The Daily Populous

Sunday April 11st, 2021 day edition

image for Vladimir Putin Just Officially Banned Same-Sex Marriage In Russia

According to a report in the AP, the new rules also reset Putin’s term limits as president, meaning he can serve an additional two six-year terms in office.

The amendments passed by voters and signed into law by Putin specifically ban marriage equality and adoption by transgender folks.

Religious themes play an important role in society in the nation and often drive anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments.

The ad, entitled “Why amendments to the Constitution are important,” ended by asking viewers if “this is the Russia you choose.”

Putin followed through on a promised crackdown in a series of moves that have silenced opposition.

Salekh Magamadov and Ismail Isayev had fled to Russia after Chechen authorities allegedly arrested and tortured the two men for their LGBTQ+ activism.

Prior to their escape, the pair were forced to record a deeply disturbing video apology at the hands of Chechen authorities. »

After Going ‘Free of L.G.B.T.,’ a Polish Town Pays a Price

Authored by nytimes.com

What initially seemed a cost-free sop to conservatives in the rural and religiously devout Polish borderlands next to Ukraine, the May 2019 decision has become a costly embarrassment for the town of Krasnik.

It has jeopardized millions of dollars in foreign funding and, Mayor Wojciech Wilk said, turned “our town into a synonym for homophobia,” which he insisted was not accurate.

The situation also illustrates the real-life consequences of political posturing in the trenches of Europe’s culture wars. »

China hits Alibaba with record $2.8 billion fine for behaving like a monopoly

Authored by edition.cnn.com

London/Hong Kong (CNN Business) China has ordered Alibaba to pay a record fine of 18.2 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) after antitrust regulators concluded that the online shopping giant had been behaving like a monopoly.

The fine is equivalent to 4% of Alibaba's sales in China in 2019, state news agency Xinhua reported, and dwarfs the previous record penalty of $975 million handed out to American chipmakerin 2015.

Co-founded by legendary entrepreneur Jack Ma , Alibaba is one of China's most prominent and successful private businesses. »