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A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

Balendra Shah is just 35 (AP)

world

Nepal’s youngest prime minister takes oath of office

Nepal’s youngest prime minister has taken the oath of office after his party’s landslide election victory earlier this month, following a youth-led uprising that toppled the government in September.

Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi has dissolved the lower house (AP)

world

Japanese leader sets up snap election on February 8

Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi has delivered her first policy speech (AP)

world

Japan’s new leader vows to bolster defence as regional tensions rise

Madagascar Coup

world

Madagascar’s coup leader sworn in as president after military takeover

France Politics

world

Embattled French PM Sebastien Lecornu survives no-confidence vote

Madagascar Protests

world

Military coup leader says he will be sworn in as Madagascar’s president

Madagascar Protests

Madagascar’s president ousted in military coup after weeks of protests

Madagascar’s president Andry Rajoelina has been toppled in a military coup that capped weeks of youth protests over poverty, power outages and a lack of opportunity in the Indian Ocean island country.

Tue, 14 Oct, 2025

France Politics

French PM proposes suspending controversial pension age law until 2027 election

French Prime minister Sebastien Lecornu has proposed the suspension of a contested plan raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, in a move to avoid his fragile minority government being immediately toppled.

Tue, 14 Oct, 2025

Madagascar Protests

Madagascar president dissolves lower house of parliament amid apparent coup bid

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina dissolved the country’s lower house of parliament on Tuesday in the midst of a military rebellion that led him to flee the country.

Tue, 14 Oct, 2025

Madagascar Protests

Madagascar president leaves country after soldiers turn against him

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has left the country after an elite military unit turned against the government in an apparent coup, an opposition official said on Monday.

Mon, 13 Oct, 2025

France Politics

France’s re-appointed prime minister names new Cabinet

France’s newly re-appointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu named a new government on Sunday, as he faces pressure to urgently produce a budget and quell political turmoil that is scaring businesses and investors and staining the country’s image.

Sun, 12 Oct, 2025

France Politics

France’s reappointed PM Lecornu calls for calm amid political chaos

France’s newly reappointed prime minister has acknowledged there were not “a lot of candidates” for his job – and that he might not last long in the post given the country’s deep political divides.

Sat, 11 Oct, 2025

France Politics

France’s Macron asks newly resigned Lecornu to try again to form a government

French President Emmanuel Macron has reappointed Sebastien Lecornu as prime minister, just days after his resignation, asking him to try again to form a government and produce a budget in a bid to end the country’s political deadlock.

Sat, 11 Oct, 2025

Japan Politics Explainer

Komeito party leaves the longstanding ruling coalition in Japan

The head of Japan’s Komeito has said the party is leaving the ruling coalition headed by the Liberal Democratic Party due to concerns over corruption.

Fri, 10 Oct, 2025

France Politics

Macron to name new PM within 48 hours amid deepening political crisis

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that he will name a new prime minister in the next 48 hours, for now rejecting other options in the face of a political storm.

Wed, 08 Oct, 2025

Japan Politics

Sanae Takaichi set to become Japan’s first female prime minister

Japan’s governing party has elected former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, making her likely to become the country’s first female prime minister.

Sat, 04 Oct, 2025

Royal Canal Greenway opening

Government keen for efficiency in immigration system, says Donohoe

Increasing allowances for asylum seekers who leave the country voluntarily could be a way to make the immigration system more efficient, Paschal Donohoe has said.

Sat, 27 Sep, 2025

Nepal Protest

Nepal’s new PM urges ‘calm and co-operation’ after violent protests

Nepal’s new prime minister has taken office and “urged calm and co-operation to rebuild” the Himalayan nation after days of violent protests last week left at least 72 people dead and destroyed government buildings and politicians’ homes.

Sun, 14 Sep, 2025

Taoiseach Micheal Martin Rickett and PM Keir Starmer meeting

Ireland and Britain 'very close' to establishing Troubles legacy framework, says Taoiseach

Micheál Martin declined to put a timeline on such a framework, but said it would be short.

Fri, 12 Sep, 2025

France Politics

Macron appoints defence minister Sebastien Lecornu as France’s latest PM

Mr Lecornu, 39, is the youngest defence minister in French history and architect of a major military build-up through to 2030, spurred on by Russia’s war in Ukraine

Tue, 09 Sep, 2025

France Politics

France’s government toppled as PM Francois Bayrou ousted in confidence vote

Legislators toppled France’s government in a confidence vote on Monday, a new crisis for Europe’s second-largest economy that obliges President Emmanuel Macron to search for a fourth prime minister in 12 months.

Mon, 08 Sep, 2025

France Politics

France’s prime minister pleads for support to reduce debts ahead of key vote

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is making a last-ditch effort to save his job, urging officials expected to topple him in a confidence vote later on Monday to back his plans to curb France’s debts that he said are “submerging us”.

Mon, 08 Sep, 2025

British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference

Garda investigation into 'direct threat' to Tánaiste's children

Simon Harris said he would not be commenting further as the garda investigation is ongoing

Mon, 01 Sep, 2025

France BudgetFrance-Politics

Another French prime minister could be toppled as confidence vote announced

France’s prime minister has announced a confidence vote next month that will likely lead to the collapse of his centrist government and prompt another period of political instability in the European Union’s second-biggest economy.

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

Thailand Thaksin

Thai court acquits former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been acquitted of a royal defamation charge in a case that could have sent him to prison for up to 15 years.

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025

Ivory Coast Politics

Ivory Coast president announces bid for fourth term after changing constitution

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has said he will seek a fourth term leading the West African nation, which is due to hold elections in October. His candidacy is contested after he changed the constitution to remove the presidential term limit.

Tue, 29 Jul, 2025

Japan US Tariffs

Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba vows to stay in power despite growing calls to resign

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in power to oversee the implementation of a new Japan-US tariff agreement, despite media speculation and growing calls for him to resign after the historic defeat of his governing party.

Wed, 23 Jul, 2025

Bangladesh Politics

Bangladesh tribunal indicts ousted PM Hasina over deaths of protesters

A special tribunal has indicted Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by accepting charges of crimes against humanity filed against her in connection with a mass uprising in which hundreds of students were killed last year.

Thu, 10 Jul, 2025

Thailand Politics Paetongtarn Shinawatra

Thai court suspends PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra over leaked phone call

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office pending an investigation over a leaked phone call with a former Cambodian leader.

Tue, 01 Jul, 2025

Q&A: What happens next with inaccurate pensions?

Q&A: What happens next with inaccurate pensions?

Retired senior civil servants and government ministers will be asked to pay back tens of thousands of euros for inaccurate pension deductions

Wed, 11 Jun, 2025

Poland Politics

Polish PM Donald Tusk survives vote of confidence as he bids to reassert control

Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government has survived a vote of confidence in the Polish parliament, with supporters rising and applauding him and chanting his name.

Wed, 11 Jun, 2025

Israel Draft

Netanyahu’s government faces possible collapse as opposition aims to dissolve it

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government faces a major test after the opposition submitted a bill to dissolve it, with his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners threatening to support the measure and force early elections.

Wed, 11 Jun, 2025

New Zealand Haka Protest

New Zealand parliament suspends three Maori Party politicians over haka protest

New Zealand legislators have voted to enact record suspensions from parliament for three politicians who performed a Maori haka to protest over a proposed law.

Thu, 05 Jun, 2025

South Korea Election

Liberal opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung elected president of South Korea

South Korean media outlets including Yonhap news agency and SBS television station reported early on Wednesday that Mr Lee has won the election

Tue, 03 Jun, 2025

South Korea Election

Exit poll shows liberal candidate Lee forecast to win South Korean election

Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung is forecast to win South Korea’s snap presidential election, a joint exit poll on Tuesday showed.

Tue, 03 Jun, 2025

New Zealand-Haka Protest

Parliament to debate suspending Maori politicians who performed protest haka

A New Zealand parliamentary committee has recommended the unprecedented suspensions of three Maori politicians for performing a protest haka in the debating chamber last year.

Thu, 15 May, 2025

Germany Far Right Group Ban

Germany bans the largest ‘Reich citizen’ group and arrests four leaders

The German government has banned the largest “Reich citizen” group, an extremist far-right organisation that calls itself the “Kingdom of Germany” and seeks to undermine the country’s democratic order, and arrested four of its leaders.

Tue, 13 May, 2025

France Germany

Merz stresses European unity during first trip as German chancellor to Paris

Friedrich Merz plunged straight into international crises on his first full day as Germany’s new chancellor on Wednesday, urging India and Pakistan to de-escalate their tensions, vowing support for Ukraine and announcing plans to travel to Kyiv soon.

Wed, 07 May, 2025

Germany New Chancellor

Who is Friedrich Merz, the man elected as Germany’s next chancellor?

Conservative leader Friedrich Merz has been elected as Germany’s chancellor — hours after he failed to win the first round in parliament in a historic defeat.

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Germany New Chancellor

Friedrich Merz wins on second ballot to become Germany’s chancellor

Friedrich Merz has finally succeeded in his bid to become the next German chancellor during a second vote in parliament, hours after he suffered a historic defeat in the first round.

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Germany New Chancellor

German parliament to vote again on next chancellor after Merz’s first round loss

German legislators are set to vote on the country’s next chancellor again, hours after conservative leader Friedrich Merz failed to win the first round in parliament in a historic defeat.

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Germany New Chancellor

Friedrich Merz’s bid to become Germany’s 10th chancellor fails first ballot

Conservative leader Friedrich Merz’s bid to become Germany’s 10th chancellor since the Second World War failed in the first round of voting in parliament on Tuesday by six votes, a vote he had been widely expected to win smoothly.

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Romania Politics

Romania appoints interim PM after coalition’s defeat in presidential race

Romania’s interim president has appointed a new prime minister a day after Marcel Ciolacu stepped down following the failure of his coalition’s candidate to make the runoff in a rerun of the presidential election.

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Bangladesh Politics

Bangladesh’s ex-PM Khaleda Zia’s return to country adds pressure for elections

Bangladesh’s ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia returned to the country from London on Tuesday after four months of medical treatment, adding to pressure for its interim leaders to hold elections.

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Germany New Government

German parliament votes on whether to approve Friedrich Mertz as chancellor

German legislators are set to vote on whether conservative leader Friedrich Merz will become the country’s tenth chancellor since the Second World War.

Tue, 06 May, 2025

Romania Election

Romanian premier resigns after candidate fails to advance to presidential runoff

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced his resignation on Monday, a day after the governing coalition’s joint candidate failed to advance to the runoff in the European Union country’s critical presidential election rerun.

Mon, 05 May, 2025

Dáil finally appoints committees after delay due to speaking rights row

Dáil finally appoints committees after delay due to speaking rights row

As the largest opposition party, Sinn Féin will chair the powerful Oireachtas committee on public accounts (PAC) as well as six other important committees

Wed, 30 Apr, 2025

Germany New Government

Centre-left party approves German coalition deal

Germany’s centre-left Social Democrats have approved a deal to join a new coalition government, paving the way for parliament to elect conservative leader Friedrich Merz as the country’s new chancellor.

Wed, 30 Apr, 2025

Is he in, or out? Social Democrats need to decide where they stand on Eoin Hayes

Is he in, or out? Social Democrats need to decide where they stand on Eoin Hayes

Though he remains indefinitely suspended, if the Social Democrats are happy to use him in their Dáil calculations, it could be a move towards bringing him back into the fold

Thu, 10 Apr, 2025

New Zealand Treaty Law

New Zealand rejects proposed law to redefine treaty principles bill

New Zealand legislators dealt an overwhelming defeat to a controversial proposed law seeking to redefine the country’s founding treaty between Maori tribes and the British Crown.

Thu, 10 Apr, 2025