Today we'll be discussing some of the biggest stories, including the UK rail strikes and the Canadian single-use plastic ban, as well as discussing a potential 2022 winter of discontent, but first another Israeli election.
Israel is heading for its fifth election in three and a half years after the country's coalition leaders agreed to submit a bill to dissolve the Knesset next week and call an early election. In a joint statement, prime minister Naftali Bennett and foreign minister Yerlapid said that they had exhausted options to stabilize their ideologically diverse coalition, which was formed just one year ago. The coalition government has been rocked by instability in recent weeks and months, including defections and rebellions. Following the immediate dissolution of the Knesset, Foreign Minister Lapid will serve as caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed. It's expected that the election will be held in October or November this year.
After the loss of his parliamentary majority on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with a series of opposition leaders today in an attempt to secure support and form a working government that will be able to carry out his agenda. Macron will first meet with the leader of the center-right republicans, whose MPs he may try to court. He will also meet the leaders of the socialist party and the communist party before hosting a rare meeting with far-right national rally leader Marine Le Pen, whose party made significant ground in Sunday's vote. Jean-Luc Mélanchon, who led the pan-left-wing Noops coalition to become the largest opposition party, is not scheduled to meet with two hostile opposition groups on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Economy minister Bruno Lemaire admitted that we will have to show a lot of imagination to govern.
Here in the UK, it's the first day of the national union of rail, maritime, and transport workers union strikes, or RMT strikes. The strike is expected to be the largest and most disruptive in decades, with only an estimated 20% of trains running today and strike days scheduled for Thursday and Sunday as well. Strikes appear to have coincided with two by-elections happening on Thursday and with GCSE and A-level examinations. In essence, the strike follows a dispute over pay, particularly in light of the current cost of living crisis. The UK government has appeared to want to remain distant from the dispute, arguing that it's the job of employers to meet with unions. The government is broadly critical of the strikes, largely because they see them as contributing to rising inflation.
A court in Osaka has held up Japan's ban on same-sex marriage ruling that the ban is not unconstitutional the ruling dealt a blow to gay couples and LGBTQ plus activists in Japan which remain the only g7 country not to allow same-sex marriage or civil unions, preventing gay couples from enjoying the benefits that heterosexual couples have including inheritance and parental rights. The court case was only the second to be heard on the subject in Japan, last year a separate district court made the opposite ruling and ruled that the ban was unconstitutional. However, this did not legalize same-sex marriage, but did give momentum to those wanting a change in the law. A third similar case is currently being heard in Tokyo, which activists hope will keep the public debate alive.
On Monday, Canada laid out its plans for how they want to ban single-use plastics. In essence, the Canadian government was making clear exactly how and which single-use plastics they aim to outlaw. The final regulatory text includes a ban on plastic bags cutlery straws hot stoppers carrier rings and takeaway containers. Specifically, an importer ban and a manufacturing ban will be imposed on those items in December 2022 with a ban on the sale of them a year later. The legislation has been criticized though for some of its glaring loopholes. Retailers will be allowed to sell single-use plastic straws if it's attached to a drink's container and packaged off-site. Additionally, packs of 20 or more plastic straws can be sold as long as they're out of the view of customers.