Hungarian lawmakers on Tuesday voted to remove anti-LGBTQ provisions in a 2021 “child protection” law adopted under nationalist ex-leader Viktor Orban. Parliament passed a bill to amend the law with 139 votes in favour and 51 votes against, marking the first significant reversal of Orban’s curbs targeting the LGBTQ community since pro-EU Prime Minister Peter […]
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Activist Thunberg joins France student rally after violence at protests
French high school pupils staged fresh nationwide rallies Tuesday urging better learning conditions, supported by university students and Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, with authorities and participants wary of further violence. With just months to go before elections to replace President Emmanuel Macron, French authorities had been hoping that the protests would start to ease ahead […]
Prosecutors drop most impeachment charges against Philippine VP Duterte
A Philippine impeachment court on Tuesday granted prosecutors’ request to drop most of the charges against Vice President Sara Duterte at a trial that could still block her 2028 presidential bid. Prosecutors, who had already moved last week to remove a bribery count, went further Tuesday by seeking that allegations of misused funds and a […]
Hungary cuts anti-LGBTQ legislation from Orban-era law
Hungarian lawmakers on Tuesday voted to remove anti-LGBTQ provisions in a 2021 “child protection” law adopted under nationalist ex-leader Viktor Orban. Parliament passed a bill to amend the law with 139 votes in favour and 51 votes against, marking the first significant reversal of Orban’s curbs targeting the LGBTQ community since pro-EU Prime Minister Peter […]
IMF upgrades 2026 growth forecast but warns of ‘split’ outlook
The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday forecast global growth in 2026 would slow less than previously expected because of advanced economies’ “resilience” in the face of war-fuelled energy prices, but warned low-income countries remained vulnerable to the supply shock. In its World Economic Outlook (WEO) released at the organization’s Annual Meetings in Bangkok, the IMF […]
Hungary to reverse Orban-era anti-LGBTQ legislation
Hungarian lawmakers will vote Tuesday on removing anti-LGBTQ provisions of a 2021 “child protection” law adopted under nationalist ex-leader Viktor Orban. It marks the first significant reversal of Orban’s curbs targeting the LGBTQ community since pro-EU Prime Minister Peter Magyar took power. The new law will remove restrictions on the “portrayal” or “promotion” of sexual […]
Ready, set, snooze: Sleep-deprived Japanese compete for best-rested
In diligent, exhausted Japan, self-described elite “competitive sleepers” vied to lie down, relax and nap the fastest and deepest in a contest organised by a mattress company. The Tokyo competition, dubbed “Matt Race”, saw dozens of participants fitted with sleep tracking devices sprawl on comfy mattresses to slumber for up to 90 minutes Monday, competing […]
‘No choice’: IMF says developing countries must cut spending despite war shock
The International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday that while low-income developing countries were dealing with the disproportionate impacts of the Iran war-fuelled energy shock, many had “no choice” but to cut spending or potentially face debt restructuring. Speaking to AFP on the sidelines of the organisation’s Annual Meetings in Bangkok, IMF deputy director of research […]
Five dead as Hurricane Simon, Rachel pummel Mexico’s Pacific coast
Rains and flooding along Mexico’s Pacific Coast from Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel have left five people dead, authorities said Monday. The El Nino phenomenon, characterized by rising water temperatures in the Pacific, is fueling a more intense hurricanes this season in the region. Simon claimed the life of a 71-year-old man who “died […]