News

September 02, 2025 – Indonesia – In the wake of widespread protests across Indonesia, press freedom is facing heightened threats amid growing civil unrest. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned assaults and intimidation targeting at least 16 journalists covering the demonstrations, calling on President Prabowo Subianto to ensure accountability—especially when law enforcement officers are implicated—and to guarantee thorough, independent investigations. Among those affected, Antara photojournalist Bayu Pratama was reportedly attacked by police outside the Parliament in Jakarta, underscoring the perilous conditions for media personnel. These events unfold against the backdrop of a nationwide wave of...

September 01, 2025 - Malta/Palestine - MaltaToday participated in the Global Blackout Day for Gaza Press Freedom on September 1, 2025, issuing a symbolic yet urgent call to protect journalists in Gaza. The blackout—a coordinated international act—serves to underscore a sobering reality: journalists are being killed at an unprecedented rate in Gaza, and without them, the world risks losing vital insight into the conflict’s unfolding tragedy. The initiative gained momentum in the aftermath of the targeted killing of Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif and his colleagues in a deadly strike. This was shortly followed by a devastating double...

September 01, 2025 - Lagos -  The International Press Centre (IPC), through its Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub, has condemned in the strongest terms the police brutality inflicted on Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), by officers at the Ikeja Police Command in Lagos on August 29, 2025. Ojukwu was at the police station’s Complaints Response Unit (CRU) pursuing information on officers accused of extorting detainees. During this attempt, three police officers reportedly seized his phone and searched its contents, shattered his eyeglasses, ripped off his wristwatch, damaged...

September 01, 2025 - Palestine - Dutch newspapers participated in an international media blackout to protest the targeting and killing of journalists in Gaza. Over 200 news outlets worldwide joined the action, coordinated by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Avaaz, and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). In solidarity, activists across the Netherlands staged a walkout from workplaces and classrooms at noon to mark the protest. Among the Dutch participants, NRC printed a front page entirely in black, with the stark message: “Without reporters, the image from Gaza goes black.” Inside, the newspaper emphasized the demand...

September 01, 2025 - Palestine -  The Gaza war has tragically become the most lethal conflict for journalists in contemporary history. Over the past 22 months, at least 189 journalists and media workers—predominantly Palestinian—have been killed, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), with some sources estimating the toll may be as high as 247. Key incidents underscore the violence. In one case, an Israeli strike hit a media tent outside al‑Shifa Hospital, resulting in the deaths of four Al Jazeera journalists. In another, a subsequent double-tap airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis...

September 01, 2025 - Palestine -  Islam Muhareb Abed, a correspondent for Al-Quds Today TV, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Abed was struck while covering the latest bombardments, making him the 247th journalist killed since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza last October. His death highlights once again the devastating toll on media workers in what rights groups and press freedom advocates are calling the deadliest conflict for journalists ever recorded. Abed’s employer, Al-Quds Today TV, issued a statement mourning the loss of...

September 01, 2025 - Palestine -  The Guardian’s latest feature humanizes the grief behind the headlines by spotlighting four Palestinian journalists whose lives—and families—were tragically cut short in the Israel–Gaza conflict. These individuals were not just reporters but beloved sons, fathers, and relatives who bravely chronicled the suffering and resilience of their communities under siege. Mohammed al-Khaldi, 36, was known for his investigative journalism on humanitarian issues—marked by a deep empathy that led him to avoid filming the most graphic scenes. He chose to highlight dignity amid devastation. Anas al-Sharif, 28, a father of two...

September 01, 2025 – Palestine – Major international news organizations are urgently calling for enhanced protection for journalists covering the war in Gaza, warning that the conflict has become the deadliest ever recorded for media workers. On September 1, 2025, media organizations, including NPR, CNN, Reuters, AP, and others, signed a joint appeal—coordinated by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Avaaz—highlighting that more than 220 journalists have been killed by the Israeli army in under two years, with Palestinian counts reaching 247 fatalities. A Brown University study underscores the crisis by revealing that the number of...

September 01, 2025 – Palestine/Lebanon – Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square became a stage for an international day of media action to honor and stand in solidarity with Palestinian journalists relentlessly targeted by lethal Israeli operations amid the ongoing Gaza crisis. Organized jointly by Lebanese and Palestinian journalists, the demonstration sent a powerful message against the Israeli regime’s campaign of assassinations, bombardments, and sieges aimed at silencing the truth. Protesters carried slogans condemning these acts and demanded the freedom of journalists detained in occupation prisons. The Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network played an active role, amplifying calls...

September 01, 2025 – Belarus/Poland – On the eve of his working visit to the United States, President Karol Nawrocki has been approached by a group of Belarusian and Polish journalists who urged him to raise the urgent issue of political prisoners during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. The appeal reflects deep concern over the ongoing repression of independent media and civil society in Belarus and hopes that Nawrocki will amplify international attention on their plight during his discussions at the White House. President Nawrocki’s visit is scheduled for September 3, 2025, marking...

September 01, 2025 – Turkey – In August 2025, Turkish journalists encountered escalating threats, including physical assaults, legal prosecutions, and media censorship, according to a report from the Stockholm Center for Freedom. The report highlights the deteriorating environment for press freedom in the country. Two journalists were physically assaulted during this period, signaling a dangerous climate for those practicing investigative or critical reporting. One particularly alarming incident involved an armed attack targeting the Izmir bureau of the left-wing newspaper Evrensel, indicating not just intimidation but outright violence against media infrastructure. Censorship also surged in August....

September 01, 2025 – Palestine – A powerful open letter titled “With the deaths of journalists in Gaza, press freedom is also being assassinated” warns that, at the current pace of journalist casualties inflicted by the Israeli army, “there will soon be no one left to inform you.” The letter spotlights the escalating crisis in Gaza, where journalists are dying at an unprecedented rate. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that approximately 197 journalists have been killed since the war began in October 2023. Other organizations estimate even higher figures, such as 246, as...

September 01, 2025 – Iran – Journalists working for Iran International, a London-based Persian‑language news outlet broadcasting globally, are living in fear as the Iranian regime intensifies intimidation campaigns against them—and even their families. Since the 12‑day conflict between Iran and Israel, threats have surged dramatically. About 45 journalists across eight countries and more than 300 of their relatives have reportedly received direct threats—some involving being followed, having trackers planted on their vehicles, and enduring harassing online abuse, including sexual harassment. In Australia, Alireza Mohebbi, Iran International’s Melbourne correspondent, shared that regime agents have called...

September 01, 2025 – Russia – Two Russian neo‑Nazis serving life sentences for high‑profile political murders have reportedly sought early release from prison to participate in the fighting in Ukraine. The individuals in question—Nikita Tikhonov and Ilya Goryachev—are former leaders of the now-defunct Battle Organization of Russian Nationalists (BORN), a neo‑Nazi group. Their request was revealed during a livestream on the Russian social media platform VK, conducted by pro‑war blogger Alexander Kots, who was asked whether inmates serving life terms could be pardoned to serve at the front. He confirmed that Tikhonov and Goryachev had...

September 01, 2025 – Palestine – A coalition of 131 Israeli journalists has issued a powerful petition demanding that their government cease what they describe as the targeting of press members in Gaza. The petition accuses the Israeli authorities of deliberately preventing foreign correspondents from entering the region, effectively blocking independent coverage despite repeated appeals made to the Supreme Court by the Foreign Press Association. This group’s appeal reflects growing concern over the accelerating death toll among journalists covering the Gaza war. According to data from the Committee to Protect Journalists, 168 reporters have already...

September 01, 2025 - General -  In an unprecedented international protest, over 250 media outlets across more than 70 countries simultaneously blacked out their front pages, online homepages, and broadcast programming for one day. Coordinated by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the global activism group Avaaz, this historic blackout on September 1, 2025, condemned the mounting violence against journalists in Gaza and demanded urgent protection for media workers on the front lines. The blackouts took different forms across platforms—print editions were published entirely in black with stark solidarity messages, television and radio stations paused regular...

August 31, 2025 - Bangladesh -  In a disturbing attack on press freedom, journalist Arif Samrat was violently assaulted on August 31, 2025, in Keraniganj, Dhaka. According to reports, the assault took place at Khola Mora when Samrat was stopped by a group of men while riding his motorcycle. The mob, numbering between eight and ten individuals, allegedly attacked him at the instigation of local Awami League leader Monjur Islam and his associates. During the assault, Samrat was threatened with death, leaving him injured and shaken. The attack is believed to have been retaliation for...

August 31, 2025 - Palestine -  Media organizations worldwide are gearing up for a coordinated blackout on September 1, staging a powerful and unified protest over the growing number of journalists killed in Gaza and the restrictions on press access. The campaign calls on outlets globally to shutter their front pages, websites, and broadcasts in solidarity. This media blackout is being organized by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Avaaz, and the International Federation of Journalists, with support from a broad coalition of outlets including Al Jazeera, The Independent, +972, Local Call, The Intercept, Mediapart, L’Humanité, Forbidden...

August 31, 2025 - Palestine - The Global Sumud Flotilla, the largest-ever civilian maritime convoy aiming to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, began setting sail in late August and early September 2025. Over 50 vessels carrying humanitarian aid and international activists departed from Mediterranean ports including Barcelona, Genoa, Sicily, and Greece, converging toward Gaza. Later, additional departures were planned from Tunisia. The flotilla—coordinated by a coalition of civil society organizations including the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Global Movement to Gaza, Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, and Sumud Nusantara—seeks to deliver food, water, and medical supplies while opening...

August 31, 2025 - Nigeria -  The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, has issued a public apology to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, following a widely criticised incident involving the harassment of a Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) reporter. The apology comes after mounting pressure and condemnation from journalistic bodies and the public. The incident in question occurred on August 27, 2025, when Ladi Bala, Transport Correspondent for NTA and former President of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), was covering the aftermath of the Abuja–Kaduna train derailment....

August 31, 2025 - Nigeria - The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council has strongly denounced the alleged harassment and intimidation of Ladi Bala, a transport correspondent for the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and former president of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), by Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). The incident took place on August 27, 2025, as Bala was covering the aftermath of a train derailment along the Abuja–Kaduna rail line. According to a statement by NUJ FCT Secretary Jide Oyekunle, Opeifa disrupted Bala’s live reporting,...

August 31, 2025 - USA -  Recently, there has been a sweeping restructuring at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), Voice of America’s (VOA) parent body, under acting CEO Kari Lake, resulting in the elimination of more than 500 full-time positions, primarily affecting VOA staff. Kari Lake announced a reduction-in-force (RIF) that would terminate 532 government positions, and terminate over 500 roles at VOA specifically, citing the need to shrink federal bureaucracy and cut spending. Notices were sent late on a Friday ahead of the Labor Day weekend, with termination effective by September 30....

August 31, 2025 - India -  Deep Saikia, a journalist with Nagaland-based Hornbill TV, was seriously injured on Saturday evening while covering the Zinnia (or Cherry Blossom) Flower Festival in Laii (Lair) village, located in Manipur’s Naga-majority Senapati district. The assailant, armed with an air gun, opened fire, striking Saikia in the right leg and underarm. The gunman was intercepted by villagers and handed over to the police alongside the weapon. Initially treated at the Senapati district hospital, Saikia was later transferred to Dimapur, Nagaland, for further medical care. According to local reports, his condition was...

August 31, 2025 - Palestine -  The conflict in Gaza has reached a crisis point for local journalists and fixers, whose numbers of casualties now far exceed those of foreign correspondents. Often underpaid, undervalued, and ill-equipped, these media professionals are bearing the brunt of the violence as news coverage in the region relies increasingly on them, with deadly consequences. Foreign journalists have largely been barred from entering Gaza, forcing this fraught reporting burden onto Palestinian journalists. While international outlets are the primary sources that broadcast global coverage, they depend on local reporters to gather and...

August 30, 2025 - Venice/Palestine -  The 82nd Venice International Film Festival, held from August 27 to September 6, 2025, has unfolded amid deep political tensions, with growing calls for solidarity with Palestinians dominating the cultural landscape. A major highlight was a mass pro‑Palestine protest, with thousands marching through Venice during the festival to demand that the Biennale take a stand against what they describe as the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and banners reading “Free, Free Palestine,” aiming to use the festival’s global visibility to amplify their message. Earlier in the week, pressure...