#UK: PM Rishi Considers Ban of Children From Social Media

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s U.K. government is studying a crackdown on social media access for children under the age of 16, including potential bans, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Ministers plan to begin a consultation as soon as January to gather evidence about the extent of potential harm to children from using social media, the sources said, asking not to be named. Another source said the plan may not be in the final draft of the rule.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: New Brunswick Premier Wants Parents Notified If Children Change Genders

[world politics news]

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs wants his province to review policy around LGBTQ issues in schools and believes parents have a right to be told if their children change genders. 

Higgs cited complaints from concerned parents as being behind the need for a review. Additionally, the premier has stated that he doesn’t believe kids should be exposed to drag queen story times “at that age.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Quebec Parents Demand Better Pedestrian Safety Measures

[world politics news]

Standing on a stepstool in the National Assembly, nine-year old Maïra-Ketia Ropana and Saleh Mahadi spoke about the need for better pedestrian safety.

"We have to do something because the cars drive too fast on the street in front of school," said Saleh, looking over his shoulder at opposition politicians who were in attendance.

"Sometimes the cars don't even stop for the crossing guard," said Maïra-Ketia.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: 16/17-Year-Old Voters In Wales Say They Need Better Voter Education

[world politics news]

Children should be taught about politics in school to encourage them to vote, according to young people about to vote for the first time.

Those aged 16 and 17 were able to vote for the first time in the Welsh Senedd, the region's parliament, in May 2021, although turnout was low among this age group.

Despite being given the right to vote for the first time in last May's Welsh Parliamentary elections, figures showed 50% of that group registered to vote, with an estimated 60% of those actually voting.

This age group can also vote in Scottish parliament elections, but not for the UK parliament.

A previous report on Welsh votes at 16 said work engaging youngsters needed to start earlier.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Those Under 25 Could Be Banned From Buying Cigarettes

[world politics news]

A new ban could be imposed on those under 25, prohibiting them from buying cigarettes under fresh plans brought forward by a new anti-smoking tsar.

Javed Khan OBE is conducting an independent review on how to stop Brits from smoking.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CHINA: Gov't Limits Children To Three Hours Of Online Gaming Per Week

[world politics news]

The Communist Chinese government has announced far-reaching restrictions on minors playing video games, a move that further exacerbates tensions between the powerful central government and its tech sector.

Under the new regulations unveiled by China’s National Press and Publication Administration Aug. 30, children under 18 will not be allowed to play video games from Monday through Thursday and only between 8pm and 9pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: A maximum of three hours a week. 

The policy only applies to online games and users will need to register using their real names and government identification.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SCOTLAND: New Gov't Guidance Allows Four-Year-Olds To Choose Their Gender At School

[world politics news]

Children as young as four will be able to change their gender at school without their parents’ consent under guidance introduced in Scotland.

Any pupil who decides they want to switch gender must be supported and listened to in school following the Scottish Government advice.

The guidance applies in primary schools, where the youngest children are only four or five, because "recognition and development of gender identity can occur at a young age."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#THENETHERLANDS: Gov't Of PM Rutte Resigns Over Child Benefits Scandal

[world politics news] 

The Dutch government has resigned amid an escalating scandal over child benefits in which more than 20,000 families were wrongly accused of fraud by the tax authority.

The move came less than a month before parliament was due to break up ahead of general elections scheduled for March 17. Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s cabinet is to stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new coalition is formed after that vote. Rutte said "mistakes were made" in handling the scandal, and took full responsibility.

It remains to be seen whether opposition parties can take advantage of the scandal.

Polls suggest Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy will win a fourth term in the election, with public opinion still largely backing him. The center-right party is polling at just under 30% of the vote, more than twice that of the second-place party, Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam Freedom Party.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SOLOMONISLANDS: Cabinet Votes To Ban Facebook

[world politics news] 

The Cabinet of the Solomon Islands has agreed to ban Facebook, citing a need for stricter cybercrime legislation and regulation.

The Communications Minister, Peter Shanel Agovaka, confirmed the decision to the Solomon Times newspaper, saying public misuse of the platform was the main concern.

He said country was lacking legislation on internet usage and cybercrime which was particularly worrying when it came to what children were accessing and being exposed to.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SOUTHAFRICA: Citing Nigerian Author's TED Talk, High Court Says Child Abuse Victims Cannot Be Named While Minors

[world politics news]

Child offenders, child victims and child witnesses may not be named - even in adulthood, the Constitutional Court has ruled.

To sum up their majority ruling, the judges quoted Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who during a TED talk in 2009 said: “Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanise. Stories can break the dignity of people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.”

The case was between the Center for Child Law and some of South Africa’s biggest media houses — Media24 and Independent — on if and when child offenders, child victims and child witnesses, can be publicly identified. The mass media houses argued that the prohibition violated freedom of speech and open justice principles.

[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.

#CANADA: Ontario New Democrats Pass Resolution To Lower Voting Age To 14

[world politics news]

Delegates and party members of the Ontario New Democratic Party passed a resolution to lower the voting age to 14 at its convention this past weekend.

“Resolution 5-5: Youth Political Engagement” also tackled the engagement of young voters and the need to improve civics education in the province. Currently, Canadian citizens must be 18 years old or older to vote in an election.

National NDP Party Leader Jagmeet Singh was also present at the convention alongside Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, where he unveiled his party’s 2019 election platform.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Scottish Parliament Bans The Spanking Of Children

[world politics news]

The Scottish parliament has voted by a significant majority in favour of banning the physical punishment of children.

The bill, sponsored by Scottish Green Party MSP John Finnie and supported by the Scottish National Party government, is designed to give children equal protection from violence by removing the defense of “justifiable assault” in Scottish law.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#JAPAN: Cabinet Moves Forward To Ban Parents From Spanking Children After High-Profile Abuse Cases

[world politics news]

The Japanese cabinet has approved legislation banning parents from inflicting corporal punishment upon their own children, an effort intended to curb child abuse at home in light of recent high-profile cases where children were fatally mistreated in the name of discipline. If passed by the ongoing regular Diet session, the amendment would take effect next April.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#DENMARK: Member of Parliament Scolded For Bringing Her Child Into Chambers

[world politics news]

A Danish politician has been ejected from parliament for bringing her five-month-old daughter into the chamber.

“You are not welcome with your baby in the parliament’s chamber,” Pia Kjaersgaard, the speaker who is a former leader of the Danish People’s Party, reportedly told Mette Abildgaard.

The Conservative MP explained it was the first time she had brought her daughter to work, as the baby’s father could not step in to look after her.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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