Kassy Cho is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Almost. She is based in Taipei, Taiwan. Email her at kassy@almostmag.co.
world
Thousands of freight trucks traveling from the UK to France have been left trapped at the border after France shut its doors to passengers and freight from the UK over fears of a new coronavirus variant detected in Britain.
Women
Sahar Tabar, a 19-year-old Iranian Instagram influencer famous for her heavily distorted selfies that resembled a zombie-like Angelina Jolie, has reportedly been freed from prison after she was given a 10 year sentence earlier this month.
Impact
Pakistan’s president has approved a new anti-rape law that will create special fast track courts to try rape trials within four months and toughen sentences.
Impact
Denmark’s government has passed a law that clearly defines sex without explicit consent as rape.
world
French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for the coronavirus, his office said on Thursday.
Activism
Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, has been fined 90,000 euros ($110,000) for appointing too many women to senior management positions.
world
A 30-year-old Japanese man who murdered multiple women in 2017 after contacting them on Twitter has been sentenced to death by a court in Japan.
Activism
Ruhollah Zam, an Iranian activist and journalist, has been executed after he was accused of inciting mass anti-government protests that rocked Iran between 2017 and 2018.
Impact
Argentina’s lower house of Congress voted in favor of a bill to legalize abortion on Friday, moving the country one step closer to becoming the most populous Latin American country to allow for abortions in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
Impact
Bhutan’s government has approved a bill to decriminalize gay sex, making it the latest country in Asia to reform restrictive laws against LGBT people.
Women
Malalai Maiwand, a 25-year-old TV journalist and a women’s rights activist in Afghanistan, has been shot dead by gunmen while she was on her way to work on Thursday.
Climate
Nepal and China jointly announced on Tuesday that Mount Everest had grown by 0.86 meters to stand at 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 feet).