Resident

The former Rudd/Gillard government minister has a plan for fighting back against populists including Pauline HansonFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe incoming Labor president, Kate Ellis, says toxicity in politics is spilling into the broader community and public debate, warning that threats against MPs’ safety are limiting how elected politicians do their jobs.Due to succeed Wayne Swan as the leader of Labor’s organisational base at this week’s national conference, the former Rudd/Gillard government minister said fighting back against populists including Pauline Hanson was best achieved by demonstrating policies that improve voters’ lives. Continue reading...

• Arizona is holding primary elections today to determine candidates for governor, secretary of state, and several competitive House battleground districts. • Separately, President Trump is meeting with the Lebanese president to discuss military aid and the ongoing conflict involving Israel. • Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, has criticized the Trump administration for removing senior generals and admirals from the Defense Department since January 2025.

George Foster tells royal commission Australia’s democratic institutions fundamentally different ‘but I can’t ignore certain disturbing parallels in the social atmosphere’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA rise in antisemitism across Australia has “disturbing parallels” with the social climate of Nazi Germany, the president of the Australian Holocaust survivors association says.George Foster, the president of Australian Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants, told the antisemitism royal commission that he did not believe Australia was “becoming another Germany in the 1930s”. Continue reading...

Daniel Ortega, the 80-year-old authoritarian leader, says move will ‘build a wall’ against the oppositionNicaragua’s long-serving president, Daniel Ortega, has said the country will hold no further elections to prevent the opposition from coming to power.The 80-year-old authoritarian leader, who has been in office since 2007, also said he would work with the congress he controls to pass new laws that would “build a wall” against the opposition. Continue reading...

Judit Polgár to discuss role with prime minister, who says Hungary needs someone the whole nation is proud ofHungary’s prime minister, Péter Magyar, has announced plans to ask Judit Polgár, widely considered the greatest female chess player of all time, to take on the largely ceremonial role of president.Magyar said he would meet Polgár on Monday to discuss the matter. “Our country needs unity, peace and a president that all Hungarians can be proud of,” he wrote on social media. “Judit Polgár’s name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades.” Continue reading...

• Hungary's president has signed a law change that officially ends his term in office. • The move is part of a broader effort by current leader Magyar to dismantle the power structures established by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban. • Magyar claims a strong democratic mandate for these changes following a landslide victory over the right-wing leader in the April elections.

• Hungary's president signed a constitutional amendment into law on Saturday that officially ends his term in office. • The move resolves a political dispute between the president and the country's new government, which had been attempting to oust him. • This action is part of a broader effort by the current administration to purge officials appointed during the tenure of former leader Viktor Orban.

• Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has agreed to step down immediately after signing a constitutional amendment that ends his term. • The legislation, backed by Viktor Orbán’s nationalist Fidesz party, cites a "serious loss of confidence" in Sulyok, who was originally elected in early 2024. • Sulyok stated he felt compelled to sign the law to respect legal procedures, though he warned that the move undermines the rule of law in Hungary.

• Hungarian President Sulyok has signed a constitutional amendment that effectively ends his term, resolving a political dispute with the new government. • Sulyok criticized the move in a Facebook video, claiming the forced amendment proves that the rule of law and democratic power-sharing have been "trampled on" for political gain. • His presidency will officially conclude at midnight on Monday, at which point Parliament Speaker Ágnes Forsthoffer will assume his duties.

• Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has agreed to step down from his position after the national parliament backed his removal. • Sulyok, identified as a loyalist to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, faced a deadline of Saturday night to agree to end his term. • The move follows criticisms from figures like Baka, who argue that the Fidesz party has dismantled the rule of law since 2010 to create an authoritarian state.

• Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has agreed to step down from his position after the national parliament backed his removal. • Sulyok, widely regarded as a loyalist to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, confirmed his agreement to the law change following a Saturday night deadline. • Despite agreeing to leave, Sulyok issued a statement accusing the government of violating the rule of law during the process.

Incumbent Carlos Vila Nova hopes to defeat his former party and secure second term as independentVoters in São Tomé and Príncipe go to the polls for a presidential election on Sunday as one of Africa’s least populous countries seeks to burnish its democratic credentials.According to the National Election Commission, about 142,000 people are registered to vote in the tiny African state’s elections, approximately 15% of whom live in the diaspora. Continue reading...

Tamás Sulyok signed the constitutional amendment that cited ‘serious loss of confidence’ in him as leader Hungary’s president Tamás Sulyok has agreed to step down after signing a constitutional amendment passed by prime minister Péter Magyar’s ruling Tisza party.The amendment will end Sulyok’s term immediately, citing society’s “serious loss of confidence” in a leader elected in early 2024 by lawmakers from former prime minister Viktor Orbán’s nationalist Fidesz party. Continue reading...

• President Donald J. Trump delivered a primetime address to release newly declassified documents regarding foreign election interference and alleged "Deep State" suppression. • The released intelligence reports specifically highlight that the Venezuelan government developed capabilities to manipulate electronic voting systems. • This disclosure is framed as a critical step in protecting U.S. democratic integrity and exposing foreign influence operations targeting American elections.

• President Trump delivered a speech using selectively cited documents to claim that U.S. elections have been compromised for years and that officials suppressed evidence. • The President specifically referenced claims regarding Smartmatic, a company frequently targeted by conspiracy theories following his loss in the 2020 election. • The claims suggest that digital methods exist to alter vote totals in ways that would remain undetected by election authorities.

• President Donald Trump delivered a primetime address alleging that China has engaged in a yearslong effort to interfere in United States elections. • Trump claimed the U.S. election system falls "catastrophically short" without proper support and released intelligence documents on the White House website detailing "five major areas of concern." • The move highlights the administration's ongoing efforts to review election security and underscores tensions regarding foreign influence in domestic democratic processes.

Speculation surrounding tonight’s address has mounted since Trump promised big announcement without being specificTrump to deliver TV speech amid speculation over elections announcementSign up for the Breaking News US emailTrump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, returned from maternity leave Thursday and teased the president’s upcoming address from the White House briefing room.Fielding questions about the substance of the president’s televised address tonight – specifically reports that Trump plans to unveil new claims of interference in the 2020 election, despite the lack of evidence of widespread fraud – Leavitt argued that the president remains focused on the results because “the media has refused to acknowledge that tens of millions of Americans share his concerns about the sanctity of our elections.” Continue reading...

• President Trump is scheduled to deliver a prime-time address on Thursday evening focusing on election security and voting machines. • The speech is expected to further his unsubstantiated claims regarding widespread manipulation and rigging of U.S. elections. • Separately, Senator Tillis has introduced a new condition regarding the Epstein case that could impact the nomination of Mr. Blanche.

• President Tharman Shanmugaratnam concluded a state visit to Malaysia, emphasizing the need for both nations to collaborate in driving ASEAN's economic growth. • The two countries aim to focus on high-potential sectors, specifically targeting advancements in green energy and the digital economy. • President Tharman highlighted a shared commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the region avoids splitting into competing geopolitical blocs.

• President Donald J. Trump and his allies are reportedly intensifying a campaign to erode safeguards intended to keep U.S. elections free, fair, and secure. • The efforts are described as a pattern of undermining the rule of law, destabilizing election administration, and weakening institutional protections. • These actions are occurring as the administration prepares for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.

• Hungarian MPs have voted for a constitutional amendment that allows them to remove the president from office, targeting an ally of former leader Viktor Orban. • The new rules introduce a 12-year or three-term limit for legislators, a move designed to block several prominent opposition figures from seeking re-election. • In an immediate reaction to the change, Fidesz legislator Gergely Gulyas resigned as party leader in parliament because he would be ineligible to run in 2030.

• 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 was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday for violating the Political Funds Act. • The Seoul Central District Court found that Yoon accepted 14 free political polling services valued at 27.92 million won ($18,600) from broker Myung Tae-kyun during his campaign. • The ruling established that Yoon promised to help secure a ruling party nomination for former lawmaker Kim Young-sun in exchange for these services.

• Hungary's Parliament voted 139 to 6 on Monday to pass a constitutional amendment removing President Tamas Sulyok from office. • The move is led by Prime Minister Peter Magyar and his pro-European Tisza party, who secured a two-thirds majority in April's landslide election. • This legislative action aims to dismantle the political system established by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban during his 16-year tenure and restore "rule-of-law democracy."

• The Hungarian parliament passed a sweeping constitutional reform that resulted in the removal of President Tamás Sulyok from office. • The overhaul reshapes key national institutions, prompting a boycott by Fidesz and Christian Democratic (KDNP) lawmakers who spent Monday mourning the loss of Hungarian democracy. • This move is significant because it dismantles the original constitutional architecture designed to preserve checks and balances by staggering presidential and parliamentary terms.

• Hungary’s Parliament voted to remove a loyalist of former right-wing leader Viktor Orban from the presidential post as part of Prime Minister Peter Magyar's "Operation Cleansing Fire." • Prime Minister Magyar pushed through rapid constitutional amendments to dismantle the former governing party's control over the judiciary, state-run media, and government agencies. • The move has drawn criticism from human rights groups and Fidesz allies, with the latter organizing street protests in defense of the ousted official, Mr. Sulyok.

• El Salvador's ruling party has officially ratified President Nayib Bukele’s candidacy for the upcoming February presidential elections. • The move follows a constitutional reform that extends the presidential term from five to six years and reschedules the next elections for 2027. • This change bypasses a previous constitutional requirement that mandated a 10-year hiatus before a former president could seek reelection.

• Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday by a Seoul court. • The court found Yoon guilty of illegally receiving free opinion polls in exchange for providing political support. • This verdict significantly increases the legal pressures on the already impeached leader, adding to a series of mounting legal troubles.