NEWS FLASH

Putin To Be Confronted Over Russia’s Anti-Gay Proposals | Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, has promised to raise concerns over Russia’s anti-gay laws with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin tomorrow at the EU-Russia summit. Ashton made the pledge after receiving a petition from AllOut.org with 246,245 signatures from around the world calling on lawmakers in St. Petersburg to abandon legislation that would outlaw so-called “gay propaganda.” The bill, which has passed first reading and is being advanced by Putin’s United Russia party, would fine groups or individuals who promote homosexuality, pedophilia, or transgenderism to minors and could serve as a model for a federal ban. Two other regions in Russia have adopted similar measures.