India's new IT rules, introduced on April 6, allow the government to hold social media platforms responsible for all content that appears on their sites, according to Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the IT minister. The Indian government is reportedly setting up a fact-checking organisation that will tag information about any business of the central government if it judged it to be untrue, misleading or fake. Social media sites deemed to be "intermediaries" must remove content identified by the government's fact checkers. Kunal Kamra, a comedic commentator with a large following, has filed a court challenge to the changes and accused the government of "crushing dissent". India has slipped in the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom ranking, now lying behind Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The UK needs a clear and workable plan to ensure that the court system can efficiently hear and process possession cases, according to Ben Beadle, CEO of the National Residential Landlords Association. Freedom of Information data from Scotland shows the number of administrative officer grade caseworkers in the country's Housing and Property Chamber increased 72% between 2017 and 2021, and Beadle called for a similar increase in staff for England and Wales. He said tenants should have access to legal advice when possession cases are being heard, while the Renters’ Reform Bill should enable both rogue landlords to be challenged and responsible landlords to deal with issues regarding rental properties. The cross-party housing select committee recently warned the government that an "unreformed courts system" could undermine its tenancy reforms.
The University of Oxford must stop infantilising students and should instead teach students to live in the “adult world” by threatening them with “serious punishment” if they infringe upon others’ rights, an op-ed in The Telegraph has stated. The article follows controversy over a threat to cancel a talk by feminist writer Kathleen Stock, and the distribution of colored pencils to anxious students. Students are warned they will face funding cuts from the university and colleges if they breach academic principles or governance of student unions. Seminars on the history of free speech are being suggested.
An anonymous lawyer has filed a lawsuit against the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent it revealing their identity in a public report regarding the lawyer's company's regulatory compliance when inspected by the agency. The complaint argues that the lawyer would suffer "reputational harm that could impede" their ability to continue practising. The case was filed anonymously in Washington DC, and seeks to bar the FDA from releasing public information. The FDA allegedly intends to release an inspection report on the unidentified company, including information about the anonymous attorney.
Rugby Australia has voiced its support for the coming constitutional referendum which asserts that "Aboriginal people should be consulted on matters that affect Aboriginal people". The statement argues that rugby came about because of a desire for a level playing field, with team members rising or falling based on their abilities, efforts and cohesion with teammates. The idea behind the Voice is to give Aboriginal people the ability to speak up on issues that are not currently being addressed, making a "structural change" to the status quo that currently exists. The statement is part of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which asserts that Aborigines are not an innately criminal people, but face structural problems that continue to hold them back.
The University of Oxford must stop infantilising students and should instead teach students to live in the “adult world” by threatening them with “serious punishment” if they infringe upon others’ rights, an op-ed in The Telegraph has stated. The article follows controversy over a threat to cancel a talk by feminist writer Kathleen Stock, and the distribution of colored pencils to anxious students. Students are warned they will face funding cuts from the university and colleges if they breach academic principles or governance of student unions. Seminars on the history of free speech are being suggested.
Fighting for air filters in schools showed me why Alberta needs an unfiltered public health office
CBC
23-05-18 08:00
There needs to be a fully independent officer of public health in Alberta whose recommendations are transparent, according to a university professor. Currently, public health officials in the province have not provided a clear statement about air filtration, which led to some school leaders delaying the implementation of air purifying units in Edmonton. Parental advocates successfully managed to secure $6 million worth of funding for the installation of air purifiers in all schools run by Edmonton Public School Board, but other boards may continue to resist even donated high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. The opinion piece argues that health experts need to be given their independence and freedom to investigate and report without political interference. Furthermore, the piece calls for a revamped Chief Public Health Officer's office in the province, with its independence enshrined in legislation, adding that politicians should be able to access this expertise, but the public needs unvarnished recommendations without government interference.
London Public Library refuses to accommodate event featuring author of How Woke Won
CBC
23-05-18 08:00
The London Public Library in southwestern Ontario has refused the Society for Academic Freedom’s request to rent its space for an event featuring British author Joanna Williams. Her views on being ‘woke’, which she questions, are controversial and divisive, with the Society opposed to speech codes and so-called anti-hate legislation. A spokesperson for the library said that the decision was made in keeping with its strategic plan, which includes anti-racism and anti-oppression, whilst Williams said: “Libraries should be the site of public debate”.
Pema Tseden is a Tibetan filmmaker whose work is focused on Tibetan landscapes and stories. His seven feature films are in the Tibetan language and feature primarily amateur Tibetan actors. His work has helped to reshape outsiders' impressions of Tibet as a mysterious land of splendour or a place of barbarous peasants. Instead, Tseden’s films show modernity coming into collision with ancient tradition in that landscape. He has been able to get round issues of censorship with exceptional subtlety; for instance, the Chinese presence in Tibet is almost invisible in his films, with just one shop sign or TV news bulletin here or there. Themes that might touch on national directives - such as the need to have an ID card or the one-child policy - are present in his films but with no open criticism. Tseden’s stories often explore Buddhist teachings on compassion, life, death and time, asking especially how far compassion should go.
An exhibition at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn, titled "Freedom, Equality, Humanity" and running until September 2023, is honouring the work of American dancer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker. Born in St Louis in 1906, she began her stage career at the age of 16 and first appeared in Paris in 1925, where her famous Charleston dance and "danse sauvage", in which she wore a skirt made of artificial bananas, assisted her rise to fame as a "Black Venus". A celebrated star in Europe, she faced racist hostility during a tour in the US. During World War II, she worked for the Red Cross before becoming a spy for the French resistance movement. General Charles De Gaulle awarded her the French Legion of Honour in recognition of her efforts. Post-war, Baker lived at Les Milandes, a 15th-century castle in southwestern France, where 12 children of different origins whom she adopted over the years lived. She died 12 May 1975 aged 68.
Tunisia frees two students arrested for satirical song criticising police
Reuters
23-05-18 14:51
Two Tunisian students have been freed after their arrest for posting a satirical song criticising the police on TikTok and Facebook drew criticism from President Kais Saied. Youssef Chelbi and Dhia Nsir were arrested on Wednesday, but Saied spoke out against the arrests on Facebook, calling for their release, and dozens of activists protested against restrictions on freedom of speech and trials targeting bloggers and journalists. Rights campaigners report the freedom of speech and media restrictions are worsening under Saied's rule.
Jenny Gilruth, a former transport minister, was accused of breaking ministerial code and costing Scottish taxpayers £1 million. Scottish National Party (SNP) MSP Humza Yousaf defended her, promising to investigate all claims thoroughly and stating that Gilruth had acted for the correct reasons. The SNP have been the focus of numerous controversies in recent weeks, including inadequate auditing, ferry services and fears of a potentially dangerous release of a biologically male rapist into a female prison.
Oxford University has pushed back against allegations that it is restricting freedom of speech. The University issued a statement saying that both the university and its associated colleges hold “hundreds of events each term” and that freedom of speech is “alive and well at Oxford,” with a policy of allowing “difficult views” to be heard. The statement added that although student union had concerns about the activities of the Oxford Union debating society, it would continue to encourage open discussion and dialogue. The remarks followed a letter from former Oxford Union President Nick Gallagher, who said that the union had been barred from last year’s freshers fair because of action by the student union.
Police in Tunisia have summoned two of Radio Mosaique’s top broadcasters, Haythem El Mekki and Elyess Gharbi, for questioning. The radio station is the country’s most prominent independent voice, and the broadcasters are known critics of President Kais Saied, whose government has been accused of cracking down on the media and political opposition. Concerns have grown over the rights of journalists and freedom of speech under Saied’s rule. Protesters have called out restrictions on freedom and the ongoing legal cases against bloggers and journalists in the country.
British novelist Salman Rushdie has made his first in-person public appearance since he was severely injured in August 2020 after being stabbed repeatedly by a young man who had been carrying a knife. Rushdie made the visit for the annual PEN America gala, a literary and free expression organisation that he formerly served as president. Iranian dissident Narges Mohammadi and the founder of Saturday Night Live, Lorne Michaels, were among others scheduled to be honoured at the event. Rushdie was said to be emotional upon taking the podium to make remarks during the gala.
Republican members of the House Freedom Caucus have warned they will try to block any debt-ceiling deal that doesn't contain "robust" spending cuts. The potential opposition from the group may slow down passage of the bill, with the Treasury Department warning that the US government could be unable to pay all its bills as soon as June 1. Reuters reported that while a bipartisan deal could still pass despite Trump supporters' opposition, a split within the Democratic Party over the right approach could give the caucus greater sway in a vote.
The amount of housing equity released by UK homeowners over the age of 60 increased by 28% to £5.2bn ($6.5bn) in 2022, the Financial Conduct Authority has said. The rise led to concerns about a lack of understanding of the costs of equity release mortgages; the average interest rate for such loans in 2022 was 6.17%, according to finance website Moneyfacts. Advisors Bowmore Financial Planning also claimed many people had been lured into long-term commitments through lack of understanding. The Equity Release Council said the standard of offering part-repayment penalties had led to a rise in the number of such transactions.
Singapore leads global economic freedom rankings for a fourth year in a row, outperforming Hong Kong and other nations in the areas of sound economic governance and resilient competitiveness, according to The Heritage Foundation’s 2023 Index of Economic Freedom. The nation, which has a per capita gross domestic product surpassing those of most of the world's developing countries, demonstrates that economic growth and prosperity are the result of policies that preserve and advance economic freedom.
Last week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation publicly rescinded an internal memo on “radical-traditionalist Catholic ideology” the day after a whistleblower had published it. The memo suggested that the FBI should monitor these Catholics through “the development of sources with access” and listed “hate groups” published by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SLPC) as a place to start this work. The FBI’s decision to cite the SPLC, which has essentially suggested that the entire Roman Catholic Church should be considered a “hate group,” should trigger alarm bells for anyone who cares about Americans' First Amendment freedoms.
Criticism by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a left-leaning litigation nonprofit that has previously branded mainstream conservative and Christian organizations as “hate groups”, has been aimed at the third annual International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C. for including “the presence and deep influence of virulently anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups and other far-right extremists.” Summit co-chair Katrina Lantos Swett argued, however, that the event brought together a range of people to address “the fundamental right to freedom of religion, conscience, and belief”, which she argued should protect Americans of every creed, including the “white, straight, cisgender, conservative Christians” whom the SPLC distrusts.
RG Cravens, a senior research analyst for the SPLC’s Intelligence Project, criticized former governor Sam Brownback’s endorsement of “the legal privilege of white, straight, cisgender, conservative Christians to discriminate against those who do not share their beliefs” which referred to churches that seek to implement the Bible’s teaching that marriage is between only a man and a woman. Furthermore, Cravens attacked Brownback for signing a bill “allowing religious groups at state universities to exclude LGBTQ+ people while retaining state funding.” In a commentary by The Epoch Times, an article is cited to suggest that the SPLC targets Christians who oppose the same-sex marriage, but the SPLC claims it does not consider “opposition to same-sex marriage or the belief that being LGBTQ+ is a sin as the sole basis for the hate group label.”
In 2019, amid a racial discrimination and sexual harassment scandal, a former SPLC employee called SPLC’s “hate” labeling a “highly profitable scam” aimed at “bilking northern liberals” and accused the nonprofit of continuing to malign Christian groups as “anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups” even if these groups deny the allegations made against them. The hate accusation allegedly carries real-world consequences, given a terrorist targeted the right-wing Christian group, the Family Research Council (FRC), in 2012, allegedly inspired by the SPLC’s hate map, and former spokesman Mark Potok revealed that “our aim in life is to destroy these groups, completely destroy them.”
