Human rights groups have condemned a bill passed by Iraq's parliament that criminalises same-sex relationships, with jail terms of between 10 and 15 years.

According to a copy of the legislation seen by Reuters, the law aims to "protect Iraqi society from moral depravity and the calls for homosexuality that have overtaken the world".

What is in the new law?
As well as a penalty of between 10 and 15 years in prison for same-sex relations, the Law on Combating Prostitution and Homosexuality mandates at least seven years in jail for anybody who promotes homosexuality or prostitution, and between one and three years for anyone who changes their "biological gender".

Doctors who perform gender reassignment surgery, and men who "intentionally" act like women, will also face prison terms under the new legislation.

Why has it been introduced now?
Iraq had been among the few Islamic nations that did not explicitly criminalise same-sex relations, but "loosely defined" morality clauses in its penal code have been used to "target" LGBTQ+ people, said The Independent.

The new legislation was backed by conservative Shia Muslim parties that form the largest coalition in Iraq's mainly Muslim parliament.

The law is "sweeping", said Pink News, although "less extreme than originally planned", after a clause in an earlier version of the bill that called for the death penalty for same-sex acts was removed, following opposition from the US and Europe.

What has the reaction been?
The amended legislation has sparked condemnation from rights groups and the wider international community.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the law was "dangerous and worrying". It "threatens those most at risk in Iraqi society", said a statement from the US State Department. 

Pink News reported that data collected in 2022 suggested that just 2% of Iraq's population support homosexuality, while 55% oppose it.

What was the law before?
"Public perception and morality clauses in its penal code" mean that LGBTQ+ people have been "routinely targeted domestically and institutionally", said Pink News.

A 2022 report by Human Rights Watch said armed groups in Iraq were abducting, raping, torturing and killing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and accused the Iraqi government of failing to hold perpetrators accountable.

Over the past year, major Iraqi parties have "stepped up" criticism of LGBTQ+ rights, said Al Jazeera, "with rainbow flags frequently being burned in protests by both governing and opposition conservative Shia Muslim factions". The new law, said Human Rights Watch, "rubber-stamps" that "appalling record of rights violations".

Famous attractions across the globe are grappling with the problems of overtourism as the travel industry bounces back from the pandemic.

Venice last week introduced an entry fee for day-trippers, and now the world's most famous artwork may be moved to an underground room at the Louvre, while a town in Japan is planning to block views of Mount Fuji.

'Perpetually crammed' gallery
Up to 10 million people a year visit the "Mona Lisa" at the Louvre, crowding into the Paris gallery where "she gazes out from behind 3in of bulletproof glass", said The Times. Many visitors queue for up to two hours to spend an allotted 30 seconds in front of the piece and "come away feeling cheated".

The painting's present room – the Salle des États – is "perpetually crammed", with up to 25,000 people on a busy day, some of whom have described the experience as "torture" in online reviews.

Laurence des Cars, the director of the Louvre, has suggested moving "Mona Lisa" to her own basement room, to make the visitor experience more satisfying.

Prioritising 'long-term sustainability'
In Japan, visitors have been "flocking" to the town of Fujikawaguchiko, at the foot of Mount Fuji, after travel bloggers began posting videos and pictures of the "epic" 3,776-metre landmark framed above a local supermarket, said The Telegraph.

The local council is now set to erect a screen measuring 65ft wide and more than 8ft tall, to "deter social media-hungry snappers".

Other "strict new measures sought to curb overcrowding" around the world include the new €5 daytripper fee to enter Venice's historic centre, a ban on new hotels in Amsterdam, and a potential entry charge to the Plaza de España in Seville, said the i news site. And Barcelona has removed a bus route from Google Maps in a bid to reduce large tourist numbers in a popular area of the city.

Ultimately, said Travel and Tour World, combating overtourism will depend on prioritising "long-term sustainability over short-term gains, ensuring that travel remains a positive force in the world for generations to come".

Savour a long, sunny evening eating in the open air, with our menu of summer dining experiences.

Feast over Flame, Marlow
Feast over Flame is held at a secret location, accessed by boat from the riverside market town of Marlow. Once at your destination, festoon lights and music lead the way to your table, and your own Big Green Egg barbecue. You'll sample five courses, all cooked at the table, rounded off by s'mores and hot chocolate. 

Intimate Farm Suppers, Heckfield Place
Heckfield Place is a Georgian family home and a working organic farm. This year, it's celebrating 100 years of biodynamic farming with three farm suppers. Each has a theme – time of soft fruits,  time of abundance, and time for harvest – and will be set in picturesque locations across the Market Garden, Home Farm and estate.

Woodfired Canteen, Home Farm
Head to Hertfordshire for this year's Woodfired Canteen, an "utterly joyous" outdoor dining experience on the 150-acre Aldenham Estate in Elstree, set amid enchanting meadows and fairy-lit woodlands. Sitting at banqueting tables under giant atmospheric tipi tents with views over the meadow, you'll enjoy a welcome drink, light nibbles and a three-course meal.

Feast on Cloud 9, The Grove
The Grove is a five-star hotel only 18 miles from London. Choose from a champagne afternoon tea or a nine-course evening tasting menu, both served to you in the basket of a hot-air balloon (pictured above). The balloons remain on the ground, but your spirits are sure to soar.

Yoxman, Wilderness Reserve
This three-night extravaganza in the Suffolk countryside offers "the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the world's most respected Michelin-starred chefs", said Citizen Femme. In between, guests can enjoy "wild swimming with Breathpod, ranger activities and outdoor pursuits, masterclasses with Illy coffee and chef Q&As".

Is the Rwanda plan already working?
James Heale in The Spectator
"It is fashionable within Westminster to criticise the Rwanda plan," writes James Heale. But Ireland's politicians have "credited" the scheme with "having a deterrent effect" – and are "explicitly blaming" it for an increase in asylum seekers there. That claim may be "suspect", but Ireland's "enthusiasm for a returns deal to Britain helps normalise the UK's demand for a similar agreement with France" and is "enabling the UK government to have the kind of conversations that they want on migration".

New Cold War with a new axis of evil
Niall Ferguson in the New York Post
We are "witnessing the formation of an Axis", says Niall Ferguson. Joe Biden's administration has "done a great deal" to make a coalition of China, Russia and Iran a reality, by "abandoning" Afghanistan to the Taliban and then "failing to deter" Russia from invading Ukraine, and Iran "from unleashing its proxies against Israel". Whether China and Russia "are united or at each other's throats" matters a lot, and "their current unity is a real headache for the US and its allies".

Don't tell me to listen to female podcasters
Tomiwa Owolade in The Times
The author and historian Daisy Goodwin complained last week about "middle-aged men dominating podcasts", describing them as aggressively male and "phallocentric", writes Tomiwa Owolade. But listening to female-led podcasts "doesn't make one a better person" and "it doesn't transform the wider lives of women". What is "more patronising than the podcasts of middle-aged men" is "listening to women-led podcasts simply because they are by women".