#SOUTHKOREA: Politicians Angered By Trump's Statement About Getting "Approval" Before Lifting Sanctions

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Pres. Trump’s statement that South Korea would not lift sanctions on North Korea without America’s “approval” has not gone down well in South Korea, prompting criticism from activists and politicians from across the political spectrum.

Trump’s comment came after South Korea’s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha hinted that sanctions put in place on Pyongyang after the North’s torpedo attack on the country’s Cheonan warship could be lifted, a remark that she has retraced.

Trump said Wednesday, “They won’t do it without our approval. They do nothing without our approval,” a comment that has been widely branded as “condescending” and “an infringement of sovereignty.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#MALAYSIA: Gov't Official Says Death Penalty Could Be Abolished Soon By Parliament, Calls For Executions To Cease Immediately

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Parliament is likely to take up a historic bill to abolish the death penalty in Malaysia as it begins its session next week, a government official says. Liew Vui Keong, a minister in the Prime Minister's Department, says the government hopes to present the bill soon to the Dewan Rakyat, the parliament's lower house. Keong went on record as saying that all executions should be put on hold and some cases commuted or dismissed completely, depending on the severity of the crimes.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Radio Network Warned By Regulator About Mayor's Political Interview With Party Leader

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A media regulator is investigating a talk radio station for allowing the mayor of London to interview his party's leader as a guest presenter last year.

LBC was given a warning by regulators for allowing Mayor Sadiq Khan to interview Jeremy Corbyn. Both are members of the Labour Party. The segment “strayed close to limits of the rules on due impartiality," Ofcom found.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Northern Ireland DUP Party Leader Threatens PM May Over Brexit Barriers In Deal

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Amid tense negotiations over a Brexit deal, the head of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party is warning Prime Minister Theresa May not to agree to a deal that puts up trade barriers between them and the rest of the UK.

The warning by Arlene Foster could manifest itself in the party's members voting against a budget in the House of Commons in coming week, which could bring down May's government. The DUP are coalition partners with May's Conservatives.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#AUSTRALIA: PM Open To New Nuclear Plants, But Unconvinced On Costs

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he has "no issue" with nuclear power, and expanding the nation's nuclear energy generating capacity, except it doesn't "stack up" as an investment compared to Hydro Tasmania's "Battery of the nation" project

Morrison said in an interview that he'd do whatever it takes to bring electricity prices down but when it came to nuclear power, "I don't have any issues," but the "investment doesn't stack up."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CHINA: Premier Li Calls For "Opening Up," And "Deepening Reform" To Help Business In China

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Premier Li Keqiang has called for greater efforts in deepening reform and opening-up, as well as unleashing market vitality in pushing the country's high-quality development. Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, speaking during a symposium in East China's Zhejiang Province, said the country needed to "do more to heed the voice of market entities." He also stressed the need to get a better handle on the nation's growing unemployment problem. "We are confident and capable of tackling the challenges and maintaining sustained and steady development of our economy," he said. "China owns a huge market and a vast potential of human resources."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#BRAZIL: Pres. Candidate Bolsonaro Wins Place In Oct. Run-Off

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Right-leaning presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro won the first round of the national election on Sunday by a margin of 17% but fell short of the 50% of valid votes needed to win outright, and avoid a run-off.
He will face the left-wing Workers' Party candidate, Fernando Haddad, in the second round on October 28. He said he would not turn into a "peace and love" candidate to win votes.

He has promised to appoint "many" military officers to his cabinet, which has stoked fear in some of the return to the military dictatorship of the 1980s. He is denied that this is his plan. His Social Liberal Party, which has just eight deputies in the 513-seat lower house, won 52 in Sunday's election.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#DENMARK: Struggling To Integrate Refugees, Immigration Min. Rejects EU Migrant Quotas For 2018

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Danish Immigration and Integration Minister Inger Støjberg has rejected EU migrant quotas for 2018, saying that migrants do not contribute enough to Denmark.

The Venstre party politician said that Denmark would not be opening the country’s borders to asylum seekers, saying: “Although we have gained significantly better control over the influx, we are still in the position that we are struggling to integrate the many refugees who have come to Denmark in recent years.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: Wife Of Prime Minister Netanyahu Goes On Trial For Overspending $100k On Private Meals

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife appeared at the Jerusalem Court on Sunday for the opening of her trial on charges of fraud and breach of trust, sitting in the courtroom for the first time as a criminal defendant. She's charged with fraud and breach of trust for allegedly overspending roughly $100,000 on private meals at the prime minister's official residence, even when there was a full-time chef on staff.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#NORWAY: Center-Right Party Supporting Conservative Gov't Could Switch Support To Left-Leaning Party

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The leader of a party propping up the government of Prime Minister Erna Solberg's conservative-leaning government says he wants to steer his party Leftward. After supporting her minority Conservative coalition for the past five years, Christian Democratic Party leader Knut Arild Hareide, 45, says it may be time to cooperate with the Labour Party instead. That means Solberg’s government could fall later this Fall.

Hareide's idea would move his party from its traditional position at center-right to join a socialist coalition positioned towards the center-left. Some Christian Democrats aren't yet on board, and are calling for Hareide’s resignation or expulsion from the party. Others are said to be intrigued by the idea, and think it might attract new voters. There are some important issues to iron out if they align with Labour, however. Christian Democrats almost always support Israel, for example, while Labour sympathizes with the Palestinians.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CZECHIA: Parliament Passes Resolution Supporting Hungary's Defiance Of EU Parliament

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The Czech Chamber of Deputies have passed a resolution that criticized the European Parliament's vote last month which could lead to Article 7 proceedings against Hungary, which could strip it of its voting rights within the European Union, which criticizes Hungary for alleged undemocratic practices.

Hungary asserts that the EU is interfering in its internal affairs and is forcing it to take immigrants against its will. The resolution, which received support from several political parties, criticized the EU body's vote for interfering with Hungary's sovereignty. The vote was prompted, in part, after several Czech Members of the European Parliament supported the EP resolution against Hungary last month.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Blogger Reveals London Mayor Khan's Staff Lobbied To Get "Trump Baby" Blimp Over London; Khan Had Denied Involvement

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A blogger covering UK politics has uncovered emails detailing the staff of London Mayor Sadiq Khan actively lobbying the Greater London Authority to allow a protest balloon, the "Trump Baby," to fly over Parliament during the US president's visit in July.

Despite his long-running feud with Trump, Khan had insisted in interviews at the time that the decision was solely in the hands of the city's ruling Greater London Authority as a “corporate body” and that he had not personally approved the blimp. Khan as mayor is a member of the GLA. In fact, emails obtained by Guido Fawkes' "Order-Order" blog reveal that the GLA initially rejected the proposal outright, only reversing their decision after a concerted campaign from Sadiq’s closest advisers including his Director of Communications Patrick Hennessey.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#INDONESIA: Quake/Tsunami Response Hurt Pres. Windodo's Re-Election Bid Next May

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Indonesia’s earthquake and tsunami could raise political risks for President Joko Widodo as he prepares a bid for re-election next year, with opponents keen to find fault in his handling of the disaster.

The government left itself open to criticism for failing to maintain a tsunami warning system set up after a 2004 quake and tsunami killed 226,000 people in 13 countries around the Indian Ocean.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#FRANCE: Interior Minister's Resignation Another Blow To Beleaguered Pres. Macron

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In yet another blow to Pres. Emmanuel Macron's beleaguered Administration, interior Minister Gerard Collomb has resigned. Collomb, the former mayor of Lyon, resigned to run for his old position once again. He had been a staunch defender of the president's policies, but recently he had been disturbed by allegations that Macron or members of his administration had known in advance that a former bodyguard had beating protesters, wearing a policeman's helmet. Macron's approval ratings have been near 36% recently, following several high-profile resignations from his cabinet.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: PM Theresa May Gives Impassioned Defense Of Chequers Brexit Plan, Defends Party In Conference Speech

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Prime Minister Theresa May, who will likely soon to be fighting for her job against former Foreign Min. Boris Johnson, gave a rousing speech at the Conservative Party's annual conference in Birmingham. After stumbles in past year's speeches, May joked and danced (to ABBA's "Dancing Queen") and hit back at critics, including Johnson. She defended her plan for leaving the EU, though not mentioning the Chequers Brexit Agreement by name, which has caused a mini-rebellion in Conservative Party ranks for allegedly giving too much to the EU after Brexit is finalized. Splitting from Europe's trade area was approved by voters in 2016 in a referendum. She urged party members to "hold our nerve" during negotiations with the EU, and pledged "To honor the result of the referendum. To come together to make a success of the decision we took."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Liberals, Parti Quebecois Humiliated In Quebec Election As Third Party Sweeps To Power

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In a historic election that marked a departure from Quebec’s longstanding debate over independence, the center-right Coalition Avenir Québec ("Coalition for Quebec's Future") swept to power for the first time in the province as the incumbent Liberals had their worst showing in decades and the pro-independence Parti Québécois were all but decimated. CAQ led or were elected in 74 ridings, easily outstripping the 63 needed to form a majority, with 38 per cent of the popular vote. The CAQ, launched in 2011 by leader François Legault, who will now become Quebec’s next premier

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#JAPAN: Candidate Urging Reduced US Military Presence Wins Okinawa Governor's Race

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A candidate opposed to the relocation of a US military base within Okinawa Prefecture, and wants a sharply reduced US presence in the region, won the Okinawa gubernatorial election on Sept. 30.

Denny Tamaki, 58, a former Lower House member of the Liberal Party, defeated three other candidates, including former Ginowan mayor Atsushi Sakima, 54, who was supported by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and other, smaller parties. Tamaki, the son of a Japanese woman and a US Marine, campaigned on a platform stressing the burdens placed on the region by the US military base there.

WHY WE SHOULD CARE:
Military observers and political leaders in both Japan and the US worry what signals a decreased presence in the region could send to China, North Korea, and others in the region.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Chancellor Of The Exchequer Hammond Promotes PM May's Brexit Plan At Party Conference

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Chancellor of the Exchequer (a job comparable to America's Treasury Secretary) Philip Hammond has voiced support for Theresa May's Brexit plan, calling on colleagues to unite behind the prime minister to get the "best possible outcome" in negotiations with the European Union for Britain to leave the European trading bloc.

In his speech to the Conservative Party's conference in Birmingham, the chancellor said he shared May's "determination" to get her blueprint for Britain's EU exit approved, despite strong opposition within the Conservative Party itself. Some believe it leaves the UK too closely aligned with the EU's rules and regulations.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Trolled! Theresa May Rival Boris Johnson Recreates PM's "Naughtiest Moment" By Running Thru Field

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Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson appeared to "troll" Theresa May as he was pictured running through what looked like a field of wheat. The politician, who has been a fierce opponent of the prime minister's Brexit strategy, and is a likely contender for her job, was photographed running near his Oxfordshire home appearing to recreate what May told a reporter was her "naughtiest" moment by joyfully running through a field as reporters looked on.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Ontario Premier Doug Ford Denounces "Neo-Nazi" Faith Goldy After Controversial Podcast

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford is distancing himself from a candidate for mayor of Toronto after a podcast surfaced in which she cited what some called "extremist" and "white supremacist" views.  Faith Goldy appeared on a podcast repeated the "14 Words," which the Anti-Defamation League labels "hate speech." The New Democratic Party, the opposition in the provincial parliament, called on Ford to condemn her views, on on twitter, he wrote, "I have been clear. I condemn hate speech, Anti-Semitism and racism in all forms - be it from Faith Goldy or anyone else."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Conservative Heavyweights Johnson And Rees-Mogg Launch Attacks On PM May Ahead Of Party Conference

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Former Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and popular member of parliament Jacob Rees-Mogg have launched a two pronged Brexit attack on Theresa May ahead of the Conservative Party conference. Johnson has repeatedly refused to rule out challenging May for the leadership of the party at the Birmingham event. Both Johnson and Rees-Mogg are attempting to scrap May's so-called Chequers Plan for the UK to leave the EU, a plan on which she has staked her legacy as Prime Minister. Johnson laid out his "Better Plan for Brexit" in a column in the UK's Telegraph newspaper.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UK: Labour Party Proposes Taxing Second "Vacation" Homes To Pay For Homeless Proposal

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Plans for a new tax on tens of thousands of second homes have been drawn up by the UK's Labour Party in a plan to ease the housing crisis and generate funds to cut homelessness. Second properties used as holiday homes would be the target of an annual tax if the Labour Party wins the next election, with each property facing an average tax of about £3,000 a year. The Guardian newspaper says, "It is the latest sign that Labour is prepared to back radical policies to show it is preparing for government and willing to target new taxes on wealth."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Ontario's Gov't Set To Release Details On How It Will Regulate Legal Cannabis Sales

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Ontario's government is set to release details outlining how it will manage the sale of recreational cannabis in the province. A full framework will be introduced in the legislature as early as this week. The plan may cap the number of cannabis retail licences that any single entity can own at 10% of the total available allocation, in a move that would limit the amount of stores one organization can own and prevent it from dominating the market.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#GERMANY: Poll Shows Anti-Migrant Party Alternative For Germany, Now Ranked Ahead Of Ruling Coalition Partner

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Germany's populist Alternative for Germany Party, which has strongly opposed Chancellor Angela Merkel's open migration policy, has overtaken the co-ruling Social Democrats (SPD) in voter popularity to become the second-strongest party behind Merkel's conservatives, according to a recent poll. The AfD moved up 2% since the last survey on September 9, bringing it to 18% - 1% more than the junior coalition partner SPD, which lost a point. Merkel's conservative CDU/CSU bloc, which has led German governments since 2005, also slipped a point to 28%, its worst result since the survey was launched in 1997.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#JORDAN: Town Hall "Charm Offensive" Backfires As Anger Over Income Tax Law Proposal Boils Over

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Controversial plans to reform the national income tax brought down the last government three months ago, and it's still a "tough sell" to the public, government officials are finding. In Town Hall meetings, government ministers have met tough questions, ridicule, frustration and all-out anger from citizens. Citizens raged at one town hall that they should not "pay the price" of officials' mismanagement of the nation's debt. Prime Minister Omar Razzaz said, "it is not easy to sell the law to the public" when he unveiled the draft law, which the government hopes will cut the nation's high debt level. Some citizens are angered that, in coming years, the draft law severely lowers the income level at which residents are exempt from taxation.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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