Freedom

Little evidence a cull would make swimming safer, scientists say. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAssistant treasurer says One Nation’s rise reflects ‘frustration’ of many peopleDaniel Mulino, the assistant treasurer, said One Nation’s rise began “well before” the latest federal budget and reflected a “frustration on the part of many people” at the way the system is working for them.I think it, for me, reflects a frustration on the part of many people at the way the system is working for them and the fact that they’re feeling pressures on a number of fronts: pressures from cost of living, pressures from Increasingly uncertain global economy and political situation.What I’d say about One Nation is that they are very good at identifying grievances. They’re not very good at solutions. And in fact, Pauline Hanson’s voting record over recent years has often been to the detriment of people seeking pay rises, to the detriment of workers’ rights. And so that’s something which, as that comes to light more, I think people will judge that in due course. Continue reading...

• Atresmedia has secured new European distribution deals for its hit Spanish daily drama, “Dreams of Freedom,” expanding its reach into Central and Eastern Europe. • The series was acquired by Romania’s Happy Channel (Antena TV Group) and Poland’s TVP Play, the digital platform for Telewizja Polska. • This expansion leverages the show's success in its home market, where it has ranked as the most-watched TV series in Spain since its premiere.

• The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has proposed 10 critical steps to restore press freedom in Bangladesh, focusing on ending criminal prosecutions of journalists. • The CPJ urges the government to reform restrictive laws, ensure accountability for media attacks, and stop smear campaigns that incite violence against reporters. • This initiative seeks to align national practices with Article 39 of Bangladesh's Constitution and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

• Multiple artists, including Young MC, Poison frontman Bret Michaels, and country singer Martina McBride, have withdrawn from the US Freedom 250 concert. • The performers cited concerns that the event would be overly political and claimed they were misled regarding the festival's political affiliations. • This mass departure highlights tensions surrounding the celebration of America's 250th birthday and the intersection of entertainment and political messaging.

• Japan continues to struggle with a "problematic" press freedom ranking, trailing behind regional neighbors like New Zealand (22nd), Australia (33rd), and South Korea (47th). • While overt government repression is rare, media insiders report that newsroom caution and pressures regarding information access significantly shape reporting. • This trend highlights a culture of self-censorship within Japanese media, contrasting sharply with global leaders like Norway, which topped the rankings for the 10th consecutive year.

After 88 days of near-total blackout, first reactions to the return of partial connectivity were not celebratoryAfter 88 days of near-total internet blackout in Iran, long-delayed messages, images and poems flooded phones and social media feeds at about 5pm on Tuesday, when still-limited connectivity flickered back to life.The first reactions, however, were not celebratory. Many new posts were threaded with scepticism, anxiety and anger. Continue reading...

In a rare public appearance, Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams warned of ‘networks of powerful elites’ using wealth and influence to silence dissenting voicesMeta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams and the late Virginia Giuffre have jointly won the Freedom to Publish prize at this year’s British book awards, marking the first time the award has been shared.Wynn-Williams, a former Facebook executive, was recognised for Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed and Lost Idealism, her bestselling memoir about her years inside Meta, formerly Facebook. The book makes allegations about the company’s internal culture and practices, including its approach to political influence, China and the wellbeing of teenagers. Meta has disputed the claims. Continue reading...

• Reporters Without Borders has documented the first significant and prolonged decline in press freedom in the United States in modern history, directly attributing deterioration to Trump's return to office. • The organization reports that Trump has attempted to pressure media companies to soften coverage and install administration-allied leaders in key positions. • The concerning trend reverses a century of gradual press freedom expansion, marking a critical moment for media independence and democratic institutions.

President indicated that deal had materialised, but truth was that Saudi Arabia had stopped US use of its basesWhen Donald Trump abruptly pulled the plug on “Project Freedom”, the scheme to open the strait of Hormuz, barely a day after it had been announced, he gave the impression that an opportunity for a peace deal had materialised that could not be missed.To the surprise of nobody who has been following the US’s recent adventures in geopolitics, Trump’s spin concealed a lot of the underlying reality. It turns out that Trump suspended Project Freedom after Saudi Arabia stopped the US military from using its bases or airspace to carry out the operation, which involved giving air cover to commercial shipping sailing through the strait. Continue reading...

Riyadh told White House it would deny access for operation to provide tankers military escort through strait of HormuzMiddle East crisis – live updatesA refusal by Saudi Arabia to allow the US to use its bases and airspace to provide a military escort for oil tankers passing through the strait of Hormuz lay behind Donald Trump’s decision to shelve the plan days after it had been launched.Riyadh told the White House it would not allow its Prince Sultan airbase to be used to mount the operation billed as Project Freedom, which the US presented as the successor to the bombing campaign called Operation Epic Fury. Continue reading...

• US President Donald Trump announced a pause on 'Project Freedom,' his plan to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, following 'great progress' in talks with Iran announced on May 6, 2026. • Trump cited 'very good talks' with Iran in the last 24 hours and hopes for a permanent peace deal, with Iran reviewing a US proposal via Pakistani intermediaries. • The decision came after backlash from Gulf allies notified in advance, amid Trump's prediction that the war in Iran 'will be over quickly' while insisting Tehran cannot have nuclear weapons.

• Pakistan's Prime Minister expressed gratitude to President Trump for pausing a military operation dubbed 'Project Freedom' targeting Iran, signaling diplomatic progress in ongoing Middle East tensions. • Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the operation is 'over' but emphasized that addressing Iran's nuclear material remains a critical priority for the administration. • The pause reflects Trump's broader strategy to negotiate a comprehensive deal with Iran while maintaining pressure on its nuclear program, with discussions ongoing about reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

• President Trump announced Tuesday evening that he is pausing 'Project Freedom,' the operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing 'great progress' toward a complete agreement with Iran and requests from Pakistan and other countries. • Trump stated the pause would last 'for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,' while maintaining the US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in effect. • The move represents a significant shift in Trump's confrontational posture toward Iran after months of military escalation, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio continued criticizing Iran for effectively closing the strategic oil passageway.

• President Trump directed U.S. Central Command to initiate Project Freedom, a defensive operation to restart free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian threats to commercial shipping. • Secretary of War Pete Hegseth clarified the mission is temporary, focused solely on protecting innocent vessels, distinct from Operation Epic Fury, with U.S. forces establishing a protective zone as shown on operational maps. • The announcement follows President Trump's notification to Congress on Friday that hostilities starting February 28 had terminated, coinciding with the 60-day War Powers Resolution deadline.

• President Trump's Project Freedom initiative launched Monday with U.S. military operations to guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump reporting U.S. forces struck seven Iranian boats during the operation. • The military action represents a significant escalation in Middle East tensions as the U.S. Navy intervened to escort vessels through contested waterways controlled by Iranian forces. • The operation marks the implementation of Trump's declared strategy to secure maritime passage and demonstrate U.S. military commitment to protecting commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf region.

After banging the battle drum, the US president is now in Nobel Peace Prize mode, promising to free marooned ships“Project Freedom” has all the trappings of a classic episode of the Trump Show, the reality series that the rest of the world does not just have to watch, but live through and survive. It has a dramatic plot twist, it is bathed in a self-projected beatific light, and the trailer looked far more promising that the reality.Trump spent a long weekend in Florida banging the war drum. Iran had not “paid a big enough price” for its past misdeeds, he wrote in an online post before spending Friday afternoon revving up a cheering crowd at America’s largest retirement community. Continue reading...

The World Press Freedom Index, which assessed 180 countries, finds established journalism is ‘being asphyxiated’Press freedom around the world is at its lowest ebb in a generation, according to an influential annual index that highlights growing authoritarian pressure on the media.The average score for the 180 countries assessed by the World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), was the lowest in the index’s 25-year history. Continue reading...

Media tycoon honoured in absentia as critics decry his 20-year sentence under national security lawThe jailed media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai has been awarded Deutsche Welle’s freedom of speech award for his contribution to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.The German public broadcaster said on Thursday that Lai would be presented in absentia with the 12th iteration of the award on 23 June at the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn. Continue reading...

Journalists face rising threats while media ownership is concentrated in fewer hands, leading civil liberties group warnsJournalists in the EU face increasing levels of harassment, threats and violence, while news outlets are owned by a shrinking number of proprietors and public trust in the media has plummeted, a report has found.The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) said the findings of its fifth annual media freedom report, released on Tuesday, should place EU officials “on high alert”, with media freedom and pluralism “under sustained attack” across mainland Europe. Continue reading...

Office for Students plans new complaints system as Bridget Phillipson says academics too often are being silencedUniversities in England that fail to protect free speech could face fines of £500,000 or 2% of their income, and in some cases risk losing public funding, under a new complaints system, the government has said.The Office for Students (OfS) will run a “first-of-its-kind” scheme from the new academic year allowing university staff, external speakers, and non-student members to raise concerns about providers, the Department for Education (DfE) said. Continue reading...

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin was arrested after reporting on friendly fire incident during US conflict with IranMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesThe detention of a prize-winning international journalist over his reporting of a friendly fire incident in Kuwait is raising questions about the crackdown on freedom of speech across the Middle East as a result of the US-Israel war with Iran, the Committee to Protect Journalists has warned.Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, born in the US and a Kuwaiti national, was arrested on 3 March during a brief visit to Kuwait. He published footage of a US air force F- 15 E Strike Eagle crashing in al Jahra west of Kuwait city. On his Substack he said the pilot and weapons officer had successfully ejected and survived. He added that video circulating online showed local residents assisting one of the crew in a civilian truck. Continue reading...

Rescuers used boats and excavators to try to guide 10-metre long sea mammal to deeper watersA humpback whale stranded on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast since early this week has freed itself and swum into deeper waters, rescuers said on Friday.A flotilla of vessels were following the weakened animal at a distance, hoping to help guide it into the North Sea and toward the Atlantic Ocean, its natural habitat. Continue reading...

Countries across the continent have spent more than $2bn on Chinese tracking technology that is not ‘necessary or proportionate’, new report findsThe rapid expansion of AI-powered mass-surveillance systems across Africa is violating citizens’ right to privacy and having a chilling effect on society, according to experts on human rights and emerging technologies.At least $2bn (£1.5bn) has been spent by 11 African governments on Chinese-built surveillance technology that recognises faces and monitors movements, according to a new report by the Institute of Development Studies, which warns that national security is being used to justify implementing these systems with little regulation. Continue reading...

An Academy Award-nominated documentary tells the story of a journalist killed in the suburbs of Kiev while covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine, bringing renewed attention to dangers facing war correspondents. The filmmakers hope the documentary sparks broader conversation about threats to press freedom in active conflict zones and the importance of protecting journalists. The nomination underscores the international film community's recognition of journalism as a critical element of documenting wartime atrocities and human rights violations. The film's timing coincides with ongoing global conflicts and heightened scrutiny of media access and safety in geopolitical hotspots.