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South China Morning Post
19 hours ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Indian brothers wed same woman in ancient ritual, defying legal ban, and sparking criticism
A pair of brothers in rural India have married the same woman, upholding an ancient custom and sparking criticism from a women's rights group after photos of the wedding went viral. Polyandry is banned in India but is legal in some of the tribal pockets, including Himalayan territories, allowing preservation of some ancient traditions. The grooms, Pradeep and Kapil Negi, married Sunita Chauhan in a three-day wedding witnessed by hundreds of villagers and relatives earlier this month in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. During the ceremony, the trio from the Hatti tribe circled a fire considered sacred as villagers sang folksongs. 'We followed the tradition publicly as we are proud of it, and it was a joint decision,' Pradeep said, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. His brother Kapil added: 'We're ensuring support, stability and love for our wife as a united family.' One of the brothers is a government employee and the other works overseas.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
UN concerned by Taliban's arrest of Afghan women and girls for dress code violations
ISLAMABAD — The United Nations on Monday expressed concern about the Taliban's arrest of Afghan women and girls for their alleged failure to comply with the authorities' dress code. In May 2022, the Taliban government issued a decree calling for women to show only their eyes and recommending they wear a head-to-toe burqa. The Taliban, which returned to power in 2021, has cracked down on the way women dress and behave in public, notably through morality laws forbidding them to show their faces outside the home.
New York Times
16-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Afghan Women and Girls Deported From Iran Fear ‘Coming Back to a Cage'
No more evening walks. No more jobs at the supermarket. No more hopes for school. As three Afghan sisters returned to Afghanistan after being deported from Iran last week, the reality of what they had once enjoyed and was now out of reach sank in amid their sighs and dwindling claims of defiance. Marwa, 18, noted they should start by getting head scarves and outfits to cover themselves, which they didn't have. 'Afghanistan is like a cage for women, and we're coming back to that cage,' said Khurshid, 17, the youngest of the three and a self-taught painter. Iran's mass deportation of more than 1.4 million Afghans this year has shattered the hopes of women and girls working and studying in Iran. Neighboring Pakistan has implemented a similar policy, putting at risk the lives of many other women who fled Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover in 2021. Some of the world's most severe restrictions on women and girls await. Under the new Afghan government, it is against the law for girls to study beyond sixth grade. Women cannot hold most jobs or go to public spaces like parks, nor travel long distances without a male companion. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CNA
14-07-2025
- CNA
Hong Kong student let off with warning over AI porn, fuels calls to ban sexually explicit deepfakes
HONG KONG: A warning letter and an order to apologise - that's all a student from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) received after allegedly using artificial intelligence (AI) to create hundreds of sexually explicit deepfakes of his friends and classmates. The incident has sparked calls from lawmakers and women's rights advocates for stronger laws to tackle deepfake pornography, amid concerns that the university's response was too lenient. Although the case purportedly occurred earlier this year, it only gained public attention on Saturday (Jul 12), after three of the alleged victims anonymously posted a summary of the accusations online. According to the statement, which was posted on Instagram under the handle the incident involved a male law student at HKU, referred to as X. In mid-February, a friend discovered pornographic images of multiple women on his personal laptop. More than 700 images were reportedly found, organised into folders named after the estimated 20 to 30 victims - including X's friends, university classmates, seniors, primary school classmates, and even secondary school teachers. WHAT THE VICTIMS SAY Upon questioning, X admitted to using photos of the victims, mostly screenshots taken from social media, to generate the sexually explicit images using free online AI software. 'Some victims were close friends with X, others were mere acquaintances, and some had only met X once. It is understood that none of the victims authorised X's actions,' the statement said. It added that while X initially attempted to apologise to five victims in person, he only followed through with two, while also claiming that just five individuals were affected in total. In mid-March, some of the victims contacted HKU requesting follow-up action, the statement said. They sought to have the matter reviewed by the university's disciplinary committee, citing 'ragging' - where a student humiliates or ridicules another student. Under Hong Kong law, HKU's disciplinary committee can order students found guilty of disciplinary offences to be reprimanded, fined, withdrawn from university courses or exams, suspended or even expelled. According to the statement, the victims also asked for 'appropriate disciplinary measures' to hold X accountable for 'his actions of sexual violence'. They further requested class adjustments and that their tutors be notified, as some shared tutorials with X. In late March, HKU engaged with the students to understand the incident, the statement said. The meeting was attended by two university staff members, two victims, and a friend of X as a witness. According to the statement, one staff member told the victims she had consulted a lawyer, who advised that X's actions were 'not likely to constitute any offence'. The other staff member proposed issuing X a warning letter to be logged in his personal student file, and summoning him for a 'verbal reprimand'. In mid-April, a staff member emailed one of the victims confirming that the warning letter had been filed and forwarded X's apology letter. But the apology letter was brief - around 60 words - and most victims found it insincere, the statement said. 'Most of the victims also felt that the university's response was insufficient,' it said, adding that the matter has 'remained dormant' since April. The statement also claimed that HKU did not take action for an 'extended period' regarding the victims' request to be separated from X in classes. It was only before the final tutorial session of the semester that HKU, citing the 'wide distribution of victims across tutorial groups', invited two victims to attend alternative sessions, the statement said. This delay forced some victims to share the classroom with X at least four times, causing 'unnecessary psychological distress', it added. HKU RESPONDS AS LAWMAKERS CALL FOR TIGHTER LAWS In a press release on Saturday, HKU said it is aware of the social media posts on the incident. It was published hours after the victims' statement emerged, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The university said it had adhered to its internal rules as well as 'relevant laws' in handling the case, and has kept in communication with the affected students. 'With the consideration of taking care of their well-being, the university has taken various steps, including class adjustments, to address their needs,' it said. HKU said it has already issued a warning letter to the student and demanded that he formally apologise to his affected peers. 'The university deeply understands the concerns raised and will further review the case, taking further actions when appropriate to ensure a safe and respectful learning environment,' HKU said in its Saturday statement, while also reaffirming its 'zero-tolerance' towards gender discrimination, harassment, or misconduct. Meanwhile, Hong Kong advocates and lawmakers have urged the city to outlaw deepfake pornographic content. 'The images were fabricated and AI-generated, but their impact on victims is real and no different from that caused by genuine images,' said Doris Chong Tsz-wai, the executive director of advocacy group Rain Lily, as quoted by SCMP. The group aims to raise awareness of sexual violence against women. Chong said perpetrators in many cases knew their victims personally, representing a betrayal of trust and causing significant emotional distress. 'The current laws only outlaw superimposed images when they are published or threatened to be published without consent, but not necessarily their mere generation,' she said. In 2021, Hong Kong introduced four new offences targeting voyeurism-related acts - voyeurism, unlawful recording or observation of intimate parts, publication of intimate images originating from the commission of such acts, as well as publishing or threatening to post intimate images without consent. They carry a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, SCMP reported. One lawmaker also urged Hong Kong to follow in South Korea's footsteps by banning AI-generated pornographic images. 'It is hugely offensive, especially to women, even if they do not distribute or publish these images,' said Legislative Council member Doreen Kong Yuk-foon. 'It causes huge mental distress and disturbance.' South Korea last year passed an amendment to by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (US$21,740). The maximum prison sentence for creating and distributing non-consensual deepfake explicit images was also increased to seven from five years.
News24
09-07-2025
- Politics
- News24
ICC hits Afghanistan Taliban leaders with arrest warrants over treatment of women
The International Criminal Court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan including supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, accusing them of the persecution of women and girls. The ICC said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, chief justice of the Taliban, had committed the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds against girls, women and other persons non-conforming with the Taliban's policy on gender, gender identity or expression. Since the Islamist Taliban returned to power in 2021 it has clamped down on women's rights, including limits to schooling, work and general independence in daily life. The Taliban condemned the warrants as an example of hostility toward Islam. 'We neither recognise anything by the name of an international court nor do we consider ourselves bound by it,' the Taliban government's spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, added in a statement. It is the first time judges of the ICC have issued a warrant on charges of gender persecution. 'While the Taliban have imposed certain rules and prohibitions on the population as a whole, they have specifically targeted girls and women by reason of their gender, depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms,' the court said. The International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber has issued arrest warrants against the Taliban Supreme Leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and the Taliban Chief Justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani for the crime against humanity of gender persecution in Afghanistan and their alleged… — Amnesty International (@amnesty) July 8, 2025 The full warrants and details on the specific incidents they are based on remain under seal to protect witnesses and victims, the court said. NGOs hailed the warrants and called on the international community to back the ICC's work. 'The international community should fully back the ICC in its critical work in Afghanistan and globally, including through concerted efforts to enforce the court's warrants,' Human Rights Watch International Justice director Liz Evenson, said in a statement. The ICC has been under increased criticism from non-member states such as the US, Israel and Russia. In 2024, the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict. Wakil Kohsar/AFP The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 on suspicion of deporting children from Ukraine. Neither Russia nor Israel is a member of the court and both deny the accusations and reject ICC jurisdiction. In June, the US imposed sanctions on four ICC judges including two who were involved in a ruling that allowed prosecutors to open a formal investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, including alleged crimes committed by American troops. The ICC said it was an attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution that provides hope and justice to millions of victims.
