Kuwait acquits journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin after 7 weeks in detention The American-Kuwaiti journalist is expected to be released after 52 days in custody over posts about wartime damage. Kuwait
Lebanon bids farewell to Amal Khalil, journalist killed by Israel: What to know Khalil's death in a targeted strike on a house where she and a colleague took cover sparked widespread condemnation by Lebanese officials and international media groups. Lebanon
Kuwait detains American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin: What to know Kuwaiti authorities have been cracking down on alleged violators of the country's media law during the Iran war. Kuwait
Journalist who investigated Erdogan’s son jailed on 'disinformation' charges in Turkey Human rights organizations warn Ari’s detention signals a broader campaign against journalists probing government corruption and elite networks. Turkey
Analysis Iran’s longest-ever internet blackout leaves 99% offline: What to know By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Press freedom watchdog criticizes suspension of Kurdish reporter in northeast Syria Rudaw's Vivian Fatah was suspended because she did not describe Kurdish fighters who had been killed in Syria as martyrs. Iraq
Media, rights groups decry Houthi court's execution orders Yemen is without a doubt hostile to the press, but the death sentences imposed on four journalists by a Houthi court shocked many observers. Yemen
Cloud of doubt surrounds coronavirus figures reported by Iraqi government There is great skepticism in Iraqi society and in the media about the government’s statistics of how many people have been infected by and died from the coronavirus. Iraq
Government's opacity makes Turkey’s war on COVID-19 harder Keen to minimize the political and economic repercussions of the coronavirus outbreak, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has pursued a policy of opacity, keeping the public from fully grasping the graveness of the threat. Turkey
Trans-Atlantic official slams US for forcing Turkish broadcaster to register as foreign agent The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's media freedom representative said TRT's registration under a Nazi-era anti-propaganda law had a “restrictive & negative impact on media freedom.” Turkey
Northeast Syrian airwaves home to radio tower of Babel Multicultural northeastern Syria boasts a plethora of multilingual radio stations. Syria
Egypt removes media mention from terrorism law The Egyptian parliament has reversed its decision to specifically include media outlets in its anti-terrorism law, but rights advocates say the action is mainly window dressing and won't help protect journalists. Egypt
A song of praise: Netanyahu’s court journalists Over the years, and especially since the 2015 election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been striving to set up a more submissive, sycophantic Israeli press that praises everything he does. Israel
Turkey's main opposition boycotts CNN Turk in protest of press censorship Turkey’s main opposition party has banned its members from appearing on CNN Turk, the Turkish franchise of the US broadcasting giant, charging that the channel functions as an "advertising agency" for the government. Turkey
Small Istanbul publisher sustains Armenian literature Aras Publishing has spent nearly three decades publishing forgotten classics by Armenian writers in both Turkish and the at-risk Western Armenian language. Turkey
Publishers, writers watch from behind bars as Cairo Book Fair wraps Egypt's restrictive cultural environment marred this year's Cairo International Book Fair with the recent arrests of publishers and closures of community libraries and bookstores. Egypt
Meet the dismissed sports host who challenged Iran’s state TV Popular sports host Adel Ferdosipour, who recently witnessed his show being taken off the air by hardliners in the state TV, has now launched a new show on the internet. Saudi Arabia
