Journalists face rising threats while media ownership is concentrated in fewer hands, leading civil liberties group warns

Journalists in the EU face increasing levels of harassment, threats and violence, while news outlets are owned by a shrinking number of proprietors and public trust in the media has plummeted, a report has found.

The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) said the findings of its fifth annual media freedom report, released on Tuesday, should place EU officials “on high alert”, with media freedom and pluralism “under sustained attack” across mainland Europe.

A fun, shareable Tunisian chickpea soup for a party, a one-pan moussaka, and a fragrant, layered, chocolate viennetta

Traditionally, this would be a Tunisian breakfast, and it’s not a million miles from one of my favourites, Egyptian ful medames. But here I’m proposing it as an evening offering: make a big pot of delicious flavourful chickpeas, then lay out a spread of accompaniments (pickles, olives, capers, boiled eggs). Second, a good traditional moussaka is a wholesome but time-consuming process, but that’s not the case with this simplified version, which you can easily make on a weeknight. Finally, you might not be surprised to learn that this basil viennetta was one of the most popular recipes when we were testing dishes for my new book, MEDesque. First, of course, because it tastes unreal. Second, because everyone got a huge tug of nostalgia, and third, because everyone became giddy with excitement, trying to figure out what the flavour was.

Het aantal ernstige fietsongevallen stijgt. Kun je elektrische fietsen slimmer en veiliger maken, vroeg Mario Boot zich af. „Fietsen is mij met de paplepel ingegeven.”

De Iran-oorlog kan veel meer economische ellende veroorzaken dan ‘slechts’ een energiecrisis. De eerste heldere signalen welke producten en toeleveringsketens worden getroffen dringen door. Van paracetamol tot luxe tassen, van condooms tot melkzuur. En wat nog meer?

Het dodental van de Amerikaanse aanval op een basisschool in Iran op de eerste dag van de oorlog is bijgesteld naar 155, melden Iraanse staatsmedia. Eerder werden 175 dodelijke slachtoffers gemeld.

Bij de aanval in Minab op 28 februari kwamen 73 jongens en 47 meisjes om het leven. Ook 26 leraren, 7 ouders, een schoolbuschauffeur en een medewerker van de apotheek naast de school kwamen om.

Uit de voorlopige bevindingen van een Amerikaans militair onderzoek bleek dat de school geraakt werd door een Amerikaanse kruisraket, berichtte The New York Times eerder. Bij het bepalen van het doelwit zou een fout zijn gemaakt.

Taylor Swift laat haar stem en beeltenis als merk registreren om AI-misbruik aan te pakken. Nieuwe juridische strategie moet deepfakes en nep-reclames afremmen.

Taylor Swift zet een nieuwe stap in de strijd tegen AI-misbruik: ze wil haar stem én haar beeltenis als merk vastleggen. Daarmee probeert ze een juridisch schild op te bouwen tegen deepfakes, nep-reclames en door AI gegenereerde versies van zichzelf.

Het gaat niet om een algemeen verbod op imitatie, maar om concrete merkaanvragen bij het Amerikaanse patent- en merkenbureau. Twee aanvragen gaan over geluidsmerken – de herkenbare openingszinnen “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift” en “Hey, it’s Taylor” – een derde over een specifiek beeld van Swift met roze gitaar en glinsterende bodysuit op een roze podium. Juristen hopen dat zo’n geregistreerd merk meer slagkracht geeft tegen AI-platforms en adverteerders die met haar ‘digitale dubbelganger’ aan de haal gaan.

Swift is niet de eerste: acteur Matthew McConaughey liet eerder al zijn iconische “Alright, alright, alright” vastleggen. Toch is het juridisch terrein nog grotendeels onontgonnen; rechters hebben deze “trademark yourself”-strategie in de AI-context nog nauwelijks getest. Maar voor beroemdheden die al zijn geconfronteerd met ongewenste AI-porno, nepsteun aan politici of misleidende chatbots, wordt Swift zo een testcase voor de vraag: hoeveel controle kun je in het AI-tijdperk nog over jezelf terugwinnen?

David McKelvey has added a photo to the pool:

Experience the tranquillity of the pre-dawn land under a canopy of stars, and watch the amazing transformation of colours and life as the desert awakens with Uluru and Kata Tjuta as your backdrop. In the company of your expert guide, Desert Awakenings is designed to introduce you to the natural and cultural landscapes of this remarkable region.

Watch the distant domes of Kata Tjuta come into view and enjoy a traditional Aussie breakfast of bacon and egg rolls, tea, coffee, and homemade damper with syrup in the open air. After breakfast your guide will explain the natural history of the region, and as the daylight reveals the myriad of animal tracks in the sand and insight into what activity took place during the night.

Once the sun is up, enjoy a guided tour at the base of Uluru. Here you will see the tjukuritja (physical evidence) of the Mala Tjukurpa (creation story) and gain a deeper understanding of this ancient story.

David McKelvey has added a photo to the pool:

Experience the tranquillity of the pre-dawn land under a canopy of stars, and watch the amazing transformation of colours and life as the desert awakens with Uluru and Kata Tjuta as your backdrop. In the company of your expert guide, Desert Awakenings is designed to introduce you to the natural and cultural landscapes of this remarkable region.

Watch the distant domes of Kata Tjuta come into view and enjoy a traditional Aussie breakfast of bacon and egg rolls, tea, coffee, and homemade damper with syrup in the open air. After breakfast your guide will explain the natural history of the region, and as the daylight reveals the myriad of animal tracks in the sand and insight into what activity took place during the night.

Once the sun is up, enjoy a guided tour at the base of Uluru. Here you will see the tjukuritja (physical evidence) of the Mala Tjukurpa (creation story) and gain a deeper understanding of this ancient story. Source: www.ayersrockresort.com.au

David McKelvey has added a photo to the pool:

Experience the tranquillity of the pre-dawn land under a canopy of stars, and watch the amazing transformation of colours and life as the desert awakens with Uluru and Kata Tjuta as your backdrop. In the company of your expert guide, Desert Awakenings is designed to introduce you to the natural and cultural landscapes of this remarkable region.

Watch the distant domes of Kata Tjuta come into view and enjoy a traditional Aussie breakfast of bacon and egg rolls, tea, coffee, and homemade damper with syrup in the open air. After breakfast your guide will explain the natural history of the region, and as the daylight reveals the myriad of animal tracks in the sand and insight into what activity took place during the night.

Once the sun is up, enjoy a guided tour at the base of Uluru. Here you will see the tjukuritja (physical evidence) of the Mala Tjukurpa (creation story) and gain a deeper understanding of this ancient story.

David McKelvey has added a photo to the pool:

Experience the tranquillity of the pre-dawn land under a canopy of stars, and watch the amazing transformation of colours and life as the desert awakens with Uluru and Kata Tjuta as your backdrop. In the company of your expert guide, Desert Awakenings is designed to introduce you to the natural and cultural landscapes of this remarkable region.

Watch the distant domes of Kata Tjuta come into view and enjoy a traditional Aussie breakfast of bacon and egg rolls, tea, coffee, and homemade damper with syrup in the open air. After breakfast your guide will explain the natural history of the region, and as the daylight reveals the myriad of animal tracks in the sand and insight into what activity took place during the night.

Once the sun is up, enjoy a guided tour at the base of Uluru. Here you will see the tjukuritja (physical evidence) of the Mala Tjukurpa (creation story) and gain a deeper understanding of this ancient story.