Press freedom

Serhan Asker, General Program Coordinator at Halk TV, makes a statement outside the Ankara branch of Turkey's most-watched news channel, Halk TV.

Live Updates

Turkey seizes opposition Halk TV as crackdown widens: What to know

Halk TV is a pro-opposition broadcaster and one of Turkey’s most-watched news channels.

LGBT+ supporters outside an Istanbul courthouse

Turkey bans T24 news site as dissent crackdown widens: What to know

Turkish authorities cited alleged LGBTQ+ propaganda for the ruling against the independent news website.

Sky News

Algeria pulls Sky News Arabia accreditation amid UAE rift: What to know

Algeria severed diplomatic ties with the UAE, which owns Sky News Arabia through Abu Dhabi-based International Media Investments, last Thursday.

AFP via Getty Images

Iraq sentences kidnapper of US journalist Shelly Kittleson to 15 years: What to know

The first sentencing in relation to Shelly Kittleson’s abduction comes as Iraq moves to rein in Iran-backed militias.

Latest News

Israel tightens election safeguards as public distrust surges: What to know

ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP via Getty Images

Culture

Turkish standup comic detained after act calling Erdogan 'dictator' goes viral

A screenshot of one of Deniz Goktas' standup routines posted to YouTube.

Culture

In Syria, detention of Hassan Akkad raises alarm about free expression under Sharaa

Hassan Akkad speaks about fleeing Syria in 2015 and his work as a filmmaker at a BAFTA event, Sept. 2023.

Kuwait acquits journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin after 7 weeks in detention

Ahmed Shihab‑Eldin attends the Opening Night during the Doha Film Festival 2025 on Nov. 20, 2025 in Doha, Qatar.

Alessio Romenzi, Sergio Splendore and Cecilia Sala are seen on stage during the “Gli orrori della guerra: storie dal fronte” event as part of the Terni Influencer & Creator Festival 2024, on April 13, 2024, in Terni, Italy.

Iran confirms arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala: What to know

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was arrested on Dec. 19, just six days after arriving in Tehran where she had conducted a series of interviews for her podcast series.

Turkish Jandarma soldiers guard the entrance to the Silivri Courthouse while awaiting the court's decision during the ongoing trial of journalists from the Cumhuriyet newspaper.

Turkey postpones debate on controversial ‘foreign agent’ law amid public outcry

The move follows criticism from the opposition and civil society over potential threats to free speech and media independence.

Turkish members of parliament attend a session at the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, in Ankara, on Dec. 11, 2023.

Turkey’s proposed ‘foreign agent’ law threatens press freedom, critics say

The bill is seen as a major blow to the already weak independent civil society organizations in Turkey.

Palestinian security forces close off the entrance of a building housing the offices of Saudi broadcasters MBC, Al-Arabiya, and Al-Hadath in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on October 21, 2024, during a protest calling for their closure against the backdrop of their descriptions of Hamas leadership which the protesters reject. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP) (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP via Getty Images)

What's behind Algeria's suspension of Saudi-owned Al Arabiya?

Algeria suspended the press license of Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya news channel just one day after Iraq suspended the license of Saudi-owned TV channel MBC.

Pictures of slain al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh hang on the facade of the building housing the television station's office in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, after Israel issued a 45-day closure order on September 22, 2024. Al Jazeera reported on September 22 that Israeli troops had raided its Ramallah bureau and informed journalists for the Doha-based network in the occupied West Bank to shutter operations. (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP) (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

After Al Jazeera office closure, what's next for press freedom in Israel?

The closure of the Ramallah Al Jazeera office came after the office in Jerusalem was shut down by order of the Israeli government last May.

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

Turkey blocks multiple X accounts, cites 'terrorist crackdown'

Turkey has mounted repeated attacks on the Kurdish-led region on the grounds that it is governed by terrorists.

This picture shows a view of the newsroom at the main headquarters of Qatari news broadcaster Al Jazeera in the capital Doha on May 6, 2024. Al Jazeera went off-air in Israel on May 5, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government decided to shut it down following a long-running feud, a move the Qatar-based channel decried as "criminal". (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Why closure of Al Jazeera is futile and slippery slope for Israel

There is broad understanding in Israel that shutting down Al Jazeera's local outfit is not only technologically impossible but also harmful to Israel's international image.

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

An employee of the Qatar-based news network and TV channel Al Jazeera is seen at the channel's Jerusalem office on July 31, 2017.

Israel’s Netanyahu vows to shut Al Jazeera after Knesset law

The prime minister's pledge drew statements of concern and condemnation from the White House and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) escorts King Mohammed VI of Morocco (C) and Crown Prince of Morocco, Moulay Hassan as they leave the Elysee palace on December 12, 2017 in Paris, following a lunch hosted by the French President as part of the One Planet Summit. The French President hosts 50 world leaders for the "One Planet Summit", hoping to jump-start the transition to a greener economy two years after the historic Paris agreement to limit climate change. (Photo by ALAIN JOCARD / AFP) (Photo by ALAIN

Analysis

Can France restore Morocco ties without shifting on Western Sahara?

On a visit to Rabat, French Foreign minister Stephane Sejourne acknowledged for the first time the importance of the Western Sahara issue for Moroccan diplomacy, but did not commit to any movement by Paris on the issue.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

People take part in a protest against the arrest of nine journalists working for Kurdish media outlets including Mezopotamya news agency in Istanbul, on Oct. 31, 2022.

Kurdish journalists harassed, detained ahead of key municipal race in Turkey

The detentions come amid ongoing demonstrations across the majority-Kurdish southeast region in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the arrest of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party leader Abdullah Ocalan.

MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images

85 journalists killed in Gaza war, deadliest for the press in 30 years

The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned the continued targeting of journalists in Gaza, coinciding with reports of Al Jazeera reporters sustaining serious injuries in an Israel strike in Rafah.

Tucker Carlson, US television personality and founder of the Tucker Carlson Network.

Why is Tucker Carlson in UAE after controversial Russia visit?

The controversial former Fox News host, who recently interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressed a summit in the UAE’s largest city.