News

September 03, 2025 - Iraq -  Iraqi Kurdish journalist and activist Hemn Mamand, host of the popular Sterk TV talk show “Sarinj – Comment”, was gravely wounded in an apparent targeted shooting on September 2, 2025, in Sulaymaniyah. The attack occurred just hours after his program aired, as he was departing a restaurant. Witnesses report that two assailants on a motorcycle opened fire, striking Mamand with five shots—one hitting his arm and shrapnel lodging in his abdomen—before fleeing the scene. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the assault, calling it a clear assassination...

September 03, 2025 - USA -  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security unveiled a proposal to drastically shorten the duration of journalist visas. Under the proposal, foreign correspondents would face fixed-term limits—just 240 days, and even 90 days for Chinese nationals—significantly reducing the previously more flexible, potentially indefinite validity of I-visas and J-visas for foreign media workers.  Reporters Without Borders (RSF) strongly opposes this move, arguing it would erect unnecessary barriers to journalism and create a chilling environment for press freedom in the United States. RSF warns that it would force foreign journalists to constantly...

September 03, 2025 - USA -  White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has ignited controversy after singling out a CBS News journalist, echoing the combative media strategy long associated with Donald Trump. In an interview with The Daily Caller, Leavitt referred to the journalist as “stupid,” sparking criticism that the remark was not only unprofessional but also emblematic of the administration’s increasingly adversarial stance toward mainstream press outlets. The exchange quickly spread across social media, drawing both condemnation and praise depending on political affiliation. Leavitt, at just 27 years old, has become one of the...

September 03, 2025 - USA -  U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to take his legal battle with writer E. Jean Carroll to the Supreme Court, asking the justices to throw out a jury’s finding that he sexually abused her and then defamed her in public statements. The dispute stems from a May 2023 New York civil trial in which a jury ordered Trump to pay $5 million in damages to Carroll. Jurors concluded that he assaulted her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s and later defamed her by calling her account a...

September 03, 2025 - Palestine -  On September 2, 2025, Gaza’s journalism community suffered another devastating loss with the killing of Eman al-Zamli. She was shot in the head by an explosive bullet while fetching water. The Palestinian journalist was caught in Israel’s latest wave of airstrikes. Al-Zamli was among more than one hundred Palestinians killed in a single day of bombardment that struck homes, streets, and aid gathering points across Gaza City and surrounding areas. Her death came on a day already marked by heavy bloodshed, where dozens of civilians, including children, were also...

September 03, 2025 - Palestine -  On September 2, 2025, the journalist community was dealt another devastating blow with the killing of broadcast engineer Ayman Haniyeh in Gaza City. Haniyeh, who worked with Iraq-based al-Manara Media Company, lost his life in an Israeli airstrike near the Jordanian Hospital. His death was reported just hours after the funeral of fellow photojournalist Rasmi Salem, who had also been killed under similar circumstances. According to reports, Haniyeh was returning from Salem’s funeral when the strike occurred. Witnesses describe it as a deliberate targeting of areas frequented by civilians,...

September 02, 2025 – Palestine – The war in Gaza has claimed yet another journalist, with Rasmi Jihad Salem, a cameraman for Manara Media Company, killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City. His death raises the total number of journalists and media workers killed since October 2023 to 248, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. Officials condemned the attack as part of a deliberate effort to silence the press and urged international institutions to pursue accountability under international law. In a statement, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) World Service mourned Salem as...

September 02, 2025 - France/Syria -  French judicial authorities have taken a decisive step against impunity by issuing European arrest warrants for seven senior former Syrian officials—including ex-president Bashar al‑Assad—in connection with the 2012 targeted bombing of a press center in Homs. This attack claimed the lives of prominent journalists Marie Colvin (American) and Rémi Ochlik (French), while seriously injuring others. The investigative probe, initiated in 2012 and progressively strengthened over more than a decade, broadened its scope from murder and attempted murder to encompass war crimes, crimes against humanity, and conspiracy to commit such...

September 02, 2025 - General -  A TRT World commentary has sharply condemned the international media’s muted response to Israel’s killing of journalists in Gaza, calling it part of a deliberate campaign to silence reporting from the besieged territory. Since the outbreak of war in October 2023, more than 274 Palestinian journalists have been killed, making Gaza the deadliest conflict for media workers in modern history. Among the latest casualties were Rasmi Jihad Salem, a cameraman for Manara Media, who died in an Israeli airstrike near Gaza City, and Eman al-Zamli, who was killed by...

September 02, 2025 – Nigeria – Journalists in Kwara North are facing mounting intimidation after being summoned to the palace of the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Muhammad Kudu Kawu, and warned to cease reporting on terrorist and bandit attacks. The monarch reportedly delivered the threats at the behest of Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, accusing media outlets of “embarrassing” the government with their coverage of insecurity in areas such as Lafiagi and Patigi. According to an anonymous source within the emirate, journalists were told that failure to comply could result in arrest. These developments follow...

September 02, 2025 – Ukraine – Former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Mykolayenko has revealed that Russian forces attempted to pressure him into luring prominent journalist Serhiy Nikitenko into a trap during the early days of the occupation. Mykolayenko, who was abducted by Russian troops in April 2022 for refusing to collaborate, recounted the ordeal after his release on August 24, 2025, following more than two years in captivity. According to Mykolayenko, Russian officers ordered him to contact Nikitenko, editor of the local outlet MOST, as well as volunteer Elika Markelia, and persuade them to attend a...

September 02, 2025 – Bangladesh – A Kurigram court has sent former Deputy Commissioner Sultana Parvin to jail after rejecting her bail in a long-running case over the abduction and torture of journalist Ariful Islam Rigan, the Kurigram correspondent for Bangla Tribune and Dhaka Tribune. The decision marks a rare victory for accountability in Bangladesh, where journalists frequently face threats, harassment, and violence in the line of duty. The case dates back to March 13, 2020, when Rigan was dragged from his home at midnight by local law enforcement and magistrates operating under Parvin’s orders....

September 02, 2025 – Turkey – A Turkish journalist has been jailed after uncovering an extortion scheme in the central province of Nevşehir, where local officials allegedly invoked the names of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya to pressure business owners for money. The journalist’s reporting detailed how officials leveraged political connections and Erdoğan’s image to lend credibility to their demands, creating fear among targeted citizens. Instead of investigating the allegations, Turkish authorities swiftly detained the journalist, accusing them of spreading disinformation and defaming state institutions. The decision has drawn sharp criticism...

September 02, 2025 - France/Syria - French judges have issued an arrest warrant for former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, accusing him of responsibility for the 2012 bombardment in Homs that killed American journalist Marie Colvin and French photographer Rémi Ochlik. The strike, which also injured other foreign reporters, targeted an informal press centre established to document atrocities committed during the brutal siege. The warrant represents a landmark moment in the pursuit of justice for crimes against journalists, directly implicating Assad in what investigators concluded was a deliberate attack to silence independent reporting. Colvin, a celebrated...

September 02, 2025 - Mexico - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Mexican NGO Propuesta Cívica filed two new complaints before the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva, demanding accountability for the enforced disappearances of two Mexican journalists, María Esther Aguilar Cansimbe and José Antonio García Apac. Both cases, dating back nearly two decades, remain unresolved and exemplify the persistent impunity that endangers journalists across Mexico. Aguilar Cansimbe, who reported on organized crime and public security, vanished in Michoacán in November 2009 after leaving her home. Investigations into her disappearance were marred by negligence,...

September 02, 2025 - Qatar -  Al Jazeera Media Network officially appointed Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal bin Khalifa Al Thani as its new Director General, succeeding Dr. Mostefa Souag, who served in the position for over twelve years. The announcement marks a significant leadership transition for one of the world’s most influential media organizations, known for its global reach and commitment to press freedom. Sheikh Nasser, a Qatar University graduate, began his career at Barwa Real Estate before moving into the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2013. Over the next decade, he held several...

September 02, 2025 – Australia/Lebanon – Australian MP Bob Katter is facing mounting controversy after threatening to punch a reporter who asked about his Lebanese heritage during a press conference supporting an anti-immigration rally. The aggressive exchange was captured on video and has sparked widespread reactions from media condemnation to potential parliamentary sanctions. During a media appearance in Brisbane, when asked by Channel Nine reporter Josh Bavas about his Lebanese heritage, Katter accused him of racism and warned, “I punch blokes in the mouth for saying that.” He followed up by stating Bavas would “answer...

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...