Pressure is already mounting on other European states to follow Ireland’s example in embracing same-sex marriage, even if the vote is barely a day old. Once a conservative, Catholic nation, Ireland is being held up as an example of how to overcome one’s hidebound past to emerge into the bright light of modernity.
Ireland made history Saturday May 23, by becoming the first country in the world to adopt same-sex marriage through a national election.
Contents: Burma (Myanmar) approves birth control law targeting Rohingya Muslims; Burma’s government vacillates between repression (stability) and reforms (human rights); Lessons learned from Ireland’s vote on gay marriage
Two supposedly landmark political events have occurred on the island of Ireland this week. Both were greeted with an element of surprise and excitement and were hailed as great victories for the “progressive movement”, both were inevitable. The referendum in
The European Union on Monday approved a multi-phase military operation to defeat human smugglers who are trafficking migrants from Libya to Europe. Smugglers have been charging migrants thousands of dollars each to make the trip, and there’s no guarantee of reaching Europe or even of surviving.
According to Bishop John McAreavey, the Chair of the Council for Justice & Peace of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, statistics show that the situation of Christian persecution in the world is far more dire than most people understand.
Greece’s Alexis Tsipras threatens Europe with ‘jihadists and terrorists’; Eurogroup chairman suggests capital controls in Greece; Houthi airstrikes bomb Aden as Yemen war widens; Kerry: US is ‘deeply disturbed’ by Syrian regime’s chemical weapons
Ireland’s tough new anti-narcotics law turned out to be a bit too tough, prompting a judge to rule against certain provisions. This had the unfortunate effect of “temporarily legalizing the possession of many street stimulants and hallucinogens,” as the Associated Press reports. The BBC lists specific examples including “ecstasy, crystal meth, and ketamine.”
The IRA are set to make a staggering £22 million a year more in counterfeit cigarettes when plain packaging legislation goes through because the packs are so much easier to fake. Police in Ireland have said that pain packaging is
A multi-denominational school in Limerick, Ireland groveled for “subjecting” a Muslim pupil to a copy of the recent Charlie Hebdo magazine cover depicting an image of Muhammad apologizing on it.
The movement in Ireland to challenge Irish anti-blasphemy laws via referendum is gaining momentum after last week’s Paris attacks on Charlie Hebdo, but had already been underway for some time.
After a coordinated three-day rampage on the town of Baga in northeast Nigeria, as well 15-20 other nearby towns, up to 2000 resident civilians have been killed.
