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Culture news

Exiled Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof to head Busan jury

It is unclear whether Rasoulof will make it to South Korea in person, as the celebrated director fled his native Iran earlier this year.

Tech News

TikTok compared to foreign-owned news sites as lawyers fight US ban

TikTok is fighting a new US law that would force its Chinese parent company to divest from the company or face a ban.

Culture news

Tintin with pin-ups? French artist condemned for parodying Hergé

“I am stunned by such a decision in French law, which seems to go against the European trend, and very worried about freedom of expression..." A French artist has been sued and ordered to withdraw his works showing Tintin in Edward Hopper's world.

Culture news

Salman Rushdie's alleged assailant denied author's notes before trial

Hadi Matar, the man charged with attacking celebrated author Salman Rushdie, will not be given access to the author's notes before trial, with the judge ruling the request too burdensome. Matar’s trial has be sheduled for October.

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Culture news

Russian court jails playwright and director for 'justifying terrorism'

Yevgenia Berkovich and Svetlana Petrichuk were handed prison sentences of six years each, the latest development in an unrelenting crackdown on dissent and freedom of expression in Russia.

Georgia

Georgia's president says she will veto 'Russian law'

Salome Zourabichvili has joined public demonstrations against a law that could turn Georgia away from Brussels and towards the Kremlin.

Georgia

Georgia's parliament approves controversial 'Russian law'

President Salome Zourabichvili said she would veto the legislation but the ruling party pressed ahead with the controversial bill.

World News

EU urges Georgia to stick with democratic path to EU membership

The so-called "Russian law" risks jeopardizing Georgia's ambition to join the European Union. 12 member states have asked the EU to clarify whether the law will lead to the potential suspension of membership talks.

Tech News

TikTok sues US to block new ban law citing threat to free speech

ByteDance, the Chinese owners of the popular app, are citing the First Amendment, the provision of the US Constitution that protects free speech.

Culture news

J.K. Rowling will not be prosecuted after social media comments

J.K. Rowling's comments about Scotland’s new hate crime laws "are not assessed to be criminal", police have said, confirming that no further action would be taken.

Culture news

Why is J.K. Rowling daring police to arrest her?

The Harry Potter author has dared police to arrest her, while prime minister Rishi Sunak has seemingly backed Rowling’s views that the Scottish hate crime law changes could threaten free speech.

Europe News

Euroviews. Will the Brussels spyware scandal finally convince the EU to act?

The incoming EU lawmakers have a choice: confront and act against the menace of spyware to ensure our safety and the integrity of our democracy or become its next targets, Shubham Kaushik and Chloé Berthélémy write.

Culture news

Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour sentenced to prison for protest anthem

Singer Hajipour received a three-year, eight-month sentence on charges of “propaganda against the system” and “encouraging people to protest.” He won a Grammy last year, presented by US first lady Jill Biden, for his song 'Baraye' - "a powerful and poetic call for freedom and women’s rights.”

Health news

Refusing to wear a mask during COVID was not free speech, court rules

Not wearing a mask during the COVID health emergency isn’t a free speech right, a court in the US has ruled.

Culture news

Facebook at 20: Is the social media platform really dying?

Once a way to keep in touch with college friends, the Franken-platform now has very little resemblance to the Facebook of yesteryear. Can it still claim to be culturally-relevant?

Culture news

Berlin Film Festival appeals for travel ban lift for Iranian directors

Calls are intensifying for Iranian authorities to drop all charges against two filmmakers and for their travel ban to be lifted.

Work

eBay fined €2.7M for harassing couple with spiders and cockroaches

"The company’s employees and contractors involved in this campaign put the victims through pure hell,” said Josh Levy, acting Massachusetts US Attorney.

Poland

Companies pull ads from Polish TV station after Auschwitz comments

TV Republika are in hot water after commentators on the station said 'migrants should be sent to Auschwitz or be branded'.

Culture news

Salman Rushdie stabbing trial postponed due to forthcoming memoir

It has been ruled that Salman Rushdie's attacker is allowed to seek material related to Rushdie's upcoming memoir about the attack before standing trial. A new date has not yet been set.

Culture news

Why might the trial of Salman Rushdie's attacker be delayed?

The man charged with repeatedly stabbing Rushdie is reportedly entitled to the manuscript of the author's new memoir, “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,” as part of his trial preparation.