Legislatures and Parliaments

• Venezuelan Lawmakers Approve Sweeping Overhaul of Oil Sector - Bowing to Trump administration pressure, the new legislation improves conditions for foreign oil companies and opens the way to slash the taxes they pay.
• Trump Vows Higher Tariffs for South Korea Months After Trade Deal - President Trump said Seoul was not moving fast enough to implement the agreement, which calls for South Korea to invest billions in the United States.
• Ukrainian Politics Has Reawakened. Zelensky Must Tread Carefully. - The Ukrainian leader is reshuffling his cabinet as a corruption scandal reshapes the political landscape at a pivotal point in peace negotiations.
• Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s First Female Prime Minister, Dies - A leader for three terms, she traded the country’s leadership with Sheikh Hasina, the head of another political dynasty, over decades. She was believed to be 80.
• Israel Strips U.N. Agency for Palestinian Refugees of Diplomatic Immunity - The legislation was the latest blow to the agency, known as UNRWA. Israel has accused it of being extensively infiltrated by Hamas.
• As Some Boycott Myanmar’s Flawed Election, Others Hope for Change - The voting for Parliament is almost sure to favor the ruling military junta, which is stage-managing the polls. Still, some see them as the most pragmatic way to try to improve conditions.
• Kushner’s Firm Pulls Out of Trump-Branded Hotel Deal in Serbia - The announcement came just hours after prosecutors there charged four government officials with corruption in connection with the half-billion-dollar project.
• AfD Pushes to Publish German Information That Officials Say May Help Russia - Opponents of AfD lawmakers say that their push to publish sensitive details about national security could benefit Russian military planning.
• Hong Kong Holds Vote as Officials Move Against ‘Anti-China’ Elements - The government is pushing hard to raise turnout in an election overshadowed by a deadly fire and public anger over safety lapses and official accountability.
• Taiwan’s Opposition Leader, Once for Independence, Turns Toward China - She says Taiwan must embrace its Chinese heritage to avoid war. Her critics say she wants to steer the island into Beijing’s orbit.