News

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed alarm at a report of a grenade attack on the home of a female radio journalist in Herat province, Afghanistan. It is the second attack on radio producer Khadija Ahadi’s home in two weeks. The Afghan Independent Journalists’ Association (AIJA), an IFJ associate, reported that unidentified gunmen threw a grenade inside Khadija’s home on...

Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has expressed concern for the safety of Marlene Vaz, a journalist based in the northeastern Uruguayan town of Río Branco, and her family, who have been harassed as a result of her reporting the theft of a large consignment of sport shoes involving the Río Branco police in early 2006. The threats have stepped up in recent days as Vaz appeals against her one-year...

Two South African satellite engineers, held in Zimbabwe on several charges, including violating the country’s draconian media accreditation laws, were acquitted Monday. New York Times reporter Barry Bearak and British freelancer Stephen Bevan are due to appear in court on Wednesday in a similar case. “We welcome the acquittal of our colleagues Sipho Moses Maseko and Abdulla Ismail Gaibee,” said...

The United States military said Monday that it would release Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein who has been jailed in Iraq without trial for two years on accusations of terrorism and kidnapping. The US military initially said it had more than enough evidence to hold him under a UN mandate, but on Monday, Maj Gen Douglas Stone, deputy commanding general for detainee operations, signed the...

Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein began his third year in US military detention Saturday with the bulk of accusations against him dropped by Iraqi judges and press freedom groups renewing calls for his release. But the Pentagon said Hussein will be held until it reviews the Iraqi amnesty ruling and also said it reserves the option to ignore the decision and keep Hussein in custody. A...

An American freelance journalist detained over his coverage of recent riots said Friday last he had been released, while authorities announced at least nine Egyptian journalists were being held, according to an Associated Press (AP) report. James Buck and his Egyptian translator were among several taken into custody in Mahalla el-Kobra, a northern industrial city where protests over high prices...

German newspaper publishing houses are opposing plans by Deutsche Post World Net AG to launch a free newspaper, according to a Thomson Financial report. Deutsche Post's board member Juergen Gerdes Wednesday said in an interview with Financial Times Deutschland the German mail services company aims to grow its revenues from advertising as a way of offsetting declines in its core mail business, and...

A high-profile Croatian journalist has narrowly escaped an apparent murder attempt. Ivo Pukanic, the owner the Nacional weekly, was walking to his home just before midnight on April 10 when a man approached him and fired once from a gun with a silencer, the BalkanInsight.com website has reported. Pukanic quickly reacted and the bullet missed. The attacker tried to fire again but the gun failed to...

A proposed bill to amend the law on extremism will impose further restrictions on press freedom in Russia. Drafted by the prosecutor-general’s office, the bill was presented at a meeting organised by the Duma’s security committee on April 10. The proposed changes would allow prosecutors to exercise additional control over publications, especially websites. They would, for example, make it...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Monday began a four-day official visit to China aiming to put in place measures that will protect journalists facing new threats as political confrontation intensifies in the run up to the Olympics. "In the last few weeks the political heat has been turned up over Tibet and the Olympics and journalists have found themselves in the crossfire," said...