Category Archives: Freedom

Bars and restaurants along Sydneys harbour foreshore bustled with the sounds of clinking glasses and full kitchens as thousands of people poured into venues after Covid restrictions ended this week.

Across the city, cinemas filled up and queues formed outside pubs. Salons buzzed with the sound of clippers as people jumped at the opportunity to tame their lockdown hair. Some beachside restaurants are booked up until February.

Thoughts even turned to travel after New South Wales authorities said they would remove quarantine measures for international arrivals, though federal authorities have the ultimate say.

Dee Irwin, 57, was scheduled to have an appointment for a cut and colour at Luxxe Concept Salon on Sydneys north shore on the day the city was plunged into lockdown. After waiting for five months, she was over the moon about coming back.

When I got the call I nearly had kittens, she said. It was the most exciting call Ive had in the whole of lockdown. I told my husband to stop Netflix It makes such a difference to how you feel when you wake up in the morning.

They were scenes that were almost unimaginable four months ago when a Delta outbreak sent the state of New South Wales into a hard lockdown. Then, Australia was lagging behind the rest of the world with vaccination. Israel had already given more than 60% of its population at least one dose and the US over 40% by the time Australia hit 10%. The outlook was bleak.

But the outbreak spurred the nation into action.

The countrys rollout began in late February and was stymied by delays, supply problems and government missteps. Fifty million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were ordered and then shelved after changing health advice over links to an extremely rare blood-clotting condition.

Negotiations with Pfizer stalled as government representatives dithered and the prime minister, Scott Morrison, declared the nations vaccine program was not a race.

Public unease towards AstraZeneca compounded delays already made by the decision to secure only 10m doses of Pfizer, a move the companys former president of global research and development, John LaMattina, later described as unconscionable.

The federal government put most of their eggs in the AstraZeneca basket and this became a major problem, Prof Adrian Esterman, the chair of biostatistics at the University of South Australia, said later.

The problem became a public health disaster when one case of Delta leaked into Sydney via aircrew in June and launched an outbreak that could not be controlled.

Covid-19 infections rose steadily, with more than 2,000 new cases a day being recorded nationally throughout October, mostly across Sydney and Melbourne the countrys largest cities and the capital, Canberra, in the countrys worst outbreak since the pandemic began.

Forced to abandon the aim of returning to Covid-zero, vaccination became the only hope for a way out.

For a long time people became complacent, Dr Paul Griffin, an associate professor and infectious disease physician at the University of Queensland, said. The risk-perception was relatively low at the time, he added, describing peoples lack of urgency to get vaccinated, thanks to the protection offered by rigid border controls.

Only once people saw the virus circulating firsthand and saw the consequences did a shift in vaccination uptake begin to change, Griffin said.

Only a few months ago, Australia had the lowest fully vaccinated population in the OECD. As of the end of last week, the nation had risen eight places.

Leading the charge were the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Victoria. Since July, the cumulative total doses administered in the three regions has surged in near-record time compared with other countries at similar times in their rollouts.

In NSW, 91.1% of people over the age of 16 had at least one dose by 14 October, and 76.5% had two. In Victoria, these figures stand at 86.7% and 61.5%.

A staggering 98% of people aged over 12 and living in Canberra, the capital, have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and 75.9% have had both. The city is on track to be the most Covid-vaccinated city in the world, and authorities estimate that by November almost all of the territorys population will be fully vaccinated.

Nationally, 83.2% of Australians over 16 have had at least one dose, as of Wednesday, and 64.4% are fully vaccinated, according to the Australian governments Covid-19 vaccine rollout report.

The speed of vaccination uptake allowed those in NSW to enjoy freedom day on Monday. Schools will reopen next week.

Setting vaccination targets at 70% and 80% for reopening certainly incentivised people quite a bit, Griffin said.

Vaccination rollouts have tended to slow as countries approached the 50% mark this was particularly pronounced in the US, which vaccinated 1% of its population every day in April but has stalled since, with less than 56% having received two jabs. The UK also began to slow after hitting its peak in the 20-25% range, and took almost twice as long to go from 45-50% and 50-55% as it managed in its peak.

Australia has bucked this trend but the country is divided. The states of Western Australia and Queensland have the lowest rates of vaccination because they have seen less circulation and impact from the virus. The states are still pursuing Covid-zero and their borders are closed to their neighbours in the south-east.

The states that have been the most impacted [by the virus] have had the most successful rollouts, Griffin said.

Dr Greg Dore, an infectious diseases physician and epidemiologist at Australias Kirby Institute of medical research, described the turnaround in vaccine rates as in one word: phenomenal.

If you went back three or four months, nobody would have anticipated this level of coverage we have now, he said.

Dore credited a mix of government initiatives as well as community leadership, bipartisan support and the urgency created by the Delta outbreak.

Mary-Louise McLaws, a professor of epidemiology at the University of NSW, said: The Delta hotspots in Sydney demonstrated that partnership between the authorities and the community resulted in exceptional vaccination response.

Dore said he was very confident Australia would soon find itself in the top 10 countries of vaccine coverage. The outbreaks have absolutely jet-propelled vaccination uptakes and generated that urgency.

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Phenomenal turnaround: how Australia is vaccinating its way to freedom - The Guardian Australia

Analysis

On Sept. 30, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green spent time defending teammate Andrew Wiggins decision to forego any COVID vaccination. The speech spread like wildfire online and gained plaudits from a fascinating swath, including right-wing and Republican talking headsandLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. The All-Star and three-time NBA champion was also equally criticized, the addresscalledinane by one San Francisco writer. How was this possible? It starts and ends with Greens curious notions of freedom.

What does freedom, a value we hold dearly in America, look like through the lens of COVID-19 and broad public safety? Or has Green, and many others, misunderstood its meaning?

To start, Green equalized a public health crisis that has claimed the lives of 714,000 people in the United States alone, with the recent birth of Wiggins child and whether he chose to be present even if it meant being away from the Warriors.

[That] would be like me telling him, Yo, your wife is going into labor. How dare you leave this team and not go tend to your wife?' Green said, perESPN. Thats something thats personal to him. Thats something thats health-related. Thats something thats personal to his family. This is no different.

Wiggins vaccine hesitancy became a matter of public debate and criticism across social media. The discourse further turned into the former Kansas stars disadvantage when the NBA informed the players they would not be paid if they did not comply with city and state vaccination mandatingSan Francisco is one of two cities with the requirement.

Wiggins would have to choose his immense salary (from home games and other locations with mandates) or his principles. Predictably, the idea of forfeiture of at least half his $31.6 million salary for the upcoming season became too much for his moral system to withstand. He was vaccinated this month.

The only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA, Wiggins said recently after Golden States preseason openerperSports Illustrated. It was a tough decision. Hopefully, it works out in the long run, and in 10 years, Im still healthy.

The suggestion here is that hes trying to abstain from unnatural remedies, as he doesnt know how his body will react in 10, 15 years. However, there is no scientific indication that anything will happen aside from general safety from the virus.(He also curiously admitted to carrying around an Epipen for allergic reactions, which is not a natural remedy.)

As Green stated, Wiggins similarly sees the vax issue as a matter of personal freedom.

I guess to do certain stuff, to work, I guess you dont own your body, Wigginssaid. Thats what it comes down to. If you want to work in society today, then I guess they made the rules of what goes in your body and what you do. Hopefully, theres a lot of people out there that are stronger than me and keep fighting, stand for what they believe, and hopefully, it works out for them.

The palpable strain between unvaccinated NBA players and players, and non-athletes like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who side with them is shocking. Its all thanks to these messy, culture war notions of freedom amid an ongoing public health crisis.

Part of this issue rests in gross misidentification of the scale and scope of COVID-19, partly attributed to the fact that a significant number of these highly public anti-vaxxers (Kyrie Irving, various celebrities) and autonomy advocates (Green, largely right-wing politicians) are availed high-quality healthcare and can afford a distance the non-rich can only dream of.Also, these are high-trained, hard-working, well-tuned athletes (mostly Black in the major American sports leagues) who arent used to be considered and herded with the larger masses. The engrained exceptionalism with a combination of social media is both a gift (in terms of sociopolitical issues) and a curse (regarding COVID-19.)

There is also a strain of inhumanity and reduction of empathy, albeit as a coping mechanism, arriving in our attempt to make sense of the data. And suppose you are not in the crosshairs of COVID-19, at least in perception. In that case, deferring to the warped notion of freedom as your ruling factor is at play. Dr. Paul Slovic, a longtime researcher in risk and decision science at the University of Oregon, calls this human tendency the prominence effect. In other words, when faced with complicated choices, such as buying a car, people tend to defer to one reigning factor, such as a safety rating on said car.

Another related aspect, psychic numbing, relates to the onset of indifference when faced with unimaginable catastrophe. One life is valuable, but that life loses value, perceptually, if it is part of a larger tragedy, Slovictoldapa.org.

Coming back to Greens unloading, he asserts that, were dealing with something that to me feels like has turned into a political war when youre talking about vaccinated [people] and non-vaccinated [people]. I think its become very political.

And for someone whos not extremely into politics, when you make something so political, and not everyone is into politics, then you can also turn those people off. I think you have to honor peoples feelings and their own personal beliefs. And I think thats been lost when it comes to vaccinated and non-vaccinated. You say we live in The land of the freewell, youre not giving anyone freedom because youre making people do something essentially without making them, youre making them do something. And that goes against everything America stands for, supposedly stands for.

Of course, this idea falls shallow, given that most American lives are centered on law enforcement, mandates, and medical normalizations, such as wearing seat belts and having children vaccinated as babies.

The politicization of COVID-19 is unquestioned for Dr. Eman Spaulding, a physician in Tampa, Florida, but he believes theres more in how Americans, including Green, perceive themselves. He suggests the emotional checking out of the human experience of COVID lives somewhat baked into American culture.

What you have to understand is that the problem with mandating people to do things is that you dont have society set up that way, explains Spaulding. Its never been that way, for, lets say, the free world, modern-day democratic countries. The generations past have only lived in an age of freedom. So theyre socialized to be able to have choices. And youre telling them, No, you have to do this, or else. Some people are going to buck because you didnt raise them that way.

SportsNet New York anchor Chris Williamson states, There are so many factors involved: poverty, race, gender, able-bodied, disabled, the whole nine yards. Thats why I laugh when folks like Draymond or King LeBron, Wiggins, Kyrie talk about personal choice. Its not; it actually infects or affects the [the Black population] disproportionately for multiple reasons. Its not a personal choice when over 700,000 people die from this virus.

In the end, the most dangerous notion Green elucidated during the press conference, which has been widely parroted in right-wing echo chambers for decades, is the implication of reduction. Many still hold that vaccines cause autism,based on no scientific evidence whatsoever, pushing conspiracy.

We take shots to travel, enforce pedestrian protection laws, acquire licenses to drive, or work various positions. We allow anesthesia for surgeries in hospitals we use as a broad utility. Somehow though, these nearly invisible, conventional decrees, which arent here to honor peoples feelings and their own personal beliefs, but to protect us on the whole, are a separate matter.

Recently, MSNBCs Chris Hayesconsideredhow people were upset about new seatbelt laws. During the 80s, the legislation nationwide brought the similar Theyre taking away my freedoms rhetoric, though they were meant to protect drivers. They could not see the scale or understand how their choices exponentially affected everyone around them.

The CDC and doctors offer guidance that by taking the COVID-19 vaccine, we can collectively reduce cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Yet, we have the same misunderstandings except today we have social media reinforcing misinformation and violently half-baked ideas such as Greens statement.

According to the CDC, seat beltsdramaticallyreduce risk of death and serious injury. Among drivers and front-seat passengers, seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45% and cut the risk of serious injury by 50%. Seat belts also prevent drivers and passengers from being ejected during a crash.

The organization does not tell people they cannot get into an accident, nor does it mean people cannot die wearing a seat belt. And yet, because weve worn them, weve likely saved millions of lives.

Presented byRhodens Road Trip,a part of the Undefeated on ESPN+ Black History Always Collection

Award-winning columnist William C. Bill Rhoden is the product of a grand HBCU tradition. Rhodens collegiate journey began at Morgan State University, where he was a member of the 1968 team that beat Grambling in Yankee Stadium in the Whitney Young Classic. One of the most respected journalists of his generation spanning nearly four decades he has witnessed the changing face of HBCUs from their rise to their desire to thrive. Fifty years after that memorable moment at Yankee Stadium, Rhoden, along with the help of the Rhoden Fellows, a team of aspiring HBCU journalists, explore the rich history and culture of HBCU football.

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That goes against everything America stands for: What Draymond Green gets wrong about freedom - The Daily Dot

The high court has handed down its judgment in the Peter Ridd case, an important case concerning academic freedom.

The case began when Ridd communicated with a journalist in 2015 in a way that criticised other academics and academic centres work on marine science and the Great Barrier Reef, suggesting some organisations had engaged in spin. In 2017 Ridd conducted an interview in which he stated his view that published science on the welfare of the reef was wrong, and that certain scientific organisations could not be trusted and lacked objectivity.

James Cook University twice censured Ridd on the basis of his criticisms of colleagues work, and what it alleged was a lack of respect and courtesy towards colleagues, and lack of collegiality in the search for knowledge.

The topic of academic freedom has been a feature of public debate since the federal minister for education launched an inquiry in 2018 into free speech in universities, led by former chief justice Robert French. This was on the basis of a claim shown by the inquirys report to be incorrect that there was a free speech crisis in universities. The report of the review recommended the adoption of a model free speech code, and was followed by another review to ensure compliance.

The French review usefully distinguished between academic freedom and freedom of speech. Academic freedom is essential to the central mission of universities the creation and dissemination of new knowledge. It protects academics freedom to conduct research, publish findings, and teach students. It is not absolute. Freedom of speech, by contrast, is a freedom that applies to contexts which do not require special protections, such as outside speakers using campus venues, and student protests.

The high court held that censuring Ridd on the basis of his comments was wrong. The universitys Enterprise Agreement protected intellectual freedom. The relevant clause (cl. 14) protected the right of staff to participate in public debate and express opinions in their areas of competence. These comments were all within Ridds area of expertise. The high court held that Ridds comments fell within the protection of this clause, which prevailed over other, more detailed provisions in the code of conduct. This clarifies the scope of intellectual freedom. Importantly, the basis for this finding was the inclusion of the relevant clause in the Enterprise Agreement.

However, Ridds case involved more than just comments in his area of expertise. Other issues were raised by the university as grounds for serious misconduct. They included comments Ridd made to external recipients that criticised members and procedures of the university. The university also found that he had failed to comply with confidentiality obligations related to its disciplinary proceedings against him.

Ridds legal team did not directly challenge the universitys findings that his conduct had violated the relevant confidentiality clause, and engaged in public criticism of the university in areas not related to his areas of academic expertise. Instead, they argued that all of these communications should be similarly protected by the intellectual freedom clause in the Enterprise Agreement.

The high court disagreed. It pointed out that Ridd had understood intellectual freedom too broadly.

The problem with his submission is that it treats the intellectual freedom as though it were a freedom of speech generally, and it ignores the constraint upon intellectual freedom in cl 14.3, which repeats an undertaking in the Code of Conduct, expressly requiring respect for the rights of others and implicitly requiring lawfulness, the court said.

University managers will be relieved at this aspect of the judgment. First, it recognises that a protection of academic freedom in an Enterprise Agreement is not absolute, and that reasonable and proportionate limits can be imposed. Second, it distinguishes between academic freedom on the one hand, and broad free speech claims on the other, and clarifies that the latter cannot be subsumed under the protections of academic freedom. Third, it recognises that confidentially conditions and procedures regarding internal disputes can be upheld simultaneously with protections for academic freedom.

Perhaps the most interesting issue of the case is its distinction between an academic commenting on their area of expertise, and commenting on other issues. In this case, the court limited the protection of intellectual freedom to Ridds areas of academic expertise because the relevant clause of the Enterprise Agreement defined intellectual freedom in that way.

This is consistent with the definition of academic freedom that was incorporated in March 2021 into the Higher Education Support Act 2003. Interestingly, the definition of academic freedom adopted in this legislative change did not include a clause recommended in the French review, that would have protected the freedom of academic staff to speak on any issue in their personal capacity. In the Ridd case, the matters upon which he made public comment were not all in his area of expertise, which is marine science. In other cases, it may be more difficult to draw a line between areas of expertise and areas that are not. What of a public health academic commenting on a governments pandemic policy, for example? These issues will need to be decided on a case by case basis.

It remains to be seen where this debate will lead. The education minister, Alan Tudge, took Wednesdays judgment as an opportunity to have another swipe at universities, reiterating the Coalitions view lacking an evidence base that in some places there may be a culture of closing down debate. The high courts ruling clarifies that universities cannot close down academic debate, but that they can protect their internal policies and procedures from violations by staff.

Katharine Gelber is professor of politics and public policy, and the head of the School of Political Science and International Studies, the University of Queensland

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As the Ridd case reminds us, academic freedom is not the same as free speech - The Guardian

LITTLE ROCKOne of my priorities has been to help pave a path to success for those who are re-entering society after a prison term. Today Id like to talk about how weve addressed that. I also want to share the story of a man who spent his life encouraging young people to make good choices so they wouldnt go to prison. During my first year in office, we created Restore Hope, a program designed help inmates prepare for freedom. We needed an effective reentry system to give those coming out of prison a better chance of success, of getting a job, and of contributing to their community. Most importantly, by helping them succeed, we would reduce the risk that they would return to prison. This also addressed a problem that isnt as obvious but just as serious. Often when people enter prison, their children go into our foster care system. When we reduce the number of people going to prison, we reduce the number of children entering foster care. Pathway to Freedom is a nonprofit faith-based program that works with inmates while they are in prison and after they are released. The numbers tell the story of Pathways success. Of all the programs offered in Arkansass prison system, the percent of Pathway graduates who return to prison is the lowest at 23 percent .Now Ill tell you about a man whose mission was to keep young people out of trouble so that they never needed a Pathway to Freedom. Everyone seemed to know Dwayne Yarbrough. Most people called him Big D. You couldnt miss him. He was 6-foot-7, and you could see his smile a mile away. Coach Houston Nutt first met Big D at a high school basketball game decades ago. Most people knew him from his security jobs at War Memorial Stadium and the State Fair, which is where I met him. At concerts, he was one of the big guys who stood between fans and the entertainers on stage. But his day job was as an educator with the Attorney Generals office, where he worked for 23 years. His passion was to steer young people onto the right path. He created the program Right Choices, Better Chances, which he presented at schools and police departments all over the state. He trained law enforcement officers and School Resource Officers. He taught at the Criminal Justice Institute. Director Dr. Cheryl May praised his ability to convey his message and his method. Larance Johnson, who recently retired from the Criminal Justice Institute, said Big D lived and breathed his mission. He was a gentle giant whose size and unexpectedly calm voice and manner could bring tense situations under control. He was one of the early members of the Arkansas Safe Schools Association and served as president of the board from 2018 to 2020.Big D died on September 8 of this year. Family and friends attended a service for him at War Memorial Stadium. Theres no way to quantify Big Ds impact, but we can honor his work by sharing his mission to set our young people on the path to success so that they wont need a path out of prison.

Governor Hutchinsonsweeklyradioaddresscan be found in MP3 format and downloadedHERE

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Governor Hutchinson's Weekly Address: Pathways to Freedom and Success SWARK Today - SWARK Today

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The British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF) released a statement regarding the criminal stabbing of Sir David Amess MP, the co-chairman of the BCFIF.

The British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF) condemns this vicious attack, which was an assault not only on Sir David but also on democracy in the UK. We extend our condolences to his family, wife, and children. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, his staff and parliamentary colleagues at this difficult time, read the statement adding:

Sir David met on many occasions with the president-elect of the NCRI, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi. He also led a strong, cross-party delegation of British MPs and Peers to several gatherings of the Iranian Resistance movement, NCRI, in Paris presenting statements of support for a free and democratic Iran signed by hundreds of parliamentarians.

It is with great shock and sadness that we learned of the passing of Sir David Amess MP, the co-chairman of the British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF) after being stabbed in a constituency meeting in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.

The British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF) condemns this vicious attack, which was an assault not only on Sir David but also on democracy in the UK. We extend our condolences to his family, wife, and children. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, his staff, and parliamentary colleagues at this difficult time.

Sir David was a champion of human rights and democracy in Iran for more than three decades. He consistently spoke in support of the Iranian peoples democratic aspirations and the Iranian Resistance movement, NCRI. During his time in the parliament, he frequently raised the many serious threats from the regime in Tehran at parliamentary conferences, debates, and in Early Days Motions advocating for a firm policy on Iran focused on human rights and holding the regime to account for its violations of those rights and terrorism.

Sir David met on many occasions with the president-elect of the NCRI, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi. He also led a strong, cross-party delegation of British MPs and Peers to several gatherings of the Iranian Resistance movement, NCRI, in Paris presenting statements of support for a free and democratic Iran signed by hundreds of parliamentarians.

Sir David was among the 35 MPs and Peers who led the successful legal campaign against the politically motivated proscription of the main Iranian opposition movement, the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), in the United Kingdom in 2007. He was also relentless in his efforts to secure the safety and well-being of the combatants of freedom in camps Ashraf and Liberty in Iraq and their safe and successful relocation to Albania and other European countries.

One of the proudest things I have ever done in my political career is to support the National Council of Resistance of Iran which calls for the Iranian regime to be replaced with a safer and more democratic government, Sir David declared on 6th September 2021.

The day before the stabbing attack, Sir David wrote an article in Townhall highlighting the involvement of the Iranian regimes President Ebrahim Raisi in the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran and supporting the call by the Anglo-Iranian community to arrest him if attended the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow in November.

Ultimately, Sir David passed away doing what he loved most, namely serving his constituency. He will be remembered for his kindness and commitment, missed not only by the people of Southend West but also by millions of Iranians dreaming about a free Iran, who have lost a dear friend and their champion today.

Rt Hon David Jones MP On behalf of the British Committee for Iran Freedom (BCFIF)15 October 2021

BCFIF-statement-following-the-passing-of-its-co-chairman-Sir-David-Amess...

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The British Committee For Iran Freedom (BCFIF) Statement Following The Passing Of Its Co-chairman, Sir David Amess - NCRI - National Council of...

Anastasia Vasilyeva, the head of Russia's Alliance of Doctors union and a personal physician of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, arrives at a court building before a hearing in Moscow, Russia September 22, 2021. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

MOSCOW, Oct 14 (Reuters) - A Russian court on Thursday imposed one year of restrictions on Anastasia Vasilyeva, a doctor who treated and supported Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, after finding her guilty of breaching COVID-19 safety rules.

Vasilyeva, head of the Doctors Alliance trade union, was convicted for urging people to join a protest earlier this year to demand the release of Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most prominent domestic critic, from prison.

The authorities said her behaviour at the time was irresponsible and illegal given a COVID-19-related ban on large public gatherings. Vasilyeva said her prosecution was politically-motivated.

The ruling bans her from travelling outside Moscow, from leaving her home at night or attending mass events and compels her to check in twice a month with a state supervisor, the court said in a statement.

The ruling does not prohibit her from using her mobile phone or the internet, a restriction she had faced while being prosecuted.

Vasilyeva treated Navalny in 2017 after he suffered a chemical burn to his right eye after being assaulted by pro-Kremlin activists. She also supported him publicly after his arrest earlier this year on parole violations he said were trumped up to thwart his political ambitions.

Her relationship with his team later soured after many of them fled into exile amid a broad crackdown.

Many of Navalny's allies have been prosecuted on the same charge as Vasilyeva.

Navalny's spokesperson Kira Yarmysh is among those convicted of the same offence. She flew to Finland in August after being sentenced. read more

Another ally, Lyubov Sobol, was found guilty of the same charge. She is also reported to have left the country in August. She and her allies have not commented on her whereabouts. read more

Other senior allies, such as Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov, are based abroad.

Russia declared Vasilyeva's doctor's union a "foreign agent" in March, a designation that subjects it to bureaucratic scrutiny and spot checks. read more

Navalny is serving 2-1/2 years in jail for parole violations in an embezzlement case he says was trumped up.

Reporting by Anton Zverev; writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Andrew Osborn

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Russian court curbs freedom of doctor who treated and supported Navalny - Reuters

To the editor,

At the Oct. 5 Isanti City Council meeting, Member Paul Bergley described the councils resolution against mask mandates as being a pro-freedom mandate. His concept of freedom differs from mine. I prefer the concept of freedom articulated by the late Peter Marshall (Presbyterian minister and US Senate chaplain) and Pope Benedict XVI.

Peter Marshall said, May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right. For Pope Benedict, Freedom is not only a gift, but a summons to personal responsibility.

The coronavirus is still very much with us and with only 41.7% of the population age 12 and up in Isanti County fully vaccinated (see CDC.gov - COVID-19 County Check), I believe that accepting personal responsibility and doing what is right means getting vaccinated and wearing a mask to protect family, friends, co-workers, and community.

Karen S. Lee

Cambridge

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Letter to the editor: Different definition of 'freedom' - isanti-chisagocountystar.com

This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.

The end of the year is approaching and with it one of the highest spending times for Mexicans. That is why several personal finance specialists decided to join forces to organize Money Fest 2021 , the third edition of the event that through conferences, workshops, music and even stand up will teach you to manage your money in a more appropriate way, go out debt and achieve financial independence.

MoneyFest2021

On this occasion, MoneyFest 2021 It's time to invest is presented by GBM + and sponsored by Citibanamex, Financial Education. It will have more than 15 specialists, six conferences, two workshops and two panels. It will be on Saturday October 16 and its content will focus on investments, aimed at two segments: those who seek to move from saving to investment and those who already invest but want to improve their strategy and expand their knowledge on the subject.

As in previous editions, the festival is developed in partnership with MIDE, Interactive Museum of Economy , Entrepreneur, Cooltura Financiera, Suicidando al Godnez and Alfonso Marcelo.

The festival will be virtual and will be called MoneyFest 2021 It's time to invest - which this year will be organized by GBM, Finfest Company and Little Capitalist Pig .

This festival is for people who want to learn:

Among the main speakers this year are Sofa Macas, author of Little Capitalist Pig ; Mara Ariza, general director of BIVA; Manolo Wigueras from El Lago de los Business and Eduardo Rosas, specialist in personal finance and youtuber.

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Do you want to achieve financial freedom? Attend MoneyFest 2021 tomorrow! - Entrepreneur

FAIRFAX, Va., Oct. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --The Freedom Bank of Virginia (OTCQX: FDVA), (the "Bank") today announced that it has received regulatory approval from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Virginia State Corporation Commission to complete the Bank's previously announced bank holding company reorganization (the "Reorganization").

The Bank currently expects that the Reorganization will be effective as of November 1, 2021. Pursuant to the Reorganization, the Bank will become the wholly-owned banking subsidiary of Freedom Financial Holdings, Inc. ("Freedom Financial"), and each share of voting and non-voting common stock of the Bank will be converted into one share of voting or non-voting common stock of the Company, respectively. No action by the Bank's shareholders is required in connection with the Reorganization; the Bank's transfer agent will mail updated statements to shareholders shortly after the Reorganization is effective.

Joseph J. Thomas, President and CEO of the Bank and Freedom Financial commented, "Our Board and management team believe that the Reorganization will provide added financial and operational flexibility for the Bank, including additional access the capital markets if the need arises, which will support our continued growth and expansion. We are very excited to complete the Reorganization and believe that the formation of Freedom Financial puts us in the best position to take advantage of future opportunities as they arise."

The Reorganization will not impact the Bank's operations; the Bank will continue to provide its full range of financial services comprised of retail banking, commercial banking, SBA and mortgage products. The headquarters for the Bank and Freedom Financial will remain in Fairfax, VA.

About Freedom Bank

Freedom Bank (OTCQX: FDVA) is a next-generation community bank, headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, offering commercial banking, personal banking, and mortgage banking solutions using banker expertise and innovative technology to build lead relationships with clients. Focusing on businesses, real estate owners, and professionals, Freedom Bank concentrates on key industry verticals to deliver unique, sector-specific solutions to help clients meet their goals and realize their dreams. Freedom Bank had total assets of $837.07 million on June 30, 2021, and sales office locations in Fairfax, Vienna, Reston, Manassas, and Chantilly, VA. The Freedom Bank Mortgage Division is headquartered in Chantilly, VA and the Freedom Bank Small Business Lending Division is headquartered in Harrison, NY. For information about Freedom Bank, visit our website at http://www.freedom.bank.

Contact:

Joseph J. Thomas, President & Chief Executive Officer

Phone: 703-667-4161

Email: jthomas@freedom.bank

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Twelve international NGOs and journalism organizations are on a three-day mission to Turkey to investigate serious, continued threats to independent journalism in the country.

The mission began on October 6, and its delegates will meet in Ankara and Istanbul, as well as online, with editors, journalists and local civil society groups until October 8.

Led by the International Press Institute (IPI) and IPIs Turkey National Committee, the mission includes representatives from ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), English PEN, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Human Rights Watch (HRW), Norwegian PEN, Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), PEN International, Reporters without Borders (RSF), and the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO).

Representatives of those organizations will also meet with Turkish MPs from various political parties, members of government regulatory bodies, foreign diplomats, European Union officials, representatives of leading global tech companies and the Turkish Constitutional Court.

The Turkish government increased its crackdown on critical media outlets and journalists in the aftermath of a coup attempt on July 15, 2016, following which dozens of journalists were jailed and more than 200 media outlets were closed down on the pretext of an anti-coup fight.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan has again made it onto alist of press freedom predators published by Reporters without Borders (RSF) that includes 37 heads of state or government who crack down substantially on press freedom.

Turkey is ranked 153rd among 180 countries in the2021 World Press Freedom Indexreleased by the RSF in April.

According to the Stockholm Center for Freedoms Jailed and Wanted Journalists in Turkey database, 174 journalists are behind bars in Turkey and 167 are wanted and either in exile or at large.

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12 int'l NGOs and journalism organizations examine threats to press freedom in Turkey - Stockholm Center for Freedom