#TURKEY: Compulsory Military Conscription Reduced To Six Months From A Year; Move Towards More Professional Military

[world politics news]

Turkish Parliament has passed a bill reducing compulsory conscription from 12 months to six months and making paid military service exemption permanent. The moves are part of a plan to rely more on well-trained professionals instead of young men who had to undergo short military training before being dispatched to risky areas for counter-terrorism operations.

The bill, adopted by 335 votes in favor out of the 600-seated parliament with support from all parties, was signed into law by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan later the same day. More than 100,000 soldiers currently serving the one-year term will be discharged early as they finish serving six months.
[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UK: Labour Party Strikes Back Over Concerns Over Party Leader Corbyn's Health, Mental Fitness

[world politics news]

The Labour Party is hitting back hard against a London Times article highlighting concerns of unnamed civil servants that party Leader Jeremy Corbyn, 70, is "too frail" to be prime minister, and is "losing his memory," relying on others around him to make decisions.

A party spokesman struck back at the claims, saying, "Jeremy Corbyn leads an active life, running and cycling regularly, and is in good health. Reports to the contrary are scurrilous and a transparent attempt to undermine Labour's efforts to redistribute wealth and power from the few to the many." It's unclear whether the attack came from those in the civil service sympathetic to the Conservative Party, or whether it originated within the Labour Party's own ranks.

In June, 2016, Corbyn faced, and survived, a full-scale revolt against his leadership (and leadership style) when 11 members of his Shadow Cabinet resigned at once.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#JAMAICA: Gov't Produces Resource Manual For Victims Of Human Trafficking

[world politics news]

The Government is taking steps to enhance its anti-human trafficking profile through the development of a Human Trafficking Survivors’ Handbook and Human Trafficking e-Learning platform.

The tools were produced by the Office of the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons and the Office of the Children’s Advocate, partnership with the British High Commission in Jamaica. The handbook provides information on the rights of persons affected by human trafficking. It also provides a directory of providers of relevant and easily accessible information on services available in Jamaica to address the varying needs of victims.

Pictured: National Security Minister Hon. Dr. Horace Chang

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#FRANCE: Former Pres. Sarkozy Loses Final Appeal To Avoid Corruption Trial

[world politics news]

France’s former president, Nicolas Sarkozy, will go on trial facing charges of corruption and influence peddling after losing his final bid to avoid appearing in court. The Court of Cassation, which rules on questions of law, says a trial is justified for Sarkozy as well as his lawyer Thierry Herzog and former judge Gilbert Azibert.

 [FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#JAPAN: Pre-Election No Confidence Motion Against PM Abe Fails

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A no-confidence motion against the cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was voted down Tuesday in the lower house, with the ruling bloc fending off opposition camp criticism about the government's handling of a pension report before an upper house election.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CZECHIA: Mass Protests Against PM Babis Calls For Resignation

[world politics news]

Czechs turned out in their thousands on Sunday in Prague to call for the ousting of prime minister Andrej Babis in the biggest show of public discontent since the 1989 Velvet Revolution which overthrew communism.

The rally in Letna park was the culmination of a series of demonstrations in recent weeks against Babis, 64, who has faced investigations over alleged fraud and conflicts of interest, claims he vehemently denies.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#INDIA: Proposed Parliamentary Reform Legislation Voted Down

[world politics news]

India's upper house of parliament has rejected a member's bill that would have sought to improve the productivity of Parliament.

The bill, which was rejected by a Voice vote, sought to fix the minimum number of days in a year for which Parliament shall be in session, introduce special session in addition to the existing three sessions, compensate the budget for the hours unused due to floor disruptions, and spell out obligations of the presiding officers of both houses and the members of Parliament.

The member who proposed the bill, Naresh Gujaral, was not present for the two-and-a-half-hour debate.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#INDIA: Yoga Guru Says Failure To Do Yoga Cost Opposition Leader Gandhi's Party Election

[world politics news]

A national yoga guru has attributed the Opposition National Congress Party's drubbing in the recent legislative elections to party president Rahul Gandhi failing to practising yoga.

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev is preparing to celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21.

Ramdev praised Prime Minister Narenda Modi for his daily yoga practice. But Modi didn't join in the attacks, instead wishing Gandhi a happy birthday in a gracious tweet, that read, "Best wishes to Shri @RahulGandhi on his birthday. May he be blessed with good health and a long life."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UK: Final Round Of Voting For New Conservative Party Leader Set To Start

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Boris Johnson will go head-to-head with Jeremy Hunt to determine the new Conservative leader, after the final party vote took place Wednesday.

Foreign Secretary Michael Gove was eliminated in the final ballot of Tory Members of Parliament.

Around 160,000 Conservative members will now decide on who will become a the new prime minister in July, after Theresa May steps down.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#FRANCE: Pres. Macron, PM Philippe To Unveil Measures To Boost Popularity In Post-Yellow Vest Era

[world politics news]

France’s beleaguered president is seeking to breathe new life into his plans to overhaul France’s economy now that Yellow Vest protests against him are ebbing and that his popularity is picking up.

In a speech to France’s National Assembly, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe promised a “profound change of method” as he outlined a set of measures – including tax cuts and changes to unemployment benefits – to be enacted over the remaining three years of Macron’s presidency.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#NORWAY: New Health Minister Says Gov't Shouldn't Tell Citizens Not To Smoke, Drink Alcohol, Eat Red Meat

[world politics news]

Norway's new cabinet minister for Public Health, Sylvi Listhaug, is causing controversy for saying that there's nothing wrong with eating red meat, smoking and drinking alcohol. At least her office won't be lecturing citizens to avoid such things.

An admitted "occasional" smoker herself, Listhaug hails from the Norwegian Progress Party, which is focused on civil liberties, individualism, and limited government. Which makes her "hands off" approach unsurprising.

In an interview, Listhaug said: "I think many smokers feel repressed. They almost feel they have to hide away, and I think that’s stupid. Although smoking is not good and it is harmful, adults have to decide for themselves what they do. The only thing we as governments are to do is to provide information."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CANADA: Ontario New Democrats Pass Resolution To Lower Voting Age To 14

[world politics news]

Delegates and party members of the Ontario New Democratic Party passed a resolution to lower the voting age to 14 at its convention this past weekend.

“Resolution 5-5: Youth Political Engagement” also tackled the engagement of young voters and the need to improve civics education in the province. Currently, Canadian citizens must be 18 years old or older to vote in an election.

National NDP Party Leader Jagmeet Singh was also present at the convention alongside Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, where he unveiled his party’s 2019 election platform.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ALBANIA: Parliament Censures President For Cancelling June 30 Local Elections

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A parliamentary resolution approved by 100 votes to seven has censured Albania's Pres. Ilir Meta for cancelling nationwide local elections, scheduled for June 30.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Gov't Caves On Mainland Extradition Bill Over Fears China Will Use It To Crush Dissent

[world politics news]

Hong Kong's government is backing down and suspending its highly unpopular extradition bill after a week of large-scale demonstrations and political violence in the streets. The government maintains the legislation's intention of plugging legal loopholes is still valid. Many, however, feared it would allow Communist China to demand the extradition of Hong Kong opponents of the regime to face unfair trails on the mainland.

Hong Kong is self-governing, but is growing ever closer to Communist China and will eventually merge with it in 2047, 50 years after the 1997 British hand-over control to China with a guarantee of "one nation, two systems" governing the island city-state.

At a press conference Saturday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, using the words "suspension" and "halting" interchangeably, admitted her government had not communicated the need for the bill well enough. "I feel deep sorrow and regret that deficiencies in our work – and various other factors – have stirred up substantial controversies," she said.

The reversal came in the face of two massive protests last week, one ending in violence and injuries to 80 people.

Organisers of the historic march on June 9, the Civil Human Rights Front, and the pro-democracy Confederation of Trade Unions have vowed to carry on with another march this Sunday.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CANADA: Trudeau Gov't To Impose Federal Carbon Tax; If Alberta Repeals Theirs

[world politics news]

The Federal government has announced that the federal carbon tax will go into effect on January 1st, in part as a reaction to Alberta's plan to end its provincial carbon tax. Since his election earlier this year, Alberta’s Premier Jason Kenney has tabled legislation to do away with the province’s own self-imposed carbon tax which sat at $30/ton.

Since Kenney and his United Conservative Party of Alberta promised to end the carbon tax, the federal government, led by Liberal Justin Trudeau, has warned that it would level the federal-level tax on the provinces. Now the federal government has followed through with that threat, telling the provinces that the federal levy will go into effect on January 1, 2020.

Conservatives note that the tax is contingent on Trudeau's Liberals winning re-election this October, with the national Conservative Party vowing to oppose New carbon taxes.

Pictured: Environment & Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SCOTLAND: Paliament Creates "Opt-Out" Organ Donor System

[world politics news]

Scotland's parliament has voted to approve an "opt-out" system for organ donation in Scotland.

At present, people must "opt in" by registering to donate their organs for transplants after they die.

Under the new system it will be assumed people were in favor of donation unless they have stated otherwise.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#IRAN: Parliament Bans Acid Attacks, Calling Them "Terror"

[world politics news]

New legislation passed by the Iranian Parliament approved death sentence for perpetrators of "acid attacks aimed at bringing about terror and instability in the society."

Dozens of women in Iran have been attacked with acid in recent years by family members or presumably by hardline supporters of the compulsory hijab. Ministry of Health statistics puts acid attacks at 60 to 70 cases every year.

The legislation still needs to be approved by the hardliner-dominated Guardian Council.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CANADA: Trudeau Gov't Will Seek Ban On Single-Use Plastics, Including Straws

[world politics news]

The Trudeau government will reportedly seek to ban single-use plastics as early as 2021.

Plastic straws, cotton swabs, drink stirrers, plates, cutlery and balloon sticks are just some of the single-use plastics that will be banned in Canada.
[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#BOTSWANA: Supreme Court Strikes Down Laws Against Homosexuality

[world politics news]

Botswana’s high court has overturned colonial-era laws that criminalized homosexuality, saying they were unconstitutional.

Judges in the southern African nation unanimously ruled on the decision during LGBTQ Pride month, moving away from more than two dozen sub-Saharan African countries with anti-same-sex laws.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#USA: #Colorado Bills Allow Pot Delivery, Make All Schedule I/II Drugs Possession Felonies Misdemeanors

[world politics news]

Colorado has become the first state to officially establish a framework for marijuana social consumption spaces.

In addition, the state legalized weed delivery services and permitted public investments into Colorado’s cannabis companies, which was previously banned. Gov. Polis also signed several pieces of legislation that reformed the state’s drug policies, including knocking down felony charges for possession of Schedule I/II substances to mere misdemeanors.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#HONGKONG: Organizers Hope For 500k Marchers Against Extradition Law Sunday

[world politics news]

OrganiXers of a mass rally on Sunday against the government’s extradition bill are hoping up to half a million people or more will join, matching the turnout at an anti-establishment protest in 2003 that led to a previous Hong Kong leader stepping down.

The extradition bill will allow Hong Kong to send suspects on a case-by-case basis to jurisdictions with which the city does not have an extradition agreement, including the mainland and Taiwan. They fear the Communist government could use the new arrangement to target political opponents or that suspects would be sent to the mainland where they may not receive a fair trial.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#GREECE: Oppo Parties Will Boycott Extended Parliament Session

[world politics news]

Opposition parties in Greece say they will boycott an extension of the Parliamentary session after the government submitted a series of amendments to the House.

With just a month to go before a snap general election, lawmakers said they were opposed to the government’s plan to keep Parliament open for a few more days so that it can pass 11th hour legislation that will make it practically impossible for them to examine its content in detail.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#AUSTRALIA: New Labor Party Leader Vows Party Will Be More "Pro-Business"

[world politics news]

Newly elected Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese says the party will do things differently to win the next election, indicating a pro-business shift and an appeal to “successful” Australians.

Repudiating former party leader Bill Shorten’s campaign rhetoric that targeted the wealthy, Albanese emphasised his links to corporate Australia, and singled out the party’s franking credit policy as a key failure of Labor’s bid for election.

The Shorten-led Labor Party was defeated in last month's national election, with Liberal Party Prime Minister Scott Morrison winning convincingly.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UK: Scottish Parliament Bans The Spanking Of Children

[world politics news]

The Scottish parliament has voted by a significant majority in favour of banning the physical punishment of children.

The bill, sponsored by Scottish Green Party MSP John Finnie and supported by the Scottish National Party government, is designed to give children equal protection from violence by removing the defense of “justifiable assault” in Scottish law.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UK: Anti-Brexit Change UK Party Loses 6 of Its 11 MPs

[world politics news]

Six of the 11 members of parliament who formed the Change UK Party (The Independent Group) last month to contest the European elections have left the new party. Only five remain in the Anti-Brexit party.

MP Anna Soubry has become the Leader of the party, which was founded just three months ago and failed to won any seats in the May

EU Parliamentary elections. However, she says they will continue on as a party.

In a statement posted on the party's Twitter account, Soubry wrote: "We registered as a political party to stand in the European elections but it was never our sole purpose. It is vital we continue leading on the fight against a damaging Brexit, pressing for a People’s Vote & being prepared to revoke Article 50."

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.