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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...

Tommy Thompson refused to give up the location of 500 missing coins found in a historic shipwreckA US treasure hunter who was imprisoned for 10 years after refusing to reveal the location of missing gold coins has been released from prison, without officials apparently ever learning where that gold is.Tommy Thompson – a renowned salvager who in 1998 found the long-lost, so-called Ship of Gold near South Carolina – was freed from federal prison on 4 March, records and reports recently indicated. 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.