SYDNEY: Australia ordered Internet providers on Monday to block eight websites that published content linked to the Christchurch mosque massacre — a first under new censorship rules.
After the alleged gunman, an Australian national, live-streamed the killing of 51 worshippers at two New Zealand mosques in March, Canberra has looked to expand its censorship powers.
The overseas websites were blacklisted because they “continue to provide access to the video of the Christchurch terrorist attacks or the manifesto of the alleged perpetrator,” said Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety commissioner.
Authorities refused to name the websites — which will be blocked for at least six months — saying it could bring them more traffic.
Several other websites were asked to take down content and had complied, Inman Grant added.
“The remaining rogue websites need only to remove the illegal content to have the block against them lifted,” she said.
One of the eight websites was a blog focusing on the so-called “Threat of Islam,” according to an explanatory statement lodged with the Federal Register of Legislation.
The Communication Alliance — a telecommunications lobby group — said Internet providers had already blocked all eight websites voluntarily before the order, but welcomed the legal clarity provided by the government decision.
In defense of the new censorship powers put into action by Australia’s conservative government, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said last month: “That type of abhorrent material has no place in Australia.”
“We are doing everything we can to deny terrorists the opportunity to glorify their crimes, including taking action locally and globally.”
A new 24/7 Crisis Coordination Center is also being set up, tasked with monitoring terror-related incidents and extremely violent events for censorship.
Australia blocks websites hosting Christchurch attack videos
Australia blocks websites hosting Christchurch attack videos
- Internet providers had already blocked all eight websites voluntarily before the order, but welcomed the legal clarity provided by the government
- A new 24/7 Crisis Coordination Center is also being set up, tasked with monitoring terror-related incidents and extremely violent events for censorship
Watchdog calls for international probe into alleged war crimes targeting journalists in Lebanon
- Committee to Protect Journalists urges actions to ‘ensure journalist murders do not go unpunished’
- Investigations found Israel ‘deliberately targeted’ compound that killed 3 journalists in southern Lebanon in October
LONDON: The Committee to Protect Journalists has called for an international investigation into “possible war crimes” after separate investigations by The Guardian and Human Rights Watch concluded that Israel deliberately targeted and killed three journalists in southern Lebanon.
“Journalists are civilians and must never be targeted,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg. “Israel must be held accountable for its actions and the international community must act to ensure that journalist murders are not allowed to go unpunished.”
HRW and The Guardian revealed on Monday that the Oct. 25 airstrike in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon, was carried out using a US-supplied bomb guidance kit.
The attack killed Ghassan Najjar, Mohammed Reda, and Wissam Kassem — journalists and media workers affiliated with Hezbollah-linked outlets — and injured three others.
The strike targeted a chalet in a Druze-majority area, which had been used as a press hub for over 20 days by more than a dozen journalists.
The Israeli military initially claimed the attack targeted a “Hezbollah military structure” harboring “terrorists” but later stated the incident was under review after discovering journalists were among the victims.
Investigations found no evidence of military presence or activity at the site. Analysis of shrapnel, video footage, satellite images, and interviews with survivors suggested the attack was a deliberate strike on civilians, constituting an apparent war crime.
HRW noted: “Information reviewed indicates that the Israeli military knew or should have known that journalists were staying in the area and in the targeted building.”
Legal experts also pointed to potential US complicity due to its provision of the weaponry used in the strike.
The incident follows the Oct. 13 killing of Lebanese journalist Issam Abdallah in an Israeli tank strike, which also wounded six other journalists.
Independent investigations by Reuters, AFP, HRW, Amnesty International, and Reporters Without Borders concluded the attack deliberately targeted journalists who were clearly identifiable.
Since the outbreak of hostilities in October, CPJ has confirmed the deaths of six Lebanese journalists.
In its Deadly Pattern report published before the war, CPJ found that Israel had failed to hold its military accountable for the killings of at least 20 journalists over the past 22 years.
Tuesday’s announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has brought a pause to hostilities, but media watchdogs will likely continue to demand accountability for attacks on journalists and press freedom violations.
Saudi, UN bodies sign deal on media training
- Saudi Media Forum Chairman Mohammed Al-Harthi said that the partnership is the forum’s first strategic initiative and will positively impact Saudi media
RIYADH: The Saudi Media Forum has signed a cooperation agreement with the UN Institute for Training and Research to promote sustainable development and empower individuals as well as media organizations.
It aims to advance media and training efforts in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 and global sustainable development trends, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The agreement focuses on creating lasting impact through innovative training programs that combine academic knowledge with practical applications.
These programs will empower journalists and organizations, enhance professional awareness in both public and private sectors, and promote media literacy and innovative education.
The partnership will also support media organizations in achieving sustainable development goals through professional training, remote learning and educational resources.
Saudi Media Forum Chairman Mohammed Al-Harthi said that the partnership is the forum’s first strategic initiative and will positively impact Saudi media.
He added that Saudi Arabia, a nation of continuous renewal, must stay ahead of transformations to advance its development.
The forum continues to forge strategic partnerships with local and international entities to elevate Saudi media’s global standing while providing media professionals and organizations with the tools to create world-class content, the SPA reported.
Israeli soldiers desecrate church in southern Lebanon in latest religious site incident
- IDF soldiers are filmed performing a mock wedding inside an Orthodox church
- Online users question continued support by Western Christians despite rise in attacks toward non-Jewish religious sites
LONDON: Israeli soldiers have come under fire after a video surfaced showing them desecrating a Christian church in southern Lebanon, marking the latest attack on a religious site amid rumors of an imminent truce in Lebanon.
The incident reportedly took place in Deir Mimas, near the border with Israel, and involved soldiers from the Israeli Defense Forces Golani Special Operations Unit.
The video, which began circulating widely online on Monday, depicts the soldiers performing a mock wedding ceremony inside the Orthodox church, sparking outrage across social media platforms.
The footage shows a male soldier, pretending to be a bride, wearing a hood and participating in a staged ritual led by another soldier using a disconnected microphone. The mock priest asked for the bride and groom’s names as the group laughed.
The scene escalates into chaos as another soldier interrupts, kneels before the “bride,” and simulates a dramatic objection, followed by soldiers piling on top of each other.
The timing of the video remains unclear, but its release has drawn condemnation online.
Another video of Israeli soldiers desecrating a Church in South Lebanon and mocking the holy sacraments.
— Karim Emile Bitar (@karimbitar) November 25, 2024
Deafening silence of US and European politicians who spent the past 20 years masquerading as defenders of Eastern Christians, only to pander to Western Islamophobes. https://t.co/0ACJuGV1dg
Karim Emile Bitar, professor of international relations at Saint Joseph University in Beirut, called it a blatant act of disrespect, posting on X: “Another video of Israeli soldiers desecrating a Church in South Lebanon and mocking the holy sacraments. Deafening silence of US and European politicians who spent the past 20 years masquerading as defenders of Eastern Christians, only to pander to Western Islamophobes.”
Other users voiced their anger, accusing Western Christians of ignoring Israeli acts of disrespect toward non-Jewish religious sites.
“It is incomprehensible that US Christians continue to blindly defend Israelis who desecrate the Church,” voiced another user.
This incident follows a string of troubling actions targeting cultural and religious landmarks by Israeli forces.
Earlier this month, the same IDF brigade allegedly vandalized two memorials in Hula, south Lebanon, using graffiti that read, “A good Shiite is a dead Shiite.”
In August, footage emerged showing IDF soldiers burning copies of the Qur’an in a Gaza mosque, drawing widespread condemnation and prompting an internal Israeli Military Police investigation.
UK police forces quietly withdraw from X platform amid content concerns
- Several UK police forces cut X usage to a minimum after misinformation on the platform fueled UK’s summer riots
- X has been a primary communication tool for the British government, public services, institutions and millions of people for over a decade
LONDON: Several British police forces have largely withdrawn from Elon Musk’s X social media platform as concerns over its role in promoting violence and extreme content persist, a Reuters survey of forces’ social media output showed.
X, formerly Twitter, was used to spread misinformation that sparked riots across Britain this summer, and has reinstated British-based accounts that had been banned for extremist content.
Musk’s comment in August that civil war in Britain was “inevitable” drew rebukes from Downing Street and police leaders.
Critics argue that Musk’s approach fosters hate speech, though Musk has said he is defending free speech and has described Britain as a “police state.”
Reuters reported in October that North Wales Police had ceased posting on X. Others are moving in that direction, according to Tuesday’s survey.
Reuters visually monitored posts on X from 44 territorial police and British Transport Police over the three months to Nov. 13 and focused on ones that had noticeably fewer posts, comparing their output to a year previously.
Reuters then contacted those eight forces.
West Midlands Police, one of Britain’s biggest police forces which serves the second city of Birmingham, reduced its X posts by around 95 percent in annual terms in that period.
Lancashire Police in the north of England, cut its usage of X by around three-quarters compared with a year ago.
“We understand that, as the digital landscape changes, so too does our audiences’ channels of choice,” the force said.
And Derbyshire Police, which serves around a million people in central England, made its last original post on Aug. 12 and has responded only to queries since. It said it was reviewing its social media presence.
X-COMMUNICATION
Other forces said X remained useful for updates on things like road closures, but platforms like Facebook and Instagram were better for reaching communities.
X did not respond to a request for comment.
X has been a primary communication tool for the British government, public services, institutions and millions of people for over a decade.
It had just over 10 million British app users in October, compared with 4.5 million for Threads and 433,000 for Blue Sky, according to data from digital intelligence platform Similarweb.
But usage is dropping, with X’s British app users down 19 percent on a year ago, Similarweb data showed.
The government still posts to X but does not use it for paid communications. It does, however, advertise on Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, a government source said last month.
Several well-known organizations, including the Guardian and non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate, have quit X due to concerns over its content.
Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology and health at Alliance Manchester Business School, said many institutions were wary of Musk’s power over the platform, as well as his “very substantial views.”
Asked why more police forces had not quit, Cooper told Reuters: “Institutions, just like individuals, get addicted. They invested in it over a period of time.”
North Wales Police is the only force to officially quit X completely.
“As X was no longer an effective communication medium, this change hasn’t affected our abilities to reach our communities,” it said. (Reporting by Andy Bruce Editing by Christina Fincher)
Saudi Media Forum opens registration for annual media awards
- Process open to media professionals, organizations until Dec. 10
RIYADH: The Saudi Media Forum has launched the registration process for its prestigious annual media awards, an event which aims to inspire creativity and recognize excellence across the media sector.
The awards are held in conjunction with the forum’s activities and the Future of Media Exhibition, which is to be held in Riyadh from Feb. 19-21 next year.
Mohammed Fahad Al-Harthi, the president of the Saudi Media Forum, stressed the awards’ growing importance in highlighting the role of the media in shaping societal values and fostering innovation, and added the event sought to recognize exceptional efforts in the fields of media and communication.
Last year’s edition saw more than 3,000 submissions locally and regionally, and the SMF said it expected participation to double this year amid growing interest in the sector.
The awards span a wide range of categories, including journalism, television programs, podcasts, academic research, and public relations campaigns. Individual achievements will also be recognized through accolades such as Media Personality of the Year, Best Digital Content, and the Columnist Award.
Al-Harthi also highlighted the introduction of the Tolerance Award, an international track focused on coexistence and dialogue and developed in partnership with the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue.
Registration is open to media professionals and organizations until Dec. 10, with submissions being accepted through the forum’s official platform.
Detailed criteria and submission guidelines can be accessed on the forum’s website at saudimf.sa/ar/awards.
