The House of Representatives in the United States is now controlled by the Democrats. The Senate remains in the control of the Republicans.
The Democrats and Republicans are two political parties in the United States (groups of people with very different ideas about how the country should be run). US President Donald Trump is a Republican.
On Nov. 6, the United States had a big election, called the “mid-term” elections. Americans vote for who they wanted to represent them in two main branches of their government: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Politics
Premier Doug Ford Uses “Notwithstanding Clause”
In June, the province of Ontario got a new premier: Doug Ford. His political party won the election in a landslide and has a “majority government.” That means the party Ford leads has more votes than all of the other political parties put together, and it gives them a lot of power to get things done.
Recently, Ford and his party used that power in a way that has upset some people.
It all began when Ford announced that he was going to reduce the number of city councillors in Toronto from 47 to 25. Toronto is one of the largest cities in Ontario.
Ford says having fewer councillors will make the city run better.
But people who don’t agree with Ford say he is only doing it because he doesn’t like some of the Toronto councillors. They say it’s not a business move–it’s personal.
Women In Saudi Arabia Now Allowed To Drive
Women in Saudi Arabia are now allowed to drive. For nearly 30 years, there has been a law in Saudi Arabia that said women could not drive a vehicle. Many women and men protested the law. They said it was […]
Lots Of Political Drama At G7
A lot happened at the G7 summit this year.
The G7 (the G stands for “group”) is made up of seven of the world’s wealthiest countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The leaders of these countries, plus representatives for the European Union, get together every year. That meeting is called a summit. Every summit is held at a different G7 country; this year, it was held in Quebec, Canada.
At the summit, the leaders talk about issues that affect them all. This year, Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said he wanted to discuss: strengthening the middle class, supporting women’s equality and ensuring that more girls can access education, dealing with global warming and promoting respect for diversity.
Some very good things happened at the G7 summit this year. For instance, the leaders agreed to give nearly $3 billion to help women and girls access education. That pledge received praise from many people, including activist Malala Yousafzai, who said, the money will “give more girls hope.”
Ontario Premier Says She Can’t Win Election
The current premier of Ontario says there will be a new premier after the election on June 7 and it most certainly won’t be her.
That was a very surprising announcement.
Premier Kathleen Wynne leads the Ontario Liberal Party. She is one of three main candidates vying for the spot of premier in the upcoming election. The other two main candidates are Doug Ford Jr., who leads the Progressive Conservative (PC) party of Ontario and Andrea Horwath, who leads the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP).
North And South Korea: Lasting Peace May Be Near
It was one step, but it represented the possibility of lasting peace for North and South Korea.
Kim Jong-Un, the leader of North Korea, walked to the border between his country and South Korea … and stepped over it, into South Korea.
There, he shook hands with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in.
It was a joining together not just of two leaders, but of two countries that have been at war for 65 years.
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950 and, although fighting ended in 1953 (when an armistice* was declared), no peace treaty was signed by both countries. Officially the two countries remained at war.
Students March “For Our Lives”
Young people in more than 800 cities in the United States and around the world took to the streets last Saturday to protest.
It was called “The March for our Lives.” The students were protesting for “gun control” which in this case means they want stricter gun laws in the United States.
Canada’s gun laws are different than in the United States, in terms of when and how someone can buy a gun. Canada has “fairly strict gun laws,” according to a recent article in The Walrus magazine. Canada has “detailed licensing procedures, age restrictions, and background checks required before you can purchase a firearm.”
The students want politicians in the United States to make it harder for people to buy guns. They say that will make everyone safer.
Viola Desmond On New Canadian $10 Bill
Canadian hero Viola Desmond is the face on the new $10 bill in Canada, which goes into circulation at the end of March.
Viola Desmond was thrown in jail in Nova Scotia in 1946 because, in a movie theatre, she wanted to sit downstairs where the white people were allowed to sit. She didn’t want to sit up in the balcony, where the black people had to sit. The police held her in jail overnight. The dignified and brave Desmond paid a fine of $20 the next day, even though she had done nothing wrong. Today, we think of her for being a brave advocate for the rights of African-Canadians and helping to inspire the human rights movement in Canada.
It is a great honour to have your face on a country’s money. This is the first time an African-Canadian woman has been featured on Canadian paper money.
Winter Olympics More Than Just Sports
The 2018 Winter Olympic Games are on now, in PyeongChang, South Korea.
The location is very significant. South Korea and North Korea are not on friendly terms. But the Olympics may be bringing them closer together, politically.
North Korea is a “dictatorship.” That means, one person rules it. That person is Kim Jong-un, known as the “Supreme Leader.” He is known for being extremely strict and harsh with his country’s people. He keeps his country separated from the rest of the world. It is usually hard to know what is going on in North Korea, because free communication is not allowed in or out of the country.
But the Winter Olympics may help to thaw relations between North and South Korea.
“In All Of Us Command”
Some of the words to Canada’s national anthem have been changed. In O Canada, the line, “in all thy sons command” has been changed to “in all of us command.” Last week, Canada passed Bill C-210. That bill changes “the National Anthem Act to substitute the words “of us” for the words “thy sons” in the English version of the national anthem, thus making it gender neutral.” Once the bill is approved by the Governor General, it will be come a law.
