Mordechai Vanunu, the former Israeli nuclear plant technician who spent 18 years in prison for exposing the country’s nuclear arsenal, was jailed again on 23 May. He was found guilty of “unauthorised meetings with foreigners” which include...
Anonymous member jailed over Scientology cyber attacks
Brian Mettenbrink of Nebraska was sentenced this week to one year in prison and a $20,000 fine for orchestrating the DDoS attacks against the Church of Scientology’s website in 2008. Mettenbrink admitted to being a member of the group Anonymous,...
News reader quits in protest at Berlusconi
Maria Luisa Busi, presenter of the TG1 evening news programme on Rai 1 has quit her job in protest at prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s control of the Italian media. Her move comes after Augusto Minzolini, handpicked for the job by Berlusconi...
Pakistan: Nationalists attack news offices
Hundreds of activists from the Sindh Nationalists Party launched a sit-in outside the offices of the Daily Jang and Geo News TV channel in Karachi on Sunday evening. After some of the protesters attacked the building, staff and security guards...
Swaziland: Opposition leader charged with terrorism
The leader of the People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), an opposition party, has been arrested and charged with terrorism offences following the funeral of party member Sipho Jele. Mario Masuku was arrested after giving a eulogy that...
Tibet: School bans “separatist” ringtones
A high school near the city of Shigatse in Tibet has banned teachers and pupils from having "separatist" ringtones on their mobile phones after they were ruled "unhealthy" by local education officials. A list of 27 popular Tibetan songs was posted...
Quebec to ban niqab
Quebec's legislature has introduced a bill which could ban woman wearing the niqab face veil if they wish to access public services in the province. Public debate on the controversial Bill 94 has been suspended until August after more than 60...
Egypt: Minister accuses journalist of libel
Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit filed a lawsuit against opposition writer Hamdi Kandil for insult and libel on 19 May. Kandil wrote an opinion piece in Al-Shuruq newspaper, entitled Huan al Watan Wa Huan Almutan (Humiliation of homeland...
Bahrain suspends al-Jazeera
Al-Jazeera was suspended from operating in Bahrain on 19 May. The government said the news channel was "flouting the laws regulating the press and publishing" in the country and did not comply with “professional norms.” The bureau's suspension...
Honduran judges dismissed for political reasons
On May 12, the Honduran supreme court ratified its earliar decision to dismiss four lower-court judges who are members of Judges for Democracy, a group that has challenged the legality of the coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya last year. Two...
Film-maker’s arrest an “attack on art”
Film-maker Jafar Panahi has been imprisoned in Iran since 1 March after the government accused him of making a documentary about last year’s presidential election. He was to be on the Palme d’Or judging panel at the Cannes film festival this week...
Tibet: Photocopying to require ID registration
Anyone wishing to reproduce printed or written material in Lhasa will have to undergo real-name ID registration due to a new ruling announced on 10 May. Local police will now regularly check copy service providers to ensure that they take down the...