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Russia’s top court has ruled that LGBT+ activists should be designated as “extremists” and issued a ban against such work – the most drastic step in a years-long crackdown on the community in the country. This effectively outlaws LGBT+ activism across the country, in a move that representatives of the gay and transgender communities fear will lead to arrests and prosecutions. The hearing took place behind closed doors and with no defendant. Multiple rights activists have pointed out that the lawsuit targeted the “international civic LGBT movement”, which is not an entity but rather a broad and vague definition that would allow Russian authorities to crack down on any individuals or groups deemed to be part of the “movement”. In a statement announcing a lawsuit filed to the court earlier this month, Russia’s justice ministry argued that authorities had identified “signs and manifestations of an extremist nature” by an LGBTQ+ “movement” operating in Russia, including “incitement of social and religious discord”, although it offered no details or evidence. In its ruling, the court declared the “movement” to be extremist and banned it in Russia. “Despite the fact that the justice ministry demands to label a nonexistent – ‘the international civic LGBT movement’ – extremist, in practice it could happen that the Russian authorities, with this court ruling at hand, will enforce it against LGBT+ initiatives that work in Russia, considering them a part of this civic movement,” Max Olenichev, a human rights lawyer who works with the Russian LGBT+ community, told the Associated Press ahead of the hearing. The ruling is the latest in more than a decade of restrictions on LBGT+ rights under Vladimir Putin, who has put what he calls “traditional family values” at the centre of his appeal to the Russian public. In 2013, the Kremlin adopted legislation known as the “gay propaganda” law, banning any public endorsement of “nontraditional sexual relations” to children. In 2020, constitutional reforms pushed through by Mr Putin to extend his rule by two more terms also included a provision to outlaw same-sex marriage. After sending troops into Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin ramped up its comments about protecting “traditional values” from what it called the West's “degrading” influence, in what many have seen as an attempt to legitimise the invasion as Western nations have lined up to support Ukraine. The language from Mr Putin regarding LGBT+ communities has ramped up as the Russian president has sought to set Moscow against the West in almost every facet of society. In the wake of the Ukraine invasion, the authorities adopted a law banning propaganda of “nontraditional sexual relations” among adults, also, effectively outlawing any public endorsement of LGBT+ people. Another law passed earlier this year prohibited gender-transitioning procedures and gender-affirming care for transgender people. The legislation prohibited any “medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person”, as well as changing one’s gender in official documents and public records. It also amended Russia’s family code by listing gender change as a reason to annul a marriage and adding those “who had changed gender” to a list of people who can’t become foster or adoptive parents. Samples of Mr Putin’s degrading language were illustrated by a speech last year where he said the West was welcome to adopt “rather strange, in my view, new-fangled trends like dozens of genders, and gay parades” but had no right to impose them on other countries. Such rhetoric has been decried by nations across the world. Mr Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters before the latest court decision was announced that the Kremlin was “not following” the case and had no comment on it. The Supreme Court took around five hours to issue its ruling. The proceedings were closed to media, but reporters were allowed in to hear the decision. LGBT+ groups had seen the decision as inevitable after the request by the justice ministry, which said – without giving examples – that “various signs and manifestations of extremist orientation, including the incitement of social and religious discord” had been identified in the activities of what it called the LGBT+ movement in Russia. The UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Turk, has repeatedly called on Russia to repeal its repression of LGBT+ rights and the UN as a whole, along with nations such as the US, UK and others have condemned such moves from the 2013 propaganda law onwards. Russian officials have tried to reject accusations of discrimination, despite a crackdown on freedom of expression. Earlier this month, Russian media quoted Andrei Loginov, a deputy justice minister, as saying that “the rights of LGBT people in Russia are protected” legally. Mr Loginov spoke in Geneva, while presenting a report on human rights in Russia to the UN Human Rights Council, and argued that “restraining public demonstration of non-traditional sexual relationships or preferences is not a form of censure for them.” For LGBT+ groups and activists, there are deep fears that this is just the beginning of another round of arrests. “Of course, it’s very alarming, and I don’t remember the threat ever being so serious and real,” Alexei Sergeyev, an LGBT+ activist in St Petersburg, told Reuters earlier this month. More than 100 groups are already banned in Russia as “extremist”. Previous listings, for example of the Jehovah’s Witnesses religious movement and organisations linked to opposition politician Alexei Navalny, have served as a prelude to arrests and court cases. Mr Sergeyev said activities such as psychological and legal support, or even “meetings where you can just sit and drink tea”, would be driven underground, given the broad and vague nature of this ruling – depriving many LGBT+ people of support. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Read More Russia's Lavrov faces Western critics at security meeting, walks out after speech Putin asks Russian women to have ‘eight or more’ children amid deaths in his war Russia-Ukraine war live: Families trapped under rubble after missile strike Ukraine spy chief’s wife treated for suspected metal poisoning Putin won’t consider stopping Ukraine war until after US election – official Chechen warlord Kadyrov offers Putin 3,000 more fighters amid heavy Russian losses

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By Tom Wilson and Jaiveer Shekhawat (Reuters) -A string of executives have quit Binance, according to their tweets and media

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Apple has finally unveiled a new improvement to its autocorrect feature, much to the enjoyment of expletive lovers. On Monday (6 June), the tech company announced a number of software updates will soon be available to iPhone users as part of Apple’s new iOS 17 operating system. While speaking at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in California, senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi shared that Apple will also upgrade the autocorrect feature that annoyingly changes one of the most common swear words to “ducking”. “In those moments where you just want to type a ducking word, well, the keyboard will learn it, too,” he said. The upgraded autocorrect feature will be assisted by artificial intelligence (AI). According to TechCrunch, the “Transformer” AI model will accurately predict the next words and phrases iPhone users might send. Over time, the new autocorrect feature will learn to predict words that are used most frequently, including swear words. The autocorrect change is expected to drop alongside Apple’s new iOS 17, which is expected to be available as a public beta in July and a general release to come out in September. Autocorrect has been a longstanding feature of Apple products, automatically substituting corrections for mistakes in spelling or grammar. But the “ducking” substitution has long been a source of annoyance for those who’ve had to rewrite texts, particularly when they may already be wanting to express a degree of frustration. The autocorrect feature wasn’t the only upgrade Apple announced at its WWDC event on Monday. In iOS 17, iPhones will also come with new mental health features, in the form of a journal and mood tracking tools that will integrate with the Health app. The Sensitive Content Warning feature will warn adult users about nude photos and videos with a pop-up asking if they want to see the content, and the new “Check In” lets users tell friends or family members they’ve reached their destination safely. Perhaps the biggest announcement was the company’s new $3,499 (£2,800) Vision Pro headset, which combines virtual reality and augmented reality using its own software – VisionOS. The new virtual reality headset will allow people to see apps projected on top of the room around them, allowing apps to be “freed from the confines of a display”. The headset is made with glass on the front and inside, as well as an aluminium frame and a soft band that wraps around the head. Vision Pro users will be able to sit in their living room, for example, and see their apps projected in front of them, on top of their coffee table, or while doing the dishes. The Apple Vision Pro headset won’t be available to purchase until early 2024. Read More Apple Vision Pro – latest: ‘Revolutionary’ $3,499 VR headset heralds ‘new era’ iOS 17: Apple lets users get iPhone update and other new operating systems early iOS 17 release date and compatibility: When Apple will release new iPhone, iPad and Mac updates – and which will get it Apple lets people get brand new iPhone update early – but there’s a very big warning The price of Apple’s Vision Pro headset is truly out of this world The glaring omission from Apple’s AR headset launch

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