PARIS (SE): In taking a couple of rather pointed digs at the two candidates for the run off of the presidential election in France, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, the Conference of the Bishops of France isolated respect for the weakest members of society, migration and loyalty as citizens of Europe as the three main principles that people should seek to protect in casting their vote on May 7.

HONG KONG (SE): Fake news is an art form, but while the expression may be new, the reality is far from a modern creation. It has travelled under various labels for centuries.

In 1906, Winston Churchill spoke of political inexactitudes in the parliament, a euphemism for circumlocution—or in plain language, a lie.

SYDNEY (SE): The issue of same sex marriage has usually been regarded as a religious, community or sociological matter in which discussion properly belongs first of all to the grassroots level of society and community organisations.

However, with the launch in Australia of a national campaign called Until We All Belong, it has been escalated to the level of a corporate issue, with players like Qantas, Foxtel, the Australia and New Zealand Banking Corporation, Google and eBay all calling for the closing of what is called the gap in marriage legislation.