
Japanese court upholds ban on same-sex marriage
CNN
Japan's ban on same-sex marriage is not unconstitutional, a court has ruled, dealing a blow to gay couples and activists seeking greater rights for the LGBTQ community.
The Osaka district court on Monday dismissed a lawsuit in which three same-sex couples were seeking compensation from the government of 1 million yen (about $7,400) per person, arguing the lack of recognition of same-sex marriages violated their constitutional right to equality.
But the court sided with the government, ruling that under the constitution the definition of marriage did not extend to partnerships between people of the same gender, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Cuba is going dark under US pressure. How the crisis unfolded and why its troubles are far from over
Almost three months after the US effectively imposed an oil blockade on Cuba that worsened its energy crunch, nearly every aspect of Cuban society has been feeling the strain.

The Department of Homeland Security has been ensnared by a partial government shutdown as Congress did not act to fund the agency by the end of Friday. But nearly all DHS workers will remain on the job — even if many won’t get paid until the lapse ends — and the public probably won’t notice much of a change.











