NIGERIA
“A court in northern Nigeria has dropped charges against a 14-year-old girl accused of using rat poison to kill her husband, aged 35.”
SAUDI ARABIA
“A court in Saudi Arabia has upheld the decision to sentence the liberal blogger Raif Badawi to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes.” Amnesty International proposes five ways social media users can help Badawi.
INDIA
Uttar Pradesh Minister Totaram Yadav doesn’t believe there is such thing as rape. He believes “rapes happen with mutual consent of boys and girls.”
THAILAND
“Thailand’s prestigious Bangkok University launched a new policy this week that will allow transgender students to wear the uniform of their choosing.”
MALAYSIA
“Four tourists who posed naked on a mountain in Malaysia have been given jail terms and fined.” The media reported the group was blamed for a magnitude 5.9 earthquake, but they were charged with public indecency.
CHINA
A women’s rights advocate is running a “women’s underarm hair contest” to challenge the growing belief in China that a woman must shave her armpits to be attractive.
CANADA (From Jonathan)
This is a heartwarming story of a woman changing her life and archiving her goals.
UGANDA
“Uganda’s ethics minister, previously known for his statements on mini-skirts and homosexuality has been condemned after calling for police to raid guesthouses used for ‘lunchtime sex’.”
WORLD
“UN peacekeepers regularly barter goods for sex with people in the countries the world body is meant to be helping, a draft UN report says.”
RUSSIA
The odd paradox of being a woman in Moscow.
CUBA
“As Cuban totalitarianism and the memory of enforced atheism both fade, Christian denominations old and new are making inroads”
ARGENTINA
“Thousands of people have taken part in a march in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires condemning violence against women.”
Featured image: Thai uniforms
Yet another reason I continue to loathe the UN. (Seriously, Saudi Arabia on the human rights council? Wu Hongbo in charge of the indigenous peoples forum? Those are punchlines.)