Zakia Khudadadi completed a remarkable journey to become the first athlete from the refugee team to win a medal at the Paralympics when she clinched a taekwondo bronze on Thursday.
'As we enter 2025, it must be acknowledged that there is a convergence of capital, influential people (from business and politics) and technology deciding the destiny of others in the name of pride, patriotism, nationalism, nation building, all of it thinly veiled disguises for personal profit and glory,' asserts Shyam G Menon.
'...We should first look at and acknowledge what we have done to ourselves.' 'To not do so opens us to the accusation of rank hypocrisy and also reduces the stature of our globetrotting peaceniks,' asserts Aakar Patel.
India believes that Canada doesn't take seriously violence or terrorism or incitement to hatred seriously, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday as he cited foundational responsibility for the Canadian government for not taking actions against those espousing violence and terrorism against a third country.
'Whatever you do will spark controversies, so it is best do what your heart tells you to do. Simple.'
He said the Constitution provides for the right to silence, which means an individual can refuse to answer questions from the police in case of arrest or detention.
Vikas Yadav, 39, was employed by the Cabinet Secretariat, which houses India's foreign intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the federal prosecutors claimed on Thursday in an indictment filed in a US court in New York.
Social media platform X on Thursday expressed disagreement with the Indian government's order to block accounts and posts related to the ongoing farmers' protests and called for extending freedom of expression to the affected posts.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday read out a resolution condemning the imposition of Emergency and termed the decision by then prime minister Indira Gandhi an attack on the Constitution, triggering a wave of protests by the opposition in the House.
The Indian Institute of India (IIT) Bombay has imposed a fine of up to Rs 1.2 lakh on eight students, who performed a play that allegedly mocked Lord Ram and portrayed the Ramayana in a bad light, a fellow student said on Thursday.
The Bombay high court on Friday restrained political parties and individuals from proceeding with the Maharashtra bandh scheduled for August 24 or on any future date.
Modifying the single bench order, the division bench presided by Justice I P Mukerji directed that Banerjee and Ghosh will be free to make any statement concerning the Governor, not crossing the contours of freedom of speech and expression and public duty.
Kangana Ranaut's film Emergency didn't get any relief on Wednesday from the Bombay high court which refused to pass any order in the wake of a directive by the Madhya Pradesh HC directing Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to consider objections to the movie before certifying it.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal appeared to need the sword of Damocles hanging over his head before he resorted to adopting the traditional fluid attacking style that served the team well in an impressive 3-0 win over Stoke City.
Nearly 650 people have been killed in the recent unrest in Bangladesh between July 16 and August 11, the United Nations Human Rights Office has said in a preliminary report, suggesting a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into reports of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions.
'I would think that India faces less damage from opinions voiced overseas compared to the damage it suffers if the right to free speech of its citizens is curtailed in the name of image management,' asserts Shyam G Menon.
Sharma's letter comes at a time the Congress has intensified its demand for a nationwide caste census and promised to carry out the exercise if elected to power in the Lok Sabha elections.
The film has nothing objectionable or derogatory, the court said after watching it, and allowed its release on streaming platform Netflix.
India also accused Canada of allowing "celebration and glorification" of violence, expressing concerns over the security of Indian diplomats in that country, and said it expects Ottawa to ensure that they are able to carry out their responsibilities without fear.
We asked colleagues, present and past, to reflect on a man who has made such a difference to their lives and careers. Here it is then, a rich collection of memories that offer enchanting glimpses of the enigmatic Ajit Balakrishnan.
In the name of freedom of expression, space should not be given to those advocating violence or legitimising terrorism, India said on Thursday in a message to countries such as Canada, Australia, the US and the UK where pro-Khalistan groups issued posters with threats against senior Indian diplomats.
Shaikh, the principal of Somaiya School in Mumbai's Vidyavihar area, described her "termination" from the post as "completely illegal, drastic and unwarranted" and expressed shock over the "politically motivated" action.
The court said Shroff is a celebrity and this status inherently grants him certain rights over his personality and associated attributes.
Why youth gathering to chant this misogynistic rap song is the WORST idea ever!
"Indians will decide the fate of India, not the foreigners," Verma told the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations, a prominent think-tank.
After a raging row that forced Salman Rushdie to keep away last year, this year's Jaipur Literature Festival kicked off to a peaceful start amidst tight security with overriding sentiments favouring independent space for authors and the need to defend the freedom of speech.
Today in 2024, the BJP jails its opponents during an election and still believes, or at least wants us to believe, that it is only following the rules of democracy, asserts Aakar Patel.
'It is normal and standard for the United States to engage with members of opposition parties in any country where it has bilateral relationships'
The Congress on Wednesday questioned the Election Commission's move to get a post on electoral bonds scheme deleted from social media platform X and said that the issue raised in the post makes the government 'extremely uncomfortable'.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has raised India's long-standing concerns about pro-Khalistan extremism in the United Kingdom during his meetings with the country's leaders, stressing that they should be on guard against the misuse of freedom of expression and speech.
'He had to change them because he recognises that even with his popularity....could lead to a problem. So, democracy has this way of offering corrections and telling the ruling party or the prime minister that you need to take some steps to compensate for excesses'
The CPI-M leader also demanded the setting up of a House Committee to examine the latest developments in various central universities.
A group of eminent Indian-Americans has condemned the brazen hateful comments and a hostile environment against Hindus in Canada and asked Ottawa not to mix freedom of expression with freedom for terror and endorse hate crimes by being silent on the issue.
'We have unfortunately created that kind of ecosystem in Canada where these people are very vocal, very violent, very aggressive, and they don't let anybody.... come out against them. They will bully, they will threaten, they will use every possible illegal means... to counter any sanity'
In India, the Indian-American diplomat will also meet with senior government officials to discuss the deepening US-India partnership, the state department said in a release on Friday.
In a provocative speech, Pannun used intimidating language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other leaders.
Lyricist Javed Akhtar said that Hindus have always been tolerant, adding that democracy in India existed because of Hindus at an event in Mumbai on Friday.
Development economist Jean Dreze said the Indian democracy is currently navigating a crisis that is not only limited to the 'recent wave of authoritarianism' but also suppression of opposition voices by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
'If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law.'
Congress members Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Shri Thanedar released a joint statement after receiving a classified briefing from the Biden Administration on Gupta's indictment.
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