#ARMENIA: Parliament Forces Three Judges Off Supreme Court

[world politics news]

Amid strong opposition objections, the Armenian parliament approved constitutional changes calling for the immediate dismissal of three of the nine members of the country’s Constitutional Court.The amendments drafted by the ruling My Step bloc would also require the court to elect a new chairman.

The judges have been under strong government pressure to step down, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accusing them of maintaining close ties to the country’s former government and impeding judicial reforms.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#THENETHERLANDS: Parliament Votes To Close Remaining 128 Mink Farms 3 Years Ahead Of 2024 Deadline

[world politics news]

Dutch Members of Parliament voted to shut down all remaining mink fur farms—estimated at 128 farms—across the Netherlands in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. In 2013, the Dutch government passed a ban on mink fur farming which is scheduled to be enacted in 2024. The politicians voted to compensate fur farmers to phase out the practice three and a half years before the law goes into effect.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#JAMAICA Crime Wave Prompts PM To Extend State Of Emergency In Kingston Area,

[world politics news]

 A motion to extend the state of emergency recently declared in the Kingston Western and Kingston Central police divisions was approved in Parliament this evening.

Forty-four members voted to extend the State of Emergency. Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared a state of emergency in the divisions on June 14. It was to last for an initial period of 14 days.

Holness said the SOE was implemented due to increased criminal activities in the two divisions since the start of the year.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CROATIA: July 5th Election Will Go Ahead, Despite Surge In Covid-19 Cases

[world politics news]

Croatian Democratic Union Party president Andrej Plenkovic says that July 5 remains to be the date of the parliamentary election, despite a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country in recent weeks, and that wise and smart balancing was needed to do good for the economy and protect the public healthcare system.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#TURKEY: Parliament Nullifies 1950 Trial That Ended in Execution Of Prime Minister

[world politics news]

The Turkish Parliament has sought to get passed an ugly episode of his history by declaring the decisions that were taken in 1960 during the Yassıada trials that ended in the execution of then-Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and two others null and void.

The bill that declared the controversial decisions invalid was prepared jointly by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and presented to Parliament. The Parliament adopted the bill unanimously.

Menderes and two of his ministers, Hasan Polatkan and Fatin Rüştü Zorlu, were three of the 15 sentenced to death at the trials held on Yassıada. Lesser ministers were pardoned.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#GABON: Legislators Reverse 2019 Law, Decriminalize Homosexuality

[world politics news]

Lawmakers in Gabon’s lower house of parliament on Tuesday voted to decriminalize homosexuality, becoming one of the few countries in sub-Saharan Africa to reverse a law that punishes sexual relations between people of the same sex.

Forty-eight members of parliament backed the proposed initiative by the government to revise an article of the 2019 law that criminalized homosexuality. Twenty-four voted against, while 25 others abstained. Gay marriage, however, remains illegal in the central African nation.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#GERMANY: Western Town Sues To Prevent Erection Of Lenin Statue

[world politics news]

A statue of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin has been unveiled in the western German city of Gelsenkirchen by Members of Germany's tiny Marxist-Leninist Party. The installation comes amid global protests against monuments to controversial historical figures.

Not all residents of Gelsenkirchen, a city of 260,000, were happy about the new monument.

Representatives from mainstream parties on the district council in Gelsenkirchen-West passed a resolution in early March, and went to court in an attempt to block its installation.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ZIMBABWE: Health Minister Arrested For Awarding Dodgy Contract

[world politics news]

Health minister Obadiah Moyo has been arrested, accused of awarding a US$42 million contract to Drax International for the supply of COVID-19 drugs and personal protective equipment fully aware the company was not a pharmaceutical but a consultancy firm.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ROMAMIA: Parliament Passes Bill Banning Gender Studies

[world politics news]

Romania’s Senate  has passed legislation that bans making any reference to gender identity as something distinct from one’s biological gender. It still needs to be signed by the President.

The legislation was added as an amendment to a larger bill on educational policies by the center-Right People’s Movement Party. The Social Democratic Party supported it as well.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#HONGKONG: UK Offer Of Passports For HK Dissenters Irks China

[world politics news]

Britain and China are engaged in a heated dispute over plans to make it easier for some Hong Kong residents to emigrate to Britain. 

The British government announced the proposal last month in response to China’s ongoing attempt to impose a new security law on Hong Kong, following violent anti-government protests in 2019. Critics say the proposed legislation would make any form of anti-government criticism or protest a criminal act.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#BELARUS: Six-Term President Faces First Real Challenge In August Election

[world politics news]

A forthcoming presidential election in Belarus, scheduled for August 9, looks set to be the liveliest and most  competitive since the country secured its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko is seeking a  sixth term in office.  And  some political observers are suggesting that Lukashenko might face a genuine challenge to his position for the first time, from at least two challengers.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#AUSTRALIA: Postal Service Seeks Permission From Parliament to Cut Services

[world politics news]

The Australian postal service, Australia Post, is seeking controversial cuts to its delivery service from parliament.

The proposed changes allow Australia Post to halve the frequency of letter and small parcel delivery services in metropolitan areas from daily to every second day, stretch delivery times for intrastate letters from three to five days, and scrap its priority mail service.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#IRELAND: Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Agree On Coalition Government

[world politics news]

Sinn Féin will provide “the most effective opposition in the history of this State”, party leader Mary Lou McDonald has said.

Speaking after the emergence of the draft plan for a coalition government, she described the document as “very long, very wordy” and said the content was “vague”.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael back in government together, that’s not change.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SCOTLAND: Parliament Urges Ending Exports Of Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets To US

[world politics news]

The Scottish Parliament voted in favor of the immediate suspension of exports of riot gear from the U.K. to the U.S.

The successful motion, lead by Minister Patrick Harvie, was backed by a 52-0 vote with 11 abstentions in which the parliament stated it “stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and considers that the U.K. Government must immediately suspend all export licences for tear gas, rubber bullets and riot gear to the U.S.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Nigel Farage Will Launch Brexit Party As "Reform Party"

[world politics news]

Nigel Farage, the man who spearheaded the Brexit campaign, is set to relaunch the Brexit Party as the Reform Party, as more and more ordinary Britons begin to doubt Boris Johnson’s ability to maintain order and deliver a suitable Brexit deal.

The Reform Party, which Farage formally registered last December, will seek to abolish the House of Lords, change Britain’s voting system, and to ensure that Boris Johnson delivers a proper Brexit that’s approved by the people who voted for it.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#NEPAL: Parliament Approves New Map, Claiming Territory Disputed With India

[world politics news]

Nepal’s Parliament has approved a new map of the country, that includes areas disputed with India, with India's government rejecting the changes, saying that the addition of Indian territory was not based on historical facts or evidence. The move signals a hardening of Nepal’s position over a decades-long border dispute that has strained ties between the South Asian neighbors.

The revised map was approved by 258 out of 275 members of parliament, exceeding the required two-thirds majority. There were no votes against.

The map must also be passed by the National Assembly, the parliament’s upper chamber, and approved by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari before it becomes a part of the constitution.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#POLAND: Pres. Duda, Campaigning, Seeks Ban On LGBTQ Taught In Schools

[world politics news]

Poland could join countries like Russia and Lithuania, as well as several American states, in blocking recognition of LGBTQ people in schools, according to an election year interview with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is seeking re-election.

“I think that this kind of propaganda should not take place in schools. It has to be calmly and consistently opposed,” Duda told radio show Radio Maryja. “If such a law was created and would be well written, I do not exclude that I would approach it seriously.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#EU: Seven Nations Refusing To Accept New Migrants

[world politics news]

Seven EU members, including Slovenia, addressed a letter to the European Commission expressing their resolute opposition to compulsory redistribution of migrants among EU member states.

The letter was signed by Slovenia, all four Visegrad countries - Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as Estonia and Latvia.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SWEDEN: Swedish Democrats Leader Calls For "Zero" Immigration

[world politics news]

The leader of the populist Sweden Democrats, the third most popular party in the country, argued that asylum immigration must be reduced to zero during a televised debate.

Sweden Democrat Party Leader Jimmie Åkesson was debating the Center Party’s migration policy spokesperson, Jonny Cato, who argued in favor of no immigration  limits because it would violate the right to asylum.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#TAIWAN: Pro-Beijing Mayor Loses Recall Election

[world politics news]

Han Kuo-yu, the opposition candidate in this year’s Taiwanese presidential election, has been removed as mayor of the city of Kaohsiung following an unprecedented recall vote. Han, 62, conceded defeat after more than 900,000 eligible voters backed his removal for being “unfit” for office.

 He was the first Taiwanese official ever to be removed in this way, a result that will have a ripple effect on future elections.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SCOTLAND: Parliament Will Hold Virtual Sessions Through The Summer

[world politics news]

Scotland's parliament has voted to cancel its summer recess to continue scrutinizing the Scottish Government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

MSPs unanimously backed the Parliamentary Bureau’s plans for a majority of “virtual statement-led sessions” on Thursdays as well as two statements in the debating chamber by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on July 9 and July 30.

Full Parliamentary sessions will resume on August 11, the same day schools reopen.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#BRAZIL: Dutch Parliament Scuttles EU-South America Trade Deal

[world politics news]

A Free Trade Agreement between the EU and four South American countries, known as the MERCOSUR trade bloc, has been voted down by the Dutch parliament.

This not only puts the largest-ever EU trade deal at risk, it also doesn’t bode well for the upcoming Dutch vote on the ratification of the trade deal between the EU and Canada.

Under European rules all member states must vote in favor of trade deals. The Austrian Parliament has also voted against this deal.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#HONGKONG: Parliament Makes It A Crime To Disrespect China's National Anthem

[world politics news]

Pro-democracy lawmakers attempted to disrupt a debate on a controversial bill involving China's national anthem. The vote passed on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Hong Kong's parliament on Thursday voted to pass a controversial bill that makes it a crime to disrespect the Chinese national anthem.

The legislature’s pro-Beijing majority said the move was necessary for Hong Kong citizens to show appropriate respect for the anthem, called "March of the Volunteers."

Protecting legislators dumped foul smelling chemicals on the parliament's carpeting before being ejected from the chamber.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: MP Charged With Assault "Stepping Back" From Liberal Party Caucus, But Not Resigning

[world politics news]

Member of Parliament Marwan Tabbara said he is “stepping back from the Liberal caucus” but not resigning as an MP after revelations he was criminally charged with assault, break and enter and criminal harassment.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CHINA: Top Ranking General Threatens To Take Back Taiwan By Force

[world politics news]

Taking Taiwan by force is an option for Beijing and it will take steps to “resolutely smash” any separatist moves made by the island, a top PLA general said on Friday.

At the same event, Li Zhanshu, the third most senior leader of the ruling Communist Party, said using force was a last resort and Beijing had not given up on peaceful reunification with the island, which it considers a part of China.

Taiwan denounced the comments, saying that threats of war were a violation of international law, while the 23 million people on the self-ruled island all strongly opposed the “one country, two systems” model. 

“Taiwan’s people will never choose dictatorship nor bow to violence,” Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said. “Force and unilateral decisions are not the way to resolve problems.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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