#MeToo witch-hunt targets French actor Gérard Depardieu
By Samuel Tissot. A state-backed witch-hunt has targeted renowned French actor Gérard Depardieu since last year and especially since the outbreak of the Israeli regime’s genocidal war on Gaza in October. Although Depardieu has been convicted of no crimes, major media outlets and parties promoted as “left” in official French politics
Supreme Court concludes hearing the Petitioners against the Online Safety Bill
Staff Writer The Speaker of Parliament confirmed on Wednesday (18) that 45 petitions had been filed in the Supreme Court (SC) of Sri Lanka challenging the constitutionality of the proposed draconian piece of law titled, Online Safety Bill (OSB). On the same day at 12.30 in the afternoon, the Supreme Court took
Constitutional amendment proposal for Indigenous Voice defeated in Australian Referendum
By Mike Head The scale and social content of last Saturday’s overwhelming rejection of the Australian Labor government’s referendum to entrench an indigenous advisory body called the Voice into the country’s constitution is becoming clearer. Overall, the referendum was defeated by about 61 percent to 39 percent, with postal votes still being
Indian Supreme Court bows down to the far-right, rejects same-sex marriage rights
By Staff Writer The Supreme Court in India today (17) refused to grant legal recognition for queer marriages, in a landmark judgement, denying equal rights to tens of millions of people. A five-judge bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, ruled that the court could not “be re-drafting
Mauritius Supreme Court upholds LGBTQ rights, dignity, and sodomy laws unconstitutional
By Staff Writer In two landmark judgments, delivered on Wednesday (12), the Supreme Court of Mauritius has struck down the provision in the 1838 Criminal Code that criminalized consensual anal sex between men, rejecting the law as a discriminatory colonial relic. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), one case was brought by
Is democracy a divider or a unifier at the UN General Assembly?
By Annika Silva-Leander The UN General Assembly convened 190 world leaders and delegated officials last week in New York in a context of global polycrises: the war in Ukraine, high debt burdens and economic fragility of developing countries resulting from the lingering effects of the pandemic and the climate emergency. International
Use of facial recognition technology in schools banned by New York state
By Staff Writer Following a report that found that the risks to student privacy and civil rights outweigh potential security benefits, Education Commissioner Betty Rosa ordered banning use of facial recognition technology in New York state schools. The order was issued on 27 September. This order, however, leaves decisions on digital