Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has announced his engagement to his partner Ann Lesley Smith, a former police chaplain. Mr Murdoch, 92, and Ms Smith, 66, met in September at an event at his vineyard in California. The businessman told the New York Post, one of his own publications: “I dreaded falling in love – but I knew this would be my last. It better be. I’m happy.” He split with fourth wife Jerry Hall last year. Mr Murdoch added that he proposed to Ms Smith on St Patrick’s Day, noting that he was “one fourth Irish” and had been “very … Continue reading Rupert Murdoch set to marry for fifth time at 92

Senate Republicans and Capitol police have criticised Fox News after one of its hosts aired previously unseen clips of the riot two years ago at Congress, and played down the violent disorder. Host Tucker Carlson showed the video on Monday night, arguing it “does not show an insurrection or a riot in progress”, but rather “mostly peaceful chaos”. A top congressional Republican gave Mr Carlson exclusive access to the video. But some Republicans say the Fox host mischaracterised the raid on Congress. The top-rated host on Fox News, a conservative network, has long insisted that other media outlets exaggerated violence … Continue reading Republicans slam Fox News’ Tucker Carlson over Capitol riot clips

Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire owner of Fox News, has acknowledged some of the network’s stars endorsed false claims the 2020 election was stolen. But he denied all of Fox backed Donald Trump’s baseless claims of widespread fraud after his election defeat. Mr Murdoch’s comments were revealed in a legal filing as part of a defamation lawsuit brought by ballot tech company Dominion Voting Systems. Fox News denies defamation, saying the hosts’ words were taken out of context. “Some of our commentators were endorsing it,” Mr Murdoch said in a sworn deposition filed on Monday. Asked about certain on-air claims that … Continue reading Rupert Murdoch says Fox News hosts endorsed false election fraud claims

A TV reporter and a nine-year-old girl have been fatally shot near Orlando, Florida, close to the scene of a murder that took place hours earlier. A second reporter and the girl’s mother were shot and injured by the same gunman, who is also suspected of the other homicide, police say. The two Spectrum News 13 journalists were covering the killing of a woman in the area that morning when the teenage suspect returned, police say. It is unclear if they were targeted. The suspect was armed when he was arrested and was not co-operating with police, said investigators. None … Continue reading Florida TV journalist and girl killed near homicide scene

Cambodia’s leader Hun Sen has shut down one of the country’s last independent media outlets – just months before the country’s election. VOD, or the Voice of Democracy, had published a story last week that “hurt” his government’s reputation, Hun Sen said in a Facebook post on Sunday. He has refused to accept the group’s apology – cancelling its licence on Monday. Advocates say VOD’s loss is a major blow to the nation’s limited press. Editors at the news organisation confirmed to BBC that police had arrived at their Phnom Penh office on Monday morning with an order revoking their … Continue reading Cambodia shuts down independent media outlet Voice of Democracy

Indian journalist Siddique Kappan has been released from prison more than two years after his arrest while travelling to report on an alleged rape. He was arrested in October 2020 in Uttar Pradesh state, where a young Dalit woman had died after she was allegedly raped by four upper-caste men. The case had sparked protests in India. Police accused Mr Kappan of conspiring to create law and order trouble and incite violence, which he denied. Three men who were in the car with him that day were accused of similar offences. Mr Kappan, who had two cases against him, was given … Continue reading Indian journalist Siddique Kappan released from jail after two years

The Associated Press, the biggest news agency in the United States, has apologised after it was ridiculed for warning journalists against referring to “the French”. The AP stylebook Twitter account had recommended writers avoid using “the” in phrases like “the disabled, the poor and the French”. It said this could be dehumanising. The French embassy responded by briefly changing its name to the “Embassy of Frenchness in the United States”. “We just wondered what the alternative to the French would be,” Pascal Confavreux, the embassy spokesman, told the New York Times. “I mean, really.” The original AP tweet received more … Continue reading AP deletes ‘the French’ tweet and apologises after it is widely mocked

A Philippine court has acquitted journalist Maria Ressa and news outlet Rappler of tax evasion, in a move hailed as a win for press freedom. “Today, facts win, truth wins, justice wins,” said Ms Ressa, who if convicted could have been jailed up to 34 years. The Nobel laureate’s legal victory marks the end of a case that began in 2018. Ms Ressa, who founded Rappler, has been the target of legal action launched by the Philippine government. Under former leader Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine government had accused Ms Ressa and Rappler of evading tax payments when it raised capital through … Continue reading Philippine journalist Maria Ressa cleared of tax evasion

Billionaire businessman Elon Musk says several journalists he suspended from his social media company, Twitter, will have their accounts reinstated. Reporters for the New York Times, CNN and the Washington Post were among those locked out of their accounts, after Mr Musk accused them of sharing location data about him. But amid mounting criticism, he asked Twitter users what to do next. And 59% of the 3.6 million who took part voted to lift the ban immediately. “The people have spoken. Accounts who doxxed my location will have their suspension lifted now,” he tweeted. The ban was condemned by the … Continue reading Twitter reinstates banned journalists’ accounts

Russia’s last independent television channel, TV Rain, has been shut down in Latvia after less than five months on air. The channel, which is known as Dozhd in Russian, has been accused of showing content that supports Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. TV Rain has called the allegations “unfair and absurd” in a post on social media. It has been ordered to stop broadcasting on 8 December. TV Rain says it will obey the order but will remain on YouTube, which is where most of its audience watches its content. However, it will no longer be able to broadcast on cable … Continue reading Latvia shuts down Russian broadcaster over Ukraine war coverage

Pedro Pablo Kumul, a journalist who worked as a reporter for the Mexican daily ‘AX Noticias’ and broadcaster on Es Amor 105.5 HD, was shot and killed Tuesday afternoon while driving his car in the city of Veracruz, in the southeast of the country. Kamul was driving when he had a problem with the driver of another vehicle, who allegedly chased him and then shot him with a firearm, reported ‘Heraldo de México’. “We regret the terrible event that happened this afternoon in the town of Castillo where our friend, broadcaster and reporter of this media ‘Ax Noticias’ and Es … Continue reading Popular Mexican journalist shot dead in broad day light

An Ecuadorean photo-journalist named Henry Vivanco has been found dead with signs of torture in a house in Huarquillas, in southern Ecuador, in events that are already under investigation. Vivanco’s body was found handcuffed, half-naked, face down and with signs of violence, explained a brother of the victim, Patricio Vivanco, quoted by the newspaper ‘El Universo’. Patricio Vivanco explained that he had not spoken to his brother since Friday and that he only knew that he had gone out with a friend. It was the father of both of them who went to the journalist’s home, saw that there was … Continue reading Journalist found dead with signs of torture in Ecuador