Swiss university's academic award to Mussolini will not be revoked
The Hindu
The university said withdrawing the award could make critics believe it wanted to erase the past.
An honorary doctorate awarded by a Swiss university to former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini will not be revoked despite being a "serious mistake," a commission into the affair said.
The University of Lausanne (UNIL) honoured the fascist leader in 1937 for "having conceived and realized in his homeland a social organization .... that will leave a deep mark on history."
The university has been asked several times to withdraw the controversial honour to a recipient who was an ally of Adolf Hitler during World War Two.
A panel of experts commissioned to examine the case concluded that the decision to grant the doctorate "constituted a serious mistake on the part of the academic and political authorities" at the time.
"This title constitutes a legitimization of a criminal regime and its ideology," they said in a report published on Friday.
The panel did not recommend withdrawing the title, saying it would give the false impression that the original decision to give the doctorate could be "corrected today".
The university said withdrawing the award could make critics believe it wanted to erase the past.
Violent protests in Pakistan by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lead to deaths and injuries, prompting army deployment and shoot at sight orders.
Russian tourist found dead in Uttarakhand hot spring, believed to have died of heart attack; body being sent to Russia.
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh join armed struggle in Myanmar, raising concerns of escalating violence and regional involvement.
Lebanese Shia Muslims suffer in Israel-Hezbollah war, fearing unfair targeting and escalating conflict across Lebanon.
President Joe Biden pardons turkeys Peach and Blossom, marking the start of his last holiday season at the White House.
President-elect Donald Trump threatens to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China to combat illegal immigration and drugs.
State Department Spokesperson defers to Department of Justice on Adani indictment, leading to disruptions in Indian Parliament.
Justice Department drops case against Trump, citing policy against prosecuting sitting Presidents, ending landmark effort to hold him accountable.
Protests erupt in Dhaka demanding release of ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das arrested for flag insult allegations.
The 29th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP29), held at Baku in Azerbaijan, is arguably the most important of the United Nations’ climate conferences. It was supposed to conclude on November 22, after nearly 11 days of negotiations and the whole purpose was for the world to take a collective step forward in addressing rising carbon emissions.
Global negotiations aim to create a U.N.-mediated treaty to end plastic pollution, with focus on production and management.