#SOUTHKOREA: US$255 Million Settlement Proposed To Settle WWII Japanese Labor Compensation Claims

[world politics news]

The head of South Korea's parliament has proposed a US$255 million settlement to settle a feud over wartime labor compensation with Japan. Both South Korean and Japanese governments would contribute to fund, along with help from large corporations, to compensate 1,500 claimants for their forced labor during World War II. Some families have said they oppose the legislation.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Bombshell Video Shows Labour Party Leader Corbyn Decrying "BBC Bias" Towards Israel's "Right To Exist"

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Less than two weeks before the Dec. 12th national parliamentary elections, a bombshell video has surfaced in which then-Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn (now the Labour Party's Leader) complaining on an Iranian government-backed TV station in 2011 that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is "biased towards" Israel's right to exist.

The video, which was first circulated on Twitter and YouTube, couldn't come at a worse time for the Labour Party and it's Leader. Coming after weeks of pressure on Corbyn to apologize for numerous instances of anti-Semitic statements from members of his party, and his refusal to apologize clearly for it, the video is sure to add more flames to the controversy at a time his party would prefer to be talking about the policies it recently put out in its election manifesto.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#PERU: Protests After Court Orders Release Of Oppo Leader Fujimori From Prison

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Peru's Constitutional Tribunal has voted 4-3 to release opposition leader Keiko Fujimori from prison, sparking protests in capital Lima.

The daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori was jailed last year for money laundering and receiving illegal contributions from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.

Her populist, conservative party,  Fuerza Popular (Popular Force) controlled parliament but had huge losses after Fujimori's 2018 conviction. It now holds 54 seats in the 130-member national parliament.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#BRAZIL: Pres. Bolsonaro Launches New Political Party

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President Jair Bolsonaro has launched a new political party a day after leaving the right-wing Social Liberal Party (PSL).

His new party, Alliance For Brazil, will fight corruption and advance Christian values, he said. Bolsonaro left the PSL following a row with its founder over control of campaign funds. He wants PSL lawmakers and and senators to follow him out.

The PSL surged in popularity to become the second-largest in the Brazilian Congress after  Bolsonaro joined it last year for his presidential run. The new party must collect 500,000 signatures to appear on ballots in municipal elections next year.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CAMBODIA: Retirement Age Raised From 55 To 60 For All Civil Servants

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Cambodia will increase their retirement ages as the aging population in the country keeps increasing. It joins Vietnam, who also recently raised its civil servants' retirement age.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Civil Service has increase the retirement age of all civil servants to 60 years and with this, nearly 2,000 civil servants who are set to retire by year’s end will continue working.

Its current retirement age for civil servants varies from 55 to 60 years old, according to their positions. The Phnom Penh Post said that with the new ruling, the retirement age has been standardized to 60 years.

Pictured: Ministry of Civil Service, 
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#HONGKONG: ANTI-GOV'T CANDIDATES SWEEP LOCAL ELECTION; 71% RECORD TURN OUT

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Hong Kong’s voters have turned out in record numbers to deliver a landslide for pro-democracy campaigners and a powerful rebuke to the government in local elections that were widely seen as a proxy referendum on the city’s protest movement.

Both in absolute numbers and in turnout rates it was easily the biggest exercise in democratic participation that Hong Kong has seen, with many voters waiting more than an hour to cast their ballots.

Nearly 3 million people had voted, representing more than 71% of the electorate and nearly half of Hong Kong’s population. Many had never voted before.

Many long-serving and pro-Beijing councilors we're ousted by young Pro-Democracy candidates. Pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho lost re-election by over 1,200 votes to Hong Kong Democrats candidte Cary Lo. Ho was reviled by the opposition and seen shaking hands with alleged triad gangs who attached protesters.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#GREECE: Greeks Living Abroad May Get To Vote For Parliamentary Deputies, Serve In Parliament

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A proposal to give the right to vote to those Greeks living overseas, and even allow them to serve as Deputies in Parliament, is likely to receive unanimous support, reports say. The New Democracy Party-led government made the proposals, which would amend the nation's election laws, and leave it to parliament to enact legislation to determine the capacity in which ex-pat Deputies would serve.

All parliamentary parties have expressed, one way or the other, their cautious support to the governmental amendment and it remains to be seen whether this historic vote will garner the absolute unanimous support in the House; something extremely rare in the country’s turbulent political history.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#MALAYSIA: Ruling Party Unexpectedly Loses A Seat In Parliamentary Special Election

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Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s ruling alliance received a setback from voters, losing a parliamentary seat to the main opposition coalition at a by-election for the first time.

The Barisan Nasional candidate won by a majority of more than 15,000 votes in the Tanjung Piai constituency in the southern state of Johor, according to the Election Commission on Saturday. Pakatan Harapan had almost 11,000 fewer votes than when its candidate narrowly won the seat in last year’s general election.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: Prime Minister Netanyahu Indicted

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Attorney General Mandelblit announced an indictment Thursday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, making him the first prime minister in Israeli history to be indicted while still in office.

The indictment decision could alter the course of negotiations over forming a new government and who will be the new prime minister in the current 21 days Knesset process on the issue.

The editor of the Jerusalem Post, Yaakov Katz, urged Netanyahu to resign from office, even though the nation's constitution, the Basic Law, allows prime ministers to remain in power even if indicted.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: PM Trudeau Swears In A Second "Gender-Balanced" Cabinet; First Deputy PM Since 2006

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced and swore in his new cabinet yesterday in Ottawa, and just as in 2015, he ensured it was "gender-balanced," with 50% female ministers. Media noted that it was a more subdued ceremony than 2015's, likely to to the fact that Trudeau's government holds a minority of seats in Parliament, hence, is a "minority government."

Foreign Affairs Minster Chrystia Freeland has moved to serving as Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs in this new cabinet, while also serving as Deputy Prime Minister, a position he revived after it was eliminated in 2006.

It is believed the Alberta-born Freeland will use her post at Intergovernmental Affairs to sooth ongoing tensions in Alberta and other western provinces, which have increasingly felt alienated from the Federal government, which is seen as catering more to eastern provinces.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna will be removed from that ministerial role and replaced by Fisheries and Coast Guard Minister Jonathan Wilkinson. McKenna will take on the role of Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.

Other ministers included: Foreign Affairs: Francois-Phillippe Champagne, Natural Resources: Seamus O'Reagan, Canadian Heritage: Steven Guilbeault, Indigenous Services: Marc Miller, Transport: Marc Garneau, Public Safety: Bill Blair, Justice/Attorney General: David Lametti, Treasury Board President: Jean-Yves Duclos, Gov't House Leader: Pablo Rodriguez, Fisheries, Oceans, and Coast Guard: Bernadette Jordan.

[FULL STORY HERE and HERE]

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

#SPAIN: Catalan Premier On Trial For Disobeying Election Authorities, Displaying Banners

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Catalan premier Quim Torra is on trial for disobedience over his refusal to take down politically charged signs from public buildings during the campaign leading up to the municipal and European elections of May 26. The hearings, which are taking place at the regional High Court, could mean early elections in Catalonia in the event of a conviction. Torra refused to take down a banner from the Palau de la Generalitat, the seat of the Catalan government, expressing support for political leaders who were being tried at the Supreme Court for sedition

The prosecution is seeking a 20-month ban on holding public office and a €30,000 penalty for Torra, a hard-line separatist politician who ignored warnings from electoral authorities that the regional government must maintain neutrality during election campaigns. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#HONGKONG: Court Forbids Pro-Democracy Activist's European Trip

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Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung has been banned by the Hong Kong court from travelling to London to receive a human rights award from the British parliament, as he faces a charge of inciting anti-government protesters to besiege the police headquarters.

Justice Esther Toh Lye-ping of the High Court on Tuesday refused Wong’s application to vary his bail conditions and lift a travel ban, citing heightened risk of absconding.

On his Twitter page, Wong said he was disappointed with the Court's decision.

"High court banned me from traveling to European Parliaments today, claiming a risk of absconding. By depriving of my right to freedom of movement, the court has imposed an extra punishment before I was proven guilty."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#TAIWAN: Opposition Pres. Candidate Han Picks Former Premier As VP Candidate

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Kuomintang Party presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu has announced that former premier Chang San-cheng would be his running mate, kicking off a week marked by a property acquisition scandal and controversial remarks by Han and his wife.

The Kaohsiung mayor surged to a lead in Taiwan’s presidential race earlier this year but has plummeted in the polls since this summer, dramatically draining the momentum of the populist phenomenon Taiwanese media had dubbed the “Han wave.”

Han trails incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen by 13%, despite a lagging economy and Tsai's low approval ratings.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#NEWZEALAND: Gov't Plans To Make Evictions Harder For Landlords

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Landlords will no longer be able to get rid of tenants without reason, under law changes announced this week by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardhern.

At present, landlords can give a tenant 90 days' notice without having to provide a reason and 42 days' notice in some circumstances, such as landlords or their family wanting to move in, or if the property has been sold.

Tenants have to give only 21 days' notice.

The Labour Party Government plans to remove the right of landlords to end a tenancy for no cause and to increase notice periods for some specified reasons.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Wales Labour Party TV Ad Pulled After "Fake Nurse" Revealed As Actress

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The Welsh Labour Party was forced to shelve a TV election campaign after it emerged the National Health Service nurse in it was an actress. The 30-second clip was broadcast on the several nationwide TV networks, and featured a nurse wearing a NHS-issue blue tunic.

She slams the Conservative Party for trying to 'sell the NHS to Donald Trump' and promises to increase funding for the Health Service. But the Labour Party of Wales was forced to withdraw the party political broadcast after someone pointed out the nurse was an actress, and was not identified as such as required by election laws.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#USA: Working Families Party Wins First Seat On Philly Council

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The Working Families Party won an at-large seat on the Philadelphia City Council for the first time in city history. On the 17 seat council, 10 seats are elected by district and seven are elected at-large. Each party may nominate only five candidates for the at-large seats. Since Philadelphia's charter was adopted in 1951, every city council election has resulted in Democrats winning five at-large seats and Republicans winning two. Kendra Brooks, who received national endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, managed to secure the sixth at-large seat with 55,000 votes.

The Left-leaning party is organized in six states and Washington, D.C. It  was founded in 1998 by a group of labor unions, community organizations and other public interest groups.

[FULL STORY HERE and HERE]

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

#GEORGIA: Legislators Reject Proportional Representation Electoral Reforms

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The Parliament of the Republic of Georgia has rejected the bill on constitutional amendments relating to the electoral system.141 MPs registered for the plenary session. 101 MPs, including opposition lawmakers, supported the bill on the transition to the proportional electoral system. Three MPs voted against the bill, though the required quorum was 113 votes, thus the bill failed in its first reading.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#AUSTRALIA: Sex Worker Decriminalization Bill Defeated In Parliament

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A campaign to decriminalize prostitution in the state of South Australia has failed, with the state's Parliament voting against the bill this morning. The House of Assembly voted 24 to 19 to defeat the bill, in a conscience vote of all members of parliament. Sponsored by a Green Party member, it was the 13th attempt by sex workers and supporters to change the law in South Australia in the past two decades.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SPAIN: Socialists Win Re-Election; Populist Vox Party Makes Huge Gains

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Spain’s ruling Socialist Party will announce its plan to break the political deadlock “as soon as possible” after winning the country’s fourth general election in as many years but once again failing to secure a majority.

In the poll on Sunday, the populist Vox Party moved into third place as the conservative People’s party (PP) rallied and the center-right Citizens party endured a humiliating collapse.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#BOLIVIA: Pres. Morales Resigns After Disputed Election

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Bolivia’s president, Evo Morales, is to resign after the military called for him to step down and allies fell away following a fierce backlash over his disputed re-election.

Morales, the leader for nearly 14 years, said in televised comments that he would submit his resignation letter to help restore stability, though he aimed barbs at what he called a “civic coup.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Poll Shows Massive Support For Conservatives In Northern Labour Strongholds

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Pollster YouGov showed Labour support is collapsing in the north, with prominent industrial counties - some of which that have voted Labour for decades - Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside now jumping ship to Tory in a spectacular show of support for Boris Johnson, the Brexiteer Prime Minister.

The poll shows a drop in support for Jeremy Corbyn by an eye-watering 25 points compared to a drop in numbers for Mr Johnson by just three points. This puts the Tories on 33% in the stubborn region that voted overwhelmingly to leave.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#NEWZEALAND: "OK, Boomer." 25-Year-Old Politician Uses Viral Term In Parliament

[world politics news]

A 25-year-old New Zealand politician has admitted making "some people very mad" by using a viral phrase in parliament.

Chlöe Swarbrick told an older lawmaker "OK boomer" after they interrupted her speech on climate change.

There was little reaction in parliament but the Green Party member soon began trending online. She has also been accused of ageism.

In internet parlance, "OK boomer" is a derogatory phrase used primarily by younger generations to show their indignation towards older people deemed indifferent to their concerns. It is used widely on platforms like Twitter and TikTok.

"Boomer is a state of mind," Swarbrick said later in an interview.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#MEXICO: Finance Ministry May Now Blacklist Those Suspected Of Money Laundering

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Mexico’s parliament has voted in favor of expanding the power of the country’s finance ministry to allow the blacklisting of individuals suspected of money laundering and other financial crimes.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#RUSSIA: Law Would Require Russian App To Be Pre-Installed On Smartphones, Computers, TVs

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Russian lawmakers have backed legislation in a preliminary vote that would require all smartphones, computers and smart TV sets sold in Russia to come pre-installed with Russian software.

The bill seeks to help Russian IT firms compete with foreign companies and would allow the government to designate certain locally-produced software as mandatory for devices sold in the country.

Lawmakers in the lower house of parliament say the bill would also benefit Russian consumers, as it will spare them having to download domestic software upon purchasing new technology.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Johnson Blames Labour Party For Brexit Uncertainty As UK Election Campaign Kicks Off

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson kicked off the UK's election today by saying "hundreds of billions" in pent up investment will be poured into the UK if British voters put their trust in the Conservative Party at the general election. Johnson voiced his frustration at parliament interfering with government plans to take the UK out of the European Union and said a Conservative Party majority after the December 12th election would put an end to the uncertainty. Speaking outside of his official residence at 10 Downing Street in London, the Prime Minister said: "This delay is now bad for the country and for the economy."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#JAPAN: Gov't Will Require Retailers To Charge For Plastic Bags Starting Next July

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The Japanese government will require retailers to charge customers for using plastic bags, starting in July, 2020. Bags made of at least 25% biomass will be exempt. Bags made of plastic that dissolves into water and carbon dioxide in the sea, as well as reusable bags with a minimum thickness of 0.05 millimeters, will also be excluded. As in the US, many retailers now offer shoppers plastic bags free of charge for their purchases.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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