Former home secretary Suella Braverman, who defected from the Conservatives to Reform, wrote earlier on Monday to FA chief executive Mark Bullingham asking for the target to be scrapped.
It was introduced by the governing body two years ago, covering the men's senior team down to the under-17s, with the ambition of reaching 30% of their coaching teams being non-white, or at least 25%, by 2028.
Ms Braverman, who holds the equalities brief for Reform, said the men's team targets were "fundamentally flawed, inherently racist and bad for the game" because "the best coaches should get the job, not because of their skin colour, but because they are the best person for the job".
While she requested a meeting with Mr Bullingham to discuss their diversity, equality and inclusion policies, the governing body responded publicly within hours, defending the diversity plans while agreeing the "best people" would be appointed to jobs.
In full: FA's response to Reform criticism
An FA spokesperson told Sky News: "Football has the unique ability to break down barriers and bring communities together.
"Through our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (EDI), we aim to ensure the game reflects the full diversity of our nation.
"This means opening up pathways and creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds - including those from historically under-represented groups.
"While we will always take a meritocratic approach by appointing the best people for roles, we also recognise the importance of having a broader range of participants across the sport.
"We are proud that our strategy is supporting the growth of football among men, women, boys and girls from all communities."
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Ms Braverman had said she supports the FA's fight against racism in football.
But she said: "Your DEI strategy does precisely that, it divides rather than unites. It replaces merit with quotas and implements identity politics where teamwork, ability and hard graft should prevail."
The 33-year-old has reached an agreement with the Premier League team that will see him close a "remarkable" nine-year chapter at Anfield.
In a statement, Liverpool said: "Salah expressed his wish to make this announcement to the supporters at the earliest possible opportunity to provide transparency about his future due to his respect and gratitude for them."
With a tally of 255 goals from 435 appearances, the Egypt international is third in the club's all-time goalscoring chart behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.
In a video featuring highlights of his time with Liverpool posted on X, Salah said: "Hello everyone. Unfortunately, the day has come.
"This is the first part of my farewell. I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season."
Salah said that he could never have "imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people would become part of my life".
"Thank you for everything. Because of all of you, I will never walk alone," he added.
Despite the amicable announcement, the footballer's relationship with the club hasn't always been an easy one.
In December, Salah said he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club, and that his relationship with head coach Arne Slot had broken down.
The forward told journalists at the time that he was in disbelief after having been left on the bench for the third game running.
What Liverpool said about Salah
Liverpool said in their statement that Salah had "firmly established himself as one of the greatest players in Liverpool's history, helping the club" win a number of titles.
The club added that Salah was focused on finishing the season, and that now wasn't the time to "fully celebrate" the player's achievements, as the star still has "plenty" of time left with the team.
In his social media post, Salah thanked fans for standing "by me in the toughest times", something he said he would "never forget".
The star thanked "everyone who was part of this club" during his tenure, singling out his team-mates, past and present.
"Leaving is never easy," he said. "You gave me the best time of my life. I will be always one of you. This club will always be my home, to me and to my family."
As well as forging a noteworthy career at Liverpool, the player officially became Egypt's national team's captain in 2021.
During his time on Merseyside, Salah, signed from Roma in 2017, has twice won the Premier League with Liverpool along with a Champions League crown, FA Cup and two Carabao Cup trophies.
PC Bradley Corke, 27, died on Saturday, after he was critically injured in Farningham, Kent, on Thursday evening.
He and a colleague, who was reported to be critically ill in hospital at the weekend, were responding to an "immediate" call when their marked police car was involved in the crash.
On Tuesday his family released a statement describing him as a "true gentleman" and a "credit to himself" and "us as parents".
The statement, released through Kent Police, said: "Our beautiful boy, so cruelly taken away from us far too young.
"Bradley was one of the finest young men ever to have walked this earth.
"A credit to himself, to us as parents and to all his family and friends who loved him dearly.
They added that he was "proud" to be a police officer and thanked well-wishers for sending their condolences.
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"It comes as no surprise to us that so many had such a positive experience in his presence," the tribute went on.
"Because that's just Brad - a true gentleman in every situation he encountered.
"Son, we are broken and will probably never recover from your loss, but we hope we can draw strength from all that you are and forever will be.
"We love you son, love you with every ounce of our being. Sleep tight our most beautiful boy."
Kent Police had also previously paid tribute to their officer in a separate statement.
The force said: "Bradley selflessly gave up his life while trying to save the lives of others who were in danger.
"His bravery, dedication, and passion for helping others will not be forgotten."
PC Corke had been an officer with the force since May 2022, serving towns across West Kent.
Neil Mennie, chair of Kent Police Federation, added: "We are all absolutely heartbroken to learn of this news.
"Bradley was a popular colleague who will be much missed and we will be doing all we can to support his family and close colleagues at this time.
"Policing is a family and words cannot describe the pain we are all feeling and how this news will affect us in the days, weeks and months ahead."
She added that his death serves as a reminder of the risks faced by officers in the line of duty.
At the weekend, another member of the public in a second vehicle was also being treated for serious injuries.
Kent Police continued to appeal for information relating to the collision in which he was involved.
Pet owners will pay a maximum of £21 for their first prescription and £12.50 for any other medicines within the same consultation under the changes, after the CMA found some were being overcharged for commonly prescribed medicines from vet practices.
Under the major overhaul of the sector, vets will also have to tell customers about savings they could make by buying medicines online, using those prescriptions.
Average prices of vet services have risen by 63% between 2016 and 2023, which is much faster than general inflation, the report found.
Martin Coleman, chair of the independent inquiry group, said the reforms will make a "real difference to the millions of pet owners who want the best for their pets but struggle to find the practice, treatment and price that meets their needs".
What else is changing?
Practices will be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services - including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options.
A comparison site will also be set up to allow pet owners to assess different vet practices more easily.
Vets will have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business with signs on site and online.
Practices will have to provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more - plus an itemised bill. Emergencies will be the only exception to this rule.
All of these changes will be legally enforced by 23 September.
Six 'large veterinary practices' singled out
The inquiry found that some issues were "specific" to six large veterinary groups. These are CVS, IVC, Linnaeus, Medivet, Pets at Home and VetPartners.
Coleman said: "We're not shying away from this. Most of them have higher average prices than independent practices, and, in at least three out of five cases, large groups buying up independent practices has led to higher average prices at those practices.
"Some of these groups are earning profits significantly higher
than would be expected in a well-functioning competitive market."
He said that today's changes will mean that large vet groups will be held to account by an independent regulator for the first time.
"Pet owners are left in the dark about prices even when they may be incurring costs of thousands of pounds; many are paying much more for medicines than they need to; pet owners often do not know who they are buying services from; and the large businesses that control the majority of vet practices and provide critical services are not held to account by an independent regulator," he said in his summary.
"And this ultimately impacts pet owners' ability to get the care that their animals need. This must change."
What did the vets say?
We asked each of the large veterinary groups for their thoughts on the reforms, and this is what they told us:
Vets for Pets, which is part of Pets at Home, said it had been a "challenging time" for its teams, but it was pleased to hear the system would be modernised.
A spokesperson said it was the only large group whose average prices were not found to be higher than independent practices.
"Our network of over 600 practice owners are dedicated to providing the best quality and value pet care in the communities they serve," they added.
"This has been a challenging time for dedicated veterinary teams who work tirelessly to provide care to the nation's pets, but we're pleased the process has identified the need to modernise the legislation and regulatory system underpinning the sector."
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CVS, which has hundreds of practices, said in a statement to investors that it thought some of the CMA reforms were not "fully justified", but that it was "comfortable with them" and believes they are "workable".
"We already comply with many remedies and are well advanced in complying with others, with price lists published on our practice websites in late 2025 and 117 CVS UK companion animal practices already jointly branded," it added.
IVC Evidensia, which has more than 2,200 clinics, hospitals and out-of-hours sites, said it welcomed the report and was focused on delivering "outstanding care for animals and excellent support for customers".
Medivet, which has more than 350 clinics across the country, said it was pleased to see that many of its existing practices already aligned with the CMA's findings.
"We further welcome the fact that the CMA's analysis has found that Medivet does not generate excess profits. We look forward to focusing on delivering exceptional care to our patients," a spokesperson added.
The British Veterinary Association, a national body that represents the veterinary profession and was not one of the six large vets named by the CMA, said the changes were a "really positive step" to increasing transparency, but it noted that vets have been dealing with higher costs in recent years.
The group's president Dr Rob Williams said: "Delivering highly skilled veterinary medicine is costly, and whilst we recognise prices have risen sharply in recent years, this is due to a number of factors, including the higher costs all businesses are experiencing - and vet practices are not immune."
His departure was one of two resignations in Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government on Tuesday, after a referendum to reform the country's judiciary was defeated.
Mr Delmastro, who is a member of Ms Meloni's Brothers of Italy Party, held a stake in a Rome restaurant alongside the daughter of a man convicted of having ties with Camorra, a mafia group based in Naples.
Mr Delmastro said he had sold his stake when he learned that his 18-year-old business partner's father, Andrea Caroccia, had been linked to the organisation.
However, a 2023 photo showing him alongside Caroccia later emerged, suggesting the two men knew each other well.
It also came to light that he did not disclose his stake to parliament.
"I have always fought crime and achieved concrete, important results," Mr Delmastro said.
"Although I did nothing wrong, I made an error of judgment, which I corrected as soon as I became aware of it. I take responsibility for that".
Along with Mr Delmastro, the justice ministry's chief of staff, Giusi Bartolozzi, also stepped down on Tuesday.
Ms Bartolozzi resigned after she controversially urged voters to back the reform so Italy could "get rid of" a judiciary she described as a "firing squad".
The departures added to the political turmoil after the referendum to reform Italy's judiciary failed on Monday, in the first significant defeat for Ms Meloni and her right-wing coalition.
In a brief statement, Ms Meloni accepted the resignations of both officials, and, in an unusual move, also called on her tourism minister Daniela Santanche "to make the same choice".
Ms Santanche was ordered to stand trail last year on charges of false accounting related to a publishing group she used to own.
She has resisted calls to quit since then, and had enjoyed Ms Meloni's support.
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The shake-up suggests Ms Meloni is seeking to reassert control by containing the political damage, and signalling she can still act decisively after voters rejected the landmark reforms.
Both Ms Meloni and Justice Minister Carlo Nordio have resisted calls that they should also resign after 54% of Italians rejected the proposal to modernise the country's judiciary.