#CANADA: Poll: Majority Want COVID Restrictions To End

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A majority of Canadians now say it is time to end COVID restrictions, according to an Angus Reid poll, a sharp increase from when the same question was asked in early January.

The latest poll, taken Jan. 27-28, found 54% want restrictions to be lifted compared to just 39% who wanted restrictions lifted when the same question was asked two weeks earlier.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#FRANCE: Vaccine Passports Pass Parliament

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France’s parliament has approved a law that will exclude unvaccinated people from all restaurants, sports arenas and other venues as the central measure of government efforts to protect hospitals amid record numbers of Covid-19 infections driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant.

The National Assembly adopted the law by a vote of 215-58. President Emmanuel Macron had hoped to push the bill through faster, but it was delayed by resistance from politicians both on the Right and Left.

More than 91% of French adults are already fully vaccinated, and some critics have questioned whether the “vaccine pass” will make much of a difference.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#FRANCE: Assembly Passes Powerful Vaccine Passport Requirements

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After three days of tumultuous debate, fuelled by controversial remarks by President Emmanuel Macron, the French National Assembly approved a bill early Thursday morning that would transform the country’s health pass into a stricter “vaccine pass." 

The bill passed the National Assembly by a voted 214 to 93, with 27 abstentions. The bill now goes on to the Senate.

Macron made waves when he suggested in an interview this week that he wanted to "piss off" the unvaccinated and treat them like "non-citizens."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#GERMANY: Anti-Lockdown Protests Lead Gov't To Threaten Free Speech Crackdown

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Earlier this week, nearly 100,000 Germans took to the streets to protest their country's COVID-19 mandates. In response to what is being deemed as increasing "radical protests," members of Germany's ruling Free Democratic Party (FDP) have called for state monitoring of the social media site, Telegram, used by dissenters of the country's mandates to organize.

"Should Telegram fail to react to the European and German legal situation, our security policy will increasingly begin in the chat groups in the future," Hagen Reinhold, a member of the FDP, said in a strategy paper, according to Der Spiegel.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#FRANCE: Pres. Macron Says Strategy Is To Take Freedoms From Unvaxxed, Whom He Calls "Non-Citizens"

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French President Emmanuel Macron admitted Tuesday that part of his “strategy” on tackling COVID is to “piss off” the unvaccinated as much as possible by limiting their freedoms and coercing them into taking shots.

Macron made the comments in an interview with the Le Parisien newspaper, noting “As for the non-vaccinated, I really want to piss them off. And we will continue to do this, to the end. This is the strategy.”

Macron referred to the unvaccinated as "non-citizens," a notion that French courts may take issue with.

Macron's opponent in the presidential race, Eric Zemmour, called his comments "cynical."

"Emmanuel Macron knew what he was doing. He cynically exploited COVID to make it a subject of the presidential election so that his record and especially the identity of France are not addressed."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: New Brunswick Gov't Reverses Itself, Won't Allow Vax Passports In Grocery Stores

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After sustained public pressure, the New Brunswick government has announced it is no longer allowing grocery stores to bar unvaccinated Canadians.

The announcement came in a government news release on interim COVID measures directed at slowing the Omicron variant.  

“An option allowing stores that sell groceries to ask patrons 12 and over for proof of vaccination, instead of implementing distancing requirements, is being removed from the province’s mandatory order.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: PM Johnson Faces Huge Backbench Rebellion, But Masks, Vax Passports Approved By Parliament

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suffered his biggest parliamentary revolt since he came to power in 2019, after an unprecedented number of his own MPs snubbed his personal plea and voted against new measures to control the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Nevertheless, measures reimposing mandatory mask wearing and introducing vaccine passports for those seeking to attend large-scale public events attracting big crowds were adopted by the British Parliament, since the opposition Labour party sided with Johnson on these matters.

A notable exception was former Labour Party leader Jeremy corbyn, who voted against the new measures. He tweeted Tuesday:

"Tonight I will oppose both compulsory vaccines for NHS staff, and the introduction of vaccine passports.  Both measures are counterproductive and will create division when we need cooperation and unity."

Despite the rising case numbers, hospitalizations and actual deaths have remained low.

Yet almost 100 MPs — just under a third of the ruling Conservative party’s total number of lawmakers — voted against their own government on Tuesday, dealing a heavy blow to the reputation of the Premier and raising the possibility of an outright challenge to his leadership early in the new year.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: PM Johnson Says "National Conversation" Needed Over Mandatory Vaccinations

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Conservative Party Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that there needs to be a " national conversation" about Covid vaccines in the UK.

Speaking at a press conference from 10 Downing Street tonight, he admitted that there was no prospect of mandatory vaccinations but said that the government needed to protect the public, particularly those who choose not get vaccinated for any reason.

However, a Covid passport will now be mandatory to access venues where large crowds gather, such as nightclubs.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#RUSSIA: "Immunity Passport" With QR Codes Required To Visit Public Places From Dec. 1

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QR codes on telephones acts as a vaccine passport for Russian citizens who want to visit public places, starting December 1.

On November 12, the government submitted to the State Duma two bills, which introduce QR codes for visiting public places, as well as for travel by rail and air. 

The first document spells out that citizens will be able to visit places of public events, cultural institutions , catering and retail facilities with the presentation of either a QR code on vaccination, or a document confirming that a person has had the coronavirus, or a medical withdrawal from vaccination. 

According to the second initiative, QR codes were introduced on railway and air transport for intercity and international transportation. and access to the Internet for access to sites included in the list of domestic socially significant sites are provided to the subscriber free of charge.

It's been suggested in the Russian Parliament that the QR codes be called an "immunity passport."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#HONGKONG: City Could Ban Unvaxxed From Public Places

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Hong Kong is considering banning unvaccinated residents from entering certain businesses in a bid to prevent the transmission of a new, more contagious coronavirus variant already found in the city, the minister in charge of the Covid-19 jab drive said.

The stricter rules revealed by Civil Service Secretary Patrick Nip Tak-kuen followed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) decision to name the new variant detected in South Africa “Omicron,” after the Greek letter. It also said the variant was one “of concern” for the greater risks it could pose than the Delta variety.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#RUSSIA: Gov't Seeks Vax Passports As Cases Surge

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The Russian government has submitted to parliament two bills that will introduce mandatory health passes to access restaurants and public transport, amid a new wave of coronavirus cases.

With more than 8.9 million cases registered since the start of the pandemic, Russia is one of the worst-hit countries in the world and a devastating wave this autumn has seen infections and deaths reach new records.

[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 Imposes $11k Fine/Jail For Lying About Vax Status

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New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard signed a public health order yesterday which prevents a person from wrongfully claiming they are vaccinated against Covid-19.

The public health order states: “A person must not provide, display or produce to another person information or evidence, including vaccination evidence, purporting to show the person is a fully vaccinated person, unless the information or evidence is true and accurate.”

Those violating the order can be fined up to 11,000 and face 6 months in jail.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SCOTLAND: 1st Weekend Of Vax Passports: "Disaster" For Venues, Bars, 40% Drop In Sales

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The first weekend of enforcement of Scotland's vaccine passport scheme was an "unmitigated disaster," according to a body representing night-time venues.

Venue staff refused entry to revellers without vaccine passports more than 550 times, and some staff were abused, the Scottish Hospitality Group said.

It said some venues decided to close early and footfall was down by up to 40%.

[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

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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.

#AUSTRALIA: Victoria State Shuts Down Construction Industry Following Anti-Vax Riot

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The Victorian government will forcibly shutdown all construction sites in metropolitan Melbourne and all other locked down local government areas for two weeks in response to violent protests against mandatory vaccinations.

Protesters rallied against the Victorian government's mandate requiring all construction workers to have at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose by September 23.

Construction workers rioted in front of their Union headquarters in Melbourne.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Gov't Ditches Plans For Vax Passports In England

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Plans to introduce vaccine passports for access into nightclubs and large events in England will not go ahead, the health secretary has said.

Sajid Javid told the BBC: "We shouldn't be doing things for the sake of it."

It was thought the plan, which came under criticism from venues and some MPs, would be introduced at the end of this month.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: PM Johnson Faces Rebellion In His Party Over Vax Passports

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Vaccine passports still haven't been ruled out for pubs and restaurants, the UK's Vaccines Minister suggested in parliament this week.

Nadhim Zahawi would only commit to not making a Covid ID compulsory for "essential" services as he clashed with furious Tory MPs.

He was lambasted by conservative  backbenchers over the "pointless policy" and accused of starting a "needless fight" with his own party.

Zahawi defended the introduction of vaccine passports which he said would "reduce transmission and serious illness."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is already facing a major rebellion over the plans, with more than 50 Tories expected to mutiny.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Ontario Unveils Vaccine Passports For Sept. Rollout

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced a vaccine passport program to take effect later this month.  

Beginning Sept. 22, proof of vaccination will be needed for restaurants, bars, gyms and other indoor settings in Ontario where masks cannot be worn for the duration of the visit.

For the first month, proof of vaccination will be the receipt issued when getting vaccinated or downloaded from the government website. Another piece of government identification, such as a driver’s licence, will be required.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Vax Passports Ready For International Travel

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Vaccination passports from the federal government are a go.

Canada’s Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino announced Wednesday the Liberals are working with provinces across the country to get the passports ready for international travel.

“The government is collaborating with provinces, territories and indigenous communities to address the matter of vaccine credentials,” said Mendicino.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Quebec To Introduce Vax Passports As Infections Spike

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Quebec plans to adopt a vaccine passport given a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the province, Premier François Legault announced Thursday.

The premier said Quebecers are on the cusp of a fourth wave of the pandemic and that a vaccine passport will be implemented as a response. 

On Thursday, the province recorded 305 new coronavirus cases — the highest daily increase since May 30, 2021 — but stated that 72 are "under investigation."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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