Latest news with #freedomofspeech
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
What are the implications of the UK ban on Palestine Action?
The group has been classified as a 'terror organisation' by the UK government. There have been demonstrations against the United Kingdom's ban on the pro-Palestinian protest group Palestine Action and its designation as a 'terrorist group'. The government actions came after members of the group broke into an airbase and vandalised military aircraft. Critics say the ban is excessive and an attack on freedom of speech. So what are the implications? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Tayab Ali – deputy managing partner at Bindmans law firm Quinn McKew – executive director at Article 19 Peter Oborne – political commentator
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Christians overturn ban on street preaching in London borough
A group of Christians have overturned a legal ban that stopped them from preaching on the street in a west London borough. In 2023, the London Borough of Hillingdon introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) that banned religious groups from preaching with amplification, distributing leaflets and displaying Bible verses in Uxbridge town centre. The Kingsborough Centre, a Pentecostal church, claimed to have found out without warning at a prayer meeting that the majority of its outreach activities had been criminalised and it risked a fine of up to £1,000 if preaching continued. The Uxbridge church, which was once attended by the England football star Bukayo Saka, took the council to court, claiming the move was an attack on freedom of speech. Church leaders claimed they had been 'criminalised for loving our neighbour', without any consultation from civic chiefs. PSPO legislation, introduced as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 under the Lib Dem-Conservative coalition, is normally used to deal with anti-social behaviour such as drinking and drug abuse. On one occasion, church members said police officers approached them in Uxbridge and told them to hide signs displaying biblical messages such as Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Leaflets entitled How Can I Know God? and What is Christianity: An Introduction to the Story of Jesus also faced censorship. 'The legislation was oppressive' Pastor Babatunde Balogan, who leads the Kingsborough Centre, told The Telegraph: 'As Christians who are committed to our faith, carrying out street evangelism is essential to manifesting our Christian beliefs. 'These rules threatened to not only prevent us from loving our community, as we are commanded by the Bible, but also to criminalise us for doing so. The legislation was oppressive and created a climate of fear. We are concerned at the damage that has already been done.' The 57-year-old added: 'We had no choice but to pursue a legal claim, and were deeply concerned how it would impact not only us but other churches across the borough.' In an application for a judicial review to the High Court, lawyers for the Kingsborough Centre said the council 'unlawfully' introduced the measures and that they breached articles 9, 10, and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protect fundamental rights related to belief, expression, and association. In December , lawyers acting for the council confirmed a U-turn and said: 'The PSPO restriction on distribution of leaflets does not apply where distribution is for a political or religious purpose or by or on behalf of a charity.' It is understood the council has also agreed to pay the church's legal costs, believed to be in the region of £20,000. 'A pillar of free speech and expression' Andrea Williams, the chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting the church, said: 'Christian open-air preaching has a long and respected history in the UK and is seen as a pillar of free speech and expression, whether passers-by agree with the message or not. 'The legislation published by the London Borough of Hillingdon represented something we had not seen before. Published under the radar, it demonstrated a clear direction of travel that would see sharing Christianity on the streets of Uxbridge become a criminal offence. 'If allowed to go unchallenged, this legislation would have set a chilling precedent for Christian outreach ministries across the UK. We would encourage churches and other outreach ministries to be vigilant and ready to report and challenge any similar legislation proposed by local authorities.' Lord Toby Young, the general secretary of the Free Speech Union, told The Telegraph that simply threatening a judicial review 'has been enough' to get councils to lift PSPO orders and added: 'It looks like Hillingdon had to learn the lesson the hard way.' Hillingdon Council said: 'It is utterly misleading to suggest there was a ban on 'sharing Christian beliefs' or any censorship on preaching. 'The conditions of the PSPO applied generally to everyone, did not target Christian preaching groups, and were introduced with the intention of addressing public concerns about the inappropriate use of amplification equipment and other concerns around leafletting and unauthorised pop-up displays within town centres. 'It was only intended this would tackle the disturbance to shoppers, residents and visitors caused by unlicensed or unpermitted events, including pop-ups, street trading and promotional stands. 'Once aware of the concerns raised by the church groups, the council worked in close communication with them to reach a resolution. This included meeting with the groups to explain the PSPO and how it works and the available licensing schemes to allow the groups to continue activities in town centres. 'The council proceeded to conduct an early review of the PSPO in light of the concerns of the church groups, running a consultation in early 2025, and subsequently discharged the order and introduced a new one in its place from 1 May 2025.'
Arab News
7 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Letter to the Editor: In response to Dr. Dania Khatib's column (July 10, 2025)
Ukraine stands for freedom of speech and independent media. However, it is with a bitter regret that we noted the recent publication of an op-ed by Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib, who suggested to the public several observations which we believe are inaccurate and risk misleading readers on fundamental issues. The publication itself and a range of narratives outlined therein require a response from the Ukrainian side. Ukraine profoundly appreciates our rich and consistently growing partnership with Saudi Arabia in line with the Kingdom's unwavering commitment, in particular, to international law, its rules and fundamental principles. In this context, it would be relevant to make several points thus dispelling Dr. Dania Khatib's publication through the prism of our bilateral partnership with undisputable facts to set the record straight. First of all, the Russian military aggression against Ukraine in no way can be considered as a legitimate deterrence. We believe that invading an independent state, partly occupying sovereign territories, killing peaceful civilians and destroying domestic economies represent a blatant and outrageous violation of the UN Charter's provisions and international law, which all the UN member states are obliged to respect. It would be appropriate to recall all the UN resolutions having been adopted since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and in the period 2022-2024. None of the 140 countries that unanimously deplored Russian violations ever talked of this so-called 'deterrence.' Secondly, it is vital for me to firmly reject the notion that Ukraine is 'destroyed' or on the verge of collapse, as well as the allegation that a sovereign state being subject to external pressures as a weaker part of the war leading to a hypothetical surrender. Despite the struggles posed against Ukraine, our state remains steadfast in its pursuit of a prosperous future. To demonstrate our resilience, it is useful to remember the crystal clear figures of our economic partnership with the Kingdom during the time of the full-scale aggression. When bilateral trade turnover grows by 17 percent, this speaks for itself not of a country being destroyed but a determined nation committed to resist. We have a joint ambition to develop partnership into the future, which is codified in the joint statement issued after the official visit of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to the Kingdom in March 2025. The reinvigoration of the Ukrainian-Saudi Joint Business Council of chambers of commerce and industry, as well as dynamic high-level exchanges between Ukrainian and Saudi companies, demonstrate the high pace of our cooperation. Moreover, we have retained our responsibility as a key food security guarantor in the world by widely supplying wheat and corn to the countries affected. All these facts do not describe the country in ruin. On the contrary, Ukraine is simultaneously implementing national priority interests and sympathetically meeting the dire needs of struggling countries. Far from the term 'destroyed,' Ukraine refused to fall a victim of Russian aggression but displayed incredible tenacity to defend its people and land. The final point is around criticism of weak and unreliable West. We want to make it clear: Ukraine stands against aggression with consistent support of our strategic partner the United States and the broad international coalition of the West. Their political support, economic and security assistance empowered Ukraine to withstand all brutalities of the war. The unity we have seen — politically, economically and militarily — is unprecedented and cannot be underestimated. Ukraine is confident in the West and grateful to all who extend us a hand of help in time of a challenge. Similarly, the humanitarian assistance of the Kingdom plays a pivotal role in protecting our civilians from the consequences of the Russian invasion. The bottom line is that, with all due respect, a contributing columnist may attempt to offer her fresh look on a complex set of issues; however, one principle must persist to be imperative: rock-solid facts, in my opinion, should not be misinterpreted and distorted in a way that undermines the foundations of international law, sovereign state vital national interests and much valuable partnerships across the globe that Ukraine treasures so much. Anatolii Petrenko Ambassador of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- The Guardian
Six great reads: €1 Italian houses, how to make small talk and the truth about Tesla
'Israel's war in Gaza,' wrote Moustafa Bayoumi for Guardian US's weekend featured essay, 'is chipping away at so much of what we – in the United States but also internationally – had agreed upon as acceptable, from the rules governing our freedom of speech to the very laws of armed conflict. It seems no exaggeration to say that the foundation of the international order of the last 77 years is threatened by this change in the obligations governing our legal and political responsibilities to each other.' Read more Elon Musk is obsessive about the design of his supercars, right down to the disappearing door handles. But a series of shocking incidents – from drivers trapped in burning vehicles to dramatic stops on the highway – have led to questions about the safety of the brand. Why, asked Sönke Iwersen and Michael Verfürden, won't Tesla give any answers? Read more If you could move anywhere, where would it be? It's a question that gestures toward a life in some stage of calcification – the could implying constraint, limitations, the presumption that one simply cannot, in fact, up and move. The €1 house programme serves as the doorway for just this sort of yearning for something new. Hate your job? Want to move but can't afford a house? Worried about where you'll retire, or how you'll even manage to retire at all? If you have the right passport and enough money, you can find somewhere else to live. Why not make that place Italy? Last summer, Lauren Markham and her husband stuffed an inordinate amount of belongings into a preposterous number of bags and flew with their 11-month-old to Italy for an adventure in pursuit of the possibility of a new life. Did they find one? Read more Decades ago, a generation of UK schoolchildren unwittingly took part in an initiative aimed at boosting reading skills – with lasting consequences. Emma Loffhagen's mum was one of them. 'Throughout my life,' she wrote, 'my mum has always been a big reader. She was in three or four book clubs at the same time. She'd devour whatever texts my siblings and I were studying in school, handwrite notes for our lunchboxes and write in her diary every night. Our fridge door was a revolving display of word-of-the-day flashcards. Despite this, she also was and remains, by some margin, the worst speller I have met.' Read more Growing up in the 1960s, Joanne Briggs knew that her father, Michael, wasn't like other dads. Once a Nasa scientist, now a big pharma research director, he would regale her and her brother with the extraordinary highlights of his working life. But, wrote Anita Chaudhuri, the well-known scientist was also a fantasist. When his daughter Joanne began digging into his past for a memoir, new lies kept emerging ... Read more The cliche about small talk is that everybody hates it. The misapprehension is that it has to be small. In fact, conversational interactions are objectively good, wrote Zoe Williams, in this handy guide to ice-breaking, which includes pointers for chatting at weddings, when you're on your own at a party and when you're a plus-one. Read more
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- The Guardian
Six great reads: €1 Italian houses, how to make small talk and the truth about Tesla
'Israel's war in Gaza,' wrote Moustafa Bayoumi for Guardian US's weekend featured essay, 'is chipping away at so much of what we – in the United States but also internationally – had agreed upon as acceptable, from the rules governing our freedom of speech to the very laws of armed conflict. It seems no exaggeration to say that the foundation of the international order of the last 77 years is threatened by this change in the obligations governing our legal and political responsibilities to each other.' Read more Elon Musk is obsessive about the design of his supercars, right down to the disappearing door handles. But a series of shocking incidents – from drivers trapped in burning vehicles to dramatic stops on the highway – have led to questions about the safety of the brand. Why, asked Sönke Iwersen and Michael Verfürden, won't Tesla give any answers? Read more If you could move anywhere, where would it be? It's a question that gestures toward a life in some stage of calcification – the could implying constraint, limitations, the presumption that one simply cannot, in fact, up and move. The €1 house programme serves as the doorway for just this sort of yearning for something new. Hate your job? Want to move but can't afford a house? Worried about where you'll retire, or how you'll even manage to retire at all? If you have the right passport and enough money, you can find somewhere else to live. Why not make that place Italy? Last summer, Lauren Markham and her husband stuffed an inordinate amount of belongings into a preposterous number of bags and flew with their 11-month-old to Italy for an adventure in pursuit of the possibility of a new life. Did they find one? Read more Decades ago, a generation of UK schoolchildren unwittingly took part in an initiative aimed at boosting reading skills – with lasting consequences. Emma Loffhagen's mum was one of them. 'Throughout my life,' she wrote, 'my mum has always been a big reader. She was in three or four book clubs at the same time. She'd devour whatever texts my siblings and I were studying in school, handwrite notes for our lunchboxes and write in her diary every night. Our fridge door was a revolving display of word-of-the-day flashcards. Despite this, she also was and remains, by some margin, the worst speller I have met.' Read more Growing up in the 1960s, Joanne Briggs knew that her father, Michael, wasn't like other dads. Once a Nasa scientist, now a big pharma research director, he would regale her and her brother with the extraordinary highlights of his working life. But, wrote Anita Chaudhuri, the well-known scientist was also a fantasist. When his daughter Joanne began digging into his past for a memoir, new lies kept emerging ... Read more The cliche about small talk is that everybody hates it. The misapprehension is that it has to be small. In fact, conversational interactions are objectively good, wrote Zoe Williams, in this handy guide to ice-breaking, which includes pointers for chatting at weddings, when you're on your own at a party and when you're a plus-one. Read more
