Elections

Albania's PM thanks voters for landslide win, pledges EU membership by 2030

Albania's prime minister on Wednesday thanked hundreds of thousands of voters who supported his Socialist Party in the last parliamentary elections, backing his pledge to take the country into the European Union in five years. Edi Rama, leader of the left-wing Socialist Party, held a celebratory rally in Tirana's main Skanderbeg Square. The event, attended by thousands of supporters waving Albanian and EU flags, took place in front of a big poster prepared for Friday's European Political Community summit, or EPC, a forum that gathers European leaders with the aim of boosting security and prosperity across the continent. With only diaspora ballots remaining to be fully counted, the ruling Socialists achieved a landslide victory, winning 83 seats in the 140-seat Parliament in the May 11 polls, according to the Central Election Commission. With those numbers, the Socialists are likely to govern alone. Rama's Socialist Party says it can deliver EU membership in five years, with ...

Who is Anita Anand, Mark Carney's pick for Canada's foreign minister?

Born to Indian immigrant parents, Anand was a lawyer and law professor for over 20 years before entering politics

Lebanon holds first local polls in nearly a decade amid crisis, war

Lebanese voted Sunday in the country's first local elections in almost a decade, months after a US-brokered ceasefire ended a war between Israel and Hezbollah. The first round of voting, which is taking place by region, was in the Mount Lebanon districts including Beirut's battered southern suburbs, where Hezbollah headquarters are located and much of their leadership including veteran leader Hassan Nasrallah were killed in Israeli airstrikes during the 14-month war. The polls for mayors and municipal councils, though not as significant as Lebanon's parliamentary election set for 2026, are a barometer of how much the devastating war that left over 4,000 people dead and entire neighbourhoods destroyed has impacted support for politicians and parties, especially in the south where Hezbollah and allies are strong. Hezbollah and fellow Shitte party the Amal Movement are expected to win most votes for municipal councils and mayors in Beirut's southern suburbs. Flags of the parties and .

Re-elected Australian PM Albanese says voters chose unity over division

Australia's re-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday was greeted by well-wishers at a Sydney cafe and said the country had voted for unity over division. Albanese's center-left Labor Party won an emphatic victory in elections on Saturday. As vote counting continued, the government was on track to win at least 85 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, the lower chamber where parties need a majority to form an administration. Labor held 78 seats in the previous Parliament, and gaining seats in a second term is rare in Australian politics. The Australian people voted for unity rather than division, Albanese told reporters in the crowded caf in the inner-suburban Leichhardt where he and his fiancee, Jodie Haydon, gathered with colleagues and supporters for coffee. We'll be a disciplined, orderly government in our second term, just like we have been in our first, he added. He noted that he had frequented the cafe as a child with his late mother, Marryanne Albanese,

PM Wong's PAP wins two-third majority in Singapore general election

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and his People's Action Party (PAP) has secured two-third seats or the 65 required from 97 contested in the general election held on Saturday to form the next government in Singapore. The opposition Workers' Party has won six seats and is leading in four seats. As results are coming in, the PAP is leading in the rest of the seats. Wong and the PAP had sought a new mandate from the general election in the midst of uncertainties caused by the US trade tariff to global economies. The PAP, Singapore's oldest and largest political party that has ruled the city-state ever since independence, has secured absolute majority to rule the prosperous country for the next five years. About 2.6 million Singaporeans voted on Saturday for 92 contested seats as PAP's Group Representation Constituency for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights had a walkover on nomination day on April 23. This was Wong's first election as prime minister of the global-business focused Singapore

Assam records 70.19% turnout in phase one of panchayat elections 2025

The second phase of the polls will be held on May 7 in the remaining 13 districts, and the counting of votes will take place on May 11

Singapore votes amid US-China trade tensions, ruling PAP seeks re-election

A total of 2,758,846 registered Singaporean voters are heading into polling booths for the 19 General Election 2025 (GE2025) to elect the next government which is set to face strong global headwinds caused by trade tariffs announced by the United States, the biggest trading partner of the Southeast Asian city-state. Voting began at 8 am on Saturday at 1,240 stations set up island-wide, with polling polling booths set to be be closed at 8 pm and results expected late at night. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, completing nearly a year in office, is seeking a fresh mandate for the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), which has governed the city-state since independence and steered its development into a global financial hub. Singapore is in the cross road between US and China trade war, a diplomatic source said, adding that the trade focused island has strong diplomatic and economic relations with both the giant economies, a fall off from which will affect its future progress. Multination

Mark Carney vs Pierre Poilievre: What's at stake as Canada goes to polls?

The top two candidates seem to agree on major problems: A crisis of affordability, Trump's actions and menacing words, the economy, and crime

Vancouver car ramming attack: Suspect charged with eight counts of murder

The suspect, identified as Kai-Ji Adam, was caught by bystanders and handed over to the police. Investigators have noted that the suspect had a history of mental health issues

Canada goes to the polls today: Who will be the next Prime Minister?

Around 28 million registered Canadians will cast their ballots across 343 districts as the country goes to the polls after Justin Trudeau resigned from the prime ministerial position last month

Anurag Thakur backs 'one nation, one election', calls it win-win situation

BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said the implementation of the 'one nation, one election' formula would be a win-win situation for the country as it would not just cut the expenses incurred in conducting various polls but also save a lot of time. "Elections were held in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir within a few months of the Lok Sabha polls (last year). Then elections were held in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi. So, there are at least five assembly elections in a year. "If all the polls are held simultaneously, it will reduce the expenditure, save time and increase the voting percentage as well," Thakur told reporters in Srinagar on the sidelines of a party event on 'one nation, one election' (ONOE). The former Union minister said conducting simultaneous polls would reduce the expenditure of the candidates, political parties, and help the country save money. "Around Rs 1.5 lakh crore was spent in the (2024) Lok Sabha elections -- by political parties, candidates, other instituti

Australians begin voting in polls as Pope's death overshadows campaigning

Australians began voting Tuesday at general elections as campaigning was overshadowed by the death of Pope Francis. Polling stations opened to voters who for a variety of reasons will be unable to vote on May 3. Around half the votes are expected to be cast before the election date. Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton cancelled campaign events planned for Tuesday out of respect for the late pontiff. Flags were flown at half staff from government buildings across the country where a 2021 census found 20% of the population were Catholics. Albanese was raised as a Catholic but chose to be sworn in as prime minister when he was elected in 2022 by making a secular affirmation rather than by taking an oath on a Bible. Albanese attended a Mass in honour of the pope in Melbourne's St. Patrick's Cathedral on Tuesday morning. I try not to talk about my faith in public, Albanese told reporters. At times like this, I think what people do is they draw on w

High stakes for Indian diaspora in Canada and Australia elections

With the US administration's crackdown on immigration and questions being asked about the issue of migration in Canada and Australia as well

Singapore dissolves parliament, paving way for general elections

Singapore's parliament was dissolved Tuesday, paving the way for general elections in which the city-state's long-ruling People's Action Party will seek to strengthen its dominance under Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The Elections Department is expected to set a date for the polls later in the afternoon. Victory is virtually assured for the PAP, which has led Singapore since its independence in 1965. But Wong, who was sworn in as Singapore's fourth leader in May last year, wants to clinch a stronger win after the PAP suffered a setback in 2020 polls over voters' rising discontent with the government. Wong succeeded Lee Hsien Loong, who stepped down after two decades at the helm. Lee's departure marked the end of a family dynasty started by his father, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first leader who built the colonial trading outpost into one of the world's richest nations during 31 years in office. In the 2020 polls held during the COVID-19 pandemic, the PAP maintained its supermajority

South Korea to hold snap elections on June 3 after ousting president

Leader of the Democratic Party Lee Jae-myung is the front-runner in the elections. Lee lost to Yoon with a margin of less than 1% votes in 2022

South Korea to hold election on June 3 to replace ousted President Yoon

South Korea will hold a snap presidential election June 3 to replace recently ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, the country's acting leader Han Duck-soo announced Tuesday. The announcement came days after the Constitutional Court removed President Yoon Suk Yeol from office over his ill-fated imposition of martial law in December. Deep political polarisation will likely shape the June 3 election, expected to be a two-way showdown between the two major political parties: Yoon's conservative People Power Party and its chief liberal rival, the Democratic Party. The focus of attention is on whether conservatives can regroup and field a strong candidate to compete against the likely Democratic candidate, Lee Jae-myung. It will be an uphill battle for the governing People's Power Party to hold on to power it struggles to restore public confidence and heal a severe internal division triggered by Yoon's martial law stunt.

India, China could interfere in elections, claims Canadian spy agency

Vanessa Lloyd, deputy director at CSIS, also warned that China could use tools enabled by artificial intelligence

Bangladesh's Information Adviser urges all to prepare for polls by December

Bangladesh's Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam on Friday said the elections will be held in December as scheduled and urged all parties to prepare for it, according to a media report. Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus said that the election will be held on time. It is scheduled for the end of this year, in December. A timeline has already been set, and the election will take place within that timeframe. Everyone should start preparing for it, Mahfuj said. Mahfuj hoped that the election would be held in right time if the political parties act responsibly, stop sabotage and the state organs properly cooperate, The Daily Star newspaper reported. Yunus recently said the government would hold elections in December if the political parties agreed to fewer reforms, adding that it may be postponed by a few months if political parties wanted a bigger number of reforms.

Japan PM Ishiba faces criticism over gifts to lawmakers after election loss

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is being criticised for distributing gift certificates to 15 first-year lawmakers in his party in a scandal shaking his already weak grip on power. Ishiba has denied breaking political funding laws and said he won't resign. But opposition lawmakers and rivals in his own party have said the gifts were excessive and showed Ishiba was out of touch, especially after the governing Liberal Democratic Party had a disastrous election loss last year due to its earlier political funding irregularities. Japanese media reported earlier this week that Ishiba's aide delivered gift certificates worth 100,000 yen ($670) to the offices of the 15 lawmakers prior to their private dinner with the prime minister. Ishiba is leading a minority government after his LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito lost the October election in the lower house, the more powerful of Japan's two-chamber parliament. LDP remains the largest party, but its steep losses made it le

SC to hear plea on Mar 18 to bar poll candidates with serious offences

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on March 18 a plea seeking to debar from polls, candidates charged with serious offences. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh would likely hear the matter. The apex court in September 2022 sought responses from the Centre and the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. Aside from seeking to debar persons against whom charges were framed in criminal cases, the plea also sought directions to the Centre and the ECI to restrain such candidates put on trial for serious offences. The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey, alleged that despite recommendations of the Law Commission of India and court's previous directions, the Centre and the ECI did not act. The plea said of the 539 winners of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, about 233 or 43 per cent, declared facing criminal cases. Referring to data from a report of NGO Association for Democratic Reforms, the petition said ther