#JAPAN: Tokyo Elects First Woman Governor In Landslide

[world politics news]

Former Japanese Defense Minister Yuriko Koike has won the Tokyo gubernatorial election. She will be the first woman to lead the Japanese capital. Koike, 64, ran as an independent, and came out ahead of her two main rivals, former Internal Affairs Minister Hiroya Masuda and journalist Shuntaro Torigoe. Masuda was recommended by the governing coalition and other parties. Four opposition parties backed Torigoe. Koike scored more than 2.9 million votes, while Masuda obtained nearly 1.8 million, and Torigoe about 1.3 million. Turnout was heavy, at 60%, which was 14% higher than the previous election.

#THAILAND: Backers of Constitutional Referendum Step Up Campaigns To Lure Voters

[world politics news]

Officials across Thailand are drumming up campaigns to encourage voting on the draft constitution in a referendum next Sunday. Officials have accelerated their efforts to raise awareness of the vote to meet the target set by the Election Commission of seeing 80% or 40.4 million of 50.5 million eligible voters, cast ballots on the draft charter.

Pictured: An elephant trainer and his elephant hold posters and walk with the Election Commission's mascot during a campaign ahead of the Aug 7 referendum in Ayutthaya.

#TUNISIA: PM Essid Ousted After Overwhelmingly Losing Confidence Vote In Parliament

[world politics news]

Prime Minister Habib Essid has been ousted after overwhelmingly losing a vote of confidence in parliament. In power for a year and a half, Essid failed to tackle the country's economic and security problems, his opponents say. A total of 118 members of parliament voted late on Saturday to unseat Essid; three voted for him to stay at the helm; and 27 abstained. The results were largely expected, with several ruling coalition party members declaring ahead of the session that they were not going to renew their confidence in the prime minister.

#CANADA: Frmr. Federal Cabinet Min. Hopes To Unite, And Lead, Two Alberta Parties

[world politics news]

Former Federal cabinet minister Jason Kenney says he is seeking to win the leadership of Alberta's Progressive Conservative Party, after which he will actively seek to unite it with the provincial Wildrose Party and seek the leadership of that new entity. The Progressive Conservatives were ousted from power last year by the New Democratic Party of Alberta after more than four decades in power. He has the support of fellow Albertan Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

#GERMANY: Tens Of Thousands Of Turk-Germans Rally For Turkish Leader Erdogan After Coup Attempt

[world politics news]

Tens of thousands of supporters of Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan rallied in the German city of Cologne this past Sunday as tensions over Turkey's failed coup put authorities on edge. Waving the Turkish flag and chanting "Turkey", the demonstrators turned the rally site next to the River Rhine into a sea of red as they began the demonstration by singing the Turkish and German national anthems. Some held banners saying "Erdogan, fighting for liberty".

#SPAIN: Gov't Takes Catalan Separatist Legislators To Court Again, Seeks To Nullify Secession Moves

[world politics news]

Spain has asked the Constitutional Court to nullify a text approved by Catalonia's parliament urging the region to push ahead with its independence drive, warning separatist lawmakers of severe consequences. The text passed on July 29 outlines the steps Catalonia - a northeastern region of 7.5 million people that is divided over splitting from Spain - needs to take to defend its right to self-determination.

#CHINA: Eastern Mayor Stripped Of Power For Violating "Party Rules" And Corruption

[world politics news]

Yang Luyu, former mayor of Jinan City in east China's Shandong Province, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China and removed from public office for multiple violations. Yang, also former vice head of the CPC Jinan municipal committee, was allegedly found to have been involved in corruption and other violations of the Party's rules. The probe found Yang violated the Party's political code of conduct and resisted the Party's investigation.

#RUSSIA: Lawmaker Who Pushed Anti-Gay Legislation Now Wants To Decriminalize Domestic Abuse

[world politics news]

The politician from Russia who introduced the country’s anti-gay "propaganda" law has said she wants to decriminalize domestic violence. Yelena Mizulina, a member of the Russian parliament’s upper house, introduced the 2013 law which bans the “promotion of non-traditional sexual relations” to minors. Mizulina has introduced legislation which would decriminalize domestic violence, which is currently punishable with fines of up to $600 or two years in jail. The amendments would reduce punishments for spousal or child abuse to misdemeanor or administrative offences.

#AUSTRALIA: Former PM Kevin Rudd Finding Opposition In His Quest For UN Top Job

[world politics news]

Former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has taken the critical step of requesting Australian government support for his bid to become the next United Nations Secretary-general. He must receive approval from the cabinet. Political opponents are noting his "large ego" as an impediment to his candidacy.

#SPAIN: Catalan Parliament Defies Spanish Court: Will Begin Secession Process

[world politics news]

The separatist movement in Catalonia’s parliament has escalated its battle with Madrid after it defied Spain’s constitutional court by debating a controversial pro-independence roadmap, and the region’s president announced a confidence vote to consolidate the move towards sovereignty. The angry, last-minute debate – in which the pro-independence Together for Yes coalition and the smaller, far-left Popular Unity Candidacy secured approval for the unilateral disconnection plan by 72 votes to 11 – represents another open challenge to the Spanish judiciary and to Spain’s acting prime minister, Mariano Rajoy.

#THAILAND: 2,000 Teak Trees Still Won't Be Cut For New Parliament Building - Now It Will Be 5,000!

[world politics news]

Not long ago (as world politics news reported) the Thai prime minister stepped into save 2,000 trees that were slated to be used to construct a new parliament building. But now, it's been revealed that up to 5,000 rare teak trees will actually be used. Once plentiful in Southeast Asia, teak stands have been devastated and wild teak logging is illegal in many places, Thailand included. The teak being used is required, say designers, because it uniquely represents a traditional temple, to remind legislators to make wise decisions.

#BULGARIA: Second Round Of Court Reform Amendments Passed

[world politics news]

Bulgarian MPs have passed a second package of amendments to the country’s Judiciary Act, part of the judiciary reform process that started after the constitutional amendments passed last year. The amendments are meant to improve court self-governance, reducing the powers of the administrative heads of individual courts, as well as increasing the accountability and decentralization of the prosecutor’s office.

#KENYA: MP Returns After Ejection From Parliament, Vows To Continue To Interrupt President's Speeches

[world politics news]

Defiant Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi has said he would disrupt President Uhuru Kenyatta's addresses "again and again." Wandayi recently returned to parliament after being ejected after a chaotic March 31 session of parliament in which he and other opposition members consistently used a whistle to interrupt the State of the Nation address by Pres. Uhuru.

#AUSTRALIA: Victoria Premier Urges PM To Avoid "Harmful" Public Same-Sex Marriage Vote

[world politics news]

Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews is urging Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to avoid a "damaging" plan to hold a public referendum on Same-Sex marriage. Turnbull just won a razor-thin re-election campaign and has repeatedly blocked a free vote on the issue in parliament.

#EGYPT: Parliament Approves Civil Service Bill On Second Try

[world politics news]

The House of Representatives have approved a new Civil Service Law, which it had previously rejected in February. Speaker Ali Abdul Aal announced the government-proposed bill will be sent to the State Council for review of its constitutionality. An earlier one failed to pass that process.

#INDIA: Parliament Passes Controversial Child Labor Bill

[world politics news]

India’s parliament on Tuesday approved a controversial law that would allow children to work for family businesses, despite widespread concern by the United Nations and other rights advocates that it will push more children into labor. The bill brings a raft of changes to a three-decade-old child labor prohibition law. The bill now goes for the President’s assent before becoming law.

#UKRAINE: Parliamentarian Caught Watching Porn On Smartphone During Session

[world politics news]

Member of Ukrainian Parliament Vyacheslav Konstantinovskiy was caught on camera watching adult movies during one of the latest sessions. The unrepentant politician, who representative for the city of Kiev, admitted his bizarre actions, but added "at least I wasn't playing Pokemon Go." He made an official statement on social media about the incident saying that he got tired of the "circus that was going on in the hall" and simply followed one of the suggested links while browsing on his phone. He said: "I admit that the location for watching this type of content was inappropriate."

#ISRAEL: Knesset Passes Bill Allowing Expulsion Of Its Members

[world politics news]

Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has passed a controversial law allowing MPs to expel colleagues for incitement, racism or support for armed struggle against the state that critics say is aimed mainly at Arab legislators. Opposition Israeli-Arab MPs said immediately they would appeal against the legislation at the country’s supreme court.

#NEPAL: Prime Min. Oli Resigns Before No Confidence Vote

[world politics news]

Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Oli has resigned, nine months after coming to power and minutes before parliament was to vote on a no confidence motion he was likely to lose. Oli's departure plunges the Himalyan country, plagued by political turmoil for years, into a whole new round of political uncertainty. This is the country's 23rd government to fall since a multi-party democracy began in 1990 after bloody protests, and the political tumult has weighed on business confidence.

#CZECHIA: Tough Anti-Smoking Bill Considered, One Of Last Nations In EU To Consider

[world politics news]

One of the last holdouts in Europe when it comes to enacting comprehensive anti-smoking legislation is considering it again, after a similar bill failed last month. The bill contains a full ban on smoking in restaurants.