#SOUTHAFRICA: Pres. Zuma Seeks To Replicate Zimbabwe By Taking White-Owned Lands

[world politics news]

Pres. Jacob Zuma says he will lead an effort to take "land back to the people," and part of this plan involves taking white-owned properties without compensation. It's a policy reminiscent of Pres. Mugabe's Zimbabwe, whose actions have made that nation an economic ruin, but Zuma insists it will transform the economy, and recently sent the Land Expropriation Bill back to Parliament for further consideration. The bill was passed by Parliament in May last year, but requires the government to purchase property on reasonable terms.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#UGANDA: Cabinet Approves Tougher Penalties For Wildlife Crimes

[world politics news]

The cabinet has approved amendments to the Wildlife Act and toughened the penalties against wildlife crimes. The review of the Uganda Wildlife Act 1996, seeks to address emerging challenges in conservation, including poaching, illicit trans-boundary wildlife trade and increasing human wildlife conflicts.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#ECUADOR: Leftist Pres. Candidate Leads, But April Run-Off Required

[world politics news]

Ecuador will hold a run-off presidential election in April after a hard fought and inconclusive first round. The nation could be the latest Leftist-run nation to shift toward the Right. The ruling party's leftist candidate Lenin Moreno finished first, but fell short of the margin needed to avoid a run-off. He will face his conservative rival Guillermo Lasso April 2. Moreno, a former vice president under Pres. Rafael Correa, garnered 39% of the votes, against 28% for Lasso, a former banker, the National Electoral Council said.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#AUSTRIA: Foreign Min/Integration Min. Kurz Says He "Understands" Need For US/Mexico Wall

[world politics news]

Austria’s Foreign and Integration Minister Sebastian Kurz has said that in principle he understands why Pres. Donald Trump has promised to build a wall between the US and Mexico."So far every American president has tried to regulate migration to the US, and every other country in the world is also trying to control migration and not to allow it to continue uncontrolled," Kurz told the Austria Press Agency.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#BARBADOS: Oppo. Labour Party Hopes To Turn Up Heat On PM With "March of Disgust"

[world politics news]

Barbados Labour Party Leader Mia Mottley says her party will ramp up the pressure on Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, saying it was disgusted with the administration’s handling of the economy. She announced a March 11 "National March of Disgust," designed to show displeasure with the Stuart Administration's "indifference" and "incompetence."

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: Opposition Leader Mia Mottley (right) with economic consultant Dr Clyde Mascoll.

#BRAZIL: Foreign Min. Jose Serra Resigns, Citing Health; Latest Blow To Pres. Temer's Admin.

[world politics news]

Brazil’s Foreign Minister Jose Serra resigned Wednesday citing health concerns, in a new blow to Michel Temer's administration. Serra, 74, said health problems made him unable to keep up with the rhythm of leading the foreign ministry of Latin America’s biggest nation. Serra is a former candidate for president. Temer already had lost seven leading members of his government — six ministers and a senior adviser.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#INDIA: 3 Months After Pulling It, Gov't Relents And Is Bringing Back 1,000 Rupee Note

[world politics news]

Just three months after withdrawing the 1000 Rupee note from circulation, India's government has relented and is now reintroducing a redesigned note. The ruling BJP Party's poll numbers took a hit from the move, which caused massive lines at banks in this cash-centered economy. Withdrawals were also limited, making the lines worse.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#ITALY: Former PM Renzi Resigns As Leader Of Democratic Party, Triggering Contest

[world politics news]

Former prime minister Matteo Renzi has resigned as leader of the center-left Democratic Party, triggering a leadership election as his ruling party grapples with the threat of a split. Renzi, who stepped down in December after losing a government reform referendum, said he would run to win back his post as party secretary, which would put him in pole position to become prime minister once more if the party wins approaching national elections.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#FRANCE: 65% Want Scandal-Plagued Fillon To Drop Out Of Race; Says He Won't

[world politics news]

Even with a new poll showing 65% of French voters want scandal-plagued presidential candidate Francois Fillon to drop out of the race, he says he will remain and fight to the end. Fillon is facing a prosecutor investigating whether his wife and children had "do-nothing" jobs in Parliament earning them hundreds of thousands of Euros. He'd earlier said he might drop out but now says he will soldier on.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#NORWAY: Gov't Orders Four New Subs In Face of "Threat" of Aggressive Russian Neighbor

[world politics news]

Citing an "unpredictable" Russia on its borders, Norway's defense minister, Ine Eriksen Soreide, has announced it is buying four submarines from Germany in 2019. Norway is a member of NATO but not the European Union. It's recently has spent over $18 billion in new military hardware in the face of Russia's aggressive maneuvers in the northern part of the nation, where they share a border.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#GERMANY: Environment Min. Causes Cabinet Revolt After Banning Meat At Functions

[world politics news]

Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is facing internal bickering after the environment minister banned meat at official functions. Barbara Hendricks claims eating meat is damaging to the environment and has ordered only vegetarian food to be served. A rival minister has accused her of "nanny-statism" and trying to force vegetarianism on people "by the back door."

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: Angela Merkel talking with Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks 

#ICELAND: President Clarifies Stand On Banning Pineapple As A Pizza Topping

[world politics news]

Faced with uproar at home and a social media storm abroad, the president of Iceland has been forced to clarify his outspoken stance on one of the defining questions of the age: whether pineapple should be allowed on pizza. Guðni Jóhannesson had expressed dislike of tropical fruit on pizza during an appearance at a school, but now says he is glad he does not have power to initiate ban, and admits that he prefers seafood on pizza.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#MONTENEGRO: Prosecutor Says Russian Government Was Behind 2016 Coup Attempt, Russia Denies

[world politics news]

Russia has struck back against allegations that it was involved in an attempted coup during Montenegro's election last year, ridiculing them as "absurd" and unsubstantiated. A Montenegrin prosecutor has accused "Russian state bodies" of playing a role in an attempted putsch with the aim of stopping the Balkan country from joining NATO. Plans were to shoot the prime minister and install a pro-Russian party as a puppet government, he said.

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Đjukanović

#THEPHILIPPINES: Former Police Official Says Pres. Duterte Paid Money For Assassinations As Mayor

[world politics news]

Police carried out killings in the Philippine city of Davao under the instruction of then mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the current president, according to a former policeman who said he was part of a “Davao death squad” tasked with eliminating criminals. Arturo Lascanas, a retired Davao policeman, said on Monday he had previously killed a radio host critical of Duterte at the behest of a driver and close aide of the mayor, and that Duterte had paid money to police for carrying out assassinations. Duterte has repeatedly denied involvement in vigilantism.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#KAZAKHSTAN: Authoritarian Pres. Promises Shift To Parliamentary Government

[world politics news]

The president of Kazakhstan has outlined plans to dilute his powers and shift to a parliamentary form of government, but still remain the final word on many matters of state. Pres. Nursultan Nazarbayev said the current strong presidential model in force since independence as necessary to "overcome the enormous difficulties of forming the state," but said that the time had arrived for a new model. He described the proposed reform as a redistribution of power and a democratization of the political system.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#COLOMBIA: Former Congressman Denies Receiving $1 Million Bribe From Brazilian Firm

[world politics news]

A former Colombian congressman detained on accusations that he received millions in bribes from Brazilian engineering firm Odebrecht SA denied on Tuesday that a $1 million portion of the money was given to President Juan Manuel Santos’ 2014 campaign. Senator Otto Bula also flatly denies the charges. A commission investigating bribery also suspects Pres. Santos' opponent of receiving bribes from the firm.

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos 

#DENMARK: Left- And Right-Leaning Centrist Parties Could Unite To Topple PM's Liberals

[world politics news]

The Danish People’s Party and the Social Democrats have long resided within their respective ‘blocs’ in the national political makeup, with the People's Party being a member of the right-of-center blue bloc and the Social Democrats, the leading party of the left-of-center red bloc. An alliance between them - rumored more loudly after a joint interview recently with the party's two leaders - could unite the nation's centrists and freeze out Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s Venstre party. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: The People's Party's Kristian Thulesen Dahl, left, and the Social Democrats' Mette Frederiksen

#SPAIN: PM Rajoy Hopes To Make Deal With Post-Brexit Britain; Seeks Joint Sovereignty Over #Gibraltar

[world politics news]

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says he thinks a deal can quickly be worked out with Britain to defend the rights of British expats in Spain after Brexit. Rajoy also says he would use Brexit to renegotiate with London the status of Gibraltar, the tiny territory on Spain's southern tip that was ceded to Britain in 1713. He hopes for joint governance of the territory between the UK and Spain, and offer dual citizenship to its citizens. Many Spanish citizens work in Gibraltar each day.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#GERMANY: Anti-Migrant Party Parliamentary Candidate Circulates Hitler's Photo, Calls For His "Return"

[world politics news]

The Alternative for Germany Party is investigating a regional chairwoman for circulating a photo of Adolf Hitler, in which she called for his return. Parliamentary candidate for the Nüremberg area, Elena Roon, sent a photo of Adolf Hitler to members on an AfD group Whatsapp chat last summer. The photo was accompanied with the phrases: "Missed since 1945", and "Adolf please get in touch! Germany needs you! The German people!"

[FULL STORY HERE]

#JAPAN: School Operator Tied To PM Abe Bought State-Owned Land At A Discount, Alleges Panel

[world politics news]

A Japanese private school operator linked to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bought state-owned land for 134 million yen, some 800 million yen lower than the appraised value, according to government statements during a parliamentary panel session Friday.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#UK: Labour Party Sinks To Third Most Popular Party Amongst The Working Class

[world politics news]

The British Labour Party is now the third most popular party among working-class voters, a new poll has revealed, suggesting it could lose upcoming by-elections in Stoke and Cumbria. The YouGov survey showed blue collar workers are now less likely to vote for Labour (20%) than they are for the Conservative (39%) or UK Independence Party (23%.) The results may further bolster calls for a shake-up in the Labour Party.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#FRANCE: Pres. Cand. Provokes Firestorm After Apologizing For France's Colonization Of Algeria

[world politics news]

Presidential frontrunner Emmanuel Macron has drawn a storm of criticism from his rivals after calling France's colonization of Algeria a "crime against humanity." In a TV interview in Algiers this week, the centrist said French actions in Algeria, which achieved independence in 1962 after eight years of war, were "genuinely barbaric, and constitute a part of our past that we have to confront by apologizing."

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SERBIA: Vast Majority In New Poll Wouldn't Support Military Effort To Reclaim Kosovo

[world politics news]

A new survey shows that 74% of Serbs wouldn't go to war to reclaim Kosovo as a Serbian province if it was proposed. Three-quarters of those polled support the EU-facilitated negotiations to normalize relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Only eight percent oppose it.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#MYANMAR: Parliamentary Committee Suggests Lowering Tax On Gold To 1%

[world politics news]

The Parliament's Joint Bill Committee is recommending that sales taxes on gold be reduced from 3% to 1%, citing the culture of the working classes in Myanmar to collect and save gold to be passed down to children. The tax had earlier been reduced from 5%, but gold dealers say that even 3%, combined with fees, remains too high.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SOUTHAFRICA: Pres. To Deploy Troops In Parliament During Annual Address

[world politics news]

South African Pres. Jacob Zuma will deploy troops inside parliament tomorrow during his State of the Nation address to "maintain law and order," following scuffles and fights during last year's address. The move has been condemned by the Opposition Democratic Alliance Party as a "declaration of war."

#FRANCE: Embattled Pres. Cand. Fillon Faces Internal Calls From Party To Step Down

[world politics news]

About 40 members of the French center right on Tuesday called on embattled presidential candidate François Fillon to consider dropping out of the race over a financial scandal they say has damaged his campaign beyond repair. The elected officials, from his Republican Party, told him in parliament to find a "political solution" to his problems, which has resulted in his on-the-ground campaign nearly grinding to a halt. He faces allegations that he paid his wife and children hundreds of thousands of euros in public funds for work they did not do or for which they were unqualified.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#VENEZUELA: USA Sanctions VP El Aissami For Involvement In Narcotics Trafficking

[world politics news]

The U.S. government added Venezuelan Vice President Tarek El Aissami to its sanctions list Monday, saying he “played a significant role in international narcotics trafficking” and freezing his access to a fortune estimated at $3 billion after a lengthy investigation of his alleged links to drug traffickers and Muslim extremists.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#GERMANY: Social Democrats Surging In New Poll, Popular With Discouraged Non-Voters

[world politics news]

Voters who stayed away from the polls in the 2013 election could swing the September Parliamentary election towards the Social Democrats, who are surging in the polls according to a recent survey. The center-Left party, headed by Martin Schulz, benefits most from these "non-voters," says the Bild newspaper survey. Chancellor Angela Merkel's popularity has taken a hit because of her "open door" policy towards Syrian immigrants.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#MONGOLIA: Parliament Votes To Nationalize Natural Resources After Scandal

[world politics news]

Mongolia’s parliament approved a resolution to nationalize copper, gold and iron-ore assets in the country following a probe that found a $400 million transaction with a closely held company was illegal.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#CANADA: MP Peter Julian First To Enter New Democratic Party Leadership Race

[world politics news]

With the campaign phrase “seize the moment,” MP Peter Julian has become the first to enter the race to lead the New Democratic Party, giving a 25-minute, bilingual announcement at the Columbia Theater in New Westminster, B.C. this past Sunday. We have an appointment with destiny in the fall of 2019, just 33 months from now,” Julian said.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#ISRAEL: Knesset Legalizes West Bank Settlements In Symbolic Vote

[world politics news]

Israel’s parliament passed a law on Monday retroactively legalizing about 4,000 settler homes built on privately-owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. The legislation is largely symbolic because the Supreme Court has ruled many of these settlements to be illegal. Opposition leader Yitzhak Herzog denounced the measure as "an acute danger to Israel" that could lead to prosecution at the International Criminal Court at The Hague.
[FULL STORY HERE]

#AUSTRALIA: Sen. Cory Bernardi Leaves Liberal Party, Founding "Australian Conservatives"

[world politics news]

Sen. Cory Bernardi says he has resigned from the Liberal Party and has formed a new party, the Australian Conservatives. He says he resigned because respect for values has been replaced by political expediency, and because the "political class" is failing Australia. Liberal leaders anger over the defection was muted by the fact they'll rely on Bernardi's vote for their future legislation. He does not believe in man-made climate change, takes a hard line against Muslim immigration, and is against gay marriage.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SINGAPORE: Pres. Election Pushed Back A Month, New Rules Announced In Legislation

[world politics news]

This year's presidential election will be pushed back to September, to avoid the campaigning period coinciding with National Day celebrations in August, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, who announced a new bill in parliament featuring several new election rules. In the past, Polling Day typically fell in the last week of August. Presidential hopefuls will get more time to submit their papers, and the committee which assesses whether they are eligible to run for election will also have more time to go through applications. President Tony Tan Keng Yam's term expires on Aug 31.

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Chan Chun Sing

#NORTHERNIRELAND: Ban On Smoking In Cars With Children Being Planned

[world politics news]

Plans to ban smoking in private vehicles carrying children are to be discussed, the health minister has announced. Michelle O'Neill said it was "inconceivable that we continue to allow children to be exposed to such harm." In February 2016, Assembly members voted in favor of introducing the ban.
Similar legislation came into force in England and Wales in October 2015 and in Scotland in December 2016. In the Republic of Ireland, a ban took effect last year.

[FULL STORY HERE]  

#CANADA: Alberta Gov't Will Spend $600 Million To Educate Kids About Climate Change

[world politics news]

Alberta’s New Democratic Party-led government is spending $600,000 on a new grant program to fund climate education and literacy initiatives. Non-profit community and youth groups will be able to access the grant, which will be funded by revenues from the carbon tax - the funding of which is itself controversial.

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: Shannon Phillips, center, the Alberta minister responsible for climate change policy.

#KENYA: Bill Would Force Alcohol Manufacturers To "Insure" Drinkers, Pay Survivor's Families

[world politics news]

A legislator is proposing a bill that would force manufacturers of alcohol and beer to "insure" users and pay out benefits to families harmed by alcohol use. The bill would make leading brewers and distillers responsible for the "consequences" or aftermath of drinking consumers.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#GERMANY: Syrian Refugee Suing Over Use Of Famous Merkel Selfie By "Fake News" On Facebook

[world politics news]

Syrian refugee Anas Modamani took one of Germany's most emblematic selfies in Sept. 2015, with him alongside Chancellor Angela Merkel. But his photo has been posted with language suggesting he was part of the Brussels and Berlin Christmas attacks, and posted on Facebook with these false stories. Now, in a case that will have long-ranging implication for social media, Modamani is taking Facebook to court, demanding that they ban the photo permanently from the site.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#AUSTRALIA: PM Turnbull Lobs Verbal Assault On Oppo Ldr Shorten After Week Of Attacks On Wealth

[world politics news]

A fired-up Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has let loose on the leader of the opposition, Bill Shorten, in a withering attack in Parliament, accusing him of being "a social climbing sycophant" of billionaires, a "parasite" and of being a corrupt union leader when he headed a union. The spirited attack after a week of attacks from Shorten on Turnbull for being wealthy, which Turnbull conceded. Twitter users said they were glad Turnbull finally found his voice and went on the attack. He said, in part:

"There was never a union leader in Melbourne that tucked his knees under more billionaire’s tables than the leader of the opposition. He lapped it up, yes, he lapped it up. He was such a sycophant, a social-climbing sycophant if ever there was one. There has never been a more sycophantic leader of the Labor Party than this one and he comes here and poses as a Tribune of the people. He likes harborside mansions, he is yearning for one, he is yearning to get into Kirribilli House, because somebody else pays for it! Just like he loved knocking back Dick Pratt’s Cristal and looked forward to living at the expense of the taxpayer, this man is a parasite and has no respect for the taxpayer!

[Video HERE. Turn on "Captions"]

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce laughs heartily during Turnbull's attack.

#CANADA: Conservative Pty Ldr Cand. O'Leary Refuses To Attack Opponents In Halifax Debate

[world politics news]

TV star and candidate for Conservative Party Leader Kevin O'Leary refused to attack his 13 opponents during a Halifax debate this past weekend, saying he instead said he had gotten a "wonderful welcome," and thought there was "no need" to fight back against the many barbs sent his way.  The debate touched on corporate taxation, the economy, mandatory minimum sentencing and the carbon tax. O'Leary, a perceived front-runner, was criticized for the amount of time he spends in the U.S., for giving money to the Liberal party and for being a "celebrity" candidate.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#FRANCE: Leftist Pres. Candidate Appears In Two Cities At Once Using A Hologram

[world politics news]

French far-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon held simultaneous presidential campaign rallies Sunday in two cities that are nearly 500 km apart – appearing in the flesh in Lyon and as a three-dimensional ghost in suburban Paris. He accomplished this impossible feat using a hologram, a 21st century technology perhaps meant to demonstrate a "modern" image for the Communist-aligned candidate.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#UK: House Of Commons Speaker Opposes Trump Address To Joint Session Of Parliament

[world politics news]

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has come out against US President Donald Trump addressing the Houses of Parliament on a state visit this year in an extraordinary intervention. More than a quarter of MPs have already signed a motion stating that Trump should not be offered the chance to make such a speech during his time in the UK.

[FULL STORY HERE]

BREAKING: #FRANCE: Pres. Candidate Francois Fillon Defiant, Won't Quit Race Amid Legal Troubles

[world politics news]

Saying that "the media are not a tribunal," former French prime minister and conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon fought back today in a defiant news conference against a 10-day "media campaign," an "assassination" and an "institutional coup d'etat" against him. Fillon faces a criminal probe after allegedly giving his wife a "fake" job. He said he will not drop out of the race, citing the trust primary voters put in him. "They elected me because I have a program that broke from the past. Their choice will be respected. Nobody can deprive them of that choice." He urged all candidates to be treated fairly and the same way by the media, and attacked the "elite class." He says electing the far Left or Marine LePen's far Right parties would be dangerous. He said he would re-launch his campaign with "renewed energy and determination, Nothing will divert me from my will to restore France's position and give them hope."

[ORIGINAL REPORTING]

#ROMANIA: Gov't Scraps Controversial Prison Amnesty Bill After Mass Protests

[world politics news]

Romania's government has scrapped a controversial decree that would have shielded many politicians from prosecution for corruption. The decision came at an emergency meeting on the issue, following days of large street protests. The government had argued that the changes were needed to reduce prison overcrowding and align certain laws with the constitution. But critics saw it as a way for the governing Social Democrats to absolve officials convicted or accused of corruption.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SPAIN: Personal Feud Over Party's Future Direction Threatens Unity Of Far-Left Podemos Party

[world politics news]

Podemos chief Pablo Iglesias and his deputy Íñigo Errejón are engaged in a high-profile duel over how to steer the party towards taking power that will culminate on February 11 and 12 at a key party meeting. Iglesias, 38, and his 33-year-old political secretary start their separate campaigns on Saturday ahead of the congress which will vote a new leadership council in, and may see one of them evicted from their post.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#DENMARK: 27 "Child Brides" Among Asylum-Seekers Prompts Ban On Marriage Under 18 Years Old

[world politics news]

The Danish parliament has approved a bill that will prohibit people from under the age of 18 from getting married. The bill also states that minors who were married abroad will not have their marriages recognized by Denmark. The action is in response to an Integration Ministry report that revealed that there are 27 minors in the Danish asylum system who have spouses or registered partners. Female asylum seekers as young as 14 had entered the country married to men who are ten or more years their elder.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#SWEDEN: PM Presents Bill To Bind All Future Gov'ts To "Credible" Climate Targets

[world politics news]

Sweden has presented a new climate law designed to ensure all future governments have a "credible climate policy" as well as announcing an ambitious target of achieving a net level of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Presented by Swedish PM Stefan Löfven and Climate Minister Isabella Lövin, the new law, if adopted when it is put to the Riksdag in March, will enter into force in 2018 and is designed to ensure all future governments make a credible effort to achieve emissions targets like the one set for 2045.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#EU: Europe Pays Libya 200 Million Euros To Better Control Its Borders, Curb Immigration

[world politics news]

EU leaders have rubber stamped a plan to curb migration from Libya at an informal summit in Malta offering Tripoli €200 million to better control its borders. The deadly route across the Central Mediterranean is now the main gateway to Europe, with some 181,000 arrivals in 2016. It is run by smugglers who operate with impunity in Libya, which slid into chaos after the overthrow of Mummar Gaddafi in 2011

[FULL STORY HERE].

#KUWAIT: Trump-Style Ban Issued On Entry From 5 Muslim-Majority Nations

[world politics news]

Citizens from five Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East will no longer be able to obtain Kuwaiti visas, after reports the Gulf state issued tight entry restrictions that mirrored US President Donald Trump's. Syrians, Iraqis, Iranians, Pakistanis and Afghans will not be able to obtain visit, tourism or trade Kuwaiti visas under the ban, issued by Kuwait's parliament.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#TURKEY: First High-Level Diplomatic Talks With Israel In Six Years Set To Begin

[world politics news]

Turkish and Israeli foreign ministry officials met recently in Ankara in the first high-level meetings between the two nations in six years. The discussions were made possible as the result of the reconciliation agreement that culminated in December with an exchange of ambassadors. The talks will focus on areas of economic, cultural and security concerns.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#UK: Parliament Votes Overwhelmingly To Support Triggering Brexit With "Article 50"

[world politics news]

Parliament has voted by a majority of 384 to allow Prime Minister Theresa May to get Brexit negotiations under way. They backed the government's European Union Bill, supported by the Labour leadership, by 498 votes to 114. But the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats opposed the bill, while 47 Labour MPs and Tory ex-chancellor Ken Clarke rebelled. The bill now faces further scrutiny in the Commons and the House of Lords before it can become law.

[FULL STORY HERE]