The rise of the “others” in the UK, Lebanese immigrants’ success in Canada, LGBT anti-discrimination events in Kyrgyzstan, compulsory Chinese in Zimbabwean education, and more in today’s news rounds…

Race, Ethnicity & Nationality

• Guyana‘s multiracial oppositional coalition triumphs over incumbent party of two decades in presidential election. (Reuters)
• U.S. police forces have seen steady diversification of their ranks over the last three decades, with officers of color now accounting for just over 25% of the total force. (Washington Post)
  
• Number of “others”–those not identifying with racial and ethnic categories on census forms–projected to increase to 10 million in the U.K. over next 15 years. (Daily Mail)
• Study finds Hong Kong (China) kindergartens’ language practices in admissions may constitute discrimination against ethnic minorities. (The Standard)

Gender

• Rights organization calls on Indonesia to reform its military entrance requirement subjecting women applicants to a medical examination including a “virginity test.” (Euronews)

Migration & Displacement

• Malaysia and Thailand turns away migrant boats, frustrating efforts to handle the escalating Southeast Asia human-smuggling situation, and some Malaysians dig in against the immigrants. (Al Jazeera, Reuters, Daily Express)
• A summary of some Southeast Asian nations’ official and unofficial responses to recent migration developments. (NYT)
• More than 300 enslaved children freed by Central African Republic militias, while thousands more may still be trapped. (Reuters)
• Lebanese immigrants find marked success in Halifax (Canada), leading some to hope that other immigrant communities will benefit from the model. (The Chronicle Herald)

Religion & Belief

• French mayor proposes to former President Nicolas Sarkozy that Islam be banned in France, sparking outrage. (Le Monde, in French)

Sexual & Gender Identity

• The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans & Intersex Association releases its 2015 report on global state-sponsored homophobia, finding the number of countries criminalizing same-sex sexual relations to have fallen from 92 in 2006 to 76 in 2015. (ILGA)
• Labrys, Kyrgyzstan‘s only LGBT-community focused group, presses on with events this week around the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia after suffering arson attack last month. (AKIpress)

Intersections

• Cathartic for some and controversial for others, the mixture of indigenous culture and Christianity in Canada continues as the nation comes to terms with the religion’s historic role in indigenous oppression. (Al Jazeera)

In Addition

• Zimbabwe education ministry proposes to add Chinese as compulsive language in secondary school, causing some outrage as indigenous languages struggle to find teaching support. (RFI)
• With NGOs often serving as the only protectors of marginalized interests, observers worry as South Sudan passes bill requiring NGOs to re-register and submit to government monitoring. (Sudan Tribune)