Asia Bibi’s daughters take refuge in Canada ahead of court blasphemy ruling

The daughters of a Christian woman who spent eight years on death row for blasphemy have been taken to Canada for safety ahead of a court hearing next week that could see her finally freed. Asia Bibi is expected to join her daughters in Canada if Pakistan’s supreme court upholds its decision to quash her…

Ontario Turns Back Time To 1998 With Sex-Ed Curriculum Change

The announcement was expected. Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government announced Wednesday that the province’s sex-ed curriculum, updated in 2015, will be replaced. In the mean time, the old curriculum — a version from 1998 — will be taught to kids. Doug Ford campaigned on a promise to scrap the revamped curriculum, which included new classroom discussions…

Canadians Could Get Back More From Feds’ Carbon Tax Than They Pay: Study

Opponents of the federal government’s carbon pricing plan call it a “tax on everything,” but a new report suggests it could actually be a “rebate on everything” for consumers in provinces where the tax will be implemented. A soon-to-be-released study says people living in provinces that don’t set up their own carbon pricing plan could…

Asylum-seekers in Germany could lose right to remain if they hide their identity

Asylum-seekers who seek to hide their identity or refuse to cooperate in obtaining new documents from their home could lose their right to remain in Germany under leaked details of a new draft law. The proposals also include changes to the law to allow migrants awaiting deportation to be held in regular prisons, according to…

Political Twitter Parodies Are A Sad Excuse For Free Speech

Is operating a social media account in the likeness and purported voice of a public official “parody” or “impersonation?” Is there a reasonable limit on this behaviour that is, at best, “trolling” or, at worst, intentionally perpetuating libelous misinformation? The recent proliferation of Twitter profiles bearing misspelled federal cabinet ministers’ names and using their official…

Assad regime found liable for war reporter Marie Colvin’s death in landmark $300m US lawsuit

The Syrian government has been found culpable for the killing of veteran conflict correspondent Marie Colvin in a £230m judgment in a US court – a landmark case holding Bashar al-Assad’s government to account for war crimes. The civil lawsuit, filed by Colvin’s sister Cathleen in Washington DC, was the first of its kind brought…

Professors Around The World Beg Ontario To Revive Basic Income Pilot

Ontario’s decision to cancel a basic income experiment early is unethical, professors from around the world said in an open letter published Tuesday. “It appears to us that 4,000 vulnerable research subjects will have made decisions to improve their lives … only to have the promise broken,” the letter read. “Not only is the cancellation…

Bali considering tourist tax to stem rising tide of rubbish

Famed for its sandy beaches, timeworn temples and Unesco-listed rice terraces, the Indonesian island of Bali has developed a less desirable reputation of late – for rubbish. Now the authorities are considering introducing a tourist tax to help tackle the rising tide of waste. According to the Bali Environment Agency, the island produces 3,800 tons of…