Politics
Elections, government, and policy—from multiple perspectives. Ordered by original publication date from each source.
Poor planning fuels Bangladesh contraceptive crisis
Bangladesh’s once-praised family planning system is buckling under severe contraceptive shortages, raising fears of a rise in unplanned pregnancies in one of the world’s most densely populated countries. For decades, the South Asian nation was hailed as a success for slashing birth rates through an ...
Trump vows to push Xi to 'open up' China at superpower summit
US President Donald Trump said he would ask Xi Jinping to “open up” China to American firms as he headed to Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit that will also bring up the conflict in the Middle East. In a sign of Trump’s focus on business, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang boarded Air Force One d...
Labour-supporting unions predict Starmer will not lead party into next election
Exclusive: Leaked draft statement says party ‘cannot continue on its current path’ under PMKeir Starmer will not lead his party into the next general election, Labour-supporting unions have predicted, in an intervention that threatens to further destabilise the prime minister after a damaging few da...
Minister asks IBCC to contact Cambridge over fresh paper leak claims
ISLAMABAD: Following a fresh complaint of paper leak, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Tuesday directed the Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) to immediately contact Cambridge authorities to ensure a thorough investigation, factual clarificati...
Japan crisp packs to go colourless due to Iran war crunch
TOKYO: Japan’s leading potato chip maker is feeling the crunch from shortages linked to the Iran war, swapping its signature orange-and-yellow packets for black and white. A household name in Japan, Calbee is known for its savoury potato chips with an array of flavours from seaweed salt to soy sauce...
Man who averted suicide attack nominated for ‘highest civil award’
TAXILA/LAHORE: Muhammad Liaqat Ali, who laid down his life to prevent an attack potentially targeting a police post in Jand tehsil of Attock, was nominated for the country’s highest civil award by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Officials and locals said Liaqat, a railway employee, was grazing h...
Population growth can become ‘social bomb’
• Ahsan Iqbal proposes incentives under NFC for provinces managing population growth• Projections say population can reach 389.9 million by 2050 even under a slow-decline scenario ISLAMABAD: Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday warned that unchecked population growth could become...
The power of trust
THE Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has painted a grim picture of the state of human rights in the country in its latest annual report. In a press release, the organisation pointed out “a severe contraction of civic space, the erosion of judicial independence, and deepening insecurity” in 2025. ...
Adiala official submits report on Imran, Bushra meetings
• Sisters and KP CM were not allowed to meet ex-PM in jail• PTI condemns ban on Gilgit-Baltistan Democratic Party ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday sought detailed arguments on a petition seeking meetings of former first lady Bushra Bibi with her family members and personal doctor...
Marco Rubio spotted in Nike tracksuit aboard Air Force One during trip to China, igniting memes online
Marco Rubio ditched his suit for a Nike Tech fleece tracksuit on Air Force One, sparking viral reactions and Venezuela's Maduro meme comparisons.
Trump expects ‘big, fat hug’ from Xi amid tense agenda
• US expected to press China on de-escalation efforts with Tehran• Taiwan, tariffs and rare earths to dominate talks• China ‘changes Rubio’s name’ BEIJING: US President Donald Trump has said he expects a “big, fat hug” from his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping when they meet in Beijing this week, thou...
Full Epstein files put on display in New York
NEW YORK: A US transparency advocacy group has opened a temporary exhibition in New York with only one text on display: a printout of all the files released by the US Department of Justice, roughly 3.5 million pages, relating to financier and convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. The library, dubb...
Geopolitical shift in ME
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump is doing what he does best: keeping the world guessing with his puzzling declarations. He has rejected Iran’s latest proposal for peace talks, stating, “I don’t like it”. He has also threatened Iran with more strikes. He claims the ceasefire is now on “massive life support”...
Unyielding stances
GLOBAL suffering continues as uncertainty over the fate of the war in the Middle East refuses to dissipate. Market analysts and decision-makers have repeatedly warned that the economic damage already wrought — and worsening daily as vital shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz remain closed — ...
Iran war costs soar past $29bn as truce teeters
• Before taking off on long-awaited China trip, Trump vows to ‘win peacefully or otherwise’• Tehran expands Hormuz control as EU mulls post-war naval mission• Wall Street Journal claims UAE launched strikes on Iranian energy facility last month• Pakistan pushes China, Azerbaijan on ME peace; earns p...
Nebraska's Pillen wins Republican renomination in bid for second term as governor
Republican Gov. Jim Pillen tops five challengers in Nebraska's GOP gubernatorial primary to win his party's 2026 nomination, the Associated Press reports.
House GOP launches new task force, probes alleged Medicaid fraud in Ohio
House Republicans launched a new oversight task force, beginning with an investigation into alleged Medicaid fraud by Ohio home health companies.
House GOP launches new task force, probes alleged $250B Medicaid fraud in Ohio
House Republicans launched a new Oversight task force, beginning with an investigation into alleged Medicaid fraud by Ohio home health companies.
Republican Ricketts wins GOP primary in Nebraska, advances to key Senate showdown
Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts wins Nebraska's GOP Senate primary, setting up an expected competitive general election against independent Dan Osborn.
Republican Ricketts wins GOP Primary in Nebraska, advances to key Senate showdown
Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts wins Nebraska's GOP Senate primary, setting up an expected competitive general election against independent Dan Osborn.
Big city Democrat mayor arrested at ICE protest faces voters in re-election bid
Ras Baraka, the Newark mayor arrested at an anti-ICE protest, won re-election Tuesday with over 50% of the vote, avoiding a November runoff election.
Warner calls Virginia court ruling ‘outrageous’ as Kaine urges Democrats to ‘go win’
Sen. Mark Warner calls Virginia Supreme Court ruling blocking the new congressional map "outrageous" as Democrats regroup for midterm elections.
South Carolina Republicans defy Trump, tank redistricting, for now
Trump warned he was watching closely as South Carolina Republicans tried to redraw maps, but five GOP senators broke ranks to block the redistricting.
Fetterman warns Democrats must confront ‘rising antisemitism problem’ after clashes outside NYC synagogues
Sen. John Fetterman calls out the Democratic Party's "antisemitism problem" after a Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice says he is leaving the party over it.