Romania’s government is coming under fire from rights groups and members of the European Parliament for backing a referendum this weekend on whether to put a constitutional block on same-sex marriage. Romanian law does not recognise same-sex couples, but ultra-conservative groups fear the constitution’s current definition of marriage as a union between “spouses” could allow homosexuals to wed in the future. Source The Irish Times
A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday temporarily blocked a move by new U.S. President Joe Biden to halt the deportation of many immigrants for a 100-day period, a swift legal setback for his ambitious immigration agenda. Source Reuters
The United States could face a heightened threat of domestic extremist violence for weeks from people angry at Donald Trump’s election defeat and inspired by the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol, the Department of Homeland Security warned on Wednesday. Source Reuters
Chinese military exercises near Taiwan are a “solemn warning to external forces”, Beijing said Wednesday, after the new US government expressed strong support for the self-ruled island. Source Bangkok Post
