10 May 2012 | Asia and Pacific, Index Index, minipost
A radio journalist was murdered in the Philippines on Tuesday. Nestor Libaton, a news reporter for Catholic-run radio station dxHM in Mati City, was shot several times by men on a motorbike. The journalist was on the back of a motorbike being driven by his co-anchor, Eldon Cruz, after the pair had conducted an interview in a nearby city. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) believe the incident occurred as a result of the journalists work. Libaton is the fourth journalist to be killed in the Philippines since the start of 2012.
10 May 2012 | United Kingdom
Speculation around Lord Justice Leveson’s expected report this autumn has overshadowed the vital libel reform identified in the Queen’s speech, says Kirsty Hughes
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9 May 2012 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Two Egyptian journalists were reportedly beaten while in military custody. Ahmed Ramadan and Islam Abu al-Ezz, of the online independent daily Al-Badil, said unidentified thugs beat them with swords while covering clashes in Cairo’s Abbasiya neighbourhood on 4 May. Shortly after the attack, the journalists were arrested and their belongings confiscated. They said they were beaten with sticks and kicked repeatedly while being held in the military prosecutor’s office.
8 May 2012 | Asia and Pacific, Index Index, minipost
A Thai man in his 60s who became known as “Uncle SMS” after he was convicted of defaming Thailand’s royal family in text messages has died while serving his 20-year prison term. Amphon Tangnoppakul, whose cause of death was unknown, was arrested in August 2010 and accused of sending four text messages to a government official that were deemed offensive to the queen. He denied sending them, claiming he did not know how to do so. He was convicted of defaming the Thai monarchy last November.
