RIP

Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg dead at 92

By AFP
June 16, 2023

Daniel Ellsberg was a former US military analyst who famously leaked the so-called Pentagon Papers in 1971 - Copyright AFP Paul J. RICHARDS

Peter HUTCHISON

Daniel Ellsberg, the whistleblower who leaked the “Pentagon Papers” about the Vietnam War — changing public perceptions of the conflict — died on Friday, his family announced. He was 92.

Ellsberg was a military analyst when he released thousands of documents to US media in 1971 that revealed successive United States administrations had lied to the public about the Vietnam war.

The 7,000 classified pages determined that, contrary to the public assertions of US government officials, the conflict was unwinnable.

The leak was recounted in the 2017 Hollywood thriller “The Post,” which detailed the nail-biting behind-the-scenes story of the papers’ publication.

Ellsberg announced in March that doctors had told him on February 17 that he had terminal pancreatic cancer and only around six months to live.

“He was not in pain, and was surrounded by loving family,” his wife and children said in a statement announcing his death.

They highlighted that his last months had been well spent despite his illness.

“He was thrilled to be able to give up the salt-free diet his doctor had him on for five years,” they said.

“Hot chocolate, croissants, cake, poppyseed bagels, and lox gave him extra pleasure in these final months.

“He also enjoyed re-watching his favorite movies, including several viewings of his all-time favorite, ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” added his wife Patricia, sons Robert and Michael, and daughter Mary.

The New York Times initially published excerpts of the Pentagon Papers until the administration of President Richard Nixon obtained a court injunction barring the newspaper from continuing to do so on national security grounds. The Washington Post then took up the mantle.

Ellsberg was charged under America’s Espionage Act but the case ended in a mistrial in 1973 after illegal evidence gathering by the government came to light.

– ‘Patriotic truth-teller’ –

Announcing his diagnosis on March 3, Ellsberg reflected on his history-changing actions.

“When I copied the Pentagon Papers in 1969, I had every reason to think I would be spending the rest of my life behind bars,” he wrote.

“It was a fate I would gladly have accepted if it meant hastening the end of the Vietnam War, unlikely as that seemed (and was).

“Yet in the end that action — in ways I could not have foreseen, due to Nixon’s illegal responses — did have an impact on shortening the war,” Ellsberg added.

He continued to speak out against war through the remainder of his life, repeatedly criticizing US interventions overseas, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“What we’ve done to the Middle East has been hell,” he told the publication Democracy Now in 2018.

Ellsberg was a staunch anti-nuclear weapons campaigner. In 2017, he published a massive tome about the nuclear threat seen from the inside, titled “The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner.”

Ellsberg continued his activism even after his diagnosis, speaking to reporters about the continuing threat of nuclear war, particularly the threat posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Daniel was a seeker of truth and a patriotic truth-teller, an antiwar activist, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, a dear friend to many, and an inspiration to countless more. He will be dearly missed by all of us,” his family said.

Chasing the dollars: Shifts in the global population of millionaires

By Dr. Tim Sandle
June 16, 2023

Worried about the fate of their fortunes, wealthy Chinese are increasingly heading to Singapore, which ticks all the boxes for relocating tycoons - Copyright AFP Roslan RAHMAN

The U.K. is expected to see a net outflow of 3,200 so-called ‘high-net-worth individuals’ in 2023. This is higher than the projected 3,000 net loss for Russia, according to the Henley Private Wealth Migration Report 2023. The report tracks wealth and investment migration trends worldwide.

One argument for encouraging millionaires to take residency in a country is the boost to the economy. However, there is a little support for the theory of trickledown economics, even among the business community.

The latest move will make the U.K. the third-biggest loser of millionaires globally after China (net loss of 13,500) and India (net loss of 6,500). Perhaps most notably, the U.K.’s anticipated flight is double that of last year, when it saw a net exodus of 1,600 millionaires. There may be a connection with the Brexit process.

One consequence is that it is harder to move between the U.K. and E.U. countries. And evidence shows that the U.K.’s share of inward investment into Europe has declined since it left the EU, with Germany and France benefiting.

Although China’s economy grew strongly from 2000 to 2017, the wealth and millionaire growth in the country has been negligible since then (when measured in US-dollar terms).

The report considers the difference between the number of ‘high-net-worth individuals’ with investable wealth of $1 million or more who relocate to and the number who emigrate from a country).

The migration figures focus only on people who have truly moved — namely, who stay in their new country more than six months a year.

Australia is expected to attract the highest net inflow of ‘high-net-worth individuals’ in 2023 at 5,200, and although the UAE drops into 2nd place following its record-breaking influx in 2022, it is still expected to record a net arrival of 4,500 new millionaires this year. Singapore ranks 3rd with a net inflow of 3,200 ‘high-net-worth individuals’, its highest on record, followed the U.S. with an expected net influx of 2,100 millionaires.

Switzerland (net inflow of 1,800) and Canada (1,600) are in 5th and 6th place, respectively, with Greece (1,200), France (1,000 — double last year’s net intake of 500 millionaires), Portugal (800), and New Zealand (700) all making it onto this year’s Top 10 list for net HNWI inflows. Israel is predicted to tumble out of the Top 10 with its net inflow of millionaires set to almost halve this year to just 600 compared to 1,100 in 2022.

Such data suggests there has been a steady growth in millionaire migration over the past decade, and the global figures for 2023 and 2024 expected to be 122,000 and 128,000, respectively. Any last impact of COVID-19 appears minimal.

Some nations seek to entice the wealthy by operating investment migration pathways.One example is with Portugal’s Golden Residence Permit Program and Austria’s citizenship by investment.

Forest fire risks mount in drought-hit Nordic nations


By AFP

June 16, 2023

Experts warn of high risk of fires in northern Europe this year 

- Copyright AFP/File FRANCK FIFE

Camille BAS-WOHLERT

“I need water”, pleads farmer Lars Jonsson, casting a desperate eye over a parched field in eastern Denmark where the only shade is that cast by wind turbines.

Across the northern hemisphere, the start of summer has been marked by extreme weather conditions, from megafires in Canada to drought in Spain.

Even Northern Europe, typically known for its mild climate, has experienced an unseasonally dry spring and early summer, with experts warning of a high risk of forest fires like those that ravaged central Sweden in 2018.

“I’m very concerned about the weather because it’s very, very dry now,” Jonsson says.

“I check my phone for the weather forecast too many times a day in the hope of maybe a little rain in the next week,” he says, smartphone in hand.

There’s been little rain this spring and none at all since May 23, and now his grain crops are 25 percent shorter than normal.

According to European monitoring service Copernicus, 90 percent of Denmark was affected by drought at the end of May.

“Look, the roots are almost dried out,” 62-year-old Jonsson says as he pulls up a plant.

He has run a pork and grain farm north of Copenhagen since 1989. Part of his barley crop is sold to Danish brewer Carlsberg.

His barley production will be 30 percent lower than last year because of the drought, he said.

And his losses will depend on the autumn’s grain prices.

“I hope the price will go a little higher so my bottom line is okay. But if the price stays the same my bottom line will be no good.”

Jonsson may have to let go of one of his two employees, as in 2018.

He says his region has until now largely been spared the effects of climate change.

– Scandinavian sunflowers? –

Higher temperatures have been the most tangible impact.

“It’s much warmer… I have to look at what I will be planting in my fields in the future,” says Jonsson, who also grows rye and wheat in a region were grain irrigation is prohibited.

He may have to start growing crops typically associated with more southern regions.

“Maybe some of the things you have in France such as sunflowers or soy or soybeans. Maybe I can grow these in Denmark.”

“We don’t think of Denmark as dried out,” says Jens Hesselbjerg, a University of Copenhagen climatologist.

“Drought has not been considered as one of the outcomes of climate change, we have rather focused a lot in Denmark on extreme precipitation.”

While experts have regularly mentioned drought as a possible consequence of climate change, “they didn’t think it would happen here”.

– ‘Increasingly frequent’ droughts –

Yet periods without rain have grown longer and more frequent in the Scandinavian country of 5.9 million people.

Authorities are now urging people to limit water usage and have banned open fires in the wild.

Concerns are also mounting north of Denmark.

According to Copernicus, 51 percent of of Finland is affected by drought and 48 percent of Sweden — where memories are still fresh of the 2018 blazes that claimed some 25,000 hectares of woodland.

Swedish Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said Thursday authorities were “on their toes” and better equipped now to fight fires and help farmers.

According to climatologist Gustav Strandberg, Sweden is experiencing the driest start to June in “at least 20 years”.

In Finland, temperatures hovered this week around 30C in Helsinki, far above normal, with the risk of forest fires in southwestern areas “quite high”.

“For an early summer drought, this is a pretty tough one,” meteorologist Tuomo Bergman told AFP.

Norway is also experiencing an unusual dry spell, despite the fact that climate change has led to a 20 percent overall increase in precipitation since 1900, according to the Norwegian environment agency.

“It rains more but it’s more concentrated, not spread out over time like we would need,” meteorologist Hakon Mjelstad told AFP.

“There’s a lot one week, then nothing for a month.”

Forest fire warnings have been raised to the highest level in large parts of southern and southeastern Norway, with all open fires except for backyard barbecues prohibited.

“Dry summers like the one that we are expecting … used to be rare,” said Mjelstad.

“But they will become increasingly frequent. Simply because it is getting warmer” on Earth.

CTHULHU STUDIES

Octopus Changes DNA to Cope With The Cold!

YT Science Teacher

Jun 11, 2023  #MarineBiology #NatureLovers #Octopus

Prepare to be amazed by the incredible world of marine biology! In this captivating video, we delve into the fascinating discovery of how octopuses adapt to extreme cold by changing their DNA.

Join us on a journey of scientific exploration as we uncover the remarkable abilities of these intelligent creatures. We'll dive into the research and uncover the groundbreaking findings that reveal how octopuses modify their genetic code to survive in icy environments.

Through engaging visuals and expert explanations, we'll unravel the mechanisms behind this astonishing adaptation. You'll gain a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between an organism's DNA and its ability to cope with extreme conditions.

This video is not only for science enthusiasts and nature lovers but for anyone who marvels at the wonders of the natural world. Discover the awe-inspiring ways in which organisms adapt and evolve to survive in challenging environments.

So, join us as we unveil the secrets of the octopus and its DNA-changing abilities in the face of extreme cold. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more mind-blowing scientific discoveries, nature documentaries, and educational content that will broaden your horizons.

NDP attempts to prod Liberals into action on pharmacare by tabling its own bill



OTTAWA — No longer content to wait for the Liberals to make good on their promise, the New Democrats tabled their own pharmacare legislation in the House of Commons Tuesday.

The NDP and Liberals struck a confidence-and-supply agreement last year that would see the NDP support the government on key votes to hold an election off until 2025 in exchange for progress on NDP priorities.

One of the conditions of that deal was that the Liberals make progress toward a universal pharmacare program by passing legislation before the end of this year.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and his health critic Don Davies have since questioned the government's commitment to pharmacare.

"We found that with this government, even if we got things in writing, it's not a guarantee," Singh said at a press conference Tuesday.

"We've got to continually fight, put pressure, push them to deliver."

Davies pointed to recent developments at Canada's patented drug price regulator that saw major drug price reforms put on indefinite hold.

"The health minister suspended measures that would lower the cost for Canadians because the pharmaceutical industry demanded it," Davies charged.

Late last year, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos wrote to the chair of the regulator to askthat the board consider pausing the consultation period on the changes to give drug companies, patient groups, provincial ministers and himself more time to understand the changes.

The letter caused a rift on the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board that ended with the resignation of several board members. Duclos has repeatedly denied putting undue pressure on the independent regulator.

"We're deeply concerned and I think that there's not enough attention paid to this issue. This is shocking," Singh said.

Related video: NDP tables pharmacare bill (The Canadian Press)
Duration 2:11   View on Watch

The government is still consulting with provinces and experts on its own pharmacare bill, Duclos confirmed Tuesday, and plans to table it by the end of the year.

"Lots of work yet to be done to be able to table that bill by the end of the year," Duclos said on his way into a cabinet meeting Tuesday.

While the agreement between the Liberals and the NDP specifically called for the bill to be passed by the end of the year, Duclos said he can't guarantee that will happen.

"This is a minority government. We don't obviously control the House of Commons, but we'll do all we can to be able to both table and to pass the bill by the end of this year," he said.

The Liberal-NDP deal was not specific about the content that should be included in the bill.

The NDP version of the bill stipulates that a federal pharmacare program must be universal, single-payer and public, and Singh said the NDP expected the government to follow those principals when they negotiated the deal.

"They knew very well what we meant, and so they're on notice," he said. "We've provided a path forward for them and we now are going to wait and see what the government does."

The NDP bill is based on recommendations in a report commissioned by the government from the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, led by Dr. Eric Hoskins, Davies said.

The Hoskins report made the case for single-payer pharmacare, but Davies said the Liberals have not yet committed to that.

If passed, the bill would not force the government to provide pharmacare, but would set the parameters for how its delivery would work.

The NDP legislation also calls for the government to establish an independent drug agency to advise on which drugs should be insured and how prescriptions drugs should be used.

It would also require the government to monitor the safety and effectiveness of drugs and to negotiate price and supply arrangements with drug manufacturers.

The government is already in the process of setting the mandate for such an agency.

In 2021, Ottawa tapped former interim Ontario Health CEO Susan Fitzpatrick to lead the development of a future Canadian Drug Agency. That work appears to be ongoing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2023.

Laura Osman, The Canadian Press

Five shortlisted Sobey award artists explore queer representation, Canadian identity

Story by The Canadian Press • Yesterday

OTTAWA — Five visual artists shortlisted for the Sobey Art Award are being recognized for contemporary work that includes explorations of queer representation, the diasporic experience and Canadian identity.

The National Gallery of Canada and the Sobey Art Foundation announced five candidates for the $100,000 prize, to be handed out in November.

Each of the four runners-up receive $25,000 and works by all five shortlisted artists will be part of an exhibition at the national gallery from Oct. 13 to March 3, 2024.

The contenders include Calgary-based Inuvialuk artist Kablusiak, who was also shortlisted in 2019, and Métis artist and writer Gabrielle L’Hirondelle Hill, born in Comox, B.C., who was longlisted in 2019.

Fellow nominee Halifax-based Séamus Gallagher of Moncton, N.B. — known for infusing queer esthetics with self-portraiture — won the national gallery's New Generation Photography Award last year.

Also in the running is Montreal-based Anahita Norouzi, who uses sculpture, installation, photography and video to explore marginalized histories; and Toronto-based, Trinidad-born Michèle Pearson Clarke, who focuses her photography, video and installation on Black and queer experiences.

The short list was chosen by an independent jury consisting of curators from five regions across Canada, as well as an international juror.

The Sobey Art Award was created in 2002 with funding from the Sobey Art Foundation and has been jointly administered by the foundation and national gallery since 2016.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2023.

The Canadian Press

Critically Acclaimed Documentary “The Accused - Damned or Devoted” Sparks Global Conversation on Blasphemy Laws

Story by The Canadian Press • Monday


Recently released for screening in North America and Canada, "The Accused - Damned or Devoted" is an internationally acclaimed documentary created by Producer Mohsin Abbas and Director Muhammad Ali Naqvi, a Canadian-Pakistani duo. Mohsin Abbas, an acknowledged investigative journalist and filmmaker based in the Halton region, played a crucial role in the production. The film has garnered recognition, receiving the Best Investigation Honour at the 8th Annual Asian Media Awards. It has been showcased at various film festivals and international broadcasts worldwide.

"The Accused - Damned or Devoted" delves into the intricate subject of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, examining the political rise of the late Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the former chief of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), who fervently advocated for preserving these laws during the backdrop of the 2018 general elections.

According to Producer Mohsin Abbas, "The Accused - Damned or Devoted" is a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate surrounding blasphemy laws in Pakistan. The film aims to give voice to the underprivileged individuals who privileged politicians and religious leaders exploit for their interests. It offers a balanced view of the issue and promotes an understanding of its complexity. He emphasized an urgent need to produce more content like this to foster harmony in the highly polarized society.

The documentary narrates the stories of individuals accused of blasphemy, including Asia Bibi and Patras Masih, as well as their accusers, prosecutors, and defenders. Prominent figures featured in the film include the assassinated Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, politician Shahbaz Bhatti, lawyer and activist Rashid Rehman, student Mashal Khan, and Gulalai Ismail, the sole surviving defender who was compelled to flee for her safety.

Filmmaker Muhammad Ali Naqvi, popularly known as Mo Naqvi, expressed his penchant for highlighting the anti-hero in his work. He emphasized that "The Accused - Damned or Devoted" is not solely the story of the victims but also a tale of courage and bravery exhibited by the local team of field producers, cameramen, coordinators, and assistants. Naqvi acknowledged the risks involved in bringing such a film to life, underscoring the dedication and perseverance of the entire team.

"The aim of this documentary was to draw home how the blasphemy law is used as a political tool to suppress people and how the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Asia Bibi figure in all this," he said, adding that he tried to be optimistic while keeping the conversation going.

Production Assistant Arslan A Qureshi described the project as a challenging assignment. He sought to comprehend the issue from the perspectives of both the victims and proponents of blasphemy laws in Pakistan. Qureshi found this venture thrilling and a valuable learning experience, inspiring him to collaborate with Canadian producers for his upcoming documentary on transgender rights.

Journalist and field producer Nek Amal emphasized the importance of international projects like this for young and emerging producers and filmmakers in Pakistan. Such projects offer opportunities to learn from experienced professionals from different countries and network with fellow filmmakers and industry insiders. This can be invaluable for budding filmmakers at the beginning of their careers, providing opportunities to acquire new skills, establish connections, and reach a wider audience with their work.

Saeed Akhtar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Milton Reporter, Milton Reporter

Young athlete in Montana climate change trial testifies he uses inhaler due to forest fire smoke

Story by The Canadian Press • Tuesday

Young athlete in Montana climate change trial testifies he uses inhaler due to forest fire smoke© Provided by The Canadian Press

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A high school athlete who along with 15 other young people took Montana to court over climate change testified Tuesday that increased smoke from forest fires makes it difficult for him to compete and that a doctor prescribed an inhaler to help his breathing problems.

Mica Kantor, now 15, said he has been worried about climate change since as a 4-year-old he dictated a letter to Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., because he was too young to write it himself. He said it's increasingly difficult to run or go on hikes with his family, and that the warmer conditions have shortened snowboarding seasons.

Mica testified on day two of a first-of-its-kind trial in which the 16 young Montana residents are arguing the state is violating their constitutional rights by failing to keep the environment clean. They're asking a judge to declare unconstitutional a state law that prevents agencies from considering the effect of greenhouse gasses when they issue permits for fossil fuel development.

State officials have sought to downplay Montana’s contributions to global warming as the trial is being closely watched for possible legal precedents.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs showed the court photos of Mica participating in protests against climate change at school, the local courthouse and the state’s largest public utility. He said his efforts were meant “to get people to think about climate change, which is the first step to acting,"

He said worrying about climate change can make it hard for him to fall asleep at night and he hopes the state will move in a direction that gives him hope for the future.

He shared a poem about being quarantined in the basement of his house when the rest of his family had COVID-19 and it was too smoky to play outside. In his writing, he wondered why nobody was listening and whether they cared.

The state declined to cross examine Mica or Badge Busse, 15; and did not ask questions of the three young plaintiffs who testified Monday.

Badge testified Tuesday that climate change can restrict his outdoor activities, including hunting, fishing and downhill skiing. There was a time, he said, when a forest fire near his house forced his family to prepare to evacuate, calling it “one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.”

His mother gathered baby books and he had to gather some of his treasured belongings and prepare to leave the only home he'd ever known. Fortunately, he said, they did not have to leave.

Pediatrician Lori Byron, of Crow Agency, testified about the physical and mental health effects of climate change on children and noted several of the plaintiffs have asthma or other breathing issues. Several plaintiffs have said the heat and smoke can make them depressed and anxious.

Byron said children feel more effects from high temperatures, fires, smoke and severe weather events because their bodies and brains are still developing and they breathe more quickly than adults. Children who are athletes are more competitive and more likely to keep participating, even if it's unhealthy to due to smoke or heat.

Earlier Tuesday, Cathy Whitlock, a retired professor from Montana State University, testified about the impact of climate change.

Whitlock, a climate scientist, said if fossil fuel burning continues at its current pace, the number of days with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) will increase along with the number of “fire weather days,” where hot, dry, windy days make it easier for fires to start and burn aggressively. The number of days where wildfire smoke will make the air unhealthy to breathe will also increase by 2050, she said.

Meanwhile, the number of days where the temperature falls below freezing will continue to decrease.

Precipitation has been increasing in the spring and fall, Whitlock said, with spring rains sometimes falling on snow and causing it to melt quickly, leading to flooding like what happened in Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding area last year. Reducing the burning of fossil fuels as quickly as possible is needed to help avoid abrupt transitions between the seasons, Whitlock said.

For example, a “flash drought” in 2017 led to a record fire season in Montana, where about 7,000 square miles (18,210 square kilometers) of land burned, smoke lingered for weeks in a western Montana valley, and crop losses totaled $2.6 billion, she said.

There are some positives to the changing climate, Whitlock said, such as a longer growing season and the ability to grow new crops like cantaloupe, which aren't typically grown in northwestern Montana. But, she said, the negatives far outweigh the positives with extreme weather events and increasing drought.

Thane Johnson, an attorney for the state, asked Whitlock if Montana completely stopping its greenhouse gas emissions would have a significant effect on the global climate.

“Every ton of CO2 put in the atmosphere contributes to global warming,” Whitlock said several times during her testimony. However, she said she was not an expert and could not calculate the effects.

Carbon dioxide, which is released when fossil fuels are burned, traps heat in the atmosphere and is largely responsible for the warming of the the climate. Carbon dioxide levels in the air this spring reached the highest levels they’ve been in over 4 million years, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration said earlier this month. Greenhouse gas emissions also reached a record last year, according to the International Energy Agency.

Johnson also noted that electric tractors aren't available for farmers and electric vehicle charging stations aren't available in rural Montana to make it easier for residents to reduce their use of fossil fuels.

___

Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

Amy Beth Hanson And Matthew Brown, The Associated Press

Lower house of Japan's parliament passes bill to promote LGBTQ+ awareness, but not guarantee rights

Story by The Canadian Press • Tuesday


TOKYO (AP) — The powerful lower house of Japan's parliament on Tuesday passed a bill to promote understanding of LGBTQ+ issues amid protests by activists that last-minute revisions by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s conservative party favored opponents of sexual equality instead of guaranteeing equal rights.

The passage followed only a few hours of debate in a lower house committee last Friday, an unusually short period. The bill is expected to be approved quickly by parliament's upper house, which is also controlled by Kishida's governing bloc.

Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations which does not have LGTBQ+ legal protections. Support for same-sex marriage and other rights has grown among the Japanese public, but opposition remains strong within the governing Liberal Democratic Party, known for conservative values and a reluctance to promote gender equality and sexual diversity.

LGBTQ+ activists have increased their efforts to achieve an anti-discrimination law since a former Kishida aide said in February that he wouldn’t want to live next to LGBTQ+ people and that citizens would flee Japan if same-sex marriage were allowed.

The final version of the bill passed Tuesday states that “unjust discrimination" is unacceptable but doesn’t clearly ban discrimination, apparently because some governing party lawmakers oppose transgender rights. Some party members said more consensus building is needed before anti-discrimination measures are introduced.

The bill states that the public's understanding of various sexual orientations and gender identities is “not necessarily sufficient.” It says conditions should be created so that "all citizens can live with peace of mind,” which critics say shows the governing party prioritized the concerns of opponents of equal rights over the rights of sexual minorities.

video: Japan raises age of consent from 13 to 16 years old (WION)

Duration 2:55   View on Watch

“We have sought the enactment of an anti-discrimination law,” the Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation said in a statement. “This bill does not focus on the people concerned, and instead focuses on the side that has discriminated against us and caused our suffering. It's the complete opposite of what we need.”

Kanae Doi, Japan director for the New York-based group Human Rights Watch, said the legislation fails to meet the international standard of anti-discrimination, and human rights should never be compromised by consideration for the majority.

Kishida said at a news conference later Tuesday that he hopes further discussion in parliament will promote wider support for the legislation. “The government will continue to listen to the voices of the people and work hard to achieve a society where diversity is respected and where everyone cherishes each other’s human rights and dignity and where they enjoy vibrant life,” he said.

Kishida also said his Cabinet plans to compile an economic package later this year that will double the budget for subsidies for children and married couples to reverse the country's declining birth rate by the 2030s, a time considered the last chance to turn the downtrend around. Experts say the package doesn't address the difficulties faced by younger Japanese who are increasingly not marrying or having families, discouraged by bleak job prospects, long working hours and lack of work flexibility.

Recent surveys show a majority of Japanese back legalizing same-sex marriage and other protections. Support among the business community has rapidly increased.

Kishida insisted that public views vary on same-sex marriage, and that it is an issue that would broadly impact people if a legal system is created. “That’s why I say a wide-ranging discussion is necessary and a broad understanding is important,” he said.

A court in Fukuoka in southern Japan ruled last Thursday that the lack of legal protections for LGTBQ+ people appears to be unconstitutional. It was the last of five court cases brought by 14 same-sex couples in 2019 that accused the government of violating their equality. Four of the courts ruled that current government policy is unconstitutional or nearly so, while a fifth said a ban on same-sex marriage was constitutional.

Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press

Fewer than half of Australians back Indigenous panel, poll shows

Story by Reuters • 

A depiction of the Australian Aboriginal Flag is seen on a window sill in Sydney© Thomson Reuters

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Fewer than half of Australians back the inclusion of an Indigenous advisory panel in the constitution, in a plan set to face a referendum this year, a newspaper poll showed on Tuesday, down from 53% in May.

The poll comes ahead of a crucial senate vote on changing the constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people and include a committee in parliament to advise the government on matters affecting Indigenous people.

Published by the Sydney Morning Herald, the poll showed that 49% of respondents supported the change, down from 53% in May, while 51% said they were opposed to it.

A majority of voters in the three states of northeastern Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia are now voting against the change, it found.

"We always knew that this campaign was going to be very difficult," the Yes campaign's Dean Parkin told Sky News after the result.

"Referendums aren't easy to win so we knew that the numbers were going to tighten over time."

The government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been backing the referendum, on which it has staked significant political capital, while top sporting codes and several major companies have also supported the campaign.

Indigenous Australians, who form 3.2% of a population of 26 million, fare poorly on yardsticks such as health, education and imprisonment rates. They do not figure in the constitution and were not officially counted in the population until the 1960s.

A newspoll survey published last week also found that fewer than half of all Australians supported the referendum.

But another poll published on Tuesday showed support holding steady for the Indigenous "Voice to Parliament", as the panel is called.

The Guardian Essential poll of 1,123 voters found 60% of respondents backed the panel, up one point from the previous survey, with 40% opposed.

The referendum legislation cleared its first parliamentary hurdle last month. It will go through the currrent senate session before the government sets a date for the vote.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)