NEWSWORTHY
In country's first name-change referendum, Sasayama voters back renaming city as Tamba-Sasayama
The city of Sasayama in Hyogo Prefecture will be changing its name to Tamba-Sasayama as early as next May following what city officials described as the country's first referendum on changing a municipality's name. Sunday's referendum passed with a margin of 3,128, with 13,646 voting ...
Voters turned out in exceptional numbers Sunday for an independence referendum in the South Pacific territory of New Caledonia, with early results suggesting that voters favor keeping ties with France. With results declared from 202 of the 284 polling stations, the "Non" vote against independence ...
Mexico's president-elect said Monday he will respect the result of a referendum that rejected a partly built new airport for Mexico City, effectively ending the $13 billion project. "The decision taken by the citizens is democratic, rational and efficient," Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said after ...
Thousands take to streets in London and demand second Brexit vote be held
Tens of thousands of supporters of the European Union began marching through London on Saturday as part of what organizers say will be the biggest-ever demonstration to demand that the British government hold a public vote on the terms of Brexit. The protesters waved the ...
In referendum, voters in second Swiss canton overwhelmingly vote for ban on burqas
A second Swiss canton will introduce a regional burqa ban after voters in St. Gallen overwhelmingly voted Sunday to prohibit all face-covering garments in public spaces. Nearly 67 percent of voters in the northeastern Swiss canton voted in favor of the new law, according to ...
The government of Okinawa on Thursday submitted to the local assembly a bill proposing a referendum on the controversial plan to relocate a key U.S. military base within the southern island prefecture. The bill is likely to be approved by the prefectural assembly, where a ...
Brexit could sway Scottish voters to seek independence from U.K.: poll
Britain's exit from the European Union could tip public opinion in Scotland in favor of seeking independence, an opinion poll showed on Sunday. Scotland voted against independence in 2014, but a subsequent referendum on leaving the EU has reignited debate over its long-term future as ...
Swiss 'real money' initiative fails after lack of support from cantons
A radical plan to upend Switzerland's financial landscape by barring commercial banks from creating money has been defeated after failing to win a majority of support from the Swiss cantons, Swiss broadcaster SRF said Sunday. The measure needed to secure a majority of Switzerland's 26 ...
Christine Howell planned to spend two years straight traveling and working in Australia from her arrival in Melbourne last December without breaking her trip to return home to Ireland. The timing felt right. Howell, 27, had qualified as an optician but wasn't ready to settle. ...
While debate continues on whether to amend the nation’s pacifist Constitution, less attention has been given to the referendum system under which the public will give its final say.
U.K.'s Brexit fight with Scotland escalates as May rejects vote
Prime Minister Theresa May rejected Scotland's bid to hold a referendum on independence before the U.K. leaves the European Union, the latest twist in the increasingly acrimonious fight over Brexit with the nationalist government in Edinburgh. While not ruling one out eventually, May's team said ...
Thai voters overwhelmingly approve junta-backed constitution
Thai voters Sunday overwhelmingly approved a new junta-backed constitution that lays the foundation for a civilian government influenced by the military and controlled by appointed — rather than elected — officials. With 91 percent of the ballots counted, 62 percent of voters in the referendum ...
