Slovakia marks ‘dark day’ as LGBTQ+ rights rolled back in parliament

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Amendment to constitution stipulates that male and female are the only recognised sexes and makes adoption nearly impossible for same-sex couples

Recent changes to Slovakia’s constitution mark a “dark day” for the country, LGBTQ+ campaigners have warned, describing measures such as the recognition of only two sexes as part of a wider rollback of human rights and rule of law in the central European country.

On Friday, Slovakia’s parliament passed an amendment that included measures targeting LGBTQ+ rights in the country, from stipulating that male and female are the only recognised sexes to making it nearly impossible for same-sex couples to adopt children.

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Row erupts after Venice opera house hires conductor linked to Meloni government

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Musicians and staff at the theatre say Beatrice Venezi is not experienced enough for the role and should be replaced

Venice’s prestigious La Fenice opera house is embroiled in controversy over the hiring of a conductor with close ties to Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government.

The theatre’s orchestra musicians and staff are calling for Beatrice Venezi’s appointment as music director to be revoked, claiming she does not have enough experience for the high-profile role and was picked only because of her government connections.

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Britons preparing to ration energy as Ofgem price cap rises, says charity

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National Energy Action says 58% of households expect to cut heating use as typical annual dual-fuel bill increases to £1,755

The majority of British households expect to restrict their home heating this winter to try to keep rising costs in check, according to research released as the price cap that dictates most bills rose again.

The fuel poverty charity National Energy Action said 58% of households told its survey they were likely to trim their energy use, a nine-percentage-point increase from the level in January.

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DoJ sues LA sheriff for processing concealed carry gun licenses too slowly

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‘Unreasonable delays’ in giving permits violates residents’ second amendment rights, claims justice department

The US Department of Justice sued the Los Angeles county sheriff’s department on Tuesday, alleging it violated the constitution by moving too slowly to process gun licenses for people who want to carry concealed weapons.

The sheriff’s department’s “unreasonable delays” in granting licenses violates California residents’ second amendment right to bear arms outside the home, the justice department’s civil rights division said in a complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court.

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Earthquake in Philippines Kills at Least 20, Officials Say – The New York Times

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  1. Earthquake in Philippines Kills at Least 20, Officials Say  The New York Times
  2. Deadly 6.9 magnitude earthquake strikes central Philippines  CNN
  3. Death toll rises to 27 after powerful quake hits central Philippines  Reuters
  4. Philippines earthquake live updates: Cebu province declares 'state of calamity' as Magnitude 6.9 quake kills at least 26  BBC
  5. Philippines earthquake: dozens dead as rescuers search through wreckage  The Guardian
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‘Dominant on the river’: 32 Chunk crowned champion in ‘biggest Fat Bear Week yet’

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Brown bear’s nearly 100,000 votes leads him to victory despite suffering for most of season with broken jaw

“The merely chubby have been winnowed away,” a naturalist intoned. “We are left with a clash of titans.”

After a record-breaking week of public voting, Katmai national park and preserve in Alaska has announced the winner of its “biggest Fat Bear Week yet”.

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Taiwan now biggest importer of Russian naphtha despite being Ukraine ally

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Island imported $1.3bn of crude oil product in first half of 2025 despite joining sanctions against Moscow, report finds

Taiwan has become the world’s biggest importer of Russian naphtha, a petroleum derivative used to make chemicals needed for the semiconductor industry, despite the fact that it has joined other sanctions against Russia and considers itself an ally of Ukraine.

In the first half of 2025, Taiwan imported $1.3bn worth of Russian naphtha, and average monthly imports reached a level nearly six times higher than the 2022 average, according to a report published on Wednesday. Compared to the first half of 2024, Taiwan’s naphtha imports this year increased by 44%.

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Philippines earthquake death toll rises to at least 69 as Cebu hospitals struggle

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More than 700 aftershocks recorded while rescuers search for casualties in coastal city of Bogo

Rescuers in the Philippines combed through rubble and mud after the deadliest earthquake in more than a decade killed at least 69 people, with patients overwhelming hospitals on the island of Cebu.

Outside the Cebu provincial hospital, injured children cried and adults screamed on Wednesday as they were treated on beds beneath blue tents. They had been wheeled outside as a precaution against waves of aftershocks.

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Gaza flotilla rebuffs calls to stop, as Israel readies for complex interception – The Times of Israel

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  1. Gaza flotilla rebuffs calls to stop, as Israel readies for complex interception  The Times of Israel
  2. Gaza Sumud flotilla: How Israel breaks international maritime law  Al Jazeera
  3. Italy to end support for Gaza flotilla as Israeli action looms  Reuters
  4. Gaza aid flotilla man 'undeterred by drone threat'  BBC
  5. Israel, Gaza Aid Flotilla Brace for a Confrontation at Sea  The Wall Street Journal
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Taliban internet shutdown paralyzes Afghanistan – The Washington Post

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  1. Taliban internet shutdown paralyzes Afghanistan  The Washington Post
  2. Afghan women lose their 'last hope' as Taliban shut down internet  BBC
  3. Afghanistan: Internet Shutdowns Imperil Rights  Human Rights Watch
  4. Taliban kills internet across Afghanistan, citing morality concerns as UN protests  Fox News
  5. Afghanistan imposes internet blackout: What has the effect been so far?  Al Jazeera
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Morocco’s youth protests turn violent on fourth day – Reuters

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  1. Morocco's youth protests turn violent on fourth day  Reuters
  2. Morocco squashes youth-led protesters over health, education  Reuters
  3. Young Moroccans clash with police while protesting stadium spending and health system decline  The Washington Post
  4. Gen Z Moroccans denounce government priorities in some of the largest protests in years  CNN
  5. Gen Z protesters rally across Morocco demanding health, education reforms  Al Jazeera
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Zelenskyy sounds alarm over unprecedented power outage at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – The Guardian

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  1. Zelenskyy sounds alarm over unprecedented power outage at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant  The Guardian
  2. Ukraine warns of critical situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant  Reuters
  3. Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says situation ‘critical’ at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant  Al Jazeera
  4. Update 317 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine  International Atomic Energy Agency
  5. Ukraine and Russia Blame Each Other for Power Cut at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant  The New York Times
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Zelenskyy sounds alarm over unprecedented power outage at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

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Ukrainian president says Russian shelling is preventing work to restore links to grid and that one of the plant’s diesel generators has failed

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been off the grid for seven straight days, warning of the potential threat of a “critical” situation.

It is the longest outage at Zaporizhzhia since Russia invaded and seized the nuclear plant, Europe’s largest.

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Indonesia school collapse: 91 missing and three dead as rescuers search rubble for second day

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Desperate search for more than 90 missing after building collapses while students held prayers at school in Sidoarjo

Parents and rescuers in Indonesia were desperately searching for dozens of teenage boys believed to be trapped, a day after the collapse of an Islamic boarding school which has already left three dead, authorities said.

Authorities said 91 people were listed as missing after the Al Khoziny school building collapsed while pupils held late afternoon prayers in a mosque housed on a lower floor of a building whose upper floors were under construction.

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People’s Republic of China National Day – U.S. Department of State (.gov)

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  1. People’s Republic of China National Day  U.S. Department of State (.gov)
  2. Envoy: China and US should be partners helping each other succeed  chinadailyasia.com
  3. Flag-raising ceremony held at Tian'anmen Square to mark 76th founding anniversary of PRC  Xinhua
  4. Chinese Ambassador to Samoa Fei Mingxing Visits Chinese Institutions in Samoa  fmprc.gov.cn
  5. Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers congratulatory remarks at Reception of the 76th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China  ASEAN Main Portal
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