Human Rights Watch: Last News

may be the richest man in the world — but Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, has more money at his disposal, experts say.And the latter is using these funds to “entice” Hollywood’s A-list to normalize the country, despite spiraling allegations of its human rights abuses.Some of La La Land’s biggest names, from Will Smith to Gwyneth Paltrow and Johnny Depp, have been happy to soak up the kingdom’s majestic sand dunes. The Saudis offered $1 million eachto lure stars to the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah in December; Paltrow reportedly took home even more than that, according to Variety.Although Musk has a net worth of $202 billion, one well-placed Middle East expert told The Post that bin Salman — commonly known by as MBS — has more freely available cash thanks to Saudi’s Public Investment Fund, a state-owned sovereign wealth fund now valued at around $750 billion.According to the expert, Saudi wants to make it into the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world by the end of 2030.

April 27, 2024The U.S. State Department criticized the law, which it said in a statement “threatens constitutionally protected human rights and fundamental freedoms.”It also expressed concerns that the law would be abused or manipulated to “hamper free speech and expression and inhibit the operations of [non-governmental organizations] across Iraq.”“The legislation also weakens Iraq’s ability to diversify its economy and attract foreign investment,” the statement continued.

The Star.The offending kiss, between The 1975 vocalist Matt Healy and fellow band member Ross MacDonald, sparked controversy in the conservative, majority-Muslim nation. Healy, who identifies as straight but has reportedly engaged in similar actions during other performances, kissed MacDonald following a rant against Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ laws.As a result, the remainder of the Good Vibes music festival in Kuala Lumpur, where the band was playing, was canceled.The festival organizer, Future Sound Asia, blamed Healy for the loss of money stemming from the cancellation and demanded that the band pay $2.6 million in damages.Future Sound Asia also claims the incident has damaged the public’s opinion of the Good Vibes festival, potentially affecting future ticket sales if more conservative concert-goers refuse to spend money.The 1975 has also been banned from performing in Malaysia as a result of the incident.Teo noted that police officers are conducting background checks on foreign artists before allowing them to perform in the country.

Reuters.Last Thursday, in a 5-4 ruling, the court said that allowing same-sex relations between individuals could undermine military discipline and impede readiness — arguments that have been used in other countries, including the United States, to justify banning LGBTQ individuals from serving.LGBTQ activists had urged the court to overturn an “outdated and bad” law following a Supreme Court decision last year that overturned a military court’s conviction of two soldiers for a consensual same-sex relationship.The two defendants — an army lieutenant and sergeant from different units — had been charged by military prosecutors for having sex during off-duty hours at an off-base residence in 2016.Both were among nine soldiers indicted in a crackdown against gay soldiers in 2017.

cracking down on homosexuality, essentially making it illegal to identify publicly as LGBTQ — or even express support for the LGBTQ community.The bill builds upon the country’s existing colonial-era laws criminalizing consensual same-sex activity, which is punishable by life imprisonment, targeting a host of free speech-related activities in order to discourage LGBTQ visibility in any form.Under the bill, individuals or institutions that support or fund LGBTQ-related groups or organizations, or publish or distribute pro-gay media or literature, can be prosecuted and imprisoned.Media groups, journalists, and publishers who similarly broadcast or distribute LGBTQ-related content that “promotes homosexuality” also face imprisonment, reports CNN. Property owners can potentially be jailed if they allow their properties to be used as a “brothel,” which is so broadly defined that it can include any gathering space where people are planning or advocating on behalf of the LGBTQ community, or where same-sex sexual activity can potentially take place — regardless of whether such acts actually occur.Cisgender allies of the LGBTQ community can be prosecuted and imprisoned for advocating or expressing support for LGBTQ rights.Friends, family members, and neighbors can also be penalized for failing to inform on individuals they know are engaged in same-sex relationships or LGBTQ advocacy — effectively creating a de facto police state where individual beliefs or free speech rights are under surveillance.The law also imposes the death penalty for those found guilty of “aggravated homosexuality,” a term referring to people who engage in homosexual conduct with another person who cannot or does not consent, or commits such acts under

Two men in Indonesia’s Aceh province were publicly caned on Thursday after their neighbors caught them having sex.

Human Rights Watch.A lawyer involved in the case told Human Rights Watch that police reports described decorations, flowers, and sweets indicative of a wedding celebration, as well as the two principal men’s supposedly “gay” appearance, as evidence of the students’ guilt.In Algeria, same-sex activity is punishable by up to three years in prison, and same-sex marriages are outlawed.

Advocates this week said the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies have not stopped LGBTQ people in Central America’s Northern Triangle from traveling to the U.S. to seek asylum.

The Hungarian Parliament in Budapest (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. (Photo public domain)