#THEPHILIPPINES: US Travel Ban Against Top Officials Sees Duterte Retaliate By Banning US Senators Behind It

[world politics news]

A proposed United States travel ban against top Philippine officials, including members of President Rodrigo Duterte’s inner circle accused of rights abuses, threatens to torpedo bilateral strategic ties in 2020.

The targeted sanction, included as a provision in the US’ Fiscal Year 2020 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, was signed into law in December by Trump and will come into force later this year.

The proposed sanctions are the initiative of several senior Democratic senators, including Edward Markey (Massachusetts) Patrick Leahy (Vermont) and Richard Durbin (Illinois), who have openly criticized human rights abuses related to Duterte’s lethal drug war and assaults on democratic institutions during his three-year-old tenure.

In retaliation, the three Democratic Senators have been banned from travelling to the Philippines.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

US: State Department Issues Scathing China Travel Advisory Over "Coercive" Exit Bans

[world politics news]

The U.S. State Department Thursday issued a rare and scathing travel advisory about China, advising U.S. citizens traveling there to "exercise increased caution." The Advisory stated that the warning was, "due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws as well as special restrictions on dual U.S.-Chinese nationals."

Chinese authorities have asserted broad authority to prohibit U.S. citizens from leaving China by using ‘exit bans,' sometimes keeping U.S. citizens in China for years, reads the advisory.

"China uses exit bans coercively to compel U.S. citizens to participate in Chinese government investigations, to lure individuals back to China from abroad, and to aid Chinese authorities in resolving civil disputes in favor of Chinese parties."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#EU: European Parliament Votes To End Visa-Free Travel For Americans Visiting Europe

[world politics news]

In a move that risk's harming Europe's tourism industry, the European Parliament has voted to end visa-free travel for Americans within the EU. The move is being taken because the US failed to agree to visa-free travel to five EU nations: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland and Romania. US citizens can normally travel to all countries within the EU without a visa.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#EU: Europe Pays Libya 200 Million Euros To Better Control Its Borders, Curb Immigration

[world politics news]

EU leaders have rubber stamped a plan to curb migration from Libya at an informal summit in Malta offering Tripoli €200 million to better control its borders. The deadly route across the Central Mediterranean is now the main gateway to Europe, with some 181,000 arrivals in 2016. It is run by smugglers who operate with impunity in Libya, which slid into chaos after the overthrow of Mummar Gaddafi in 2011

[FULL STORY HERE].

#KUWAIT: Trump-Style Ban Issued On Entry From 5 Muslim-Majority Nations

[world politics news]

Citizens from five Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East will no longer be able to obtain Kuwaiti visas, after reports the Gulf state issued tight entry restrictions that mirrored US President Donald Trump's. Syrians, Iraqis, Iranians, Pakistanis and Afghans will not be able to obtain visit, tourism or trade Kuwaiti visas under the ban, issued by Kuwait's parliament.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#GERMANY: Greens Suggest Banning Entry To Trump For G20 Summit; Alternative For Germany Party Praises Him

[world politics news]

Germany's Green party has suggested that the German government block Donald Trump’s trip to the G20 summit in Hamburg in July if his temporary travel ban isn't revoked. The ban blocks entry for refugees and citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries, and may impact tens of thousands of German citizens who also hold, for example, Iranian passports - Iranian citizens cannot revoke their citizenship. But one of the founders of the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD), Alexander Gauland, praised Trump's policy. "Trump did it right, he showed us how to do it,"

[FULL STORY HERE]

#TURKEY: Turkish Min. Warns: If Visa-Free Travel With EU Fails, Refugee Flow Might Resume

[world politics news]

Turkey’s European Union Minister Ömer Çelik said that Turkey’s plans to secure visa-free travel to Europe by July would fail. And Turkish officials say if it doesn't happen by October, an agreement by Turkey to house and detain refugees fleeing into the EU nations may fall apart.

#FINLAND: Russia Withdraws From European Meeting After Duma Member Denied Entry

[world politics news]

Finnish authorities are refusing to allow Sergei Naryshkin, chair of the lower house of Russia's parliament entry to attend a Helsinki meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, citing a travel ban. Russia has pulled all delegates from the meeting. The ban is due to Russian intervention in Ukraine.