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Reporters Without Borders today spelled out its concerns about press freedom in France as journalists’ unions demonstrated as part of a European action day, “Stand up for Journalism”. The worldwide press freedom organisation is seeking a raft of reforms which would allow journalists to work in a “positive environment”. These were a guarantee of journalists’ right to protect their sources, better...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan warning that the move, which has been accompanied by the armed occupation of public television and closure of private media, would only make the situation in the troubled country worse. “The elimination of free expression and imposition of censorship will only increase levels of fear...

New York, November 4, 2007—The government of President Pervez Musharraf should withdraw the severe restrictions it has placed on Pakistan’s news media and allow independent television and radio stations to resume coverage of the country’s political crisis, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. “President Musharraf’s drastic steps to silence news coverage make a mockery of his often...

November 4, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- A Baghdad correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty missing for nearly two weeks was released by her captors. Jumana al-Obaidi, 29, works for RFE/RL's Arabic-language service, Radio Free Iraq. RFE/RL President Jeff Gedmin said, "All of us at RFE/RL are very relieved Jumana's ordeal is over." Gedmin added that "journalists like Jumana put their lives on the line...

The journalist who interviewed a neo-Nazi for Germany's Vanity Fair filed charges against him. Michel Friedman -- a journalist, attorney and former leader in the German Jewish community -- wanted to interview far-rightist Horst Mahler about his roots as a founding member of the left-extremist Red Army Faction for the trendy magazine. Mahler, 71, who famously underwent a transformation to the...

New Delhi, Nov 4: Not many know that the 1857 War of Independence witnessed the first journalist martyred in the cause of the freedom of India and of the press. The fearless scribe, Moulvi Muhammad Baqar, did spot coverage of the uprising in Delhi and carried the report in the May 17 issue of his Urdu weekly ‘Delhi Urdu Akhbar’. It was an eyewitness account of the gruesome suppression of the...

Bangalore: The Ashok Nagar police on Friday arrested two software engineers employed by an IT major on the charge of beating up a reporter of The Hindu on Convent Road on Monday. The arrested are Praveen Kumar of Hubli and Shank Deep Chakraborty of Kolkata. The two, both engineering graduates with a master’s degree in management, have confessed to beating up the reporter, Ayesha Matthan, Ulsoor...

Mumbai (PTI): A reporter of a website was on Saturday arrested for allegedly sending an e-mail impersonating as Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, a senior police official said. Ashwin Pinto was arrested in the morning from his residence in the Cuffe Parade area of South Mumbai and produced before a local court which remanded him to judicial custody, a senior official in the Cyber Crime...

Sydney, Australia (AHN) - Investigations are still underway over the death of a 29-year-old TV journalist in Sydney, Australia, who was found lifeless at around 4 p.m. Friday at a famous tourist spot - the Gap. The sudden death of Charmaine Dragun, news anchor of Channel 10, brought great shock to her family and colleagues, as they have known the victim as someone who was "full of life." Reports...

Reporters Without Borders today expressed deep concern after Pakistan’s president, General Pervez Musharraf declared emergency rule and ordered a halt to broadcasts by privately-owned TV in all the country’s major cities. Mobile phone communications were also cut in some regions as the constitution was suspended and the country plunged into a deep political crisis. In Islamabad, police surrounded...