SINGAPORE - First-year backbenchers Foo Cexiang and Shawn Loh will take political office following a Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on July 22. Foo, who is a first-term MP in Tanjong Pagar GRC, will be Minister of State for Manpower and Trade and Industry from September 2026. He joins existing Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash in the ministry. Loh, who is also a first-term MP in Jalan Besar GRC, will be Minister of State at the Education and Health Ministries from January 2027. Both had entered politics at the 2025 General Election. “They have made a good start as MPs,” noted PM Wong, as he announced a slew of changes…

Former Labor MP accuses Josh Burns of acting as ‘human shield for Penny Wong’ Updated July 22, 2026 — 8:02pm,first published 3:59pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. AAA The head of the nation’s peak Jewish body has condemned Labor for removing a call for listed terror group Hamas to disarm from its draft policy platform as tensions erupted between former close allies over the issue ahead of the party’s national conference. Labor planned to present a unified front on the contentious issue by having two MPs from Melbourne – Josh Burns, who is Jewish, and Bassem Abdo, the son of…

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) will be renamed the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry (METI) from Oct 1, to reflect the significance of energy to the economy. It will be led by two ministers. Announcing the change on July 22, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said: “Energy is becoming increasingly central to Singapore’s economic competitiveness, industrial transformation, and long-term resilience.” Energy will be a national challenge for the nation, akin to water, as the Republic continues to power its needs while achieving its net-zero target, he said, responding to questions from the media during a press conference to announce…

Responding to questions about whether the consequences were too harsh, Mr Wong said during the press conference that Assoc Prof Faishal himself had concluded that it was "not tenable" for him to continue serving as a political office holder and MP. "He also accepts that his responses, his interactions with her, objectively speaking, were questionable and inappropriate," Mr Wong said. "That's why he asked to step down." Mr Wong added that Assoc Prof Faishal had requested privacy for himself and his family, and that the government had sought to respect that request as much as possible. The prime minister said he had tried "his very best" to see whether…

SINGAPORE - K. Shanmugam will be appointed Senior Minister, while continuing in his roles as Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs. Announcing the move on July 22 during a press conference on changes to his Cabinet, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Shanmugam and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong are the two most experienced members of his team. “They will continue to provide valuable counsel and will help guide and mentor our younger office holders,” he added. Shanmugam, 67, is the first Senior Minister to be appointed to the role without having previously been a Prime Minister or a Deputy Prime Minister. He entered…

Asked why he had not appointed a second deputy prime minister, Mr Wong noted that the Cabinet already has three coordinating ministers, appointed after the 2025 election. One deputy prime minister and three coordinating ministers provide strong senior leadership for the entire Cabinet, he said. “But the situation is always evolving. Leadership renewal continues, and over time, the ministers in their respective roles will continue to develop and grow. Some of them may well take on larger responsibilities,” said Mr Wong, adding that the current structure is appropriate for now. TWO SECOND MINISTERS FOR HOME AFFAIRS Asked about the appointment of two…

The Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus was given the green light to book hotel rooms in downtown Toronto at the taxpayer’s expense whenever night sittings were scheduled, Global News has learned, despite Premier Doug Ford’s repeated public assertion that the expenses were “unacceptable.” For more than a week, Progressive Conservative MPPs have been facing scrutiny for charging downtown Toronto hotel stays to the taxpayer instead of commuting to and from Queen’s Park. Former tourism minister Stan Cho resigned after claiming $16,000 over three years despite living six km away from the Ontario Legislature, while three Peel Region MPPs billed $50,000…

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (Jul 22) announced Cabinet changes as part of a leadership transition that strikes a balance between experience and youth. "This balance matters because Singapore needs both experienced leaders to steer through immediate challenges, and a new generation ready to take us forward. Leadership renewal is therefore a continuous process," Mr Wong said. Mr K Shanmugam has been appointed senior minister, while labour chief Ng Chee Meng joins the Cabinet as minister in the Prime Minister's Office. Ms Jasmin Lau has been promoted to senior minister of state and will serve concurrently as acting minister for…

Premier, it’s time to act on the Big Build Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. AAA Photo: Megan Herbert To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. The Age’s investigation into the Big Build continues to expose more situations where Premier Jacinta Allan hasn’t confronted them and ensured that they are properly investigated and, where appropriate, legal proceedings undertaken. As…

The post may draw comparisons to former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who, as Labour leader, said Green co-leader Metiria Turei would not serve in a government she led. That intervention was one of the main factors that led to the end of Turei’s career. Luxon’s swipe at Nash may have a similar effect. The scandal began after remarks made on a podcast hosted by former Labour MP Phil Goff and former National MP Chris Finlayson called Cross Party Lines. Finlayson quoted a text message he claimed he had received from Nash. Finlayson had been speaking positively about Nimon, the current MP for Napier, who took time off from Parliament to have her first…

Clumsy video causes trouble for UK PM on his second day Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. AAA London: A clumsy joke has backfired on cabinet ministers soon after they were named to their posts by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, just as he vowed to set a new tone and direction for the government upon taking power this week. The ministers were caught on video trading jokes about the early release of prisoners in a light-hearted conversation in London, but their banter provoked swift criticism when the video was leaked on social media. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Defence…

Nainar Nagenthran. File \| Photo Credit: G. Moorthy BJP State unit president Nainar Nagenthran on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) said that the TVK-led government must extend cooperation to the Centre for setting up a new airport in Tamil Nadu, contending that none should stall the development of the State over political reasons. Mr. Nagenthran said that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s government should consider the recent NITI Aayog report in this regard, and look beyond political differences. He further said that political reasons should not compromise the development of Tamil Nadu. Referring to Minister R. Nirmalkumar’s recent observations that it would…

Does One Nation’s migration policy actually add up? Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. AAA More than one third of voters regard One Nation as the best party to handle immigration – more than any other party, according to this masthead’s Resolve Political Monitor. But behind the rhetoric is a policy that doesn’t add up. As Pauline Hanson climbs the polls, this masthead crunched the numbers and asked immigration and economics experts what they mean. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson wants to drastically cut migration - but what would that actually mean?Ross Swanborough One Nation’s…

The Supreme Court declined to initiate suo motu proceedings over claims of police excesses during the July 20 Delhi protests. Meanwhile, Delhi Police registered an FIR after a video showed a Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel being chased and assaulted during the CJP’s ‘Chalo Sansad’ march. Security has since been tightened across the national capital.

Thousands of teachers to take to streets, but demands far from clear Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. AAA Thousands of Victorian students are facing a day of disrupted learning when up to 35,000 government school teachers walk off the job for a second time on Thursday, forcing the Labor government back to the negotiating table months before an election. A sea of red is expected to shut down parts of the Melbourne CBD when Australian Education Union members march through the city, ignoring the government’s last-minute plea to call off statewide strikes. Victorian president Justin…

NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday upped the ante against Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee and dared him to contest from the Diamond Harbour constituency in the next Lok Sabha polls. Speaking in the West Bengal assembly, Adhikari launched a veiled attack, referring to the TMC leader's remarks at the Martyrs' Day rally held a day earlier, and claimed the BJP would decide "where he will be" by then. "Yesterday, there was a lot of loud talk. Someone asked his party workers to note it down, and that accounts would be settled in 2031. We will see where he is in 2031. If he has the courage, let him contest from the…

‘Hunger strike’ or ‘fast unto death’ has been observed in the annals of India’s history as one of most crushing forms of non-violent protest, demanding immediate attention to a prevailing issue. Based in Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of satyagraha, fasting has emerged as a potent tool to bring immediate attention to demand justice and influence opinion. The crux of the method lies on the simple idea: a person or a community purposefully goes into fasting for an indefinite period to pressurise the state for immediate action. In the face of an acrimonious British colonial rule, Mahatma Gandhi undertook several fasts between 1918 and 1948 to lodge protest…

Last week, more than 100 House Democrats voted to cut off military aid to Israel. Though the amendment failed because some Democrats and almost all Republicans voted against it, it exposed something far more significant than the legislative outcome: The bipartisan consensus that shielded Israel from meaningful congressional scrutiny for generations is beginning to fracture. For decades, military assistance for the Israeli army was among Washington’s most sacrosanct commitments enforced by both parties, influential pro-Israel lobbying organisations, and a foreign policy establishment that treated it as a cornerstone of American strategy in the Middle…

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political…

People stage a protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on July 21, 2026. \| Photo Credit: PTI Demonstrators assembled at Shivaji Park in Dadar on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) and marched toward Shiv Sena Bhavan. The gathering remained non-violent, according to participants and police officials. The protest drew a large number of young individuals in response to social media appeals Atman Pawar, an advertising professional, said he attended because he was disturbed by the previous day’s events. “The crowd is good,” Pawar told reporters.…

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political…

A day after Rahul Gandhi and several Congress leaders were detained during their flash protest outside the Prime Minister's residence, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay finally broke his silence, calling the action "undemocratic". The Congress is in alliance with Vijay's TVK in Tamil Nadu. - Ends Published On: Jul 22, 2026 15:12 IST

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political…

DONETSK, July 22. /TASS/. The appointment of Mikhail Drapaty as the new Ukrainian commander-in-chief is part of a larger campaign to replace the country's top brass as failures at the front haunt the country, Alexey Muratov, the head of the regional executive committee of United Russia, said in an interview with TASS. "Drapaty's appointment is not a sign of strength, but rather a sign of desperation. Kiev needs a commander who can hold the front line regardless of the losses. The commander-in-chief is being replaced in the hope that the new person will be able to accomplish what the previous one failed to do - stop the offensive. However, this is…

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political…

Interns Summit 2026 brought industry leaders, recruiters, and students under one roof at Ayala Central Bloc on July 18, 2026, designed to bridge the gap between the new wave of talent and Cebu’s professional landscape. The event served as a launchpad for young innovators, equipping them with the connections, insights, and prospects needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving job market. Students had the opportunity to engage directly with industry experts, explore company booths offering exclusive services and opportunities, and build connections with peers pursuing the same career goals. Organized by The Interns Hub, students could effortlessly apply for…

From left, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi pose at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila, Wednesday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum. Yonhap The foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States and Japan met in Manila, Wednesday, reaffirmed the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsular and deterrence against North Korea during a meeting held on the sidelines of a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-related ministerial meetings, with discussions covering the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East,…

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in last 3 paras) SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is conducting a comprehensive review of ways to make practical contributions to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the presidential office said Wednesday. Cheong Wa Dae made the statement in response to a report by the Dong-A Ilbo daily that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has asked the South Korean government to deploy a warship to the strategic waterway amid the renewed conflict between the United States and Iran. The presidential office denied that the government has received a request from the U.S. to deploy a specific…

A day after the "Sansad Chalo" march and the clashes with police, protesters regrouped at Jantar Mantar. Among them were Ravi from Bihar and Kamlesh from Bhopal, two civil services aspirants passing time with games of chess, Ludo and Snakes and Ladders while waiting for the protest to continue.

New Delhi was brought to a halt on Monday (July 20, 2026) as hundreds of protestors attempted ‘Chalo Sansad’ march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament but were brutally lathi-charged and dispersed using tear gas by the police. As many as 70 protestors were detained while several others faced injuries; women and senior citizens not spared. Crowds swelled up at Jantar Mantar in the morning, as hundreds walked up to the protest site awaiting directions from the Cockroach Janta Party leadership for the march to Parliament that was supposed to begin at 9 a.m. The police had removed the multi-layered security checkpoints on Sunday (July 19, 2026) night and…