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Nigel Evans, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, will stand aside from his ceremonial role in the Queen's Speech after he was arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. Mr Evans, who strongly denies the allegations, asked the Speaker to be excused from chairing the event taking place on Wednesday. The MP for Ribble Valley will not resign from his job and has received the backing of a number of fellow MPs. However, Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, suggested it would be "difficult" for him to carry on in such a high-profile role while under such scrutiny....

Fistfights broke out in Venezuela’s parliament on Tuesday, injuring a number of legislators during an angry session linked to the South American nation’s bitter election dispute. The opposition said seven of its parliamentarians were attacked and hurt when protesting a measure to block them from speaking in the National Assembly over their refusal to recognize President Nicolás Maduro’s April 14 vote victory. Government legislators blamed their “fascist” rivals for starting the violence, which illustrated the volatile state of politics in the OPEC nation after the death of late socialist leader Hugo Chávez last month. …

Institutions Worthy of Our Parties: Should the U.S. Switch to a Parliamentary System? Efforts to curb legislative partisanship have weak track records, so maybe we should consider changing the other side of the equation in order to establish a government that can actually get things done. Rick Hasen has a really interesting paper up discussing partisan polarization and the possibility of changing the Constitution to deal with it. (And you should really read Jonathan Bernstein’s response, too.) Hasen starts off by asking whether we should be considering moving toward a more parliamentary style of government. It’s a fair question. We...

JERUSALEM – In a conversation with the Palestinian Authority, a White House official apparently compared Israel’s Knesset, or parliament, to the gravesite of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, according to a PA official speaking to WND. The Palestinian official, who asked that his name be withheld, said he was in contact with members of the Obama administration regarding Obama’s slated visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah, where the U.S. president will meet PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

NEW DELHI: "The incident, which resulted in heavy casualties, had shaken the entire nation and the collective conscience of society will only be satisfied if the capital punishment is awarded to the offender," the Supreme Court had said while upholding the death sentence of Afzal Guru. Holding Afzal guilty of the conspiracy culminating in the attack on Parliament House, the apex court in its August 4, 2005 judgment added: "The conspirator, even though he may not have indulged in the actual criminal operations to execute the conspiracy, becomes liable for the punishment prescribed under Section 302 of the IPC (Indian...

There have been calls for an inquiry after minister disclosed that birth rates for girls and boys vary noticeably according to where their mothers were born. It was the first official statistical evidence potentially backing up concerns that sex-selection abortions are being carried out in Britain. Fiona Bruce, the Conservative MP for Congleton, has tabled an early day motion which calls on the Department of Health to ensure the data of aborted foetuses is reported “so that statistical evidence of crime cannot be hidden”. The early day motion was also signed by Jim Dobbin, the Labour MP for Heywood...

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi made several decrees Thursday that will shape the country’s constitution and, he says, safeguard its “revolutionary” future. They include a ruling that none of his decisions can be overturned by any authority. Morsi gave the Constituent Assembly a two month deadline to finish drafting a new constitution, ruling that no authority may dissolve it until the country's defining document is completed. He further ruled that no authority may dissolve the Shura Council, the upper house of Egypt's parliament. In a move likely to bring criticism that the Egyptian president is inappropriately expanding his powers, he also...

The Iranian parliament has been ordered to drop its probe of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported Wednesday. The country's "Supreme Leader," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, allegedly expressed concern Iran's enemies would benefit from the interrogation. Khamenei himself initiated the probe, carried out by his own supporters in the parliament. For the first time in Iranian presidential history, Ahmadinejad was summoned for questioning by the legislative body in March of this year. However, this week Khamenei said, “We demand that the respected representatives not continue” with the probe over the economic crisis and the nosedive in the value...

When Greece's government pushed through a law last week aimed at slashing public wages and raising taxes, its biggest threat was not the firebrand opposition or the 100,000 protesters thronged at the gates of parliament. It was the assembly's workers themselves, a well-connected group that has long evoked disdain for enjoying the kind of lavish pay and benefits that have become emblematic of the public sector excess at the heart of Greece's debt crisis. The staff dispute that image. But, having discovered that a 500-odd page draft law of cost cuts and tax hikes included a last minute amendment giving...

I listened to Mark Levin's show the day before the 4th of July in which he talked about restoring constitutionalism in our three branches of government. It certainly piqued my interest especially in regard to abolishing the 17th amendment and restoring power to the states in appointing senators - a position I've supported for some time. I sent Mr. Levin an email with my small suggestion for improving the sorry state of Congress. I'm also wondering what other Freepers thought of Levin's talk show that day. The following is my email to Dr. Levin. I tried to put a bit...

The spokesman for the Greek neo-Nazi Golden Dawn Party, who struck and threw a glass of water on female Members of Parliament during a brawl on live television, has threatened to sue his victims, claiming they provoked his attack. Ilias Kasidiaris has been in hiding since Thursday, when producers of the morning show reportedly locked him in a room at the studio, until police were scheduled to arrive to investigate the incident. Prior to their arrival, however, Kasidiaris broke down the door and escaped, resulting in a warrant for his arrest. In a statement posted on Facebook on Saturday, he...

Campaigning for France's parliamentary elections officially begins Monday in what is expected to be a fierce battle between left and right. Without a majority in the lower house, President Hollande will struggle to deliver on his campaign promises. The battle to take control of France’s National Assembly begins in earnest on Monday when the four week campaign period is officially launched. The Socialist Party is hoping to follow up the presidential triumph of François Hollande by gaining a majority in France’s lower house when the elections take place over two rounds on June 10 and 17. Although poll numbers look...

Here is yet more delightful evidence that Sharia is benign and completely compatible with U.S. Constitutional values, as we are constantly told. "Egypt’s women urge MPs not to pass early marriage, sex-after-death laws: report," by Abeer Tayel for Al Arabiya, April 25 (thanks to Stephen): Egypt’s National Council for Women (NCW) has appealed to the Islamist-dominated parliament not to approve two controversial laws on the minimum age of marriage and allowing a husband to have sex with his dead wife within six hours of her death according to a report in an Egyptian newspaper. The appeal came in a message...

According to 20 Minuten (Swiss), there is a large scal attack underway against the Parlament buildings in Kabul. The Russian Embassy has reportedly taken rocket hits. Headline only .....

The Australian Christian Lobby issued this media release today: The Australian Christian Lobby is urging all Christians to make their voices heard on the importance of marriage to society by lodging a short submission to the Senate Inquiry into same-sex marriage. Submissions close on Monday. ACL Chief of Staff Lyle Shelton said it was vital that as many people as possible showed their support for marriage remaining between a man and a woman by e-mailing a submission to the Senate’s Legal and Constitutional Committee. Mr Shelton welcomed the Victorian Catholic Bishops’ intervention in the debate today and hoped all Christian...

OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau caused uproar in the House of Commons today after he called Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent a “piece of s---” during a heated question time debate over the Kyoto Protocol. The Liberal MP for Papineau immediately apologized, admitting he “lost his cool” after Kent questioned why NDP environment critic Megan Leslie had not attended last week’s climate change summit in South Africa. Canada officially withdrew from the Kyoto accord on Monday, drawing pointed criticism from overseas signatories to the pact. Trudeau became incensed after Kent suggested that Leslie should have been in Durban for the UN...

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A transsexual woman and an openly gay man took seats in Poland's newly elected parliament Tuesday, historic firsts that reflect profound social change in this traditionally Roman Catholic country. Anna Grodzka, who was born a man but underwent a sex change, entered the assembly hall to warm greetings. Several men and women shook her hand, while one male lawmaker kissed her on the cheek. She was later introduced to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who also shook her hand.

Kyrgyzstan's parliament has voted to ban gambling, meaning casinos will close throughout the country. The bill was passed with almost no opposition, following repeated warnings from politicians that gambling has become a major social problem.

16,000 police to retake London: PM recalls Parliament as the police lose control of Britain's streets --Prime Minister David Cameron recalls Parliament on Thursday as Government tries to quell uprising --'Unprecedented' 16,000 police on duty in London - compared with just 6,000 last night --Man, 26, shot in Croydon last night dies in hospital England game against Netherlands at Wembley tomorrow called OFF --400% surge in 999 calls on night of violence with 20,800 dialling the emergency services in London --Cost of clean-up expected to run into 'tens of millions' --Metropolitan Police use armoured vehicles to push back 150 rioters...

Full Title: Islamic extremist whose internet posts were inspired by woman who stabbed MP Stephen Timms is jailed for 12 Years An IT graduate who posted messages on an Islamic extremist website calling on Muslims to attack British MPs who voted in favour of the war in Iraq was today jailed for 12 years. Bilal Zaheer Ahmad, 24, put the posts on US-based RevolutionMuslim.com a day after a Muslim woman had been jailed for trying to murder a senior Labour MP. He listed named pro-war politicians on the website and urged other would-be fanatics to 'raise the knife of jihad'...