Singapore, May 9 (AP/UNB) — Singapore reportedly has passed a law criminalizing publication of fake news and allowing the government to block and order the removal of such content. The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill passed Wednesday night…
By IPS World Desk Rome, Apr 29 2019 (IPS) – Journalists and media outlets worldwide have recently been subject to a subtle wave of vilification. Populist rhetoric and public indifference have begun to threaten the very foundation of our freedom.…
Yangon, May 7 (AP/UNB) — Two Reuters journalists who were imprisoned for breaking Myanmar’s Official Secrets Act over reporting on security forces’ abuses of Rohingya Muslims were pardoned and released Tuesday. The convictions of Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe…
Colombo, Apr 30 (AP/UNB) — Sri Lanka’s president has lifted a nationwide social media ban that was imposed after Easter suicide bomb attacks that killed 253 people. A government statement Tuesday said that President Maithripala Sirisena has lifted the ban…
San Francisco, Apr 30 (AP/UNB) — Google parent Alphabet beat analyst earnings expectations but reported slowing revenue growth amid tougher competition in the online advertising market. Alphabet shares dropped more than 7% in after-hours trading. Google’s advertising revenue, its key…
Dhaka, Apr 28 (UNB) – BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday alleged that the government has established its full control over the media by creating a division among journalists and their organisations. “This fascist regime has brought…
The highest court of Myanmar has denied the final appeal of the two Reuters journalists who were imprisoned for their reporting on the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, upholding the seven-year prison sentence and dashing the last hope that justice would be…
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 19 2019 (IPS) – Journalists around the world are increasingly seeing threats of violence, detention, and even death simply for doing their job, a new press index found. In the 2019 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has found…
Sri Lanka, Apr 22 (AP/UNB)- Sri Lankan authorities blocked most social media after Easter Sunday attacks killed more than 200 people, with officials saying the temporary move was meant to curtail the spread of false information and ease tensions. The…
Dhaka, Apr 20 (UNB) – An ongoing maintenance work in Cox’s Bazar may slow down internet connections and cause disruptions throughout the country between April 20 and May 1. “Two repeaters will be replaced during the period,” said the Bangladesh…
By Jonathan Rozen New York, Apr 17 2019 (IPS) – When Nigeria’s incumbent president Muhammadu Buhari won re-election this year, he campaigned (as he did in 2015) on an image of good governance and anti-corruption. Billboards in the capital, Abuja,…
NEW YORK, Apr 16 2019 (IPS) – After a seven-year standoff at the Ecuadorean embassy in London, British police last week arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange–a development press freedom advocates had long feared. For years, journalists and press freedom advocates worried…
TUNIS, Apr 12 2019 (IPS) – Sometimes a peak into the future reminds us just how stuck we are in the past and present. It was the talk of the Middle East’s largest annual media industry gathering: a robot journalist –…
Washington, Apr 12 (AP/UNB) —President Donald Trump declared that “I know nothing about WikiLeaks” after its disheveled founder Julian Assange was hauled out of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to face charges, a stark contrast to how candidate Trump showered…
The extradition of Julian Assange from the United Kingdom to the United States for alleged computer-related crimes could have dangerous implications for journalists in the digital age. London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed Assange’s arrest on April 11, 2019 “on behalf of the United States authorities” under an…
Menlo Park, April 11 (AP/UNB) — Facebook said Wednesday it is rolling out a wide range of updates aimed at combatting the spread of false and harmful information on the social media site — stepping up the company’s fight against…
Dhaka, Apr 2 – Senior journalist Mahfuz Ullah was admitted to Square Hospital here on Tuesday with severe chest pain. The journalist has been kept at the coronary care unit (CCU) of the hospital under cardiologist Dr Mahbub Mansur, a…
Dhaka, Mar 9 (UNB) – The verified Facebook page and personal email of State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid were hacked on Friday. “They were hacked at the same time,” his public relations officer Aslam Uddin told UNB on Saturday.…
Rajshahi, March 08 – A three-day Media Tech Challenge Boot Camp-2019, jointly organized by Mass-communication and Journalism department (MCJ), Computer Science and Engineering department (CSE) of Rajshahi University and Deutsche Welle (DW) Academy of Germany began on campus on Friday.…
San Francisco, Mar 8 (AP/UNB) — After building a social network that turned into a surveillance system, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he’s shifting his company’s focus to messaging services designed to serve as fortresses of privacy. Instead of just…
Dhaka, Feb 28 (UNB) – Director General (DG) of the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) and senior journalist Shah Alamgir passed away at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) here on Thursday. He was 62. Shah Alamgir breathed his last around…
Dhaka, Feb 27 (UNB) – Facebook authorities have pledged to follow the legal framework and culture of Bangladesh in publishing contents. They came up with the promise during a meeting with Tele Communication and ICT Minister Mostafa Jabbar at Mobile…
The Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)’s two projects have been recognized as the Champions of the prestigious UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes contest 2019. Projects are; Climate justice and resilience through Community Radio…
Dhaka, Feb 18 (UNB) – President Abdul Hamid on Monday urged the media to play a responsible role by following journalistic codes and prioritising national interests. “Media, democracy and development are complimentary to each other. One is stagnant without the…
Dhaka, Feb 15 – Senior photojournalist Farhad Hossain died on Friday after a prolonged illness since 2011. He was 71. He left behind his wife Asia Begum, only son Ashik Mohammad, a host of relatives, friends, colleagues and well wishers…
A Thai television station, Voice TV, provided airtime to candidates critical of Thailand’s military government and was then banned for 15 days during which it will be off air completely. Thailand goes to the polls in a few weeks, and…
Dhaka, Feb 9 – Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud on Saturday said time has come to think globally and work together on how to deal with fake news and rumours on social media platforms through establishing an ‘Internet Ombudsman’ because…
London, Feb 9 (AP/UNB) — Instagram has agreed to ban graphic images of self-harm after objections were raised in Britain following the suicide of a teen whose father said the photo-sharing platform had contributed to her decision to take her…
Nalaka Gunawardene Starting in 2008, the Indian government has been convening a global event platform called World Congress on Disaster Management to bring together researchers, policy makers and practitioners from around the world to discuss challenges of disaster risk reduction…
Dhaka, Jan 28 – BNP on Monday alleged that the government is trying to control the media to stop its criticisms and gag the voice of its opponents. “The media are being monitored and regulated regularly by a dark shadow…