Jezebel: democracy

Court Rejects Suu Kyi's Appeal • France To Chemically Castrate Sex Offenders?

Intern Katy — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EDT

• A Burmese court has rejected pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi's recent appeal. Kyi will be placed under house arrest for the next 18 months, which will effectively keep her out of the way during the upcoming elections. •

• A Texas judge has ruled that a same-sex couple should be able to get a divorce in Texas, even though the state does not recognize gay marriage. Although it is too early to tell what this will mean for human rights in Texas, the couple is "ecstatic" at the news. • Allergan Inc., makers of Botox, have filed a lawsuit against federal health officials, which alleges that the government violated their free-speech rights by barring them from distributing information about the antiwrinkle injections. • Grab your babies, because Today is the Synchronized Worldwide Breastfeed. The event started in the Philippines, with breastfeeding advocate Elvira Henares-Esguerra. • Lauren Book, a survivor of sexual abuse, once lobbied for stricter laws governing paroled sex offenders. However, she recently realized that the laws she worked so hard to have passed may have backfired, leaving hundreds of sex offenders in such deplorable living conditions that they might just get "desperate" enough to offend again. • French PM Francois Fillon said today that he is considering enforced chemical castration for sex offenders. France currently allows the use of chemical castration, but only with the consent of the prisoner. • Patriza D'Addario went on Italian television to tell her side of the whole Silvio Berlusconi sex scandal story. She says Berlusconi knew she was an escort when he slept with her, and that his Rome residence "seemed like a harem." •

While Mao's Away...

Anna — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:10:00 EDT

[Beijing, June 3. Image via Getty]

Children play as Chinese paramilitary policemen (R) keep watch on Tiananmen Square in Beijing on June 3, 2009. Chinese police tightened restrictions on perceived trouble makers on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the crackdown on Tiananmen democracy protests, where hundreds, if not thousands of unarmed protesters and ordinary citizens were killed in the streets of Beijing as the military moved in to quell seven weeks of peaceful democracy protests. AFP PHOTO / Peter PARKS (Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

The Dalai Lama said yesterday that he may...

Margaret — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 18:15:00 EST

The Dalai Lama said yesterday that he may choose a young girl to be his successor and indicated that he's ready to pass his political role on to Tibetans in exile. The 73-year-old monk embraced pro-democracy Chinese activist Chin Jin in front of reporters and said he may pick his successor before he passes away. His statements sent a message that he wants to block the Chinese from picking up the next Dalai Lama. "The future of the Dalai Lama institution will be decided by the people," he said. "If they don't want it, it should cease to exist." [Times of India]

Meet Italian Cabinet Member Mara Carfagna, A Woman Of Many, Um, Parts

Moe — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:40:00 EDT

Usually when my little brother sends me tips they have to do with the idiocy of Bush or organized religion or... well anyway, to get to the point, I was somewhat baffled when he sent me a link to this picture on a German website. I clicked about as far as here before I was just like "We're all always searching for new sources of free porn but um now's not the time, broseph!" But as it turns out, this is a serious issue! Meet Mara Carfagna, Silvio Berlusconi's new Minister Of Equal Opportunities. A lot of hands have been wrung over why the Italians would vote for that guy again — aside, you know, from his whole King of all media thing — but until now we did not really realize he had such inspired brain trust. See, Mara Carfagna — rhymes with Barack Obama! — is one of those transcendent politicians whose rich and varied biography gives her a persona that can resonate with anyone. A photo essay of Hope (and humps!) after the jump.

Like Barry, Mara has dabbled in youthful radicalism. Here, her "the only Bush I trust is my own" pose.

In recent years she has been accused of being too refined, elitist.

But that belies her red-blooded agrarian roots!

And it's a little too, uh, "raw" for us but here she displays her willingness to bend over backwards (or anyway, bend over) to serve the people! (What are those people doing there anyway?

Former Topless Model Joins Berlusconi's Cabinet As Equalities Minister [Daily Mail]
Berlusconi's Pin-Up Ministerin [Stern]
Related: Italiy Embraces Silvio, Again And Again [Economist]