Herald section
The latest politics reporting from The Belfast Herald.
Dame Sandra Mason was elected as Barbados's first president in an indirect election, marking the country's move to a republic. The change follows a government announcement in September 2020 to end the monarchy.
Cape Verdean voters chose between main party candidates in a presidential election to replace term-limited president Jorge Carlos Fonseca, with Neves leading amid economic concerns from the pandemic.
Michelle O'Neill stated Northern Ireland's health service is nearing collapse and faces severe winter pressures without immediate intervention. She highlighted staff exhaustion and called for urgent action to prevent further strain.
The Taliban has named Mohammad Hassan Akhund as leader of Afghanistan and Abdul Ghani Baradar as deputy leader in the new caretaker government. Baradar previously led the group’s political office in Doha and was involved in peace talks with the US.
Ministers have agreed to allow theatres and concert venues to reopen from 27 July at 6pm, with audience members required to have allocated seating and maintain 1m social distancing. Live music will be permitted without volume restrictions, and tickets must be purchased in advance.
Ivana Bacik of Labour is declared winner in the Dublin Bay South by-election, securing victory on the ninth count with 13,382 votes and ending Fine Gael's control of the seat.
UMNO, the largest party in Malaysia's ruling Perikatan Nasional coalition, withdraws backing from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. The move follows appointments of UMNO figures to key ministerial roles aimed at securing party loyalty.
Ethiopian voters participated in a delayed parliamentary election on 21 June 2021 amid conflict, pandemic, and restricted voting in Tigray. The election occurred with limited international observation and widespread opposition boycotts.