Germany: Police clear pro-Palestinian protest camp outside parliament building

In Berlin, police were clearing a pro-Palestinian protest camp set up outside the German parliament building. Police say they acted to ban the camp after some protesters repeatedly used banned symbols and slogans.

UK extends emergency Covid powers despite opposition from some members of parliament

 MPs have voted to extend emergency coronavirus powers in England until September despite a big rebellion by backbench Conservative MPs against the plan.

Who is Thailand's King and what do protesters want from him? | DW News

 

Thailand’s revered monarchy is facing calls for change from thousands protesting on the streets of the country. In particular focus is the current King Maha Vajiralongkorn, whose long periods of stay in Germany have raised questions not just among his people, but also in the German Parliament.

Boris Johnson addresses MPs after new detail about lockdown

Boris Johnson tells MPs that the reopening of society and the UK economy should go ahead with "utmost caution". He says the R rate - which measures the spread of infection has fallen from between 2.6 and 2.8 in April to between 0.5 and 0.9 now. He says making sure the disease does not spread and reopening the economy will be a "supremely difficult balance to strike".

Sri Lanaka's Parliament Is A Riot

On Thursday Sri Lanaka's Lower House Parliament passed a no confidence measure which has led to chaos in the chamber.  Talk about showing their decorum by throwing chili powder, chairs and punches. 

Sri Lanka’s parliament has been disrupted for a second day, with legislators allied to the disputed prime minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, hurling chairs at police officers and allegedly throwing chilli powder at opposing MPs.

It was the latest violent incident in the crisis that erupted three weeks ago, when the president, Maithripala Sirisena, suddenly announced he had sacked the prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and installed Rajapaksa in his place.

Despite the violence, the pro-Rajapaksa MPs failed to prevent the assembly from passing a no-confidence motion in his leadership, dismissing his government for the second time this week.

Catalan parliament declares independence from Spain

Catalonia: tracking independence movements across Europe

The Catalan parliament has voted to declare independence from Spain.

Seventy lawmakers voted in favour, 10 voted against, while two cast blank ballots. 

The decision was made during a secret vote in Barcelona on Friday afternoon.

The names of those who voted for independence was withheld, as the Spanish attorney general promised to charge those who voted in favour of independence with “rebellion”.

The declaration comes as the Spanish government is set to vote on the application of Article 155 of the Constitution, which allows Madrid to directly administer the breakaway region.

Dozens of members of the Catalan Socialist party (PSC) walked out of the chamber before the vote, as did MPs from the centrist Ciutadans party and the conservative People’s party. Some left Spanish and Catalan flags on their empty seats.

Opponents of independence accused the regional president, Carles Puigdemont, and his allies of ignoring the views of the majority of Catalans who wish to remain part of Spain.