INDIA
India has succeeded, at their first attempt, to send an operational mission to Mars. The Mangalyaan mission was also really cheap, $74 million. That’s less than what making the movie Gravity cost.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The Vatican has placed its former ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Jozef Wesolowski, under house arrest on charges of sexually abusing children.
INDONESIA
Aceh province, the only area of Indonesia that enforces Islamic Sharia Law, is about to pass a law under which gays, Muslim or not, will be punished with 100 lashes with a cane if caught having sex.
SPAIN
The conservative government abandoned the plan to tighten abortion laws which would have made abortion illegal except in case of rape or when mother’s health is at risk, due to lack of consensus. Polls showed that between 70% and 80% of the population was opposed to the proposed law.
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa’s first gay-friendly, cross-cultural mosque, which also allows women to lead prayers, is being ordered to close for not having the proper permits.
MEXICO
As many other politicians before him, a former congressman got in trouble for using the most sexist saying ever: “Laws, like women, are meant to be raped/broken”. Seriously, it’s bad enough that your advocating breaking the law, why do you have to advocate rape as well?
IRAN (From Lily)
Reader Lily sends us a friendly reminder that yes, Iran is still on the UN Commission on the Status of Women. The website she recommends also has a Ten-Point Plan for gender equality in Iran
INDIA (From criticaldragon1177)
Masculinist India is a horrific “men’s Rights” Group which has been spreading appalling memes, including one celebrating a court decision allowing married men to rape their wives with impunity. (TW: rape apologism, offensive imagery.)
UK (and spreading)
British Muslims have started the #NotInMyName campaign to condemn the actions of the Islamic State.
PAKISTAN
A healer who claimed he could breathe life back into a dead man has been arrested for killing a man who volunteered for the miracle.
Featured image: Indian Space Research Organisation scientists celebrating their awesome achievement.