DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Abdul-Razzaq Ahmad Saryoul began publishing books in Syria in 2003 but he used to abstain from participating in the ann…
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A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Pentagon from punishing Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a former U.S. Navy pilot, for participating in a video that called on troops to resist unlawful orders. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled Thursday that Pentagon officials have violated Kelly’s First Amendment free speech rights. Kelly, who represents Arizona, sued in federal court to block his Jan. 5 censure from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In November, Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers appeared on a video in which they urged troops to uphold the Constitution and not to follow unlawful military directives from the Trump administration.
Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych pushed at the limits of the International Olympic Committee’s rules on freedom of expression, and the global sports body pushed back. That created an emotional and historic moment of Winter Games lore. Heraskevych insisted on wearing a helmet in competition with the images of Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed during Russia’s nearly 4-year-old full-scale invasion of their country. By refusing to back down, he was disqualified from his Olympic event Thursday. He defied a last-minute plea by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who was in tears — after their meeting at the sliding center in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Although disqualified from competing, Heraskevych was not expelled from the Olympics.
The sentencing of Hong Kong’s onetime media magnate and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai is raising an outcry from international governments and rights groups. Authorities in China and Hong Kong defended the court's decision Monday, saying it reflects the spirit of the rule of law. The 78-year-old Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was convicted of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiring with others to publish seditious articles. Foreign governments and rights groups are calling for the release of the British citizen. But China's Foreign Ministry says Lai is a Chinese citizen and urges countries to respect China’s sovereignty.
In Venezuela, political critics are emerging from hiding following the U.S.-backed ouster of President Nicolás Maduro. Andrés Velásquez, a former governor, is among those speaking out after years of self-imposed silence. He recently appeared in videos supporting Maduro's removal and calling for the release of political prisoners. He likened the shift to glasnost, with media outlets reopening to critical voices. However, concerns remain about the true extent of political liberalization, as the repressive state apparatus is still in place. The future of Venezuela's democratic transition remains uncertain.
The Washington Post has asked a federal court for an order requiring federal authorities to return electronic devices that they seized from a Post reporter’s Virginia home last week. In a court filing Wednesday, the newspaper argued that the federal government’s search and seizures violated reporter Hannah Natanson’s First Amendment free speech rights and legal safeguards for journalists. Federal agents seized two phones, two laptops, a recorder, a portable hard drive and a Garmin watch from Natanson’s home last Wednesday as part of an investigation of a Pentagon contractor accused of illegally handling classified information.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Trump administration is urging a judge to reject efforts by Minnesota and its largest cities to stop the immigration en…
House Bill 119, introduced Tuesday, aims to safeguard access to diverse books and educational materials in public schools and libraries.
An appeal to censor reading materials within Worcester County schools has sparked a heated debate among parents and educators. A significant n…
NEWARK, Md. -- An appeal to censor reading materials within Worcester County schools has sparked a heated debate among parents and educators. A significant number of individuals who voiced their concerns at the latest Board of Education meeting oppose the presence of books containing explicit sexual content in school libraries.