Thailand’s lower house of parliament has overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill, paving the way for the nation to become the first in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill passed with an impressive majority of 400 votes in favor, marking a significant step towards equal rights for marriage partners of any gender. Should…
Protests have erupted in Hungary following the release of a leaked audio recording implicating top officials in a corruption scandal, intensifying pressure on Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s populist government. The tape, unveiled by former government insider turned critic Peter Magyar, alleges that it provides evidence of systemic corruption among high-ranking officials. Thousands of demonstrators gathered…
A catastrophic event unfolded early Tuesday morning in Baltimore as the city’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River after being struck by a 984-foot cargo ship. Tragically, six individuals, presumed to be construction workers, are missing and presumed dead following the collapse. The collision occurred when the massive container ship, named the…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has approached a major Indian think tank to develop a homegrown democracy ratings index that could help it counter recent downgrades in rankings issued by international groups that New Delhi fears could affect the country’s credit rating. The Observer Research Foundation (ORF), which works closely with the Indian government on…
Hong Kong’s Legislative Council unanimously approved a new national security law aimed at expanding the government’s authority to suppress dissent. The law, known as the Safeguarding National Security Bill, was fast-tracked through its final stages in less than two weeks by the city’s pro-Beijing parliament. The legislation, which builds upon a similar law imposed by…
Russian President Vladimir Putin has secured his fifth term in office, extending his rule for at least another six years in a presidential election marred by allegations of voter suppression and a lack of credible opposition. The Central Election Commission confirmed Putin’s landslide victory, with him receiving a record-breaking 87.29% of the vote, the highest…
Icelandic authorities have once again declared a state of emergency as a volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula erupted for the fourth time since December, sending plumes of orange lava into the air and prompting evacuations from nearby towns. The eruption, which commenced late on Saturday, has sparked concerns over infrastructure damage and raised fears of…
McDonald’s, the renowned fast-food giant, grappled with a widespread systems failure on Friday, leading to the closure of numerous outlets across multiple countries. Operations were disrupted in countries such as Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and the United States, leaving both staff and customers frustrated. The outage, labeled as a “technology outage” by…
Russia commenced its three-day presidential election on Friday, with a steady influx of voters arriving at polling stations across the nation. Despite the predictable outcome, the Kremlin keenly eyes turnout as a gauge of public support for Vladimir Putin’s continued leadership. Amidst a backdrop of a relentless crackdown on dissent and independent media, the election…
The courtroom fell silent as the verdict was read: James Crumbley, father of Ethan Crumbley, the teenager responsible for a devastating school shooting in Michigan, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. It marked a watershed moment in the legal landscape, as James became the first parent of a mass school shooter in the United States to…
