Reforms

Paul Nowak says changes to immigration rules risk overstretching social care and fuelling far-right sentimentAndy Burnham must overhaul Shabana Mahmood’s migration reforms or risk overstretching social care and fuelling far-right sentiment, the TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak, has warned.Speaking ahead of the TUC’s annual congress in Brighton next week, Nowak welcomed the “sense of optimism” around Burnham’s fledgling government, but he urged the PM to act in a series of areas, including migration and the cost of living. Continue reading...

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is continuing to push unpopular economic reforms following a landslide regional election victory by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. • Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev described the result as a historic win that will put migration under control and restore common sense to Europe. • The AfD victory creates a high probability of the first far-right state government in Germany, signaling a shift in the political landscape of Europe's largest economy.

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reaffirmed his commitment to unpopular economic reforms on Monday following a landslide regional election victory by a far-right party. • The winning party is now positioned to potentially form the first far-right state government in Germany since the Nazi era. • This political shift puts pressure on the leadership of Europe's largest economy to balance necessary fiscal changes with rising right-wing sentiment.

• The South Korean government has abandoned proposed eligibility reforms for the basic pension, opting for a compromise that avoids tightening requirements before upcoming elections. • The Ministry of Health and Welfare had previously considered replacing the "70 percent rule" with a median-income threshold to reduce eligibility to 80 percent by 2030. • This reversal followed the abrupt cancellation of a scheduled briefing by Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong on August 27.

• President Trump and HHS Secretary Kennedy have implemented sweeping health policy reforms over the last 555 days to combat the chronic disease epidemic and revitalize public health. • Key achievements include securing pledges from insurers, medical societies, and providers to improve national behavioral health quality and best practices. • The FDA has announced a strategic plan to phase out animal testing requirements for monoclonal antibodies and various other drugs.

Jenny Ware, member of inquiry that recommended wagering advertising ban, says ‘public health crisis’ demands stronger response from major partiesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe former Liberal MP Jenny Ware has condemned her one-time Coalition colleagues for backing Labor’s gambling legislation, claiming “vulnerable Australians have been let down”, as the parliament failed to back a full ban on wagering ads.Ware, a member of the Peta Murphy-led inquiry in 2023 that recommended entirely ending wagering advertising and inducements, called gambling a public health crisis that demanded a much stronger response from both sides of politics. Continue reading...

Bill passed Senate on Wednesday evening and is due back in lower house today. Follow today’s news liveFollow our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Krishani Dhanji with the main action.The government’s controversial NDIS bill will pass the lower house today after it went through the Senate last night. The health minister, Mark Butler, said 63 government amendments across both houses were introduced to win the Coalition’s support for the government’s changes, aimed at reining in spending. Continue reading...

• A widely circulated report falsely claimed that a new Pope, Leo XIV (formerly Robert Francis Prevost), took a political stance against Republican hostility in the U.S. Congress. • The misinformation suggested that the Chicago-born figure attempted to counter political tensions by extending a warm personal welcome to the United States. • This event highlights the spread of fabricated political narratives and the potential for misinformation to mimic significant non-electoral political moves.

Labor looks to negotiate with the Coalition to get several pieces of legislation through parliament. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGovernment listening to ‘money and power’ on gambling says independent MPKate Chaney, who was on the inquiry with the late Labor MP Peta Murphy that handed down the landmark ‘you win some, you lose more’ report on gambling harm, says so far it seems the talks between the Coalition and Labor on a gambling reform package are “disappointing”.In 2017, when the last round of partial restrictions came in, the money just moved around. And for example, gambling ads after 8:30 more than doubled, increased 131%. And I suspect that that’s what we’re going to see here too: is the money moving around.I think it is about the government listening to the money and the power, not the people. The gambling companies make big political donations. They are present lobbyists in this building. We’re hearing their talking points coming out of the Prime Minister’s mouth. And the media companies and the sports codes make a lot of money out of gambling too. Unfortunately, Australians pay the cost for that. And the average Australian household loses more in gambling than they pay for in electricity. So this is our blind spot.I think that that whole interview was pretty cringe. Let’s face it, the Prime Minister didn’t really cover himself with glory with that And it’s disturbing to hear that the the Japanese government has expressed some concerns about it.We’re talking about a a really special gift that the Japanese state has given to the country. And if I was the PM, I’d pick up the phone to the Japanese Prime Minister and apologise to her on on this one.When the the Prime Minister’s crude and dirty podcast banter is formally raised by the Japanese government. Anthony Albanese just has an embarrassed himself. He’s embarrassed Australia. This is now a a diplomatic incident because of the the appalling behaviour of the Prime Minister. Continue reading...

• The Indian government has shifted its disinvestment strategy, moving away from large-scale strategic sales toward "unobtrusive" minority stake sales. • This "creeping disinvestment" approach focuses on small-ticket sales to reduce government holdings without relinquishing control of key assets. • The shift matters because it allows the Centre to raise capital and improve efficiency while avoiding the political and administrative hurdles associated with "big-bang" privatizations.

• The Philippines has implemented new legislative and regulatory reforms designed to strengthen its investment framework and encourage more mergers and acquisitions (M&A). • These initiatives aim to make the country more attractive to foreign investors by reducing barriers and streamlining legal processes. • This shift is significant as it positions the Philippines to compete more effectively for global capital and industrial growth in the region.

Handful of tollroads to get one-off price cuts but WestConnex toll to keep rising at least 4% a yearGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe cost of using Sydney’s biggest toll road will continue to rise at least 4% a year after the multinational private operator was accused of blocking the state government’s push for sweeping reforms.Only a handful of Sydney’s motorways will receive one-off toll cuts under a deal announced by the state Labor government on Monday, as the tolling bill footed by taxpayers surpasses $1bn. Continue reading...

• Indonesia's initial public offering (IPO) market is experiencing a slowdown as the government implements a market overhaul to restore investor confidence. • The decline is driven by tougher listing requirements and quality reforms that are deterring potential companies from going public. • This trend occurs amidst broader policy uncertainty that is rattling investors within ASEAN's largest economy.

Prime minister invites Badenoch and Davey – but not Farage – to discuss how to fix decades-old funding crisisAndy Burnham has promised “problem-solving, not point-scoring” before a speech on social care in which he will set out his strategy for resolving one of the most intractable issues in British politics.The prime minister has invited Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, and Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, to discuss how to enact urgent reform on social care, as he attempts to find common ground across party lines. It is understood that both will be represented. Continue reading...

• Sonam Wangchuk praised Gen Z and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) for achieving a "democratic victory" after the government accepted key demands, leading to the end of protests at Jantar Mantar. • The movement saw a significant outcome today as Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister. • Wangchuk emphasized that a nation is not built by resignation alone, calling for sweeping reforms in governance and the education system.

• India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, P. Harish, urged the UN Security Council to clearly distinguish between armed aggression and territorial disputes to better maintain international peace. • India called for reforms to the UN Charter, specifically arguing that Chapter VI interventions lack "perpetual validity" and require periodic reviews to align with current geopolitical realities. • The move highlights India's frustration with global inaction and the perceived stagnation of the UN's conflict resolution mechanisms.

DWP brought in measures to tackle carer’s allowance scandal yet in 2025-26 there were 32,559 overpaymentsScores of unpaid carers were hit with demands to repay sums of more than £20,000 and hundreds more put at risk of prosecution last year as a result of official failures in what appear to be continuing problems with carer’s allowance.New figures showed carers were asked to repay £33m in 2025-26 as a result of 32,559 overpayments, despite the introduction of measures over a year ago designed specifically to prevent carers falling foul of the system. Continue reading...

• President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr is implementing a series of business-friendly reforms to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and compete with regional rivals like Vietnam and Malaysia. • Key initiatives include new laws regarding taxation and governance, extended land leasing options, and ambitious infrastructure upgrades to the nation's power grid, ports, and railways. • These efforts aim to capitalize on the global shift of supply chains as companies move operations away from China due to ongoing trade tensions and tariffs with Washington.

• Hungary's opposition party, Fidesz, has petitioned the Constitutional Court to review four major laws recently passed by Prime Minister Péter Magyar's Tisza government. • Fidesz argues that these reforms violate the nation's Fundamental Law and represent an attempt by Magyar to establish an "autocratic rule." • Party representative Tuzson accused the government of taking coercive measures that undermine the rule of law and threaten Hungary's constitutional order.

• Sonam Wangchuk is a prominent activist focusing on climate change, environmental conservation, education reform, and democratic rights. • He initially supported the 2019 decision by the Centre to revoke Article 370 and establish Ladakh as a separate Union Territory. • Wangchuk believed that direct governance from Delhi would accelerate regional development and improve administrative efficiency for the people of Ladakh.

• The European Commission released a new report praising the Hungarian government for making significant progress on sweeping rule of law reforms. • Despite the progress, the EU warned that the election process for the prosecutor general and the prosecution service's structure still risk "undue political interference." • While the report rated Hungary's justice system as efficient, it noted a lack of structured measures regarding the ongoing salary increases for judges and prosecutors.

• The European Commission is urging Spain and Hungary to implement stronger anti-corruption reforms to improve judicial and transparency safeguards. • According to an annual Rule of Law report seen by POLITICO, Spain has made only limited progress in updating asset declaration requirements and conflict-of-interest rules for senior officials. • These measures are critical for ensuring the integrity of public administration and upholding the EU's legal standards across member states.

Internal estimates show 144,600 people will be taken off the scheme by 2030, many of them under 18Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlmost 145,000 Australians receiving support for autism on the national disability insurance scheme (NDIS) are expected to be removed by the end of the decade, internal estimates show, as the federal government moves ahead with plans to narrow the focus of the “diluted” $52bn scheme toward those with significant and complex needs.From 2028, almost two-thirds of the 241,000 participants set to lose access to the NDIS will be aged 18 or under, health department documents released to Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws show. Continue reading...

• Leaders from the Congressional Hispanic, Progressive, Black, and Asian Pacific American Caucuses introduced a House resolution on Wednesday calling for urgent democratic reforms. • The resolution seeks to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act of 1965 following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais. • Key proposals include eliminating the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the Senate and implementing structural changes to the Supreme Court to protect voting rights.

• Myanmar is launching a strategic tourism recovery plan targeting visitors from China, Thailand, India, Japan, and South Korea to stimulate economic growth. • The strategy focuses on promoting spiritual tourism circuits, including the ancient temples of Bagan, Yangon's heritage sites, and Inle Lake. • To achieve an ambitious goal of 1.8 million visitors by 2026, the government is implementing visa reforms and improving regional connectivity.

• Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh announced that India is entering a new phase of governance focused on integrating AI, cybersecurity, and digital public infrastructure. • The initiative builds on a decade of administrative reforms, which included the removal of nearly 2,000 obsolete rules to streamline government operations. • Key drivers of this digital transformation include the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Aadhaar-enabled services, Direct Benefit Transfer, and over 56 crore Jan Dhan accounts.

Exclusive: Demands include ban on cryptocurrency donations after controversies over Nigel Farage fundingUK politics live – latest updatesLabour MPs are to rebel next week over the government’s reforms to political funding, pushing ministers to introduce tougher measures including a ban on cryptocurrency donations and much lower spending limits.MPs on the all-party, anti-corruption group are canvassing support for four amendments to the representation of the people bill that would significantly tighten the government’s plans. Continue reading...

Ministers also considering licence requirement and regulator to try to cut bills and increase choice UK vets may have to have a licence and cap prescriptions for pet medicine at £21 under plans being considered by the government.Ministers are also considering establishing a regulator for the veterinary sector, including inspections, a mandatory licensing system and published compliance reports to improve accountability and choice. Every vet practice could need an official operating licence – similar to GP surgeries and care homes – under proposals in a white paper. Continue reading...