Wikipedia to join anti-piracy legislation protest

On Wednesday the popular community-edited online encyclopedia Wikipedia (photo, from bbcimg.co.uk) will take its English-language site offline for 24 hours. The aim is to protest against two US anti-piracy legislation – Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) – which are being debated by Congress.

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Less entertainment on Chinese satellite TV

While Chinese president Hu Jintao warned of the influence of Western culture, an order by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) to curb “excessive entertainment” came into effect on January 1st. (photo from chinahush.com)

Therefore satellite broadcasters have cut entertainment TV by two-thirds, state news agency Xinhua has reported.

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Israel : clashes over gender segregation in Beit Shemesh

Clashes took place on Sunday and Monday between ultra-Orthodox Jews and police in the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh (photo from bbcimg.co.uk), near Jerusalem, leaving a police officer slightly hurt and a number of Orthodox Jews detained, according to reports.

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Norway : Breivik’s call to police broadcast

A recording of the first call of Anders Behring Breivik (photo, from bbcimg.co.uk) to the police was broadcast by Norwegian commercial TV channel TV 2 for the first time on Tuesday.

Norwegians have heard the self-confessed mass killer introduce himself as a “Norwegian anti-communist resistance commander” and say he wants to surrender.

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Journalists allowed inside Fukushima nuclear plant

Journalists wearing full protective clothing have been allowed to enter the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan on Saturday, for the first time since the country was hit by an earthquake and a tsunami.

During the tour, journalists took pictures inside the damaged plant.(photo, from lefigaro.fr)

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Melbourne tops most liveable city list

The Australian city of Melbourne (photo, from bbcimg.co.uk) is the world’s most liveable city, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit’s liveability survey.

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Jailed Iranian activist dies on hunger strike

Iranian journalist and veteran activist Hoda Saber (photo, from bbcimg.co.uk) started a hunger strike in jail on 2 June. He has died of a heart attack at the hospital.

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Man suspected of killing Politkovskaya arrested

Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya (photo, from bbcimg.co.uk) was killed in 2006 and Rustam Makhmudov, the man suspected of shooting her, has been arrested in Chechnya.

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Ecuador referendum results show president’s victory

Ecuador’s president Rafael Correa (photo, from bbcimg.co.uk) appears to have won 7 May referendum on political reforms, although the national electoral council still needs to confirm the final results and the opposition has several days to challenge those results.

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Saudi Arabia tightens media law

Control of the media has been tightened in Saudi Arabia by amendments to the media law issued as a royal order on Friday. State media reported that the amendments threaten fines and closure of publications which jeopardised the country’s stability or offended clerics.

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