PEN’s Free Expression Digest brings you a daily curated round-up of the most important free expression-related stories from around the web. Subscribe here. Please send your feedback and suggestions to [email protected]

Fifteen secret warrants in force granting bulk data collection in UK
There are 15 secret “directions” in force under the Telecommunications Act enabling intelligence services to collect bulk data about online and phone traffic, the surveillance watchdog Interception of Communications Commissioner’s Office (IOCCO) has revealed.
THE GUARDIAN

Hong Kong Journalists Association releases 2016 annual report
The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA)’s 2016 Annual Report, titled “One Country, Two Nightmares,” reflects the troubling times facing Hong Kong. The title is symptomatic both of ever deeper incursions by Beijing into the territory’s autonomy, and China’s self-inflicted fear that the same autonomy could threaten the mainland’s absolute control. HKJA

Indian court drops charges against author Perumal Murugan
The high court in Chennai (Madras) has dismissed an attempt to bring criminal charges against Perumal Murugan, a Tamil novelist, whose writings on caste angered Hindu groups. Murugan gave up writing last year after protests over his novel Madhorubagan. BBC

Chelsea Manning hospitalized, cut off from attorneys
Transgender soldier Chelsea Manning, who was convicted in 2013 on espionage charges and other offenses for sending more than 700,000 classified documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks, was taken to the hospital in the early hours of Tuesday, July 5. Her attorneys are livid following the failed attempts to contact their client. NBC NEWS

Facebook removes post criticizing Singapore police
Political activist and civil rights lawyer Teo Soh Lung’s most recent Facebook post about the search of her apartment and electronic devices without a warrant by Singaporean police was removed by Facebook for violating community standards. GLOBAL VOICES ADVOX

Burma’s military remains intolerant of press freedom
Burma’s powerful military remains intolerant of press freedom, fearing a negative portrayal of its institution. Its intolerance is exemplified by three recent incidents: the trial of local newspaper 7 Day Daily, the banning of the movie Twilight over Burma and the cancellation of Ta’ang Women’s Organization (TWO)’s press conference on human rights. THE IRRAWADDY

Opoka p’Arop Otto: South Sudan is destroying its free press, one journalist at a time
As part of the Guardian Africa network’s “Sudans Takeover,” the newspaper hands over the reins to a group of young Sudanese and South Sudanese journalists who have been reporting on the issues facing their countries. Today’s article, by radio journalist Opoka p’Arop Otto, describes his experience with the crackdown on press freedom. THE GUARDIAN