#EGYPT: Bill Would Require Psych Exam Before Marriage

[world politics news]

A recent series of violent incidents between husbands and wives have prompted a number of members of parliament to submit a bill obliging couples to undergo psychological examination before marriage.

The bill would require those who are about to get married to first be examined and then to complete a course of treatment if necessary.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SOUTHAFRICA: Marriage Law Overhaul By 2024 Will Ban Child Marriage, Include Multiple Genders

[world politics news]

South Africa's Department of Home Affairs has published a paper on marriages for public comment, with the goal of submitting an official bill to parliament by 2024.

The "green paper" aims to work towards the development of a new single marriage bill and will align the country’s marriage laws with the constitutional principle of equality.

It includes proposals on unions of people from all sexual orientations, religious and cultural persuasions. It also proposes the complete removal of child marriage from the nation's laws.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#COSTARICA: Supreme Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban

[world politics news]

Costa Rica's Supreme Court has ruled that the country's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional and discriminatory.

The court ruling gives the country's legislators a time limit of 18 months to change the current law.

The president welcomed the ruling, saying he wants to guarantee "no person will face discrimination for their sexual orientation".

However many lawmakers are evangelicals who strongly oppose gay marriage.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#RUSSIA: Putin Proposes Constitutional Amendments Mentioning God, Traditional Marriage

[world politics news]

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants marriage to be defined as the union of a man and woman in a revised constitution, ruling out gay marriage.

It is among several constitutional amendments proposed by Putin, which are set to be put to a public vote.

Critics say the proposals are a move by Mr Putin to keep a hold on power after his presidential term ends in 2024.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#TAIWAN: Legislature Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage; First In Asia

[world politics news]

Taiwan has become the first jurisdiction in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage after the legislature approved legislation today.

Starting next Friday, gay couples in Taiwan will be able to register their marriages with government agencies. [FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CUBA: Same-Sex Marriage Language Dropped From Constitutional Revision After Evangelical's Objections

[world politics news]

Cuba's National Assembly has removed language opening the way to the legalization of same-sex marriage from the draft of the country's new constitution to "respect all opinions." The move comes despite the pledge by President Miguel Diaz-Canel to "eliminate all kinds of discrimination from society."

A parliamentary commission responsible for drafting the constitution proposed to omit proposed language defining marriage as the union of "two people ... with absolutely equal rights and obligations." Evangelical churches in the country protested the proposed change and launched a campaign against the new wording. The new constitution will be submitted to a referendum in February next year.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#INDIA: Cabinet Passes Ordinance Banning Practice Of Muslim "Instant Divorce" After Law Stalls In Parliament

[world politics news]

The government has passed an ordinance making "instant divorce" among Muslim couples a criminal offence, punishable by a jail term of up to three years and a fine. Instant "triple talaq," the Islamic practice that allows men to divorce their wives immediately by uttering the word “talaq" ("divorce") three times, was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court last August. A law seeking to ban the practice failed to make it through parliament, even after watering it down significantly, prompting the cabinet to pass the ordinance. The practice has been largely practiced in India, by Sunni Muslims.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#AUSTRALIA: Overwhelming Support For Same-Sex Marriage In Nationwide Vote

[world politics news]

Over sixty-one percent of Australians voted Yes to legalizing same-sex marriage in a survey by mail. 79% of eligible voters participated. The final count was 7.8 million responses in support of same-sex marriage, and 4.9 million against. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull addressed the nation minutes after the result was announced, promising to bring the same-sex marriage bill to a vote in Parliament before Christmas. "They have spoken in their millions and they have voted overwhelmingly Yes for marriage equality," he said. "They voted Yes for fairness, Yes for commitment, Yes for love. Australian statistician David Kalisch said the final number of responses was 12,727,920 people, representing 79% of eligible Australian voters.

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: Christine Forster, the sister of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, celebrates after watching the same sex marriage vote result. 

#PAKISTAN: Senate Rejects Raising Minimum Marriage Age From 16 To 18; Says "Un-Islamic"

[world politics news]

Pakistan’s Senate has struck down legislation governing the minimum age girls can marry, saying a Bill to increase the legal age from 16 to 18 was un-Islamic. The Child Marriage Restraint Bill was rejected after Senator Sehar Kamran, the lawmaker driving the proposal, had her request for a deferment denied on the grounds that she would not be present.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#UGANDA: Women's Rights Group Petitions Parliament To Approve Revised Marriage Bill

[world politics news]

Women activists under Women and Rural Development Network have kicked off a nationwide drive of gathering signatures to petition Parliament to discuss and pass into law the Marriage Bill 2017. A clause regarding cohabitation was removed from the bill after cultural and religious groups opposed it, says organizer Laureen Karayi Nabimanya.

[FULL STORY HERE]

Pictured: House Speaker Rebecca Kadaga

#UGANDA: Parliament Speaker Urges Debate On Controversial Marriage/Divorce Bill

[world politics news]

Rebecca Kadaga, the Speaker of Uganda's parliament, has resurrected the debate on a controversial Marriage and Divorce Bill. Kadaga told legislators that it is time to take a stand on whether pass, or drop the bill. The bill was first introduced in the seventh parliament (Uganda is in the second session of it's 10th) but has faced resistance from religious institutions opposed to the provisions banning polygamy. Some of the contentious clauses in the bill is on a wife sharing of the property in case of divorce.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#GERMANY: Parliament Votes To Legalize Gay Marriage; Merkel Votes No, But Some Conservatives Support

[world politics news]

The German parliament, or Bundestag, has passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriages in a snap vote that made it onto the agenda before the summer break after a surprise shift by Chancellor Angela Merkel. The bill passed by 393 to 226, with four abstentions. Merkel herself voted against the bill, although her comments helped bring it about. However, more than 70 members of Merkel's conservative bloc must have voted in favor of the bill for it to pass.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#DENMARK: 27 "Child Brides" Among Asylum-Seekers Prompts Ban On Marriage Under 18 Years Old

[world politics news]

The Danish parliament has approved a bill that will prohibit people from under the age of 18 from getting married. The bill also states that minors who were married abroad will not have their marriages recognized by Denmark. The action is in response to an Integration Ministry report that revealed that there are 27 minors in the Danish asylum system who have spouses or registered partners. Female asylum seekers as young as 14 had entered the country married to men who are ten or more years their elder.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#RUSSIA: Lawmaker Who Pushed Anti-Gay Legislation Now Wants To Decriminalize Domestic Abuse

[world politics news]

The politician from Russia who introduced the country’s anti-gay "propaganda" law has said she wants to decriminalize domestic violence. Yelena Mizulina, a member of the Russian parliament’s upper house, introduced the 2013 law which bans the “promotion of non-traditional sexual relations” to minors. Mizulina has introduced legislation which would decriminalize domestic violence, which is currently punishable with fines of up to $600 or two years in jail. The amendments would reduce punishments for spousal or child abuse to misdemeanor or administrative offences.

#JAPAN: Re-Marriage After Divorce To Be Allowed After 100 Days; Currently Banned Within 6 Months

[world politics news]

Japan's parliament has revised the century-old Civil Code to shorten the remarriage ban period for women to 100 days of divorce from six months. The changes came after the Supreme Court, in a closely watched decision last December, ruled that the six-month ban, designed to avoid paternity disputes over a baby delivered by a remarried woman, was an excessive restriction on the freedom of marriage.

#SPAIN: Marriage Age Raised from 14 To 16, Bringing It In Line With EU Standards

[world politics news]

Spain has raised the minimum age for marriage from 14 to 16, having had the lowest marrying age in Europe. Before the age was raised, boys and girls could marry at the age of 14 with the permission of a judge. It is now level with most European countries. The change comes only months after the government raised the age of consent from 13 to 16.

#GERMANY: Chancellor #AngelaMerkel Opposes Gay Marriage, But Supports Civil Unions

[world politics news]

While making it clear that she opposes discrimination against homosexuals, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a YouTube interview, said she opposes Gay Marriage, reserving marriage for "a man and a woman." She does support civil partnerships for people of the same sex.

#AUSTRIA: National Assembly Overwhelmingly Rejects Gay Marriage

[world politics news]

The National Assembly of Austria has voted against a proposed resolution to grant gay couples the right to marry. Out of 136 representatives, only 26 voted for and 110 against the proposal in a roll-call vote on June 18. The Green party, who proposed the resolution, was the only party to fully support the measure.

#MEXICO: Supreme Court Legalizes Gay Marriages; Annuls State Constitutions' "1 Man, 1 Woman" Language

[world politics news]

In a June 12 ruling, the Mexican Supreme Court said it was discriminatory for Mexico's 33 states to limit marriage to "one man and one woman" or to define its sole purpose as "procreation," as some state constitutions read. The head of the Mexican Family Council accused the court of acting "like a group of activists."

#EGYPT: Coptic Pope Supporting Legislation Spelling Out Divorce Criteria

[world politics news]

Egypt's Coptic Pope, Tawadros II, is awaiting the incoming parliament's approval of a new, 135-article Personal Status Law for Copts expands the grounds for annulment of marriage to include abandonment after a three-year absense, apostasy, homosexuality, conversion from Christianity, adultery, and elopement by one of the spouses.