Polls

• A South Korean court has sentenced ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol to two years in prison for his involvement in a polling scandal. • The court found that Yoon illegally received manipulated opinion polls for free from a political broker to potentially aid his political standing. • This ruling highlights the legal consequences for electoral manipulation and the misuse of political influence within the South Korean government.

• Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been sentenced to two years in prison for accepting 14 free opinion polls in exchange for political support. • The Seoul court found that Yoon colluded with his wife, Kim Keon Hee, to receive these polls from power broker Myung Tae-kyun to support a specific candidate. • This conviction adds to the legal challenges facing Yoon, who already faces a life sentence on insurrection charges related to his 2024 martial law declaration.

• A South Korean court sentenced ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol to two years in prison on Monday for illegally receiving manipulated opinion polls. • The court found that Yoon received these polls for free from a political broker in exchange for political favors to help secure his party's 2022 presidential nomination. • This ruling highlights the legal consequences of electoral manipulation and the misuse of political influence during the 2022 campaign cycle.

• Barisan Nasional (BN) achieved a sweeping victory in the Johor state elections, strengthening its influence within Malaysia’s unity government. • The results highlighted vulnerabilities in Pakatan Harapan’s traditional support base and served as a "sobering reality check" for smaller political parties. • Youth-based party MUDA lost its sole state seat in Puteri Wangsa, while the debutant Parti Bersama Malaysia lost its deposits in all 15 contested seats.

• The Democratic Action Party (DAP) in Johor has announced it will conduct a comprehensive review of its losses following the 16th state election. • The party's internal assessment will specifically focus on defeats in key constituencies, including Jementah and Tangkak. • This review is critical for the party to understand the factors leading to its electoral setbacks and to refine its future political strategies.

• Barisan Nasional (BN) achieved a significant victory in the Johor state polls, while Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition struggled, winning only six seats. • The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) secured eight seats, successfully capturing former DAP strongholds including Tangkak, Johor Jaya, and Jementah. • The results serve as a personal blow to PM Anwar and highlight a shift in voter sentiment that favors BN over PH in the region.

• Barisan Nasional (BN) secured a two-thirds majority in the 16th Johor state election, winning 48 out of 56 available seats. • The remaining seats were won by Pakatan Harapan (PH), while the Prime Minister urged PH candidates to continue serving the public despite the result. • The victory is significant as the Prime Minister reaffirmed the federal government's commitment to strengthening Johor's development agenda and the well-being of its residents.

• The Madras High Court has issued an interim order halting byelections in five Tamil Nadu Assembly constituencies. • The decision was made by Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan following a public interest litigation filed by K. Venkatachalapathy. • The petitioner argued that holding bypolls before resolving existing election petitions could create a legal anomaly where two different individuals might be recognized as representatives.

• Barisan Nasional (BN) dominated the Johor polls, winning 48 of the 56 contested seats. • Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition saw a decline in influence, poised to win only eight seats compared to the 12 they secured in 2022. • BN leader Zahid Hamidi claimed the victory signals a "blue wave" return, asserting that the coalition remains a relevant and strong choice for the people.

• Early indicators suggest that voter turnout for the Johor state polls may exceed the levels seen during the 2022 general elections. • The increase in participation is expected to significantly influence the outcome for the various contending political parties in Malaysia. • Higher turnout often reflects shifting voter sentiment and could challenge the current political landscape within the state.

• Union Minister Chirag Paswan announced that his party, LJP (Ram Vilas), will contest the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. • The party's state unit will be responsible for determining specific alliances and seat-sharing arrangements as part of a broader national expansion strategy. • To mark the occasion, the party will celebrate the birth anniversary of Ram Vilas Paswan in Lucknow.

• Union Minister Chirag Paswan announced that the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. • The party's state unit has been tasked with determining potential alliances and the specific details of seat-sharing arrangements. • This move signals the LJP's intent to expand its political footprint beyond its traditional strongholds into one of India's most critical electoral states.

• Chirag Paswan announced that the LJP (Ram Vilas) will host the birth anniversary of Ram Vilas Paswan in Lucknow to increase the party's visibility in Uttar Pradesh. • The party is actively seeking to expand its national footprint and has expressed a strong interest in contesting the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. • This move signals the LJP's ambition to grow beyond its traditional strongholds and strengthen the overall NDA alliance within the state.

• Union Minister Chirag Paswan announced on Sunday that the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) intends to contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. • Paswan clarified that the final decision and approval for the party's participation will be determined by the LJP (Ram Vilas) central parliamentary board. • This move signals the party's ambition to expand its political footprint beyond its traditional strongholds and influence the electoral landscape in India's most populous state.

• Imran Khan's PTI party has announced a boycott of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) Assembly elections scheduled for July 27. • The decision follows ongoing JAAC-led protests and a prolonged sit-in in Rawalakot, where demonstrators are rejecting Islamabad's control. • PTI stated the boycott is a show of solidarity with Kashmiris and a demand for a more independent, just, and peaceful political environment.

Melissa McIntosh’s comment comes after Angus Taylor’s claim Morrison government ‘breached trust’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh has said the party might need a “rebrand” to win back voters who continue to desert the opposition, with the Coalition hitting a new historic polling low.Her comments came after the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, claimed the Morrison government – of which he was a senior minister – had “breached trust” with the electorate during the Covid pandemic by supporting “big government”. Continue reading...

• The Sahakar Panel, backed by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, won 16 out of 21 director posts in the Thane-Palghar District Central Cooperative (DCC) Bank elections. • The opposing Parivartan Panel, which received support from Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan and former Union minister Kapil Patil, secured only five seats. • This result represents a significant political victory for Shinde, as the election evolved into a high-stakes prestige battle between rival factions.

Election will determine balance of power in New Caledonia before fresh negotiations with France on the territory’s statusPolls opened in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia on Sunday for the archipelago’s first provincial elections since 2019, after the vote was delayed as talks stalled over its political future.The election, initially planned for 2024, will determine the balance of power in New Caledonia ahead of fresh negotiations with France on the territory’s status, with independence remaining the defining political issue. Continue reading...

Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor predicted to beat Reform but Keir Starmer is unlikely to easily step asideMakerfield byelection – latest updatesPolls have closed in Makerfield, Aberdeen South, and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, with the result in the north-west of England constituency byelection poised to decide the future of UK politics.The population of Makerfield, a constituency sitting just outside Wigan, has found itself at the centre of the British political world in recent weeks after Andy Burnham quit as mayor of Greater Manchester to contest the seat that he hoped would lead him not only to Westminster, but to the front door of 10 Downing Street. Continue reading...

Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor hopes a win over Reform UK will help force the prime minister to step asideGood evening, and welcome to the Guardian’s Makerfield byelection live blog. The polls have just closed and we may have to wait until around dawn (quite early in the summer, of course) until we get a result. But, as the votes are counted, it should become clear well before then who is going to win. Andy Burnham, the Labour former cabinet minister, current mayor of Greater Manchester, and potential future prime minister, is widely expected to be the new MP, but at this point no one knows for sure.Here is our latest story about what has been happening today, and what may unfold in the hours to come.At the time of going to print, Op Makerfield is not a totally done deal. Two of Burnham’s top team parrot the same line: ‘It’s closer than you think.’ But those advising the Manchester mayor think the scale of any win will determine the speed of events. ‘If he wins by low single digits, Keir Starmer digs in and says: “You can’t come for me until after the Manchester mayoral election on 30 July,” and it’s bloody trench warfare,’ one says. ‘If it’s a comfortable, single-digits win, the soft left will try to take power through a conversation, but they will probably discover that power has to be taken by force. If Andy gets more than Reform plus Restore combined, start the clock. There will be an avalanche.’ Continue reading...

Andy Burnham hopes a successful byelection will mean he can encourage Keir Starmer to step aside as prime ministerReform UK’s candidate Robert Kenyon has visited St Aidan’s Parish Centre in Wigan, accompanied by party leader Nigel Farage, to cast his vote in today’s byelection.Kenyon was pictured wearing a replica England shirt (looks like Italia 90 to me, most closely associated with Gazza blubbing at the end of a hard-fought contest…), following last night’s World Cup win for Thomas Tuchel’s men. Continue reading...

• Voters in four U.S. states are heading to the polls today to participate in primary elections. • A new report indicates that global conflicts have reached their highest levels since the end of World War II. • These simultaneous events highlight a period of significant domestic political activity coupled with extreme international instability.

All eyes on US Senate race as Graham Platner, embroiled in controversy, is set to advance as Democratic nomineeVoters in Maine head to the polls on Tuesday for one of the most closely watched primary elections in the country. The US Senate race has become a national fixation as Democrats try to unseat a longtime Republican with a political newcomer who has spent months under fire.Graham Platner, 41, is set to advance as the Democratic nominee for the Senate, after his primary rival – the state’s two-term governor, Janet Mills – suspended her campaign in April. The primary result will likely set up a months-long run-up between Platner, an oysterman and marine veteran with a groundswell of popularity and a mounting list of scandals, and Susan Collins, a 73-year-old Republican senator who has held the seat for nearly three decades. Continue reading...

Relationship between Vladimir Putin and traditional ally has slowly unravelled under current PM Nikol PashinyanThe bottling line at the Abovyan cognac factory in Armenia is running at full tilt.Women in white coats and hairnets work the conveyor with practised speed – labelling, stacking, loading pallets – racing to fill a truck. Continue reading...

• Exit polls from Wednesday's mayoral and local elections in South Korea suggest a landslide victory for the ruling liberal party. • The projected win would provide President Lee Jae Myung with a significantly stronger political mandate to push forward his legislative and policy agenda. • These results are critical as they reflect public support for the current administration's direction and its ability to govern effectively.

• South Korean citizens began casting their ballots early Wednesday morning in critical nationwide local elections. • The elections serve as the first major referendum on the progressive administration of President Lee Jae Myung. • International and regional experts are closely monitoring the results to gauge public support for the current government's policies.

• South Korea began nationwide local elections at 6 a.m. on Wednesday to determine local leadership for the next four years. • The voting process involves citizens across the country casting ballots to select representatives for various regional and municipal offices. • These elections are critical as they shape the administrative direction and governance of local districts for the upcoming term.

Other races also taking place in state as well as primaries in New Jersey, South Dakota, New Mexico, Iowa and MontanaSign up to the Breaking News US emailHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Californians go to the polls today in the first round of voting for a new governor, with a tight three-way race for two run-off spots.Democrats in the US Senate vowed to force Republicans to vote on a $1.8bn “Maga slush fund” established as part of a resolution of Donald Trump’s long-shot lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. The US president has described the secretive and loosely controlled “anti-weaponization fund” as a means of paying the victims of politicized prosecutions.Tina Peters, the former clerk convicted of participating in a scheme to chase election conspiracy theories promulgated by Donald Trump, was released from prison on Monday after the president successfully pressured Colorado’s Democratic governor into commuting her sentence.On Monday afternoon, over an hour south of Newark, a few dozen protesters outside the New Jersey state legislature in Trenton condemned Democratic governor Mikie Sherrill’s decision to send in the state police to Delaney Hall, the Newark immigration detention center that has seen more than a week of chaotic and often violent clashes.Transgender troops can remain in the US military, but the armed services can continue to block their enlistment, an appeals court ruled on Monday in a split decision with potentially significant consequences for the Trump administration’s anti-diversity agenda. Continue reading...