Friday, July 31, 2020

#HONGKONG: China Pro-Democracy Candidates Disqualified From Running For Assembly

[world politics news]


Hong Kong authorities have disqualified 12 pro-democracy candidates from upcoming elections, deepening political tensions in the Chinese territory.

Opposition legislators had hoped to obtain a majority in the Legislative Council (LegCo) in September's poll after Beijing's imposition of a highly controversial National Security Law, which imposed restrictions on Free speech and free expression that are the same as Mainland Communist Chinese laws.

Among those barred are high-profile activists Joshua Wong and Lester Shum. Among reasons for disqualifying the candidates was their opposition to the National Security Law.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Thursday, July 30, 2020

#POLAND: Justice Minister Signals Pull-Out From Istanbul Convention Due To Gender Definition

[world politics news]


Zbigniew Ziobro, Minister of Justice, announced that he will file a motion to the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy to take formal steps in order to denounce the Istanbul Convention.

Ziobro said that there are provisions in the convention that are of an ideological nature which Poland does not accept and considers harmful. In this context, the Minister of Justice spoke about, among others, the construction of the so-called socio-cultural gender in opposition to biological sex.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

#CHINA: Real Estate Tycoon Expelled From CCP, Disappears, After Xi Critique

[world politics news]


A Chinese real estate tycoon who publicly criticised Pres. Xi Jinping’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been expelled from the ruling Communist Party and accused of corruption.

Ren Zhiqiang, the former chairman of the state-owned real estate company Huayuan Group, disappeared from public view on 12 March after calling China’s leader a “clown" in relation to his early handling of the Coronavirus epidemic.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

#CANADA: PM Trudeau Faces Ethics Probe Over WE Charity Ties

[world politics news]


Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing the third ethics investigation of his five years in office over the government's decision to award a contract worth up to $43.5m to WE Charity Canada.

The C$912m (US$680m) program was designed to connect post-secondary students to paid volunteer opportunities to make up for summer job prospects that had disappeared during the pandemic.

It later emerged that Trudeau's mother and brother had been paid for speaking at various WE events over the years.

Margaret Trudeau was paid C$250,000 for speaking at 28 WE events over four years, and brother Alexander was paid C$32,000 for speaking at eight between 2017-2018.

Trudeau has also made regular appearances himself, and his wife, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, hosted a wellness podcast for the charity.

The prime minister didn't recuse himself from discussions related to the decision to grant WE the government contract. He later apologized for that.

The federal ethics watchdog has confirmed his office is looking into the matter.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Monday, July 27, 2020

#RUSSIA: Tens Of Thousands Protest Arrest Of Popular Far-East Regional Governor

[world politics news]


For the third weekend in a row, tens of thousands in Russia's furthest eastern regions have protested the arrest of popular regional governor Sergei Furgal. Their distrust of the Kremlin could have powerful consequences.

Protesters in the far eastern Russian city of Khabarovsk gathered this weekend to demonstrate against the arrest Furgal earlier this month on what some say are politically motivated murder charges.

The protests were also generally against the Kremlin's politics in the region and are becoming increasingly anti-Putin.

[FULL STORY HERE]

Photo via Alex Kokcharov, Twitter

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

Sunday, July 26, 2020

#ITALY: New Party Will Seek "Italexit" From European Union

[world politics news]


Italian Senator Gianluigi Paragone has launched a campaign to take his country out of the "Germanic" European Union.

Paragone, who was first elected in 2018, was expelled from the ruling Five Star Movement Party in January after opposing the government in a confidence vote on the budget. His new party will be called the "No Europe For Italy" group.

Paragone said: “I say ‘no’ to this Europe and I start afresh with Italy, because I want to start from the sovereignty of a state which has all the cards it needs to play all the markets.”

He claimed only ditching the euro and quitting the EU would trigger a genuine economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic.

Paragone is said to have been influenced to by form the party by British UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Saturday, July 25, 2020

#TAIWAN: Mayoral Candidate Accused Of Plagiarizing Thesis

[world politics news]


The Kuomintang candidate for the Kaohsiung mayoral by-election Li Mei-jhen has been accused of plagiarizing speech notes and an academic paper for most of her master’s thesis.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Friday, July 24, 2020

#CROATIA: Parliament Installs Prime Minister Elected Earlier This Month

[world politics news]


Croatia’s parliament has approved a new government led by a conservative party that won a parliamentary election earlier this month.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's Christian Democratic Union Party government won support in the 151-member assembly in a 76-59 vote. The remaining lawmakers either weren’t there or didn’t vote.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Thursday, July 23, 2020

#TAIWAN: Parliament Votes To Change China Airlines Name

[world politics news]


Taiwan’s Parliament has voted in favor of rebranding national carrier China Airlines.

China Airlines has long been mistaken for an airline from mainland China because of its name. However, the airline, based in capital Taipei, is one of the two big carriers in self-governed Taiwan (Republic of China, ROC) and is not related to the three national airlines of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), namely Air China, China Eastern and China Southern.

The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has amplified calls to change the airline’s branding. As part of international relations, Taiwan recently sent medical aid abroad, using China Airlines aircraft for transportation. For those not familiar with the airline it was often unclear that the resources where actually coming from Taiwan, not China’s communist government in Beijing.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

#SURINAME: Ex-Police Chief Who Investigated Former President Is Elected President

[world politics news]


The National Assembly of Suriname has elected Chan Santokhi as the South American country's new president.

Santokhi's party won the largest share of votes in legislative elections in May.

Santokhi, a former police chief, will replace outgoing president Dési Bouterse, who was found guilty of murder in 2019.

The two men are bitter rivals as it was Mr Santokhi's investigation which led to Bouterse's conviction.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Monday, July 20, 2020

#JAPAN: Gov't Agency Unveils Aid For 87 Companies To Relocate From China

[world politics news]


Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has unveiled the first group of Japanese companies to subsidize for shifting manufacturing out of China to Southeast Asia or Japan.

Eighty-seven companies or groups will receive a total of 70 billion yen ($653 million) to move production lines, in a bid to reduce Japan's reliance on its large neighbor and build resilient supply chains.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Sunday, July 19, 2020

#LIBYA: Parliament Votes To Allow Egyptian Troops To Help Expel Turkish "Invaders"

[world politics news]


The Libyan parliament has called on the Egyptian army to intervene in Libya to expel Turkish military there to prop up rival militia groups.

Parliament confirmed that Libya is exposed to a blatant Turkish  "interference" in violation of its sovereignty, with the blessing of armed militias controlling the west of the country and the de facto authority subject to them.

There's no word on whether or when Egyptian troops would intervene.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Saturday, July 18, 2020

#MALAYSIA: PM Muhyiddin Yassin's Gov't Wins Victory As It Elects Lower House Speaker

[world politics news]


Malaysia's Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin narrowly cleared a major political test, as his coalition won just enough votes to remove the lower house speaker in a vote seen as an important barometer of his government's support.

The vote was the first real measure of Muhyiddin's backing since his coalition took over the government in March.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Friday, July 17, 2020

#UK: PM Boris Johnson Considers Moving Parliament To York During Renovations

[world politics news]


Boris Johnson has suggested Parliament could move to York while the Palace of Westminster undergoes renovation.

In a letter, the prime minister said the government was considering establishing a hub in the northern city and "it would therefore make sense to consider this as a potential location".

Plans to move MPs out of Westminster are being reviewed due to the impact of coronavirus on public finances .

The move, if it happens, is expected to take place around 2025.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Thursday, July 16, 2020

#IRAN: Parliament Rejects International Atomic Agency's Surprise Inspection Demands

[world politics news]


Iran's parliament has prepared says it will stop the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty in Iran by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Parliament issued a statement in June strongly condemning an anti-Iran resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors, asking the government to stop implementing the Additional Protocol, which allows surprise inspections of nuclear sites.

The 35-member IAEA board passed the resolution on June 19, demanding access to two old places they claim nuclear work may have been done there.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

#CANADA: PM Trudeau Says He Made "Mistake" Over Charity Contract

[world politics news]


Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he "made a mistake" by joining in talks for giving a lucrative government contract to a charity that paid his wife and other family members.

WE Charity was tapped by his government to oversee a C$900m ($664m, £533m) youth volunteer programme in June.

It later emerged that WE previously paid Trudeau's relatives over C$280,000 to speak at events.

Trudeau now faces his third ethics commission inquiry in office over the scandal

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

#POLAND: President Duda Wins Re-Election By Slim Margin

[world politics news]


Poland's incumbent President Andrzej Duda has narrowly beaten challenger Rafal Trzaskowski in Sunday's presidential vote.

The National Electoral Commission said Mr Duda had won 51.2% of the votes.

It is Poland's slimmest presidential election victory since the end of communism in 1989.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Monday, July 13, 2020

#HONGKONG: Over 600,000 Cast Ballots In Pro-Democracy Primary Election

[world politics news]


Over 600,000 Hong Kongers cast their ballot in the democratic camp primaries elections over the weekend, despite the authorities claiming the exercise may be illegal.

Co-organiser and law professor Benny Tai told the press after the polls closed that they recorded over 590,000 electronic ballots and more than 20,000 paper ballots throughout the two-day vote.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Sunday, July 12, 2020

#NEWZEALAND: Member Of Parliament Admits "Training Spies" For China

[world politics news]


Chinese interference in the New Zealand political system is in the spotlight with the news that  National Party MP Jian Yang, who admitted to training spies for the Chinese government, will retire at the next election.

Yang had faced numerous allegations of being a spy for the Chinese government in his time as an MP.

His resignation comes as a Parliamentary committee is on the verge of completing an explosive inquiry into the extent of Chinese interference in the New Zealand political system, which is alleged to extend beyond just Wellington and into local governments up and down the country.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Saturday, July 11, 2020

#DENMARK: Petition Seeks Automatic Citizenship After Ten Year Stay; But Signatures Are Challenged

[world politics news]


A citizen-led petition proposal to automatically grant foreigners with Danish citizenship after staying in the country for 10 years has exceeded 50,000 supporters.

Technically, that means the proposal is qualified to be put forward as a motion for resolution and then discussed and voted on in Parliament.

But, the collection of signatures has been challenged by the fact that only citizens with voting rights can support petitions. This means that the ones directly affected by the proposal are excluded from the signature collection process.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Thursday, July 09, 2020

#HONGKONG: Book Banning Fears As China Clamps Down

[world politics news]


Books by pro-democracy figures have been removed from public libraries in Hong Kong in the wake of a controversial new security law.

The works will be reviewed to see if they violate the new law, the authority which runs the libraries said.

The legislation targets secession, subversion and terrorism with punishments of up to life in prison.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Wednesday, July 08, 2020

#MONTENEGRO: Parliament Approves Civil Partnerships For Gay And Lesbian Couples

[world politics news]


Parliament in Montenegro has voted to legalize same-sex civil partnerships, becoming the first country in the region that is not a member of the European Union to recognize gay and lesbian couples in law.

Parliament passed the law with a very narrow majority of MPs from the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, the Social Democrats, the Liberal Party and the opposition Social Democratic Party. The vote was 42 to 5 in the 81-seat chamber.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Tuesday, July 07, 2020

#ISRAEL: Lawmakers Allow Security Agency To Use Contact Tracing Of Cell Phones For COVID-19 Cases

[world politics news]


Israeli lawmakers have voted in favor of a new law authorizing the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) to track cellular network data of citizens as part of the state’s efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19. Of the parliament’s 120 members, 53 voted in favor of the government-backed bill and 38 against.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Monday, July 06, 2020

#GERMANY: Parliament Votes To Phase Out Coal-Burning Power Plants By 2038

[world politics news]


Germany’s lower house of parliament has voted to pass new legislation finalizing the country’s long-awaited phase-out of coal, over objections from environmental groups the plan is not ambitious enough.

The upper house was expected to approve the plan later Friday that lays out a roadmap for phasing out coal by 2038. It also earmarks some 40 billion euros ($45 billion) to affected regions to support them with the transition.

Germany is already phasing out nuclear power by the end of 2022.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

Sunday, July 05, 2020

#FRANCE: Amid Low Turnout, Greens Make Gains In Local Elections Across the Country

[world politics news]


France's Green party and its left-wing allies have made significant gains in the second round of local elections. Lyon, Strasbourg, Bordeaux and Besançon all voted for the party on a bad night for President Emmanuel Macron. His centrist LREM party, which has less support at local level than nationally, failed to win in any major city.

Voters were required to wear face masks under continuing measures to stop the spread of coronavirus and turnout hit a record low. Only roughly 40% of the electorate took part in the poll on Sunday.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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