#AUSTRALIA: PM Morrison Mocked By Labor Party For "Mimicking" It's Billion Dollar Clean Energy Policy

[world politics news]

The Morrison government has embraced a Labor policy to take on more public debt to invest in new energy projects, promising $1 billion for electricity generation, storage and transmission.

The plan will commit more money to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation in a significant policy concession by the Coalition, which tried to scrap the investment agency under former prime minister Tony Abbott.

The Labor Party welcomed the Coalition decision to "mimic" its own energy policy.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ARGENTINA: Center-Left Candidate Wins Presidential Election Amid Economic Crisis

[world politics news]

Center-left opposition candidate Alberto Fernández has been elected president of Argentina in a vote dominated by economic concerns.

Fernández, 60, got more than the 45% of the vote needed to win, beating conservative incumbent Mauricio Macri.

The vote was held amid an economic crisis that has left a third of Argentina's population in poverty.

Former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, 66, will now become vice-president in Mr Fernández's administration. She is said to have played a key role in Fernández's electoral triumph.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

UK: Parliament Set To Approve December Election With Labour Party Backing

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The UK looks set for a December general election after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn announced his party was dropping it's opposition to an early evening and is ready to fight the "most radical campaign ever."

Corbyn said his condition of taking a no-deal Brexit off the table had now been met after the EU agreed to extend the deadline until January 31, 2020.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson can only hold an election with the support of MPs - who have blocked it three times.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#NEWZEALAND: Polls Show Opposition Gaining On PM Ardern

[world politics news]

This weekend, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern can blow out the candles on two years in power.

But two polls this month show her coalition government is neck and neck with the opposition National Party, less than a year before the next election.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SPAIN: Francisco Franco Is Still Dead, But Spain's Socialist Gov't Has Exhumed And Reburied Him

[world politics news]

Cries of “long live Franco!” accompanied the coffin of Francisco Franco this past week as Spain removed the remains of its former dictator from the state mausoleum where he was buried in 1975.

His exhumation and reburial is the most significant move in years by Spanish authorities to lay the ghost of the general whose legacy still divides the country he dominated for nearly four decades.

The ruling Socialist Party, which faces a national election next month, has long sought to move Franco’s remains from the huge monument, built on his orders and containing the remains of combatants from both sides of the 1936-39 civil war.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Newly Re-Elected Trudeau Will Announce Gender-Balanced Cabinet Nov. 20

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had ruled out a governing coalition and said his minority government's new cabinet will have gender balance when it's sworn in on Nov. 20.

Trudeau says he will work with other parties, including the Bloc Québécois, to advance shared goals. In the coming weeks, Trudeau said, he plans to sit down with each of the party leaders to discuss their priorities and how they can work together.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#FRANCE: Lower House Approves In vitro Fertilization For Lesbians, Single Women

[world politics news]

France's lower house of parliament has approved a sweeping bioethics bill to give single women and lesbians access to fertility treatments, a move which critics pledged to fight as the legislation moves to the Senate.

National Assembly members voted 359 to 114 on Tuesday, with 72 abstentions, in favour of the first major social reform of President Emmanuel Macron's term.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#RUSSIA: Duma Commission Calls Foreign Media, Facebook And Google "Spies," Violated Election Laws

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A special commission of the Russian Duma has called for the legislature to take measures against a number of foreign media for violating the Russian election laws, alleging that some of them were spies, the Commission said in a report.

The Commission on the Investigation of Foreign Interference in Russia’s Internal Affairs accused Radio Liberty, Current time, Medusa, BBC Russian Service, MBK-Media and Voice of America for violating “the legislation by carrying out an election campaign on election day,” during the country’s local elections in September.

Facebook and Google, according to the Commission’s Chairman Vasilii Piskarev, may also join the “team” waiting for “appropriate measures,” as the parliamentarians received confirmation that they have also violated the election laws.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#NEWZEALAND: Euthanasia Referendum Passes Second Reading Hurdle In Parliament

[world politics news]

Parliament has narrowly voted to put the decision on legalizing assisted dying before voters. The 63-57 vote would put a referendum on the ballot at the next election.

The polarizing legislation – which would let terminally ill adults request voluntary euthanasia – now has to pass a third reading in the House in November. If it does – which is likely - the public will have the last word next year.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ECUADOR: Pres. Morena Cancels Austerity Package To End Violent Protests

[world politics news]

Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno and leaders of the country's indigenous peoples have struck a deal to cancel a disputed austerity package and end nearly two weeks of protests that have paralysed the economy and left seven people dead.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#LEBANON: Mass Protests Over Government Corruption

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Hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied Sunday across Lebanon to condemn official corruption and demand the government resign, on the eve of a deadline for politicians to accept a reform package.

The capital Beirut, second city Tripoli in the north and the southern port of Tyre all came to a standstill, with streets filled with protesters waving the national flag, chanting “revolution” or “the people demand the fall of the regime” — a common refrain of demonstrations in other parts of the Arab world.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#KENYA: World Bank Warns Gov't Over Debt Ceiling Hikes

[world politics news]

A World Bank report released this week warns that Kenya is drifting towards debt distress, owing to the government’s huge appetite for expensive loans.

The Kenyan Parliament, on the same day when the World Bank report was released, approved the National Treasury’s push to raise the borrowing cap from about 50% of the nation's Gross Domestic Product to an absolute figure of 9 trillion Kenyan Shillings.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#VENEZUELA: Maduro Regime Wins Seat On UN Human Rights Commission

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The government of President Nicolás Maduro won a seat Thursday on the U.N. Human Rights Council, a controversial victory for a regime accused of using intimidation, torture and murder to cling to power.

The Maduro government, no longer recognized as legitimate by the United States and around 50 other countries, had sought a return to the 47-member panel to counter an image of international isolation - and thwart investigations into its own alleged abuses.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#HUNGARY: PM Orban Will "Use Force" To Protect Borders If Turkey Unleashes New Wave Of Migrants On Europe

[world politics news]

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned he will 'use force' to fend off migrants if Turkey delivered on its threat to "open the gates" and allow 3.6 million refugees to flood into Europe if EU leaders continue to oppose Turkey's military action in northern Syria.

Orban built a steel fence on Hungary's border with Serbia to seal off the Balkans route of migration, where hundreds of thousands of people marched through from the Middle East to Western Europe at the peak of the migrant crisis in 2015.

'If Turkey sets off further hundreds of thousands (on top of those it has already), then we will need to use force to protect the Hungarian border and the Serbian-Hungarian frontier and I do not wish for anyone that we should need to resort to that,' Orban said Wednesday night. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#POLAND: Ruling Law And Justice Party Wins Parliamentary Election

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Poland's ruling conservative Law and Justice Party has won the most votes in the country's parliamentary election, according to partial official results.

The state electoral commission reported Monday that Law and Justice won 44.6% of the vote. The opposition Civic Coalition, comprising the Civic Platform Party formerly led by European Council President Donald Tusk and some smaller liberal parties, came second with almost 27%.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#HONGKONG: Leader Carrie Lam Shouted Down In Legislature While Giving Speech

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Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam attempted to deliver her annual policy address today in the Legislative Council, the first time the governing body had met since June, when protested surrounded the building, preventing lawmakers from entering to debate the controversial extradition bill that sparked the protests that have gripped Hong Kong for months.

But Lam's speech was interrupted by pro-democracy lawmakers shouting slogans, including “Five demands, not one less”, which refers to their demands for an independent inquiry into police behaviour, amnesty for those arrested, democratic reforms to give Hong Kong residents universal suffrage, the withdrawal of the emergency law which allows for a ban of face masks during protests, a halt to categorising the protests as riots.

She left the chamber after only one minute into her speech, which was later given by video.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SPAIN: Catalan Independence Leaders Get Lengthy Prison Sentences

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Spain’s supreme court has sentenced nine separatist leaders from Catalonia to between nine and 13 years in prison for sedition over their role in a failed independence bid, triggering protests across the region.

Three other defendants who were also on trial for their involvement in the October 2017 referendum held in spite of a ban and a short-lived independence declaration, were found guilty only of disobedience and not sentenced to prison.

All defendants were acquitted of the gravest charge, rebellion, but leading separatists were quick to condemn the court’s decision and the jailed men sent out messages of defiance, urging people to take to the streets.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#TUNISIA: Independent Law Professor Wins Presidential Election

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Independent law professor Kais Saied looked set to win Tunisia's presidential runoff, as exit polls forecast an overwhelming victory against his rival.

Polls carried in Tunisian media on Sunday projected that Saied would win with between 72 and 77% of the vote. His opponent Nabil Karoui, who was in jail for most of the campaign, was forecast to win between 23 and 27%.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#FRANCE: New Law Requires Classrooms Display French, EU Flags

[world politics news]

after a new law was passed in the nation's National Assembly, all French classrooms are now required to display both the French and European Union flags. Supporters describe it as “an important step forward” for French education, but the move is not without criticism.

The national motto “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” must also appear, along with the words from the national anthem “La Marseillaise."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ETHIOPIA: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Wins Nobel Peace Prize

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been crowned the winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for "his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation", beating 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg who was considered the favourite to win.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee credited the 43-year-old with ending the two-decade-long conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea as they announced the award in Oslo on Friday night.
[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ROMANIA: Prime Minister Dancila Loses Vote Of No Confidence

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Romania’s Parliament Thursday passed a no-confidence motion against the Social Democrat government led by Prime Minister Viorica Dancila. The motion passed with 238 votes for, five more than the minimum required, 233 votes..

It is for the first time since May 2012 and for the second time in the last 30 years when the opposition manages to overthrow a Government by no-confidence motion.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: PM Trudeau Hit With Questions Over Why He Quit Teaching

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The Conservative Party of Canada sent out a press release questioning why Liberal Leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave different reasons for why he abruptly left his teaching job at a private school mid-school year in 2001.

“After media reports revealed that Justin Trudeau wore blackface during an event at West Point Grey Academy, Canadians have been asking why exactly Justin Trudeau left his teaching job at the school," the release starts.

The release hints at, but does not mention,  unsubstantiatedrumors online that there is a scandal behind his departure and that a Canadian paper received an injunction preventing it from publishing details of this scandal.

Trudeau has publicly addressed his departure from the school by saying that he simply moved on with his life, contradicting an earlier account in which he stated that he was asked to leave the school after encouraging a student to write an essay criticizing the school's dress code, which didn't sit well with school administrators.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#IRAQ: Nearly 100 Dead In Baghdad Rioting, 4,000 Injured

[world politics news]

The death toll from anti-government protests in Baghdad is nearing 100, with nearly 4,000 injured.

Demonstrators say they are taking a stand against unemployment, poor public services and corruption in the country.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ARMENIA: Parliament Strips Powers From Constitutional Court President

[world politics news]

The Armenian National Assembly has voted 98 to 1 to call for termination of powers of Judge Hrayr Tovmasyan, member of the Constitutional Court currently serving as its president.

It has been alleged that Tovmasyan was illegally appointed to the court earlier this year, in violation of a constitutional provision that did not allow court judges to hold other positions in government. A news organization's investigation alleged that he continued to serve as a member of parliament after his elevation to the court as its president, noting that he had been president during committee meetings after his election to the court. He had been nominated to the position by National Assembly Speaker Ara Babloyan.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#RUSSIA: Websites Banned, Censored, For Showing "Disrespect" To Russian Constitution, "State Symbols"

[world politics news]

Information showing disrespect to Russia, its society and official state symbols has been deleted from 79 websites, according to a state censorship agency, Roskomnadzor.

After the enactment of the law protecting Russia’s state symbols earlier this year, the agency received 45 claims against 85 Internet pages from the Prosecutor General’s Office, the most part of which (70%) related to the insults of Russia’s Constitution, flag and emblem.

To the date, four URLs have been blocked, banned information has been removed from 79 URLs and removal of the information from 2 websites is expected, the statement reads.

The law, signed by Pres. Putin in March, blocks websites containing defamatory information insulting Russia's society, state symbols and state bodies into law. The law stipulates fines from 30,000 rubles (about $455) to 100,000 rubles ($1,500). In case the offence is committed for the second time, it is to be punishable with fines from 100,000 rubles to 200,000 rubles ($1,500 – 3,000), or administrative detention for up to 15 days. Repeated violations are to be punished with fines ranging from 200,000 rubles to 300,000 rubles ($3,000 – 4,500), or administrative detention for the same term.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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