#UK: Former PM Johnson "Forgot Passcode" Of Phone Wanted In COVID Investigation

[world politics news]

Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages are yet to be received by a COVID inquiry because he is said to have forgotten the passcode for his old phone.

The former prime minister’s spokesperson said Johnson still wants to cooperate with the inquiry and did not deny being unable to recall the code.

Johnson stopped using the device in May, 2021, after receiving security advice once it had emerged that his phone number had been accessible online for at least 15 years.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Deputy PM Resigns, Condemns "Flawed" Investigation

[world politics news]

Dominic Raab has angrily dismissed the findings of a bullying inquiry that has prompted him to resign as justice secretary and deputy prime minister.

The five-month probe, by a senior lawyer, was set up by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after complaints about Mr Raab's behaviour as a minister.

In a letter to Mr Sunak, Mr Raab said he would resign if the inquiry "made any finding of bullying whatsoever".

He said the inquiry "dismissed all but two of the claims levelled against me".

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

UK: PM Accused of Delaying Bullying Investigation Into Deputy PM Raab

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been accused of delaying a decision on the future of his deputy Dominic Raab.

A lawyer-led inquiry into bullying allegations against Mr Raab was widely expected to be published today.

But it is now understood that will not happen, prompting opposition parties to accuse the PM of "dithering".

Mr Sunak needs to decide whether Mr Raab, one of his closest allies, has broken ministerial rules and must be sacked or resign.

The PM received the inquiry's findings at around 11:30 BST, with No 10 saying earlier it would be published "as swiftly as possible"

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: PM Sunak Under Investigation For Gov't Contracts To Wife's Company

[world politics news]

Rishi Sunak is now under investigation by Parliament's standards commissioner over an alleged failure to declare an interest. The PM recently failed to declare his wife's shares in a childcare agency, when asked about his decision to hand government subsidies to them.

The ethics committee is looking into Sunak's wife's financial interest in Koru Kids, which is set to benefit from new government childcare policies. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CHINA: Health Officials Reject WHO Criticism Of COVID Investigation

[world politics news]

Chinese health officials have defended their search for the source of the COVID-19 virus and lashed out at the World Health Organization after its leader said Beijing should have shared genetic information earlier.

The director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention's, Shen Hongbing, said the WHO comments were "offensive and disrespectful."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SWITZERLAND: Parliament Opens Inquiry Into Credit Suisse Takeover By UBS.

[world politics news]

The Office of the National Council, the lower house of the Swiss parliament, is calling for a parliamentary inquiry commission to be set up to examine details of the recent takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS.

The Office of the National Council voted unanimously in favor of the establishment of the Parliamentary Commission (PUK) to clarify the responsibilities of the authorities and bodies in connection with Credit Suisse’s takeover by UBS, it said.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Commissioner Says Trade Minister Violated Conflict Of Interest Rules

[world politics news]

Canada's federal conflict of interest and ethics commissioner says Trade Minister Mary Ng broke the rules when her office awarded a contract to one of her friends.

Commissioner Mario Dion released a report Tuesday after the federal Conservatives filed a complaint back in the spring, raising concerns over the fact that Ng’s office awarded media training contracts to the firm Pomp and Circumstance.

The firm was co-founded and run by Amanda Alvaro, a friend of Ng’s.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Intelligence Service Head Advised Trudeau To Impose Emergencies Act

[world politics news]

The head of Canada's,intelligence service recommended that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoke the Emergencies Act during the so-called ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests earlier this year, an inquiry into the decision has heard.

David Vigneault, the head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, told the Public Order Emergencies Commission about his advice to the prime minister during a closed-door interview earlier this month, according to an unclassified summary.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: New Democrats Call For investigation Of Government 's Handling Of Pandemic

[world politics news]

The health critic of the New Democratic Party is calling for an investigation into the government's handling of the covid-19 crisis  

In a press release, the party says, "In order to ensure accountability and transparency for Canadians, today NDP Health Critic Don Davies called on the federal government to launch an independent public inquiry into Canada’s COVID-19 preparedness and response under the federal Inquiries Act,’"

An independent commission of inquiry is already investigating Trudeau's use of the Emergencies Act during the pandemic.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#GREECE: Parliament To Investigate Wiretapping Of Opposition Leader

[world politics news]

Greek lawmakers have voted to launch a parliamentary investigation into the tapping by the country's secret service of an opposition party leader's phone.

The scandal has plunged Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' center-right government into a political storm. Mitsotakis has denied any prior knowledge of the surveillance, which he said was wrong, and pledged to overhaul the EYP secret service.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ESTONIA: Officials Dent Russian Claims Bomber Fled There

[world politics news]

Estonia has hit back at Russian claims that a woman blamed by Moscow for planting a deadly car bomb on Saturday later fled to Estonia, a Baltic country.

As tensions spread over the six-month-long Ukraine war, Estonian officials in the capital, Tallinn dismissed the allegations over the whereabouts of the woman the Kremlin has accused of killing the daughter of a prominent supporter of President Vladimir Putin.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Parliamentarians To Probe Plans To Make UK A Crypto "Hub"

[world politics news]

A group within the British Parliament is planning an inquiry into the country’s crypto and digital assets industry.

The bipartisan parliamentary group known as Crypto and Digital Assets All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) says the inquiry will, among other things, look into plans by the UK government to turn the country into a “global home of crypto investment.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CHINA: Cash-Strapped Cities Accused Of Misusing Bond Funds

[world politics news]

Dozens of local governments and small- to medium-sized banks in China have been found to be in breach of financial rules, as authorities in Beijing crack down on systemic risks amid growing pressure on the economy.

A total of 10 regions misused the proceeds of 13.66 billion yuan (US$2.03 billion) worth of special purpose bonds – which are allocated primarily for infrastructure spending – on business operations and personnel wages last year, according to China’s National Audit Office.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Labour Party Shadow Foreign Secretary Under Investigation

[world politics news]

David Lammy has become the latest Labour Party front bencher to be investigated by Parliament's Standards Commissioner.

The shadow foreign secretary is being probed after allegedly failing to declare financial interests worth more than £27,000 on time. According to the Commissioner's website, the inquiry was opened on June 15.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Parliamentarians Question RCMP's Use Of Facial Recognition Program

[world politics news]

An attempt by members of Parliament to find out more about the RCMP's use of controversial facial recognition software hit a wall as one MP accused police officials of being "intentionally evasive."

The standing committee on access to information, privacy and ethics met this morning to continue its study of the use of the emerging technology in Canada.

Federal Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien has said the RCMP's use of facial recognition software created by the U.S.-based Clearview AI violated Canada's privacy laws.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: PM Johnson To Face House Of Commons Committee Investigation Into Lying To Parliament Over "Partygate"

[world politics news]

MPs have been allowed to table a motion for debate to decide whether Boris Johnson misled Parliament over assurances Covid rules were followed in Downing Street.

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who has been involved in ongoing discussions with the opposition parties over what censure motion would be brought against the Prime Minister in the wake of the Partygate fine, has given the green light for the motion to take place.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#AUSTRIA: Chancellor Kurz Resigns Amid Corruption Probe

[world politics news]

 

Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has stepped down, after pressure triggered by a corruption investigation.

He has proposed Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg as his replacement.

Kurz and nine others were placed under investigation after raids at a number of locations linked to his conservative People's Party (ÖVP), including his own office.

He denies claims he used government money to ensure positive coverage in a tabloid newspaper.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

 

#AUSTRALIA: New South Wales Premier, Deputy Premier, Resign

[world politics news]

 

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced she will quit as NSW Premier after the Independent Commission Against Corruption revealed she was being investigated.

Berejiklian read a prepared statement and did not take any questions. She was advised about the ICAC investigation on Thursday afternoon.

Berejiklian has been mentioned as a possible future Prime Minister of Australia.

New South Wales Deputy Premier John Barilaro reportedly followed his leader Monday by resigning from politics. He was a strong advocate for vaccine passports, a notion that has sparked riots in the country.

Barilaro's departure will trigger a by-election in Monaro, adding to the other two by-elections scheduled for Berejiklian’s seat in Willoughby and Constance’s seat in Bega.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SOUTHKOREA: Former Justice Minister Questioned About Halting Malfeasance Investigation

[world politics news]

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk appeared at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning Monday.

While in charge of the Blue House# civil affairs and justice office, Cho is accused of wrongly suspending an internal investigation of former Busan Vice Mayor Yoo Jae-soo in 2017, then a senior official at the Financial Services Commission. In detention, Yoo was indicted Friday. Cho denies any wrongdoing.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CHILE: Gov't Investigating Possible "Domestic Interference" Of Eastern European Nation In Demonstrations

[world politics news]

Foreign Minister Teodoro Ribera says the government is investigating possible foreign interference that led to the escalation of recent nationwide protests. Ribera says the government is investigating an uptick in internet traffic from an Eastern European nation, which was not named. The investigation will focus on whether this constitutes direct interference in Chile's domestic affairs.

Nationwide demonstrations started in Chile in early October after an increase in subway fares. By October 18, the demonstrations had turned violent with protesters clashing with police. The protests exacerbated the difficult economic situation that the country faced.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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