#BRITISHVIRGINISLANDS: PM Arrested On Drug Smuggling Charges

[world politics news]

The leader of the British Virgin Islands has been arrested for alleged drug smuggling and money laundering in the US.

Premier Andrew Fahie was detained in Miami by US agents posing as cocaine traffickers from a Mexican drug cartel.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#THEPHILIPPINES: Duterte Terminates Military Agreement With US

[world politics news]

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte will end the Visiting Forces Agreement that underpins U.S. military training exercises with the country's troops.

That choice is another blow to the relationship between the United States and the Philippines, which has suffered for years from disputes over Duterte’s human rights record.

He announced the plan terminate the deal, which provides legal protection to U.S. troops who visit the island for military drills, after the State Department reportedly canceled the visa of a political ally and former police chief who is suspected of involvement in extrajudicial killings, connected  with his War on drugs

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#TRINIDADANDTOBAGO: Parliament To Take Up Marijuana Decriminalization In Sept. Session

[world politics news]

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said legislation to decriminalize marijuana is scheduled to be in Parliament by September. Speaking at the post-Cabinet media conference last week at the Diplomatic Center, Port of Spain he said the draft legislation has nearly been completed and, following Cabinet approval, will be laid in Parliament during the sittings in September.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#THEPHILIPPINES: UN Human Rights Commission To Probe Duterte's Controversial Drug War

[world politics news]

The United Nations Human Rights Council approved a resolution seeking action into Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's "war on drugs" that critics say has killed over 27,000 over the last three years and say has turned police and citizens into vigilantes. The resolution calls for a "comprehensive report on the human rights situation" in the Philippines by June 2020, and asks Duterte to cooperate.

Speaking shortly before the resolution was approved, Duterte called the resolution “crazy” but said he would consider allowing UN staff into the country. "Let them state their purpose and I will review it," he said.

The Philippines' UN delegation called the resolution "ill-advised" and "politically motivated" and therefore it "can never be balanced." Members of the Council voted 18 in favor of, and 14 against, the resolution, which was submitted by Iceland and 27 other European countries on July 4. Fifteen other nations abstained from voting.

[FULL STORY HERE AND HERE]

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

#USA: #Colorado Bills Allow Pot Delivery, Make All Schedule I/II Drugs Possession Felonies Misdemeanors

[world politics news]

Colorado has become the first state to officially establish a framework for marijuana social consumption spaces.

In addition, the state legalized weed delivery services and permitted public investments into Colorado’s cannabis companies, which was previously banned. Gov. Polis also signed several pieces of legislation that reformed the state’s drug policies, including knocking down felony charges for possession of Schedule I/II substances to mere misdemeanors.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#HAITI: Accused Death Squad Leader And Elected Senator Denied New Trial In Miami

[world politics news]

Guy Philippe, a convicted money launderer and an elected Haitian senator, has lost another bid for freedom in a Miami federal court. A federal judge last week dismissed Philippe’s appeal for a new trial, concluding his claims that his defense attorneys were "ineffective" and “working for both sides" weren’t credible.

Philippe - who was also at various times a law student, a police commander, a coup leader accused of leading death squads - pled guilty to a money laundering conspiracy in April 2017 and was sentenced to nine years in prison. The original indictment accused him and others in the Haiti National Police of accepting bribes from cocaine traffickers in exchange for protecting their shipments from Colombia to Haiti to the United States. Haitian lawmakers passed a resolution condemning his arrest, which remains controversial, since he had been elected to the senate, but had not yet been sworn in.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#NORTHERNIRELAND: Belfast Is "Awash With Drugs" Says Lawmaker; Calls For Higher Police Presence

[world politics news]

A Northern Ireland lawmaker is calling for a greater police presence on the streets of Belfast after witnessing drug use in public during a New Year's Day stroll with his young children. Christopher Stalford, a member of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly, says he was walking along the Connswater Greenway in mid-morning when he witnessed several incidents of cannabis use in public. The Democratic Unionist Party lawmaker said, "Frankly, I have the impression that Belfast is awash with drugs."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#THEPHILIPPINES: Pres. Says Nation's Re-Election To UN Human Rights Council Vindicates Controversial Drug War

[world politics news]

Granting the Philippines another three-year term on the UN. Human Rights Council has vindicated President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on drugs and shown his detractors to be "morally corrupt," senior officials said. Human rights activists say Duterte's "war" on drugs after taking office in June 2016 – since when the police have killed more than 4,800 people – made his government unfit for a seat at the body. But the Philippines was re-elected to the 47-seat council by secret ballot at the UN. General Assembly last Friday, winning 165 out of 193 votes, with one abstention.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#THEPHILIPPINES: Pres. Duterte Suggests Shooting Rebel Women In the Genitalia

[world politics news]

Human rights organizations are blasting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's latest comments, in which he suggests his troops shoot female rebels in the vagina to render them "useless."

[FULL STORY HERE]

#THEPHILIPPINES: Duterte Says He'll Have Son Killed If In Drug Trade

[world politics news]

Philippine Pres. Rodrigo Duterte has said he will have his son killed if drug trafficking allegations against the younger politician are true, and that the police who carry out the hit will be protected from prosecution.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#CANADA: Trudeau's Gov't Sets Date For Full Marijuana Legalization: July 1, 2018

[world politics news]

The Liberal Party government of Justin Trudeau will announce legislation next month that will legalize marijuana in Canada by July 1, 2018. Trudeau's party had long promised they would have legislation ready by the spring. The new regulations would basically follow recommendations released in December by a federally-appointed pot task force.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#CANADA: Medical Experts Call For Emergency Action On Opiates

[world politics news]

Members of the medical community and front-line soldiers in Canada's opioid crisis are pressing the federal government to declare a national public health emergency. Dr. David Juurlink, head of pharmacology and toxicology at Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, says the opioid problem is so dire it demands an urgent response at the highest levels of government.

#THEPHILIPPINES: Senate Investigates 1,700 Killings Of Drug Dealer Suspects Since Duterte Becomes Pres.

[world politics news]

Killings have soar in the Philippines amid Pres. Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drugs crackdown. More than 1,700 Filipinos have been killed in seven weeks since Duterte pledged to wipe-out his country's illegal drugs trade. Some are blaming his campaign rhetoric that he would "kill" all suepected drug dealers personally.  Duterte threatened to withdraw from the United Nations after UN human rights experts expressed concerns about the killings.

#CANADA: Federal Gov't Establishes Task Force For Legalization of Pot Next Spring

[world politics news]

The federal government established a travelling task force Thursday that will spend the coming months studying how best to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana use in Canada.
The move comes as Ottawa prepares to introduce legislation on the legalization of marijuana in spring 2017 — a timeline first announced by Health Minister Jane Philpott in April at the United Nations General Assembly special session on drugs.

#THENETHERLANDS: Justice Min. Says Report Touting Benefits Of Legalizing Pot Will Have "No Impact" On Gov't Policy

[world politics news]

A report by Radboud University researchers which says legalizing cannabis production would have benefits for public health and human rights will not have an impact on government policy, Justice Minister Ard van der Steur has told parliament. The report's findings are no reason to change policy on cannabis cafes, known as coffee shops, the minister said in answer to questions from the Socialists and The D66 Party. The study found that illegal cannabis production was linked to criminal violence, fires, environmental and noise pollution and the spread of legionella bacteria, the Volkskrant reported last month.

#CANADA: Conservatives Pass Resolutions To Support Gay Marriage, Pot Decriminalization At Convention

[world politics news]

Seeking to rebuild and rebound after last year's Federal election defeat, the Conservative Party has passed resolutions seeking to change policy, supporting marijuana decriminalization and gay marriage. The more permissive approach to marijuana comes after 2 1/2 days of introspection and intense public debate. Some social conservatives argued against the support for gay marriage, while others argued that it was time to embrace social change after the 2015 defeat.

Pictured: Ontario PC leader and former Tory MP Patrick Brown and Tory MP Kellie Leitch at Toronto's gay pride parade this year.

#GERMANY: Medical Marijuana Should Be Legalized Next Year, Says Health Minister

[world politics news]

Health Minister Hermann Gröhe says medical marijuana will be legalized in Germany early next year. Draft legislation has been presented to the cabinet. Many parts of the world are relaxing laws on cannabis use and medicinal marijuana is gaining popularity.

#GERMANY: Top Green Party MP Steps Down After Drug Arrest

[world politics news]

Volker Beck, one of the Green party's top-ranking MPs, has stepped down from all his political offices after being arrested for drug possession in Berlin, allegedly .06 grams of crystal meth.

#VENEZUELA: Leftist Gov't Sets Up Extra-Constitutional "Assembly" After Election Loss

[world politics news]

The Leftist government of Pres. Maduro has set up an extra-constitutional "Parallel" parliament called the "People's Assembly" after a massive landslide victory last month for the opposition in which the government lost control of the National Assembly. Maduro faces a "rapidly unraveling state" reports the UK Daily Telegraph, as drug charges against Maduro's family and government mount.

#USA: Pittsburgh City Council Decriminalizes Small Amts Of Marijuana

[world politics news]

Pittsburgh's city council has voted to drop criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana. The council voted to allow police to levy a fine of up to $100 against anyone possessing up to 30 grams of marijuana or 8 grams of hashish. In the case of minors, parents or guardians will be notified of the offense and must pay the fine.