Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni has claimed victory in Italy’s election, and is on course to become the country’s first female prime minister. Ms Meloni is widely expected to form Italy’s most right-wing government since World War Two. That will alarm much of Europe as Italy is the EU’s third-biggest economy. However, speaking after the vote, Ms Meloni said her Brothers of Italy party would “govern for everyone” and would not betray people’s trust. “Italians have sent a clear message in favour of a right-wing government led by Brothers of Italy,” she told reporters in Rome. She is predicted to win … Continue reading Unprecedented: Italy’s far right on course to win election

The far-right Italian party Brothers of Italy, tipped to win Sunday’s election, has suspended one of its candidates for praising Adolf Hitler on social media. In a 2014 Facebook post, Calogero Pisano, a party co-ordinator in Agrigento in Sicily, compared party leader Giorgia Meloni to “a great statesman of 70 years ago”. He added that he was referring to a “German” and not Benito Mussolini. The party said Mr Pisano no longer represented it at any level. Ms Meloni has been trying to distance the Brothers of Italy from its neo-fascist roots. The party leads the polls ahead of Sunday’s … Continue reading Extremism: Far-right party sacks candidate for Hitler praise

Sweden’s prime minister says she will stand down after her government was defeated in Sunday’s election. Magdalena Andersson’s centre-left coalition looks set to narrowly lose to a bloc of right-wing parties, 176 seats to 173, with 99% of the votes counted. Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson is now expected to form a government. The bloc includes the Sweden Democrats, a far-right party that has campaigned against rising gang shootings. The final result is still to be confirmed after a recount, which is standard practice in Sweden. But despite this, Ms Andersson accepted defeat at a news conference on Wednesday, and said … Continue reading Update: Swedish PM resigns as right-wing parties win vote

Sweden’s election was too close to call on Sunday night, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said. Exit polls at first predicted victory for the incumbent left-wing coalition, but results later suggested the right-wing bloc could narrowly win. Crime and integration of communities were major issues in the campaign, and the far-right Sweden Democrats look set to become the second-largest party. It could take until Wednesday for all votes to be counted. Soon after polls closed, an early exit poll by Sweden’s public broadcaster suggested Ms Andersson’s coalition of four left-wing parties would narrowly win, with 49.8% of the vote compared to … Continue reading Election result in Sweden could take days as vote too close to call

Sarah Palin has lost a special congressional election in Alaska, in a district that was Republican-held for nearly five decades. The winner, Democrat Mary Peltola, will be the first Alaskan Native to serve as a lawmaker in Congress for the state. The race was to fill a vacancy left after the former officeholder died, the seat is up for grabs again in November. Former Alaska governor Ms Palin, 58, rose to prominence as a vice-presidential candidate in 2008. Ms Peltola, 49, was declared the winner on Wednesday by three percentage points in a state that ex-President Donald Trump took by … Continue reading Sarah Palin loses comeback bid in Alaska upset to Democrat

Thailand’s top court has suspended prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha from official duty while it considers a legal challenge to his term limit. Opposition parties have filed a case arguing that Mr Prayuth – in charge since 2014 – has overstayed his tenure. Thailand’s constitution limits prime ministers to eight years in office. The ex-army chief first seized power in the 2014 military coup and then retained office in 2019 under a heavily restricted election. However, in recent years he has been facing growing opposition, and backlash within his own coalition. So far this year, he has survived multiple no-confidence votes … Continue reading A court in Thailand has suspended PM and coup leader

Lord Trimble, former first minister of Northern Ireland and Ulster Unionist Party leader, has died. Lord Trimble, who was 77, led the UUP between 1995 and 2005, and was instrumental in the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement- the peace deal which ended the worst of Northern Ireland’s Troubles. His efforts won him the Nobel Peace Prize along with SDLP leader John Hume. Since 2006, he sat in the House of Lords as Baron Trimble of Lisnagarvey. He was the first person to serve in the role of first minister in the new Northern Ireland Executive established as part of the … Continue reading Former Northern Ireland first minister David Trimble dies

US First Lady Jill Biden has caused offence after likening Hispanic people in a speech to “tacos”. Mrs Biden was addressing Latinos at an event in Texas when she attempted a compliment that referenced the traditional Mexican snack. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) responded: “We are not tacos.” Her comment comes as President Joe Biden’s popularity with Hispanic voters has been falling.  Mrs Biden was addressing a conference in San Antonio on the Hispanic “Quest for Equity” on Monday when she said: “The diversity of this community, as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as … Continue reading Jill Biden criticised for comparing Latinos to tacos

A Barcelona court has authorized an autopsy on former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santo who died in the city on Friday after his family alleged a conspiracy to kill him. His daughter, Tchize dos Santos, had requested the autopsy. Political enemies did not want him to back the opposition in forthcoming Angolan elections, she said. Dos Santos, 79, was in Spain for medical treatment and died after a cardiac arrest. He had been in power for 38 years when he stepped down in 2017. Lawyers for the Dos Santos family have also denounced moves by the Angolan government to … Continue reading Spain orders autopsy for ex-Angola leader Jose Eduardo dos Santos

Boris Johnson is fighting to stay on as prime minister as the wave of ministerial resignations continues. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis became the latest cabinet member to quit early on Thursday, quickly followed by four other ministers. Previously loyal supporters, including Priti Patel and Grant Shapps – urged him to step down on Wednesday. But Mr Johnson insists he has a “colossal mandate to keep going” from voters. Meanwhile, Attorney General Suella Braverman has said she will stand in any leadership challenge, although she did not resign. In his resignation letter on Thursday, Mr Lewis said: “I have given … Continue reading #OutBoris: Mass resignations continues to hit the cabinet of British PM

Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure to reveal what he knew about allegations of inappropriate behaviour concerning Chris Pincher when he was appointed deputy chief whip. Labour chairwoman Anneliese Dodds has written to the PM seeking details on what No 10 knew of the claims. “Only Boris Johnson could have looked at this guy’s record and thought ‘he deserves a promotion’,” she said. Minister Therese Coffey said the PM was not aware of “specific allegations”. After allegations emerged that he had groped two men, Mr Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip on Thursday, telling the PM he “drank far too … Continue reading British PM under pressure over MP Chris Pincher

India’s richest state, Maharashtra, is witnessing high political drama that has put the fate of its government in jeopardy. Around 33 lawmakers – led by an influential state minister, Eknath Shinde – are holed up in a hotel in Guwahati city in the north-eastern state of Assam, thousands of kilometres away from Maharashtra. They belong to the Shiv Sena party, which is currently governing Maharashtra as part of a coalition with the Congress party and the regional Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Mr Shinde – who has been part of the Shiv Sena for decades – claims that he is acting … Continue reading The political crisis brewing in India’s richest state