#ITALY: Parliament, Local Electors, Will Choose New President

[world politics news]

Italy’s parliament and regional representatives will start voting for the new head of state on January 24, the president of the country’s lower house announced last Tuesday. 

“I have convened the Parliament in a common session for the election of the President of the Republic on January 24 at 3 p.m.,” Roberto Fico said in a statement, posted to Facebook.

1,009 electors, from the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies and including 58 regional representatives, will cast secret ballots in a series of voting rounds.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#GHANA: Fight In Parliament Over Controversial Internet Tax

[world politics news]

 

A fight broke out between lawmakers in Ghana’s parliament during a debate over a proposed tax on electronic transactions that has divided the house for weeks.

The controversial 1.75% e-levy, which would include mobile money payments, has been challenged by the opposition since it was first proposed last month and held up the passing of the budget.

The fight occurred after the parliament's speaker called for a vote on the measure.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

BREAKING: #UK: Scottish Conservative Leader Calls For Johnson's Resignation

[world politics news]

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross says Boris Johnson's postion is "no longer tenable" following the prime minister's admission that he attended a "bring your own booze" drinking event at Number 10 at the height of the UK's first national lockdown in May 2020.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Top Health Official Urges "Pregnant People" Not To Drink

[world politics news]

Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Theresa Tam has recommended “pregnant people” avoid drinking alcohol to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome instead of simply referring to pregnant women.

Tam made the recommendation in a Dec. 23 tweet.

Tam has used woke language in the past when speaking about pregnancy. 

On Nov. 26, she urged “pregnant and breastfeeding people” to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ISRAEL: Health Minister Wants To Make Abortions Easier

[world politics news]

Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz intends to spearhead major reforms to the country’s abortion policies with the aim of making it easier for women to end a pregnancy.

Under current laws, the right to an abortion is only granted by three-member pregnancy termination committees held in the country’s hospitals.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#THEPHILIPPINES: Pres. Duterte Orders Arrest Of Unvaxxed If They Break Quarantine

[world politics news]

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on has ordered the arrest of unvaccinated people who violate stay-at-home orders aimed at curbing "galloping" coronavirus infections driven by the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Unvaccinated people among the capital city of Manila's 13 million people were ordered to stay home, after infection numbers tripled in two days.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#KAZAKHSTAN: President Issues "Shoot-to-Kill" Order To Quell Riots Protesting Steep Price Hikes

[world politics news]

 

Kazakhstan’s government resigned last Wednesday after protesters angry at a sharp rise in motor fuel prices took to the streets in several key cities, marking a big test for the country’s president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Kazakhstan’s president as well as international media are saying that Kazakh security forces have taken control of most of the city streets in Almaty, where days of riots have raged and central government buildings have been torched. Heavy military vehicles and armaments have also been seen deployed across other major cities. 

This after Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered his security forces to "shoot to kill without warning" - according to state media.

[FULL STORY HERE AND 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

[world politics news]

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

[world politics news]

 

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"

[world politics news]

 

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.

#THENETHERLANDS: PM Rutte Unveils Fourth Cabinet

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Mark Rutte has unveiled his choices for the fourth cabinet he has seated since he was first elected prime minister. 

It includes several new faces, largely from his own party, the VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy) including Senator Eric van der Burg, a former alderman and ex-acting mayor of Amsterdam, who will be the new State Secretary for Asylum and Migration and will succeed Ankie Broekers-Knol.

Opposition Party for Freedom Leader Geert Wilders lost no time in eviscerating Van der Burg, noting on Twitter his 2017 comments about immigrants:

"The man who said: The more asylum seekers the better." (Parool, March 30, 2017) The VVD has gone mad. Pure betrayal."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#FRANCE: Leftist Parties Struggling In Polls Ahead Of April Election

[world politics news]

The disarray of the French left underscores how the campaign for the presidency ahead of April’s election will be fought and won on the right.

Barely five years since François Hollande bowed out as France’s socialist head of state, the party’s candidate Anne Hidalgo has sunk to as low as 3% in one recent opinion poll. 

France’s political centre of gravity has shifted to the right in recent years, with crime, immigration and national identity rising up the agenda.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

BREAKING: Brazilian Pres. Bolsonaro In Hospital For Possible Intestinal Blockage

[world politics news]

 

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has been rushed to hospital with an intestinal blockage after feeling unwell while on vacation.

The president posted a photo from his hospital bed on Twitter and his new Gettr account, saying doctors had inserted a nasogastric tube and were evaluating potential surgery.

Doctors said his condition was stable.

Mr Bolsonaro, 66, has been admitted to hospital several times since being stabbed in the abdomen during his 2018 presidential campaign.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#SUDAN: PM Hamdok Resigns Following Pro-Democracy Protests

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Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has resigned amid political deadlock and widespread pro-democracy protests following a military coup that derailed the country’s fragile transition to democratic rule.

Hamdok called for a dialogue to agree on a “national charter” and to “draw a road map” to complete the transition.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#CANADA: Quebec Govt Imposes 10 pm Curfew

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As announced by Quebec Premier François Legault on Dec. 31, a nightly curfew came into effect across the province Friday night, for an undetermined length of time. 

People who are outside between 10 p.m.  and 5 a.m., without a valid reason for breaking the curfew could receive fines ranging from $1,000 to $6,000. Children under 14 years of age could be fined $500.

Dog walking is also not allowed after 10 pm under the new curfew.

Éric Duhaime, leader of the opposition Conservative Party in Quebec, criticized the government in a post on Twitter for failing to provide a scientific study to justify the curfew.

"Return of the curfew? It was a bad idea last year. It's a bad idea this year. There was NO scientific study to justify such a step last year. There are still NONE this year."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#HONDURAS: Winner Finally Declared In November 38 Election

[world politics news]

The National Electoral Council of Honduras announced the victory of the Freedom and Refoundation Party (Free) in the parliamentary elections held on November 28. 

With the triumph, the political force of the elected president Xiomara Castro it managed to significantly increase its representation in Parliament but will not have a majority.

Xiomara Castro’s party got 50.2% of the votes. Second was the ruling candidate (National Party), Nasry Asfura with 36.3% of the votes.

The ruling party will have 50 deputies in the 128 member unicameral assembly, 20 more than in the current period.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#HONGKONG: "Patriotic" Courses To Be Given In Vacant School

[world politics news]

A pro-Beijing group in Hong Kong will convert a vacant school into a national education center to showcase teaching models based on patriotism and train students in flag-raising etiquette.

Wong Kam-leung, chairman of the 37,000-strong Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, said on Tuesday the group was given the school premises in Sha Tin by the city's Education Bureau to set up the support center.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UKRAINE: Polish, Lithuanian Leaders Visit Ukraine As Russia Threatens Invasion

[world politics news]

 

In a show of support for Ukraine, which fears an immanent Russian invasion, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Polish President Andrzej Duda traveled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Monday.

The three leaders "called upon the international community to step up sanctions on the Russian Federation over its ongoing aggression against Ukraine." In a clear reference to Ukraine's desire for more weapons, Zelensky requested "powerful preventative actions" from the West.

The three leaders signed a declaration supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

[FULL STORY HERE and HERE]

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

#CHINA: New Laws Restrict Religions To Five Approved Groups

[world politics news]

 

Human rights watchdogs are worried that the Chinese communist regime is ramping up its crackdown on Christians throughout the communist country. 

The new laws, titled the Measures on the Management of Religious Clergy, 

The laws are an attempt to tighten control of China’s five sanctioned religious groups which include the Buddhist Association of China, the Chinese Taoist Association, the Islamic Association of China, the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.

All other religious activity outside of those bodies will now be banned and is punishable by the state.

[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

[world politics news]

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.

#LITHUANIA: China Blocking Goods With Lithuanian Parts Over Taiwan Embassy

[world politics news]

The European Union says China is blocking imports from European Union countries when they contain components from Lithuania.

A European official says there have been many cases where imports from Lithuania and the EU are blocked in Chinese ports.

"Apparently, Chinese customs refuse to clear goods from other EU countries if they contain parts from Lithuania," said 

EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.

The dispute is occurring because Lithuania opened an consulate in the capital, Vilnius, for the island of Taiwan in July. China claims the island as part of the mainland Communist Chinese Nation. 

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#HONGKONG: Statue Commemorating 1989 Tiananmin Massacre Removed

[world politics news]

Workers at the University of Hong Kong removed a Tiananmen Massacre monument late on Wednesday night, months after the university said the statue must go.

Views of the area were obscured with curtains and plastic barriers at around 11 pm. 

Alvin Lum of CitizenNews reported that the university’s ruling body had agreed to that the statue would be demolished amid political pressure from Beijing’s local offices.

Jens Galschiøt’s Pillar of Shame monument has stood on campus for over two decades, though – in October – university authorities demanded its removal amid a crackdown on those commemorating the 1989 massacre of students by Mainland Chinese military.

The artist said he was saddened by the statues removal, and demanded compensation because he claims he still owns the statue.

The removal is seen by many as yet another example of the mainland Chinese Communist party's stranglehold on Hong Kong, which was promised an independent government until 2045 when it became free of British colonial control in 1997.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#JAPAN: Gov't Urges Businesses Not To Discriminate Against Unvaccinated

[world politics news]

Japan is bucking the trend of vilifying vaccine refusers and instead urging its citizens not to intimidate anyone into getting the jab.

The move flies in the face of efforts by the Biden administration, the Trudeau government, and Australia’s regime to vilify and criminalize vaccine-hesitant individuals. Japanese government officials have advised citizens to “not discriminate against those who have not been vaccinated.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#ALBANIA: Three Balkan Nations Sign Trade Deal

[world politics news]

Five new agreements were signed on Tuesday after a meeting in the Albanian capital Tirana between the leaders of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia as part of the Open Balkan initiative, which aims to replicate the Schengen Zone’s free flow of people, capital and goods, initially between the three countries but potentially across the entire region.

The agreements between the three countries covered labour market access, the interconnection of electronic identification schemes, and cooperation on veterinary medicine and food safety.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#LIBYA: Parliamentary Committee Delays Elections Until Jan. 24

[world politics news]

Libya’s electoral board has suggested that this week’s presidential election should be postponed by a month to January 24.

The statement by the High National Electoral Commission (HNEC) on Wednesday came after a parliamentary committee tasked with overseeing the electoral process said it was “impossible” to hold the first round of presidential polls on Friday, as originally scheduled.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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