
Biden unlikely to attend ASEAN summits in September on trip to Asia -sources
By David Brunnstrom and Stanley Widianto WASHINGTON/JAKARTA (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden is unlikely to attend summits with Southeast Asian
2023-08-10 10:58

Philippines’ GDP Growth Stumbles as High Prices, Rates Bite
The Philippine economy expanded much slower than expected in the second quarter, reeling from the impact of above-target
2023-08-10 10:27

Factbox-Impact of floods in China after Typhoon Doksuri
BEIJING Extreme rain battered northern China after Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in southern Fujian province on July 28,
2023-08-10 10:23

Typhoon Khanun makes landfall in South Korea after lashing Japan
TOKYO/SEOUL Typhoon Khanun made landfall on the southeast coast of South Korea on Thursday after dumping heavy rain
2023-08-10 10:20

Hawaii wildfires burn historic town of Lahaina 'to the ground'
Six people have died and thousands displaced as fires continue to rage on Maui and the Big Island.
2023-08-10 09:55

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio assassinated at campaign event
An opposition candidate in Ecuador's upcoming presidential election, Fernando Villavicencio, was assassinated at a campaign event Wednesday, Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso confirmed on X, formerly Twitter.
2023-08-10 09:29

Author John Green hits back as his novel The Fault in Our Stars is moved to adult section in library
When John Green’s book, The Fault in Our Stars, was first published in 2012 it rose to the top of bestseller lists. The love story about two cancer stricken teenagers won the hearts of teenagers globally and was soon turned into a movie starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. Now the book, a favourite of older teenagers, has been moved to the adult section in a library in the suburbs of Indianapolis. Green took to X, formerly called Twitter, to voice his frustrations. “This is ludicrous. It is about teenagers and I wrote it for teenagers. Teenagers are not harmed by reading TFIOS. This is such an embarrassment to the city of Fishers,” he said. “I only have a small voice in these decisions, of course, but you won’t catch me alive or dead in Fishers, Indiana until these ridiculous policies are revoked,” he added. “Which I guess means no Top Golf or IKEA for a while.” At the local library, staff have spent hours rummaging through books and moving those that don’t comply with the board’s policy to the general section from the young adult section. Books have been targeted for language about sexuality and reproduction, profanity and criminal acts. This isn’t the first time one of Green’s books has irked administrators and parents. His book Looking for Alaska, also aimed at older teenagers, has become a regular feature on the American Library Association’s top 10 most challenged books, making the list in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2022, for being sexually explicit. In 2008, the author filmed a YouTube video titled “I Am Not A Pornographer” explaining that a school in Buffalo, New York was planning to teach Looking for Alaska to 11th graders. But some people, he said, found the book controversial so the school administrators gave parents the choice: their children could read the book or find an alternative. “But there were a few people who weren’t happy with this solution,” Green said in the clip. “These people didn’t actually have kids in the 11th grade, but no matter. They think that my book is pornographic, and that it will cause immoral thoughts and actions in children. These people believe that no one should be allowed to read the book, even those people whose parents signed the permission slip.” And now with book bans on the rise across America (2022 saw the highest number of attempted book bans), Green told The Independent earlier this year that these parent groups have rallied “to take over America’s school systems”. “There are attempts not just to ban books, but to ban entire subjects from high school curricula,” he said. “There are attempts to rewrite American history to better fit contemporary narratives around America’s purported greatness.” The book, a coming of age story with themes of loss and forgiveness, features a scene in which the main character Miles, receives oral sex from Lara, a friend. A few pages later, in a highly emotional scene, Miles kisses another character, Alaska. By juxtaposing the two scenes, Green said in the YouTube video, he attempts to show “that physical intimacy can never stand in for emotional closeness.” Yet, it’s these very scenes that have led to some seeking to ban the book. “It’s always a bummer to have your work read in bad faith,” Green told The Independent in an interview earlier this year. “It’s always a bummer when people read your work to find out what they hate about it, because that’s not, of course, why anyone writes.” Having this specific section read out of context, he adds, is “especially troubling,” because “removed from its context, it can’t do its work – which is to point out that the romantic encounter that Miles and Lara have is awkward and unfulfilling, precisely because they don’t have the emotional connection they need to have a fulfilling romantic encounter.” Read More John Green on book bans, bad faith, and the ‘history of folks trying to control what other folks can read’ Book bans in US schools increased by 28 per cent in the first half of the school year, says new report Texas county moves to restrict ‘explicit’ and ‘objectionable’ books at public libraries Tennessee educators file lawsuit challenging law limiting school lessons on race, sex and bias Jacqueline Wilson says censorship of children’s books is ‘a huge worry’ Biden reelection campaign offering joint meeting with Obama as ex-president enters 2024 fray early Biden wants to compensate New Mexico residents sickened by radiation during 1945 nuclear testing Trump campaign runs ad attacking Georgia DA who’s expected to indict him
2023-08-10 08:21

Maduro Regime Wins Order to Return €1.4 Billion to Venezuela
A Portuguese court ordered Novo Banco SA to reimburse around €1.35 billion ($1.48 billion) to nine entities controlled
2023-08-10 08:16

Asia Stocks Set to Drop After Wall Street Sell-Off: Markets Wrap
Asian equity futures traded moderately lower Thursday following a tech-led sell-off on Wall Street as investors await US
2023-08-10 07:56

Rajasthan: India's gig workers see hope in new state law
Rajasthan state recently passed a law that aims to give social security benefits to gig workers.
2023-08-10 07:55

Russian convicts released to fight with Wagner accused of new crimes
Victims' families are distraught that Russian prisoners released to fight in Ukraine are reoffending.
2023-08-10 07:22

Why did the Maui fire spread so fast? Drought, nonnative species and climate change among possible reasons
Drought conditions are becoming more extreme and common in Hawaii and other Pacific islands.
2023-08-10 06:51