s and climbed particularly steeply over the past three years.Analysis by more than 150 political scientists in 31 countries found the proportion of Europeans voting for a far-right party in their country’s most recent national elections had risen to more than 23%, from about 10% a decade ago and roughly 5% in 1995. Continue reading...

• South Korean political parties are preparing to file petitions with election authorities to request a do-over of the June 3 local elections. • The Reform Party has become the first official political organization to formally challenge the election results, following various individual complaints. • These legal challenges aim to contest the legitimacy of the outcome before the filing deadline this coming Wednesday.

• The USA secured a victory over Paraguay in a World Cup match, sparking widespread celebrations and high viewership across the country. • Fans engaged with the event through both private home viewings and large-scale public watch parties to mark the win. • All 104 tournament matches are being broadcast live via FOX and FS1, with streaming and on-demand options available through FOX Sports apps.

Victoria police confirm no formal arrests were made during the protests in South Melbourne on Friday nightGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastProtesters have clashed with Pauline Hanson supporters, with one man given a move on notice outside a Melbourne venue hosting a One Nation fundraiser on Friday.Michael Nelson, who was convicted of offensive behavior and fined last week for disrupting a Melbourne Anzac Day dawn service, was restrained by officers outside the South Melbourne venue. Continue reading...

• Malaysian political parties are increasingly integrating AI tools and chatbots into their campaign strategies to move beyond traditional "ceramah" (political speeches). • These digital technologies are being utilized to analyze complex voter behavior patterns and craft targeted narratives to influence the electorate. • This shift signifies a modernization of political engagement in Malaysia, allowing parties to optimize their outreach through data-driven insights.