Author: Amanda Martinez

A Tasmanian Supreme Court judge overturned a ruling that threatened the women’s-only art exhibit at Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). This decision may reopen the “Ladies Lounge,” a groundbreaking women’s-only art exhibit. Kirsha Kaechele created the exhibit to highlight historic misogyny by banning men. However, Jason Lau’s discrimination lawsuit forced its closure in May. On Friday, Justice Shane Marshall ruled that MONA can exclude men from the Ladies Lounge. Marshall said this promotes “equal opportunity” for marginalized groups. Kaechele hailed the ruling as a “big win” for her women’s-only art exhibit. She believes it proves women need…

Despite repeatedly criticizing him on the campaign trail, Donald Trump has made a surprising U-turn, agreeing to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This sudden change of heart comes after Trump’s campaign team initially deemed a meeting “extremely unlikely”. The two leaders have a tumultuous history, with Trump’s 2019 impeachment stemming from accusations of pressuring Zelensky to dig up dirt on the Biden family. Trump’s decision to meet Zelensky at Trump Tower on Friday follows his criticism of the Ukrainian leader for refusing to “make a deal” with Moscow. However, Trump claims he can broker a peace deal between Russian President…

St. Paul Island, Alaska, is on high alert after a resident reported a potential rat sighting last June. The island’s remote community takes rodent threats seriously, given its rich wildlife and 300 recorded bird species. Lauren Divine, director of the Aleut Community’s ecosystem conservation office, emphasizes the importance of maintaining a rodent-free environment. “We’re responsible forever to protect our island,” she says. “A single rat can decimate our wildlife populations.” Divine’s team swiftly responded to the report, scouring the resident’s apartment complex for signs of rat activity. They set traps baited with peanut butter and used black lights to detect…

Elon Musk, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, has expressed dissatisfaction over his exclusion from the UK Investment Summit. The organizers did not invite him because of the social media posts he made during the UK riots last month. Musk expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s recent prisoner releases, intended to alleviate the congestion of imprisonment. He stated, “I don’t think anyone should go to the UK when they’re releasing convicted pedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts.” Notably, this release did not include anyone serving terms for sexual crimes. Social media instigation led to unrest after a…

Two pro-democracy Hong Kong journalists were sentenced in a landmark sedition case. The court rendered decisions specific to the case. Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, operators of the now-defunct website, faced convictions for criticizing China’s crackdown on civil liberties in the city. The pieces they published on the now-defunct website led to their convictions. Chung received a 21-month sentence, while Lam, sentenced to 11 months, was released for medical reasons. The daily publication Best Pencil also faced a guilty verdict and received a fine of HK$5,000 (US$643). This is the first sedition accusation against a journalist since Hong Kong’s 1997…

Japan has made a significant move by sailing its warship, JS Sazanami, through the Taiwan Strait for the first time, alongside ships from Australia and New Zealand. This bold move challenges China’s claims over the strait and Taiwan. According to Japanese ministers, the destroyer was en route to a multilateral exercise in the South China Sea. Japan’s decision to sail through the strait marks a shift in its policy of avoiding confrontation with China. For decades, Japan has been cautious not to upset China, which claims sovereignty and jurisdiction over the strait. However, recent increased military activity by China has…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has unveiled new rules governing the use of nuclear weapons, issuing a stern warning to Western nations supporting Ukraine. This move marks the latest escalation in Russia’s nuclear posture. Putin declared that any attack on Russia by a non-nuclear state backed by a nuclear-armed nation would be considered a “joint attack”. The updated doctrine expands the category of states and military alliances against which Russia would use nuclear deterrence. It also includes a list of military threats justifying Russia’s deployment of nuclear weapons. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks US and UK approval to use long-range missiles…

The country’s new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, dissolved the parliament on Tuesday to prepare for a Sri Lanka snap election. Scheduled for November 14, this election is almost a year ahead of the original timeline. Dissanayake’s decision follows his recent presidential election, during which he emphasized the need for a new legislative mandate aligned with his agenda. His left-leaning National People’s Power (NPP) group currently controls only three of the 225 seats in parliament. After winning the election, Dissanayake named Harini Amarasuriya as the nation’s next prime minister. As one of the three NPP MPs and a university lecturer, Amarasuriya…

Hezbollah launched a missile attack near Tel Aviv on Wednesday, which Israel intercepted, signaling a significant intensification of the ongoing battle. Alarms startled Tel Aviv and Netanya residents as a missile, the first to pass close to Tel Aviv, triggered the alerts in both cities. Hezbollah said it was preparing strikes on its members after verifying that it had fired a Qadr 1 ballistic missile into Israel’s Mossad spy center. The Israeli military’s immediate announcement of no damage or casualties from the strike is unprecedented for Hezbollah. With lightning speed, Israeli troops intercepted the missile close to Tel Aviv, a…

Biden’s Final UN Address President Joe Biden addressed the UN General Assembly for the last time, urging leaders to prioritize people’s needs overpower. He emphasized the importance of serving the people, not personal interests. Biden reflected on his five decades in politics, citing significant events like Vietnam, apartheid, and 9/11. “Things can get better,” he said, cautioning against despair in the face of global challenges. However, his optimism clashed with the UN’s gloomy tone. Secretary-General António Guterres lamented the lack of “guardrails” and “red lines” that maintained global order during the Cold War. Guterres described the current state as “a…

Thailand has made history by becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize same-sex unions after its king signed the marriage equality bill into law. This milestone marks the culmination of years of tireless campaigning by LGBTQ+ activists. Effective January 22, 2025, gay couples in Thailand can register their unions, enjoying adoption and inheritance rights. The journey to this victory began when Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s Cabinet approved the draft same-sex marriage law. The bill sailed through the House of Representatives with a 400-10 vote and later passed the Senate with a 130-4 vote. Royal endorsement was the final…

Telegram has disclosed a policy change that would provide law enforcement access to user IP addresses and phone numbers in exchange for a legitimate search warrant. According to CEO Pavel Durov, this action aims to prevent illegal users from connecting to the network. Although most users do not participate in unlawful activity, he said that a tiny percentage of users have damaged the platform’s reputation and compromised the security of its almost billion users. Telegram’s privacy policy change represents a significant shift in the company’s stance on user data and privacy. Durov has consistently opposed requests from the government for…