2005-2014

Reporter José Ubaldo Izquierdo Hernández was released from a Cuban jail and arrived Friday in Madrid, becoming the 11th independent journalist to be freed by the Havana government this month. “My colleagues and I warmly hugged each other upon arrival, sharing our happiness for regaining freedom and our sorrow for leaving Cuba,” Izquierdo Hernández told New York-based Committee to Protect...

Devi Prasad Dhital alias Hemraj, the chairman of community radio Tulsipur FM, in the western Nepal district of Dang, has been murdered. Shot in the chest on Thursday, he died after being rushed to a hospital in Tulsipur, Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) has reported. Dhital was shot Thursday evening while travelling on a motorcycle. After bringing him down with their first shot, his killers shot...

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition backed down on a controversial wiretaps bill Thursday as its deputies approved a watered-down version in a parliamentary committee vote, Agence France-Presse (AFP) has reported. The initial bill would have banned the publication of transcripts in the media and called for up to two years in jail and fines of up to 464,700 euros (600...

New York Times Co posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings and for the first time in three years increased revenue as advertising stabilised and readers paid more for its newspapers. The publisher on Thursday said advertising revenue was about flat in the second quarter, raising hopes among investors that the newspaper business might recover after a prolonged slump, according to Reuters...

South Africa’s The New Age newspaper, a daily that plans to start production in September, said the Times of India Group has taken a stake in the business and it will have an initial print-run of 170,000 copies, Bloomberg News has reported. The details: [ Link] The Gupta Group, the family which controls Sahara Computers Ltd., control the newspaper, which will compete with at least five large daily...

An Egyptian journalist in Riyadh, who works as a correspondent of Kuwait's Al-Rai Arabic newspaper, was injured in a gun attack on Wednesday, according to arabnews.com. Subhi Rakha, the journalist, was attacked by a group of Saudi youths after he tried to settle a quarrel between them and an Egyptian with the help of others. The young men, after the quarrel had seemingly been settled, opened fire...

A Thai journalist wounded during an army crackdown on a mass protest in April is suing prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and other top officials for attempted murder, his lawyer said, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Bodin Watcharobol, a 42-year-old freelance photographer, was shot and seriously wounded as armed troops tried to clear an area of the capital of demonstrators, leaving 26...

The editor of Tamil daily Dina Bhoomi, S Manimaran, his son M Rameshkumar and associate M Muthiah, who were arrested in Madurai on Wednesday for publishing news on granite quarries in the Madurai region, were released on Thursday, the Hindu has reported. When the bail application came up before the Judicial Magistrate, Madurai Court, the prosecution did not oppose it. A senior government official...

More than two decades after veteran journalist Dalbir Singh of Ganna Pind, who was declared a “bad character” and implicated in five murder, attempt to murder and National Security Act cases by police, a Phillaur court has issued “non-bailable” warrants against the police officer who failed to provide details on why cases were registered against him. Dalbir Singh had been exonerated of all...

Cuban journalist Alfredo Pulido López was released from jail and landed Thursday in Madrid, bringing to 10 the number of imprisoned reporters freed and sent to Spain as part of an agreement between the Catholic Church and the Cuban government. “I am extremely happy to regain my freedom, but I also feel sad for leaving my country,” Pulido López, left, told New York-based Committee to Protect...