#AUSTRALIA: Gov't To Hold Online Platforms Responsible For Defamation

[world politics news]

Australia will introduce legislation to make social media giants provide details of users who post defamatory comments, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

The government has been looking at holding platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, responsible for defamatory material published on their sites and in September the country’s highest court ruled that publishers can be held liable for public comments on online forums.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#HONGKONG: City Could Ban Unvaxxed From Public Places

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Hong Kong is considering banning unvaccinated residents from entering certain businesses in a bid to prevent the transmission of a new, more contagious coronavirus variant already found in the city, the minister in charge of the Covid-19 jab drive said.

The stricter rules revealed by Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip Tak-kuen followed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) decision to name the new variant detected in South Africa “Omicron,” after the Greek letter. It also said the variant was one “of concern” for the greater risks it could pose than the Delta variety.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CHINA: Beijing Angry It's Not Invited To "Democracy Summit," But Taiwan Was

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The US reportedly intentionally kept Communist China and Russia off the list of invitees for the Biden administration-sponsored "Summit for Democracy" set to be held next month in virtual format. 

The first ever US-sponsored event of its kind has a goal of restoring democracy and promoting human rights across the globe, based on Biden's foreign policy agenda, and the US has invited at total of 110 countries to participate. 

China issued a scathing statement, after it's been revealed the White House has invited Taiwan instead of China to the world gathering which runs from Dec. 9 through Dec. 10.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#COLOMBIA: Florida Gov.DeSantis Condemns Biden's Dropping FARC Terror Group From US Terror List

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blasted President Biden over his administration’s decision to remove the Colombian rebel group FARC from its list of foreign terrorist organizations. 

"Joe Biden's decision to legitimize the Marxist terror group FARC paves the way for Castrochavismo in Colombia and is a slap in the face to Colombian-Americans," the Florida Republican tweeted Wednesday.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#SLOVAKIA: Two-Week National Lockdown Ordered As Cases Spike

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Slovakia began a two-week lockdown on Thursday as new COVID-19 cases have spiraled out of control, Economy Minister Richard Sulík said Wednesday.

The central European nation followed neighboring Austria, which locked down all unvaccinated people earlier this week.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Sulík said all restaurants and shops will be closed for 14 days, except for essential stores, such as groceries and pharmacies.

“We all wish and hope that the situation will improve by then,” he said. “We will evaluate the situation again in 10 days.”

Photo: A protest against COVID-19 measures in Košice, Slovakia, on September 1, 2021

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#TURKEY: Parliament Speaker Calls For Drafting A New Constitution

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Turkey’s Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop has called on lawmakers to draw up a new civilian constitution during the assembly's new legislative session.

Speaking to Parliament's Planning and Budget Committee, Şentop said the constitution should be "prepared with a democratic understanding and a holistic approach in line with the expectations of our nation."

Şentop, who has served in Parliament since 2011 and has been Speaker of parliament since 2019, noted that the current constitution has seen a number of amendments since it was passed in 1982.

Şentop is a member of Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party, which has a majority in Parliament. It is unlikely that Şentop would have proposed the new constitution without the president's authorization and approval.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Labour Party MP Says Death Threats On The Rise Since Murder Of MP

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A senior Labour Party Member of Parliament has warned that levels of online abuse and threats have increased since the murder of Sir David Amess, an MP, last month, while meeting with constituents.

Labour’s Diane Abbott said the situation was frightening and could deter young people – particularly women – from going into politics.

Abbott told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: “Certainly in my office the death threats have got worse since the death of Sir David Amess, and that shows you cannot just ignore threats online.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#AZERBAIJAN: Armenian Foreign Minister Condemned For "Illegal" Visit

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Azerbaijan has strongly condemned the Armenian defense minister's "unauthorized" visit to Azerbaijani territory, terming it a "military-political provocation."

"Armenian Defense Minister Arshak Karapetyan illegally visited the territory of Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed," the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#IRAQ: Foreign Minister Says Iraq Won't Join Others in Recognizing Israel

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Iraq doesn’t plan to normalize ties with Israel in the near future, its Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told a security conference in Bahrain over the weekend.

“As for the question, is Iraq going to be part of the Abraham Accords soon? – in short, I can say no,” Hussein said in response to queries from participants at the conference IISS Manama Dialogue 2021 on Saturday.

Other Abraham Accord countries include the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan. 

The Accord is viewed by many as a regional bulwark against Iran. Iraqi politics features several pro-iran parties. Such an agreement might be very difficult to get through Iraq's Parliament, even if it's leaders were inclined to sign it.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#THEPHILIPPINES: Marcos-Duterte Ticket Unites Rival Families

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's eldest daughter will be the running mate of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in next year's presidential election, the two candidates said on Tuesday, confirming weeks of speculation of an alliance between two powerful families.

Sara Duterte-Carpio, 43, who is seeking the vice-presidency, announced in a video message her intent to run on the same ticket as Marcos, the latest twist in the Philippines' political drama that has gripped the country.

For his part, Pres. Duterte has insinuated that the younger Marcos is a user of cocaine. The Marcos camp has denied the accusation. The president says he will not support Marco's and his daughter in their bid for the presidency, and will instead focus on a run for the Federal Senate when his term ends next year.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#AUSTRIA: Gov't Will Require mandatory Vaccinations For All; Fine, Jail For Unvaxxed

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Austria is to become the first European country to make vaccinations against Covid 19 mandatory, and will go into its third nationwide lockdown for at least 10 days from Monday, the chancellor, Alexander Schallenberg, has announced.

The government said it was preparing the legal groundwork for a general vaccine mandate to come into effect from 1 February, with exemptions for those unable to receive a jab on medical grounds.

Those refusing to be vaccinated are likely to face administrative fines, which can be converted into a prison sentence if the fine cannot be recovered.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Conservative Senator Seeks "Review" Of Party Leader O'Toole

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Conservative Saskatchewan Senator Denise Batters is calling on the Conservatives to hold a review of Erin O’Toole’s leadership within the next six months.

In a video statement, Batters launched a petition for Conservative members to seek a referendum on O’Toole’s leadership, accusing him of causing division within the party. 

“On behalf of Conservative activists and members from coast to coast, we started this petition because we don’t want to see the party ripped apart again,” said Batters.

Batters excited the poor results of the 44th general election held earlier this year in which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won re-election. O'Toole has come under fire for running on "moderate" positions during the campaign, such as supporting a carbon tax.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#VIETNAM: Man Gets 8-Year Jail Sentenced For Posting Gov't Criticism On Facebook

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A court in Vietnam has sentenced a man to eight years in prison after finding him guilty of uploading anti-state posts on his Facebook account, the security ministry said.

Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness to social change, Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and tolerates little criticism.

Nguyen Quoc Duc Vuong, 29, was charged with “making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the state” at a one-day trial in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, the Ministry of Public Security said in a news release.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#RUSSIA: Gov't Seeks Vax Passports As Cases Surge

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The Russian government has submitted to parliament two bills that will introduce mandatory health passes to access restaurants and public transport, amid a new wave of coronavirus cases.

With more than 8.9 million cases registered since the start of the pandemic, Russia is one of the worst-hit countries in the world and a devastating wave this autumn has seen infections and deaths reach new records.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#POLAND: Prime Minister Asks EU Help After Migrant Incursion From Belarus

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Poland's border police have announced that about 50 migrants have made it across the border this past weekend into the EU from Belarus after forcing their way through fences and barriers, amid a standoff which has seen multiple thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers set up camps just meters from Polish guards. 

NATO must take "concrete steps" to resolve the migrant crisis on the Belarus border, the Polish prime minister was quoted as saying on Sunday, adding that Poland, Lithuania and Latvia may ask for consultations under Article 4 of the alliance's treaty.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#AUSTRIA: Gov't Puts Unvaxxed On Lockdown

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Austria has put all unvaccinated residents into lockdown from midnight on Sunday, the government has said.

Anyone over the age of 12 who has not been double-jabbed will only be allowed to leave their homes for work, school, exercise and buying essential supplies.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#BENIN: Abortion Legalized In First Trimester

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Legislators in Benin have voted to legalize abortion in the West African country, where it was already authorized under very restricted conditions.

Under the new law, women In the West African nation, can terminate a pregnancy within the first three months if it is likely to “aggravate or cause material, educational, professional or moral distress, incompatible with the woman or the unborn child’s interest."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#ISRAEL: Bennett Gov't Gets 2021, 2022 Budgets Thru Knesset

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Israel's parliament approved a 2022 national budget on Friday by a vote of 59 to 56, giving a greater measure of fiscal stability to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's cross-partisan coalition government.

It was the first national budget approved by parliament in 3 years.

The spending package was ratified after the Knesset had earlier passed a belated 2021 budget ahead of a deadline which, if unmet, could have triggered a snap election.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#TURKEY: Parliament Reauthorizes Cross-Border Military Operations

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Amid rumors of a Turkish military offensive in northern Syria, the Turkish parliament ratified today a motion that extends the government’s mandate of carrying out cross-border operations in Iraq and Syria for another two years.

In a surprise move an hour before the General Assembly, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) announced it would vote against the motion. The party, which has 135 deputies in the 583-seat parliament, had voted for the motion last year, and many Ankara pundits thought it would do so again this year.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#PORTUGAL: Parliament Passed Revised Euthanasia Bill

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Portugal’s parliament voted Friday to legalize euthanasia for the second time this year, approving a revised bill that aims to fix objections raised by the Constitutional Court.

Lawmakers voted 138 to 84 with five abstentions to back the amended proposal, which clarifies circumstances under which doctors can assist patients with “grave, incurable and irreversible” conditions who want to end their lives.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#UK: Gov't Funding Small Nuke Reactors

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The Conservative Government has committed £210m (US$281m) to develop Small Modular Reactors (SMR) in the UK to help reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

The government will be funding Rolls-Royce SMR to develop the world’s first SMRs, delivering on the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan and creating high-skilled jobs.

Matched by £195 in private sector funding and over £250m in government funds, today’s investment will take forward phase two of the Low-Cost Nuclear project to develop SMR design.

Kwasi Kwarteng, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the UK to deploy more low carbon energy than ever before and ensure greater energy independence.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#FRANCE: Le Pen To Meet With Hungarian PM Orban To Discuss Unity

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The two euroskeptic politicians will meet for the first time today as Marine Le Pen continues with her electoral campaign to replace Emmanuel Macron in 2022.

The National Rally leader had so far been ignored by Viktor Orban but the two have become closer allies since the Hungarian Prime Minister's party left the European People's Party in the EU Parliament in March.

The two leaders, together with Matteo Salvini in Italy, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and 11 others, signed a declaration in July pledging to create a new far-right group in the European Parliament.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CZECHREPUBLIC: Three Parties Form Coalition Gov't

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The Czech Republic gained a new government Monday after two party coalitions that garnered a sizeable chunk of votes in the country's parliamentary election last month signed a power-sharing deal.

A three-party, liberal-conservative coalition dubbed Together, composed of the Civic Democratic Party, Christian Democrats and the TOP 09 party, led the election with a 27.8% share of the vote.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#UK: Scotland's Sturgeon Calls For Partnerships With City Of London

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Scotland and London have more to gain from being partners than competitors, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Speaking at a Scottish Government event on Tuesday in Glasgow alongside London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the First Minister said the skills in the capital and north of the border are “complementary."

The event – a green investment showcase hosted by Scottish Enterprise chief executive Adrian Gillespie – was held as Cop26 delegates discussed how private finance can contribute to reaching net zero on the summit’s “finance day."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#CANADA: NDP, Liberals in Talks To Avoid Confidence Votes For Three Years

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Senior Liberals and New Democrats are quietly kicking around the idea of reaching a deal that would allow the government to go three years without falling on a confidence vote.

Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh have met secretly to discuss the parliamentary session ahead.

If the NDP, with 25 MPs, agrees to support the government, the Liberals, who have 159 MPs, they would together have 184 MPs, more than enough to avoid defeat in the Commons during a vote of "no confidence."

When such a vote is lost, a new, snap, election is called. Having just held an election in September, all parties are eager to avoid that situation.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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