by barry | Apr 14, 2024 | Campaigns, freedom of information, international, media freedom, Press, Uncategorized
In response to pressure from the Australian Government and around the world, President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday 10 April that he is considering dropping the prosecution against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The date also marked the fifth anniversary of the...
by barry | Apr 5, 2024 | censorship, international, media freedom, Press
On 1 April the Israeli parliament passed a bill allowing the government to issue orders valid for 45 days, temporarily preventing broadcasting and allowing for the confiscation of equipment of foreign media, if the country’s security agencies provide an opinion...
by barry | Mar 28, 2024 | international, media freedom, media ownership, Reviews
I’ve recently come across Prospect Magazine, a monthly general-interest magazine, specialising in politics, economics and current affairs. It’s edited by Alan Rushbridger (formerly editor of The Guardian and member of the Garrick Club until 2010 according to Private...
by barry | Mar 26, 2024 | Campaigns, freedom of information, Government, international, nuj, Press, whistle blowing
Julian Assange has been given a reprieve in his fight against extradition to the US at the High Court in London. In a written statement handed down on Tuesday morning, the president of the king’s bench division, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson said that the...
by barry | Mar 7, 2024 | Campaigns, media freedom, nuj
The hearing into claims that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has been covertly monitoring Northern Ireland journalists reported in my recent blog https://thespark.me.uk/2024/02/22/police-must-come-clean-on-media-surveillance/ was adjourned in London last...
by barry | Feb 24, 2024 | Campaigns, international, media freedom, whistle blowing
Julian Assange’s application for leave to appeal his extradition to the United States was heard over two days in court five at London’s Royal Courts of Justice, last week. If it fails he could find himself on a flight to the US unless the European Court of Human...
by barry | Feb 22, 2024 | Campaigns, media freedom, Press
Journalism and the right to protect sources from state snooping, face another test on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 February when journalists and NUJ members Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey will attend an open court hearing of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal in...
by barry | Feb 18, 2024 | Campaigns, censorship, media freedom, whistle blowing
Julian Assange’s hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, which takes place on 20 and 21 February will consider an appeal against the UK’s decision to extradite him, and a previous ruling by Judge Baraitser in January 2021 which rejected arguments presented...
by barry | Feb 18, 2024 | Campaigns, Climate Change
The climate crisis is creating new and heightened occupational risks to workers, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is warning. Extreme weather and changing weather patterns are affected job security and health for workers, the global union body says....
by barry | Feb 1, 2024 | international, media freedom
In December, South Africa filed a case against Israel with the International Court of Justice, (ICJ) claiming it had breached obligations under the genocide convention in the Gaza Strip. An interim judgment was delivered on Friday 26 January, in which the president of...