#INDONESIA: New Law Bans Sex Outside Of Marriage

[world politics news]

Indonesia's parliament has approved a new criminal code that bans anyone in the country from having extramarital sex and restricts political freedoms.

Sex outside marriage will carry a jail term of up to a year under the new laws, which take effect in three years.

The raft of changes come after a rise in religious conservatism in the Muslim-majority country.

Critics see the laws as a "disaster" for human rights, and a potential blow to tourism and investment.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#USA: OK State Rep. Proposes Mandatory Vasectomies For Boys

[world politics news]

An Oklahoma state rep proposed an idea for legislation that would make vasectomies mandatory for young men in the state. 

Speaking before a floor of legislators, state Rep. Mickey Dollens said on Thursday that he is thinking about introducing the legislation next year. 

"I would invite you to co-author a bill that I'm considering next year that would mandate that each male, when they reach puberty, get a mandatory vasectomy that's only reversible when they reach the point of financial and emotional stability," he told GOP lawmakers.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Labour Party's Opposition Equalities Minister Calls Criticism Of Trans Athlete "Lazy Transphobia"

[world politics news]

A Labour Party Member of Parliament has provoked a furious controversy after claiming criticism of swimmer Lia Thomas is "lazy transphobia".

Lia became the first transgender woman to win an NCAA Division I title.

She originally competed in the male division before racing against women after she transitioned.

Rival Reka Gyorgy complained to the athletics association about its decision to let Lia race against "biological women", and this complaint has been shared by a number of athletes and experts.

But Labour's Opposition Equalities Minister Charlotte Nichols leapt to the swimmer's defense and congratulated her on her achievement.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#INDONESIA: Vote On Bill Banning Pre-Marital & Gay Sex Delayed After Mass Protests

[world politics news]

Thousands of students protested at rallies across Indonesia on Monday against a new criminal code that would outlaw sex outside marriage and gay sex, as lawmakers met the president to discuss how to proceed with a bill that has divided Indonesians.

President Joko Widodo on Friday ordered a delay in a planned vote on the controversial bill – originally slated for Tuesday – and said 14 articles needed further review before it was deliberated by a new parliament, whose term begins next month.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ITALY: Two Male Members Of Parliament - Of Different Parties - Caught Having Sex In Parliament Restroom

[world politics news]

Two male members of the Italian lower house of parliament were filmed on a cellphone's camera having sex in a public restroom in Italy's parliament. One of the lawmakers is reportedly from the Lega Nord (Northern League) and the other from the Five Star Alliance.

A journalist says she has the video and knows their identities, but won't release the names, citing privacy concerns.  Another member of the media said that the two MPs were "tall, beautiful men." Francesco D’Uva, the Five Star group leader in the Chamber of Deputies, reportedly forbade fellow party members in a text message from divulging the sordid details of the story.

(Note: The gladiators in the photo are not the MPs in question.)

[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.

#GERMANY: Parliament Forced By Courts To Add Third Gender, "Diverse," To Official Documents

[world politics news]

The German parliament has been forced by the courts to make "diverse" an option on the birth register. Critics are split on whether the law goes too far, or not far enough. The Bundestag was forced to act after the country's highest court ruled last year that people must be allowed to register as neither male nor female, ordering lawmakers to create a third gender identity or scrap the entries altogether. Germany joins Austria, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada and Portugal in recognizing an "intersex" category for gender.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SPAIN: Proposed Law Would Mean Women Must Give Explicit Verbal Consent Before Sex, Or It Is Considered Rape

[world politics news]

Spain's Socialist government is to introduce a law on consent aimed at removing ambiguity in rape cases. Under the law, consent would have to be explicitly given. It states that “yes means yes” and anything else, including silence, means no. Sex without explicit consent would therefore be considered rape. The move follows outrage over a controversial verdict in a Pamplona rape case, in which five men involved were accused of gang-raping an 18-year-old woman, who remained silent during the attack. A judge reduced the charges to assault because she didn't explicitly say "no."

[FULL STORY HERE]

#RUSSIA: Politician Warns Women Against Making Babies With "Men Of Different Races" During Soccer World Cup

[world politics news]

The chairwoman of a Russian parliamentary committee has urged Russians to abstain from sex with foreign fans arriving for the World Cup. Tamara Pletnyova, who heads the Family, Women and Children Affairs committee in the lower house of parliament, told a radio station that such behavior was likely to lead to single parent families. "There will be girls who meet men, and then they will give birth. Maybe they will get married, maybe they won’t. But the kids will suffer, just like they suffered [after the 1980 Moscow Olympics]."

[FULL STORY HERE]

#AUSTRALIA: Queensland Parliament to Lower "Discriminatory" Consent Age For Certain Sex Acts To 16

[world politics news]

New laws will be introduced this week into Queensland's parliament to standardize the age of consent for all sexual acts. Currently, the age of consent for anal sex is 18, while other sexual acts can take place legally with consent at 16. Queensland is the only state in Australia where there is a disparity, which the government says discriminates against gay men.

#SWEDEN: Liberal Party Youth Suggest Legalizing Sex With Corpses & Incest; Adults Scoff

[world politics news]

The youth wing of the Swedish Liberal party has filed a motion to legalize incest, sex between two consenting siblings over the age of 15, and sex with a corpse if there is a written permission made before the person died. Adult party leaders condemned the "nitwits" who made the suggestions.

Pictured: Stockholm, Sweden

#JAPAN: Justice Ministry Panel Drafts Tougher Sex Crimes Laws

[world politics news]

A Japanese Justice Ministry panel has drafted a report calling for toughening penalties for sex crimes and allowing prosecutions for them with or without petitions from victims. Eight of the 12 panelists are women.

#COLOMBIA: Christian Activist Fighting Installation Of Condom Dispensers Across Bogota

[world politics news]

Colombia’s capital city of Bogota is set to install condom dispensers in public areas in spit of long resistance from local Christian activists who had called for “more values, less condoms.”

#GERMANY: #Green Party Apologizes for Earlier Support of Pedophilia in Party Platform

[world politics news]

Green co-president Simone Peter.

#ISRAEL

Hardline Religious Parties Slam Netanyahu Son's Gentile Norwegian Girlfriend [world politics news]

#CANADA

Ontario Bill Would Automatically Revoke Teachers' License of Sex Offenders [world politics news]

Ontario Education Minister Liz Sandals

#GERMANY

Law Recognizing Hermaphrodites the First to Give Status to "Third Sex" [world politics news]

CANADA

Alberta Lawmaker Won't Resign After Arrest for Soliciting Prostitutes in Minnesota [world politics news]

MLA Mike Allen is shown in this police handout booking photo from Ramsey County Sheriff's Office in Saint Paul, MN

MYANMAR

MP Seeks Death Penalty for "Sex Tourists" Who Rape Minors; Will Resubmit Bill [world politics news]

JAPAN

Liberal Democratic Party Lawmaker To Resign Over Sex Scandal with Student [world politics news]