Brunei's LGBT community flees 'inhumane' new stoning laws
Updated 0647 GMT (1447 HKT) April 2, 2019
When the tiny, oil-rich kingdom of Brunei first announced in 2013 that it would adopt strict Islamic laws, including death by stoning for gay sex, many in the country's LGBT community considered fleeing.
But some stayed on, hoping that the law, which is set to be formally enacted on April 3, would never come to pass.
"It's really scary," says Khairul, a young gay man in Brunei who spoke to CNN over the phone.
He and others interviewed by CNN for this story asked that their real identities to be hidden over concerns for their safety and that of their families.
Singapore to introduce anti-fake news law, allowing removal of articles
Press freedom concerns over law that will allow authorities to remove articles that breach government guidelines
Singapore is set to introduce a new anti-fake news law, allowing authorities in the city-state to remove articles deemed to breach government regulations.
The law, being read in parliament today, will stoke fears that Singapore’s authoritarian government will further stifle dissent in an already tightly-controlled media environment.
Facebook, Twitter and Google have Asia headquarters in Singapore, with the companies expected to be under increased pressure to aid the law’s implementation.
Venezuela judge moves to strip Guaido of immunity
Venezuela's chief justice on Monday asked lawmakers to strip opposition leader Juan Guaido of immunity, taking a step toward prosecuting him for alleged crimes as he seeks to oust President Nicolas Maduro.
Supreme Court Justice Maikel Moreno said Guaido should be prosecuted for violating a ban on leaving the country when he went on a tour of Latin American nations that back a change in Venezuela's government.
The opposition leader, who has immunity from prosecution as head of the National Assembly, is also accused by Maduro's government of inciting violence linked to street protests and receiving illicit funds from abroad.
Mass protests assail Bouteflika and his entourage
The shadowy power behind Algeria’s regime
The country wants its stricken president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to relinquish power, and his secretive, divided entourage has been forced to listen. But will the army agree to get out of politics?
by Akram Belkaïd & Lakhdar Benchiba
Algerians have been holding massive demonstrations against their government since late February. The movement is unprecedented. Not since independence, in July 1962, has Algeria seen protests like these, peaceful and spread across the whole country, including the southern cities.
Every Friday, the start of the weekend, hundreds of thousands march through the streets, shouting ‘Silmiya’ (peaceful). The protests bring together people of all ages, especially the young, who until now have shown little interest in politics. On other days, the momentum is maintained with sit-ins and marches by lawyers, researchers, academics, journalists and retired civil servants.
Mexico to issue limited humanitarian visas to migrants
AMY GUTHRIE,Associated Press
Mexican immigration officials plan to issue humanitarian visas on a "limited basis" starting Monday to some of the roughly 2,500 Central American and Caribbean migrants gathered in the southern state of Chiapas.
The National Migration Institute said Sunday it will give priority to women, children and those over the age of 65 "whose situation merits" such visas. The authority said it would also provide bus transportation back to Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras for citizens of those countries, and air transport home to migrants from Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua.
The statement came as President Donald Trump threatens to close U.S. border crossings with Mexico unless the country prevents thousands of Central American migrants from reaching the U.S. border, where they either cross stealthily or request asylum.
Brexit: No-deal more likely but can be avoided - Barnier
A no-deal Brexit is now more likely but can still be avoided, the EU's chief negotiator has said.
On Monday night, MPs voted on four alternatives to the PM's withdrawal deal, but none gained a majority.
Michel Barnier said a long extension to the UK's current 12 April exit date carried "significant risks for the EU" and that a "strong justification would be needed" before the EU would agree.
Theresa May is set for five hours of cabinet talks to tackle the deadlock.
MPs rejected a customs union with the EU by three votes while a motion for another referendum got the most votes in favour, but still lost.
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