LSE apologises to atheist students over free speech row
The London School of Economics has apologised to two students who were asked to cover up a t-shirts depicting the Jesus & Mo comic strip at the college’s Freshers’ Fair in October this year. The incident, involving Chris Moos and Abhishek Phadnis of the LSE Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society prompted a wide-ranging debate over the status of free speech in Britain’s universities. (Times Higher Education)
South Sudan on precipice of civil war, Obama warns
US President Barack Obama has warned that South Sudan is on the brink of civil war, as violence that began in the capital Juba spread around the east African state. South Sudan became independent in 2011 following a 22-year Sudanese civil war that killed more than a million people. (BBC News)
Arctic 30 protesters and Pussy Riot members set to walk free
A new Russian amnesty law, passed to mark the 20th anniversary of the country’s post-Soviet constitution, could mean that the imprisoned members of Pussy Riot and the “Arctic 30” Greenpeace protesters are freed before Christmas. (Guardian)
Gaia ‘billion-star surveyor’ lifts off
The European Space Agency has launched its Gaia satellite, a €740m project designed to map the precise positions and distances to more than a billion stars. (BBC News)
Suspension of US TV star over offensive comments sparks debate
The suspension of a popular reality TV star over remarks made in an interview regarding race and homosexuality has prompted a debate over free expression in the US. Phil Robertson, star of Duck Dynasty, which follows the family behind a successful duck hunting products business, was suspended by the A&E network following an interview that appeared in GQ magazine. Civil rights campaigners have condemned his remarks, while politicians such as Sarah Palin and Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal have criticised the network’s actions. (CNN)
