JERUSALEM: Israeli Education Minister Rafi Peretz has spoken of his belief in therapy to convert gays to heterosexuality and claimed he has engaged in the practice, leading to calls for him to be sacked. Asked by Israel’s Channel 12 whether he was in favour of so-called conversion therapy and if he believed he could change a gay person, Peretz said: “I think you can. I can tell you that I have a deep knowledge of education, and I have done it too.” Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who brought Peretz’s Union of Right Wing Parties into his government after April 9 elections, firmly condemned the remarks. AFP
Being friends with award juror cuts chances of winning Oscar
London: Being friends with an award juror can increase a person’s chance of being nominated but decrease their chances of being selected as the victor, according to a study. The Oscars, the Grammys, and even the Nobel Prize, all peer-judged competitions, are often criticised for the decisions of their jurors. Some people go as far as making accusations of bias, partisanship and even cronyism. Researchers analysed how social relationships affect reward allocation choices in peer-based evaluative settings. PTI
Facebook’s Libra currency under fire
London: Facebook’s planned virtual unit Libra, already under heavy attack from US President Donald Trump and global regulators, faces scepticism among the wider cryptocurrency community as well. One theme - besides Brexit-dominated discussion among the movers and shakers from London’s financial technology or FinTech industry as gathered for their annual get-together: the future of virtual currencies. Libra, regarded as a challenger to Bitcoin, is expected to launch in the first half of 2020. AFP
Bangladesh ex-Prez HM Ershad dead
Dhaka: Former Bangladesh President HM Ershad died in a military hospital here on Sunday due to age-related illnesses. He was 89. He breathed his last at 7.45 am at the Combined Military Hospital. Ershad, also the leader of the opposition in Parliament and a five-time MP, had long been suffering from various ailments, including infection in his lungs and kidneys and was admitted to hospital on June 26 and was kept at the ICU. His condition later deteriorated and was kept on oxygen support on June 30. The military ruler will be buried at an army graveyard in Dhaka on Tuesday. IANS
Up against Trump
Chicago: Immigrants and their supporters rally against President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, especially the detention of children, march from Daley Plaza to the Chicago field office for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. AP/PTI
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