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Emma Bonino, Italian rights campaigner, dies at 78 — 8hEmma Bonino, a long-time Italian politician and human-rights advocate who helped legalize abortion in 1978 and served as EU Commissioner and foreign minister, has died at 78. Tributes from across the political spectrum praised her fearless defense of civil rights and her decades-long campaign for freedoms, gender equality, and European integration.

History, meaning, and 3 expressions of "human dignity" — 2dPope Leo XIV reflects on human dignity as rooted in creation and expressed through intelligence, conscience and freedom according to Gaudium et Spes.

Nicole Hardy Freedom as part of dignity explains why forcing beliefs on others always feels wrong.

Modi Ties BRICS Trade Goals to Secure Sea Lanes and Seafarer Safety — 4hPM Modi used the BRICS Business Forum to stress that global trade hinges on secure sea lanes, open supply routes, and the safety of seafarers, reinforcing India’s commitment to freedom of navigation amid regional tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. He also highlighted BRICS’ growing economic heft, noting the bloc’s combined GDP has expanded nearly four-and-a-half times as it accounts for about 50% of the world’s population, 40% of GDP, and over 25% of global trade, while promoting women entrepreneurs and broader trade collaboration.

Priya Raman BRICS already covers half the world's people and a big share of trade, so stressing seafarer safety alongside economic ties shows real leadership on key issues.

Video — YouTubeJon on Trump's Meme Assault on Canada & the Alternate Reality He's Constructed | The Daily ShowThe Daily Show · 8.1M views · Sep 9, 2026

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S&P Revises Freedom Holding Outlook to PositiveFinance — 6dS&P Global Ratings revised Freedom Holding Corp and four main subsidiaries’ outlook to positive, citing stronger capitalization, diversified earnings and improved banking-sector risk in Kazakhstan, while affirming BB-/B ratings for the operating units and B- for Freedom Holding Corp. The upgrades followed Kazakhstan’s sovereign rating improvements and reflect ongoing enhancements in risk management and governance across the group.

Taiwan Vice President Makes Secret Trip to Italy Democracy Conference — 13hTaiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim arrived in Italy, accompanied by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, to attend the Ventotene Conference for Freedom and Democracy; the trip, kept secret due to Chinese threats, signals Taiwan’s push to engage with Europe despite lacking formal diplomatic ties. The three‑day conference features activists such as Yulia Navalnaya and Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, highlighting Taiwan’s effort to broaden international support and demonstrate democratic solidarity amid Beijing’s pressure.

Nicole Hardy Taiwan's quiet outreach to Europe like this is smart and necessary given Beijing's bullying.

Hong Kong court convicts Wall Street Journal publisher of blocking reporter union role — 1dA Hong Kong court convicted Dow Jones Publishing Co (Asia) Inc, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, of deterring reporter Selina Cheng from taking a leadership role in the city’s press union, while acquitting it of unlawfully firing her. The ruling highlights ongoing concerns about press freedom in Hong Kong amid pressures on the media landscape and union activity.

Rachel Meyers The court rightly punished the interference with union duties, but acquitting on the firing leaves too many questions about how reporters are treated.

Hong Kong Jails Three Tiananmen Vigil LeadersPolitics — 2dHong Kong court sentences three Tiananmen vigil organizers to prison under the national security law, with Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung each getting seven-year terms (Chow 7 years and 3 months) and Albert Ho five years two months after pleading guilty. Rights groups condemn the rulings as a crackdown on freedom of expression, noting the annual vigils have been effectively outlawed since 2020 as Beijing broadened security controls over Hong Kong.