Latest news with #DisciplinaryCommittee
The South African
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Rassie praises process that saw Jasper Wiese suspended
Earlier this week it was confirmed that Springbok No 8 Jasper Wiese has been suspended for four matches as a result of the the red card he received for a 'headbutt' against Italy. Appearing at a full Disciplinary Committee hearing, Wiese accepted that foul played had occurred, but did not accept that the offence warranted a red card. Nevertheless, the ban he received did not come as much of a surprise, and Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus – who has previously raised issues with World Rugby's former disciplinary process – admitted they could have no complaints. 'I thought the whole hearing this morning was top class,' Erasmus commented. 'Jasper got his chance to be honest about what he thinks. 'The way the chair lady ran the whole thing was clear – just the way they listened to what Jasper said. I think getting four matches banned is fair. 'There can be excuses and other opinions, but we were really comfortable. There are good protocols in place with everything, from referee communication to laws to input on high-performance structures to the disciplinary committee. 'It's four games, and we had a really fair trial, and easy to understand. So we are not happy for him missing games, but satisfied with how it was handled,' he emphasised. The eighthman will be back in contention for selection for the last three Rugby Championship matches in September and October. The ban will rule him out of the closing Incoming Series match against Georgia in Nelspruit on Saturday, as well as the first three Rugby Championship Tests against Australia in Johannesburg and Cape Town respectively (16 and 23 August), and the first game against New Zealand in Auckland (6 September). He will be free to play the second All Blacks Test in Wellington (13 September), and the two matches against Argentina in Durban and London (27 September and 4 October). Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
HKFP
15-07-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Hong Kong universities told to handle student misconduct ‘seriously' after AI-generated images scandal
Chief Executive John Lee has urged Hong Kong universities to handle student misconduct 'seriously,' after a male student allegedly created AI-generated indecent images of more than 20 women. Universities shoulder the responsibility of developing students' moral character, and any misconduct that infringes on individual rights and privacy should be dealt with seriously, Lee said at a weekly press conference on Tuesday. 'While some misconduct may be dealt with under internal university rules, any act that may contravene the law should be reported to law enforcement agencies for action,' the chief executive said. Lee's remarks come after a male law student at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) was accused of creating pornographic images of around 20 to 30 women, including his classmates and teachers, without their consent. The student allegedly used photos he found on the women's social media accounts to generate pornographic images using free online artificial intelligence (AI) tools. HKU said in a statement on Saturday that the university had issued a warning letter to the male student and demanded that he make a formal apology to the women affected. But it was revealed that some women had requested that HKU involve the university's Disciplinary Committee to handle the matter, according to three anonymous victims who posted a summary of the accusations on Instagram. The victims said their request did not go through as HKU cited legal opinions in telling them that the male student likely did not commit an offence that could be addressed by the Disciplinary Committee. Lee on Tuesday said most of Hong Kong's laws apply to online behaviours, drawing attention to offences under the Crimes Ordinance and the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. For example, both 'publication or threatened publication of intimate images without consent' and 'access to a computer with dishonest intent' are offences under the Crimes Ordinance, each carrying a maximum punishment of five years in jail. Lee also said that in April, the government's Digital Policy Office published a guideline for generative AI use, promoting the 'safe and responsible development' of the technology and its related activities. The chief executive did not mention any proposal for legislation regarding AI. 'AI is an emergent technology that evolves very rapidly, with new capabilities and developments changing in a very short period of time,' he said. He added that the government would monitor the development of AI and study overseas regulations of the technology.
The South African
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Jasper Wiese comments after red card
World Rugby has confirmed that Jasper Wiese will appear before a Disciplinary Committee for a full hearing after he was shown a straight red card for what was deemed to be a headbutt on Italian prop Danilo Fischetti on Saturday. The disciplinary hearing will take place on Tuesday, 15 July 2025, and Wiese is expected to face a ban that spans several weeks, especially considering his disciplinary history. Speaking after Saturday's match, Wiese himself admitted that fault lay with him after this incident. 'I know I let the team down. Well done to the guys for grinding it out – it's not easy playing with 14, and they showed real grit today. A silly moment from me,' he admitted. The big No 8 has only recently recovered from injury, and there will now be a big job for the likes of Jean-Luc du Preez and Evan Roos to cover eighthman, while the Springboks may also need to consider shifting a utility forward to the back of the scrum. 'We have versatile players in our squad,' Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids commented. 'Players like Evan (Roos), Siya (Kolisi) and Marco (van Staden) can cover No 8, so we have a few players who can play there for us.' Davids otherwise confirmed that all players are fit and available for selection, with Erasmus set to name the match-23 on Tuesday. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Jasper Wiese: World Rugby issue update after red card
In an incident that certainly soured the Springboks' resounding win over Italy this past weekend, Jasper Wiese was shown a straight red card for what was deemed to be a headbutt on Italian prop Danilo Fischetti. As part of World Rugby's 'new, faster and simpler disciplinary process' being trialled', Wiese was one of three international players who faced a disciplinary review on Sunday. However, whereas decisions were handed down for Darcy Graham (Scotland) and Ionut Alexandru Harasim (Romania), this was not the case for the Springbok No 8. Instead, World Rugby confirmed that the Foul Play Review Committee has decided to refer the matter involving Jasper Wiese to a Disciplinary Committee for a full disciplinary hearing. The Disciplinary hearing will take place on Tuesday, 15 July 2025. The new disciplinary process for any player who receives a red card or is cited now works as follows: Stage 1: An Independent three-person Foul Play Review Committee will meet remotely within 24 hours of final whistle of the match or match day to assess any relevant incidents and propose a sanction to the player. The incidents the committee will consider will be publicly confirmed by World Rugby ahead of the meeting. Stage 2: A player can choose to accept or not accept the proposed sanction within a short timeframe. Stage 3: Where the player does not accept the sanction, the matter will be referred to an Independent Disciplinary Committee which will issue a final sanction. The Independent Disciplinary Committee Hearing outcome will be published by World Rugby. The Foul Play Review Committee may decide to refer matters to the Disciplinary Committee without having reached a decision, for example if the incident is serious, in cases of match official abuse, etc. In those circumstances only, the player may appeal the decision of the Disciplinary Committee to an Appeal Committee. It may be that the Springboks and Wiese are expected to launch a defence of the incident, but it does seem highly likely that the eightman will be handed a ban for at least a few weeks, especially considering he does have a history of certain foul play incidents. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
HKFP
14-07-2025
- HKFP
HKU student who allegedly made 700 AI-generated indecent images, inc. of classmates, gets warning letter
A male law student has received a warning letter from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) after he allegedly created over 700 indecent images of women, including of fellow female students, without their consent. The incident came to light on Saturday after three victims anonymously posted a summary of the accusations on Instagram. Around 20 to 30 women – including the male student's friends, university and primary school classmates, and secondary school teachers – were affected, according to the post. It identified the male student only as X. 'Some victims were close friends with X, others were mere acquaintances, and some had only met X once. It is understood that none of the victims authorized X's actions[,]' the post read. It said that, in February, the student had admitted to using screenshots of the social media accounts of the women to generate pornographic images using free online artificial intelligence software, after his friends discovered the images in his computer. The images were organised into folders named after the victims, the post said. 'Ragging' report The post also said that, in March, some of the victims approached HKU, requesting the matter be handled by the university's Disciplinary Committee for 'ragging' – meaning a student having humiliated another student or interfered with their privileges or rights. Some victims also requested class adjustments, as they set to attend the same tutorial class as the male student. But HKU cited legal opinions in telling them that the male student likely did not commit an offence – such as ragging – that could be addressed by the Disciplinary Committee, according to the post. Instead, HKU proposed a verbal reprimand and warning letter, the post said. Warning letter In a Saturday press release, HKU said: 'The University has kept in communication with the affected students and with the consideration of taking care of their well-being, the University has taken various steps, including class adjustments, to address their needs.' 'As for the student engaged in the alleged behaviour, the University has already issued him a warning letter and demanded [he make] a formal apology to his affected peers.' HKU claimed it had a zero-tolerance approach to gender discrimination, harassment and misconduct, and had acted within 'the University Ordinance, Statutes, as well as relevant laws' to handle the case. According to the Instagram post, the victims were shown the apology letter by HKU in April – however, it only amounted to about 60 words: '[M]ost victims found it insincere, expressing further dissatisfaction. Most victims also felt that the University's response was insufficient to hold X accountable[.]' According to RTHK on Saturday, the police have yet to receive any report about the incident. The Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance governs the publication and distribution of obscene and indecent materials in Hong Kong, and includes digital content. Meanwhile, under section 159AAE of the Crimes Ordinance, it is unlawful to disseminate 'deepfake' intimate images of another person without their consent, punishable by up to five years behind bars.
