Colombia appoints former gay porn actor as equality minister
Juan Carlos Florian is to be named to the cabinet, an official said, in a move sure to spark debate in the deeply Catholic nation.
Florian, who was a sex worker and creator of gay porn, will head up a department that guarantees vulnerable communities get access to social programs.
He has already served as a junior minister and worked in various international organisations.
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New Straits Times
12 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Aussie state seeks to make work from home 'a right'
Your browser does not support the audio element. SYDNEY: The premier of the state of Victoria announced on Saturday plans to enshrine working from home in law, saying it should be "a right, not a request". Under Jacinta Allan's plan, workers would be entitled to work from home at least two days per week, if the job allows. "We're doing that because we know what the evidence tells us — workers are more productive, it saves time for families, it saves money for families," said Allan, launching the proposed policy at the Labor Party's state conference. "This change will mean that any worker who can reasonably do their job from home has the right to do so for at least two days a week." Allan said the policy would now go out for consultation with workers, employers and unions. She said it was important to "get the details of this important change right". Allan said the move could save the average worker A$110 a week, cut congestion on roads and keep more women in the workf orce. During national elections in May, the opposition Liberal-National coalition's plan to eliminate remote work was partly blamed for its poor performance. Victoria's opposition leader, Brad Battin, said work from home arrangements had been valuable and that he supported measures that promote better work-life balance. The measure is likely to come before the state parliament next year. — AFP
The Star
35 minutes ago
- The Star
Anxiety and pride among future conscripts
The generation of Cambodians who may find themselves in the firing line when the country introduces military conscription is split between quiet pangs of anxiety and proud proclamations of patriotism. 'My family is poor. If I am called in for the service, I am worried that my family might face financial issues,' 25-year-old tuk-tuk driver Voeun Dara said in Phnom Penh. 'It is worrisome for me.' Citing rising tensions with Thailand at the time, Prime Minister Hun Manet last month said Cambodia will next year activate a long-dormant law requiring citizens aged 18 to 30 to enlist in the military. Hun Manet has proposed conscripts serve for two years to bolster the country's 200,000 personnel after a territorial dispute boiled over into a border clash, killing one Cambodian soldier in late May. Graphic design student Ray Kimhak's brother-in-law, a volunteer soldier, has already been deployed to the countries' 800km-long border. At the ready:A file photo of soldiers standing in formation during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Cambodian Army in Phnom Penh on Jan 24, 2024. Hun Manet has said Cambodia's conscription law will be used to replace retiring troops, though it is unclear how many citizens are set to be called up. — AFP But the 21-year-old says he would gladly join him if compelled by conscription. 'He said it was a bit difficult to sleep in the jungle, and it rains a lot. But these difficulties don't discourage me at all,' Ray Kimhak said at his university in the capital. 'We are ready to protect our territory because when it is gone, we would never get it back.' 'We should be ready' Cambodia's conscription law dates back to 2006 but has never been enforced. Hun Manet has said it will be used to replace retiring troops, though it is unclear how many citizens are set to be called up. The country of 17 million has a long and dark history of forced enlistment. Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge communist regime, which ruled from 1975 to 1979, conscripted fighting-aged men, and sometimes children, into its ranks as it perpetrated a genocide that killed two million. One 64-year-old who was conscripted by the Khmer Rouge at 17 said he supported the government's decision, despite standing on a landmine during his time as a soldier. 'I was forced to be a soldier by Pol Pot,' he said, speaking on condition of anonymity from the Thai border town of Sampov Lun. 'Being a soldier is not easy, but I support the government's plan of military conscription in the face of a border dispute with Thailand. We need to protect our land.' Building a future: Fine arts students doing assignments at their school in Phnom Penh. — AFP Under the newly activated conscription legislation, those who refuse to serve in wartime would face three years in prison, while peacetime refuseniks would face one year behind bars. Sipping green tea at a cafe, 18-year-old IT student Oeng Sirayuth says he fully supports Hun Manet's call to arms. 'We should be ready, because tension with our neighbouring country is growing,' he said. But personally he hopes for a deferral as he finishes his studies. 'I am a bit reluctant because I have never thought that I will have to join the military service. 'I think 60% of young people are ready to join the military, so these people can go first, and those who are not yet ready can enter the service later,' he said. Under the modern-day conscription legislation, women will be allowed to opt for volunteer work rather than military service. But 23-year-old Internet provider saleswoman Leakhena said she stands ready to serve on the frontlines. 'We are ready toprotect our territorybecause when it is gone,we would never get itback.'Ray Kimhak In June, her family delivered donations to Cambodian soldiers patrolling the border, where tensions have spiked with Thailand over a disputed area known as the Emerald Triangle. 'We have to do something to protect our nation,' said Leakhena, speaking on the condition that only her first name was revealed. 'I feel proud for our soldiers. They are so brave,' she added. 'Trust needs to be earned' Cambodia allocated approximately US$739mil for defence in 2025, the largest share of the country's US$9.32bil national budget, according to official figures. Hun Manet has pledged to 'look at increasing' the defence budget as part of reforms to beef up the military. But one young would-be conscript urged the government to defer its plans as the country recovers its finances from the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Our economy is still struggling,' said the 20-year-old fine art student, who asked not to be named. 'We are in the state of developing our country, so if we enforce the law soon we might face some problems for our economy.' Political analyst Ou Virak also said Cambodia's military faces challenges from within as it seeks to win buy-in from a new generation of conscripts. 'Military training, chain of command, and military discipline are all issues that need to be addressed,' he said. 'For conscription to work and be generally supported and accepted by the people, trust needs to be earned.' — AFP
The Star
35 minutes ago
- The Star
Junta airstrike on ruby mine hub kills 13
Wound of war: A crater beside damaged vehicles and a building following a bombardment carried out by Myanmar's military in Thabeikkyin township. — AFP AN air strike on a rebel-occupied ruby mining hub killed 13 people, according to a resident and a spokesperson for an armed opposition group. Civil war has consumed Myanmar since the military seized power in a 2021 coup, sparking resistance from pro-democracy guerrillas who found common cause with long-active ethnic armed groups. Their scattered forces initially struggled to make headway, but a combined offensive starting in late 2023 seized swathes of territory, including the town of Mogok – the centre of the ruby trade. Myanmar is rich in precious stones and rare earth elements coveted by all factions and sold off, mostly to neighbouring China, to boost war chests. A junta spokesperson could not be reached for comment. However, a local who declined to be named for security reasons said the strike took place around 8.15am, killing seven instantly, with six dying later of their wounds. He said among the dead were a Buddhist monk collecting alms and a father and son who were riding the same motorbike. 'A car passing through the area was hit, too,' he added. 'Seven people were wounded, including the driver.' A spokeswoman for the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, which has occupied Mogok since last summer, matched that death toll, but gave a figure of 14 wounded. 'It was in the morning when the airstrike hit a public area,' said spokeswoman Lway Yay Oo. The military was initially backfooted by the rebels' combined offensive, but has enacted conscription to boost its ranks. Its troops recently retook several key settlements in central Myanmar, including the gold mining hub of Thabeikkyin. — AFP
