The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the Scottish Parliament cannot legislate for a second independence referendum without consent from the UK government. In the first independence referendum held in 2014, the Scottish electorate voted 55–45 percent to reject independence and remain part of the UK. But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who is also leader […]
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Sunday said the Democrats will lose if the November midterm elections are a “referendum” on President Joe Biden. “If it is a referendum on the president, they will lose. And they know that. They also know that crime is a huge vulnerability for Democrats, I would say […]
Unfair advantage or more inclusion? The transgender debate is back in the spotlight as sporting bodies review their rules for inclusion. Scotland’s first minister has made renewed calls for a second independence referendum in October next year. But her demands have been rejected by Westminster, meaning she will have to go through court to validate […]
Scotland’s First Minister said there should be a second independence referendum, and proposed a date in October 2023 as the day of the vote. But her demands have been rejected by the U.K. government, meaning she will attempt to go through the Supreme Court to legally validate the potential referendum.
MEXICO CITY—Mexicans voted Sunday on whether their president should end his six-year term barely midway through or continue to the end. Strangely, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was the one who pushed for the first-ever referendum of its kind in Mexico. It was considered a safe bet. The referendum is only binding if at least […]
Hungary’s premier Viktor Orban confirmed on Thursday that there will be a referendum on a planned establishment of a campus for Chinese Fudan university, which had triggered a protest over the weekend. Orban, who faces elections in early 2022, has shelved plans for the Chinese school for now which analysts have said was aimed to […]
BUDAPEST—Hungary appeared to backtrack on plans to build a Chinese university in the capital Budapest after thousands took to the streets at the weekend accusing the government of cosying up to Beijing, provoking an angry Chinese response. Opponents of Prime Minister Viktor Orban fear the planned private, $2 billion campus could undercut the quality of […]
MILAN—Two wealthy regions of northern Italy began voting on Sunday in referendums for autonomy, ballots that could fan regional tensions in Europe at a time when neighboring Spain is striving to prevent Catalonia from breaking away. Lombardy and Veneto, regions that are both run by the once openly secessionist Lega Nord party, are holding non-binding […]
BARCELONA—Spanish police sealed off schools earmarked as polling stations and occupied the Catalan government’s communications hub on Saturday in efforts to prevent a banned independence referendum. Supporters of the poll spent the night in schools with their children and say they plan to remain there until Sunday to keep them open for voters, although a […]
MADRID/BARCELONA—Spanish police raided Catalan government offices and arrested officials on Wednesday to halt a banned referendum on independence, an action the regional president said meant Madrid had effectively taken over his administration. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the regional government offices in the center of Barcelona’s tourist district, waving the red-and-yellow Catalan flag and chanting […]
International election observers said the Turkish referendum was an uneven contest. They handed their report to Turkey’s electoral board on April 18. The referendum was on constitutional changes that would give President Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers. Preliminary results showed 51.4 percent in favor of the changes. Observers are sent from the Council of Europe, […]
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan was greeted by hundreds of supporters when he visited a mosque in Istanbul on April 17. This comes a day after he won a referendum that will grant him new sweeping powers. Erdogan, a populist, has held his title since 2003 with no real rival, just as Turkey emerged as one […]
Voting has started in Turkey’s constitutional referendum. This vote could reshape the country’s government and change its future in the EU and the world. After surviving a coup attempt last July, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants more power. He wants to be able to stay in office until 2029, and to take over the powers […]
Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon again made a case for independence from Great Britain. She spoke at a U.N. conference on women in conflict zones. Even though Scotland rejected independence in 2014, Sturgeon’s party has gained traction since then. Sturgeon spoke about why now is the right time for another referendum. “I am a nationalist. […]
President Serzh Sarksyan’s ruling Republican Party leads Armenia’s parliamentary elections according to exit polls on April 2. These are the first elections since a 2015 constitutional referendum, when the ex-Soviet country voted to change from a semi-presidential government system to a parliamentary republic. The constitutional changes mean that power will lie with the prime minister. […]
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote a letter to UK Prime Minister Theresa May on March 31, formally asking for a second referendum to be held on Scottish independence. She repeated her request to hold the referendum on secession in 18-24 months, when the terms of Brexit become clearer, but before Britain’s divorce with EU […]
British Prime Minister Theresa May met Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in a Glasgow hotel on March 27. May’s spokesman said the prime minister hoped to discuss areas where she believes Westminster and Scotland can find agreement and move forward without Scotland holding a second independence referendum. Sturgeon is pressing for a second referendum in […]
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Monday (March 13) demanded a new independence referendum to be held in late 2018 or early 2019, once the terms of Britain’s exit from the European Union have become clearer. A vote that could rip apart the United Kingdom just months before Brexit adds a tumultuous twist and highly […]
