More than 7,300 Afghans to be resettled in UK after MoD data leak, says National Audit Office - Boffey, Daniel (The Guardian, 2025)
Watchdog’s report says government is unable to calculate exact cost of response to data breach, raising doubt over £850m estimate
United Kingdom
Keywords: Afghanistan; Data protection; Law; Ministry of Defence; Politics; Superinjunctions; UK news; World news

More than 7,300 Afghans to be resettled in UK after MoD data leak, says National Audit Office - Boffey, Daniel (The Guardian, 2025)
Watchdog’s report says government is unable to calculate exact cost of response to data breach, raising doubt over £850m estimate
Afghanistan
Keywords: Afghanistan; Data protection; Law; Ministry of Defence; Politics; Superinjunctions; UK news; World news

Marshall Islands picks up the pieces after fire destroys its ‘heart of democracy’ - Letman, Jon (The Guardian, 2025)
The slow process to rebuild parliament, the Nitijela, begins as the Pacific nation confronts the loss of a vital cultural landmark
Marshall Islands
Keywords: Asia Pacific; Marshall Islands; Pacific islands; World news

A Hidden Camera Protest Turned the Tables on China’s Surveillance State - Yuan, Li (The New York Times, 2025)
Before fleeing China, an activist in Chongqing staged an elaborate one-man demonstration against the Communist Party that doubled as performance art.
China
Keywords: China; Chongqing (China); Communist Party of China; Demonstrations; Protests and Riots; Performance Art; Politics and Government; Surveillance of Citizens by Government

Government, affiliated forces extrajudicially executed dozens of Druze people in Suwayda (Amnesty International, 2025)
Amnesty International documented the deliberate shooting and killing of 46 Druze people (44 men and two women), as well as the mock execution of two older persons in Suwayda.
Syria

Gender data for good? Partnerships between tech companies and humanitarian and development organizations - Cookson, Tara Patricia; Carlitz, Ruth (Big Data & Society, 2025)
In 2013, the United Nations called for a “Data Revolution” to advance sustainable development. “Data for Good” initiatives that have followed bring together development and humanitarian actors with technology companies. Few studies have examined the composition of Data for Good partnerships or assessed the uptake and use of the data they generate.
Worldwide

Palestine as provenance: archiving against genocide from Gaza to South Lebanon - Ghaddar, J. J. (Archival Science, 2025)
How can we archive against genocide in Gaza and its extension elsewhere in Palestine and surrounding countries like Lebanon in this urgent moment while avoiding the pitfalls of white guilt and paternalistic benevolence?
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

Palestine as provenance: archiving against genocide from Gaza to South Lebanon - Ghaddar, J. J. (Archival Science, 2025)
How can we archive against genocide in Gaza and its extension elsewhere in Palestine and surrounding countries like Lebanon in this urgent moment while avoiding the pitfalls of white guilt and paternalistic benevolence?
Lebanon

Bristol returns cultural artefacts taken from Larrakia people in Australia - Morris, Steven (The Guardian, 2025)
Objects including three-metre spears were collected in late 19th and early 20th centuries and donated to city’s museum
Australia
Keywords: Australia news; Bristol; Culture; Darwin; Indigenous Australians; Museums; Northern Territory; UK news; World news

Bristol returns cultural artefacts taken from Larrakia people in Australia - Morris, Steven (The Guardian, 2025)
Objects including three-metre spears were collected in late 19th and early 20th centuries and donated to city’s museum
United Kingdom
Keywords: Australia news; Bristol; Culture; Darwin; Indigenous Australians; Museums; Northern Territory; UK news; World news

A Guide To Monitoring Conflict Amidst a Sea of Misinformation - Sitlhou, Makepeace (bellingcat, 2025)
How does one monitor a conflict zone on the brink of civil war, especially in a region which is difficult to access, experiences frequent internet shutdowns and where misinformation is common? In this guide, we outline the open source tools and methods we can use to evidence what is really happening in many such conflict settings.
Worldwide

Curating the Colonial Past - Linebaugh, Riley (Cambridge University Press, 2025)
The ‘Migrated Archives' and the Struggle for Kenya's History.
Kenya

News from the ICA Section on Archives and Human Rights - 2025-09 (September) - SAHR Newsletter Woking Group (ICA, 2025)

Archiving memories of the 1965 genocide in Indonesia - Inside Indonesia: The peoples and cultures of Indonesia - Wahyuningroem, Sri Lestari (Inside Indonesia, 2025)
Poor archival conditions have meant that the identification of victims, their experiences and their needs is incredibly difficult
Indonesia

When Historians Rediscovered These Frederick Douglass Letters, They Were Surprised by His Candid Opinions About Abraham Lincoln - White, Lucas; Morel, Jonathan W. (Smithsonian Magazine, 2025)
In correspondence with a passionate abolitionist in London, the great American orator didn't hold back when talking about the 16th president, or his successor, the much-maligned Andrew Johnson.
United States of America

Harass Human Rights Watch Staff Member - . (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
The Kenyan police should end its apparent harassment of Otsieno Namwaya, associate Africa director at Human Rights Watch, over his work documenting serious rights abuses in Kenya.
Kenya

Invisible, Silenced, and All but Abandoned: Two Decades of the Guatemalan Police Archive - . (Sri Lanka Guardian, 2025)
Twenty years ago, a team of human rights investigators in Guatemala made a discovery that would change the course of the country’s reckoning with its violent past.
Guatemala

What Brazil’s digital fight means for free expression in the Global South - . (Global Voices, 2025)
Brazil’s push to regulate Big Tech and protect digital rights is reshaping global debates and provoking backlash from powerful actors opposed to its rights-based, democratic model of internet governance.
Brazil

Pentagon Warns Microsoft: Company’s Use of China-Based Engineers Was a “Breach of Trust” - Dudley, Renee (ProPublica, 2025)
The Defense Department is opening an investigation to determine if the tech giant’s use of overseas engineers to maintain sensitive U.S. government computer systems compromised national security.
United States of America

Pentagon Warns Microsoft: Company’s Use of China-Based Engineers Was a “Breach of Trust” - Dudley, Renee (ProPublica, 2025)
The Defense Department is opening an investigation to determine if the tech giant’s use of overseas engineers to maintain sensitive U.S. government computer systems compromised national security.
China

Hurricane Katrina victim identified 20 years later: ‘finally where she belongs’ - Vargas, Ramon Antonio (The Guardian, 2025)
Guardian US partner WWL Louisiana called in Ray Theriot, who used utility bills, driver’s licenses and property records
United States of America
Keywords: Hurricane Katrina; Louisiana; New Orleans; US news

‘Social, peripheral and photographic justice for whom?’: A Brazilian photographer asks questions - Agência Mural (Global Voices, 2025)
Works that highlight the violence against Black bodies, exalt beauty in the midst of chaos, [show] the exotic, are still common representations of poverty, and what translates into saleable art.
Brazil

‘Omada Alithias’ and the rise of Greece’s propaganda machine - Elvis Takahashi Mantello (Global Voices, 2025)
Despite their name, Omada Alithias, the so-called Truth Team, has done more to distort than defend the truth, reflecting the normalization of digital authoritarianism in democratic states.
Greece

Israel destruye último banco de semillas sobreviviente, haciéndose eco del legado colonial de borrado. - Walid El Houri (Global Voices en Español, 2025)
La destrucción por parte de Israel del banco de semillas de Hebrón repite siglos de tácticas coloniales de asentamiento en todo el mundo: borrar los sistemas alimentarios autóctonos para dominar la tierra, el conocimiento y la memoria colectiva.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

Israel destruye último banco de semillas sobreviviente, haciéndose eco del legado colonial de borrado. - Walid El Houri (Global Voices en Español, 2025)
La destrucción por parte de Israel del banco de semillas de Hebrón repite siglos de tácticas coloniales de asentamiento en todo el mundo: borrar los sistemas alimentarios autóctonos para dominar la tierra, el conocimiento y la memoria colectiva.
Israel

ICJ and human rights defenders from Southeast Asia urge a Rights-Based Approach to Countering Harmful Online Content - . (International Commission of Jurists, 2025)
On 24–26 August 2025, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), together with the Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia (CIJ), and the Numun Fund, gathered human rights defenders and experts to discuss the need for Southeast Asian States to adopt and implement a human rights-based approach in efforts to tackle the growing spread of harmful content in digital spaces.
Southeast Asia

National Identification and Registration Authority says NIDS remains safe, no security breach - . (Jamaica Gleaner, 2025)
The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), which oversees the National Identification System (NIDS), is reporting that there has been no evidence of a breach or compromise of the national identification system.
Jamaica

When the government can see everything: How one company – Palantir – is mapping the nation’s data - Bennett, Nicole M. (The Conversation, 2025)
Government agencies are contracting with Palantir to correlate disparate pieces of data, promising efficiency but raising civil liberties concerns.
United States of America

Two alphabets, one struggle: How Kurdish communities are building a digital future - Eduardo Avila (Global Voices, 2025)
Kurdish Wikimedian Mohammed Sardar shares why he creates digital content to preserve his native language.
Western Asia

Brazil One Step Away from Protecting Children Online - Hye Jung Han (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
Brazil’s Senate has passed a long-awaited bill to protect children’s rights online. The bill now heads for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s signature into law.
Brazil

The Digital Rights in Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC) 2025 - . (Access Now, 2025)
AICB Centre for Excellence, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The Digital Rights in Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC) 2025 is a pivotal gathering of digital rights
Asia

Privacy in peril: safeguarding digital data in humanitarian blockchain initiatives - Alex Bornstein; Elise Hamdon (Humanitarian Practice Network, 2025)
Exploring the risks of blockchain in aid delivery and why protecting digital privacy is essential for refugees and crisis-affected communities.
Worldwide

Devastated families may take legal action over museum that kept body parts - Lohberger, Loretta (ABC News, 2025)
A University of Tasmania pathology museum retained and displayed body parts without consent from coronial autopsies. The specimens are from more than 100 people who died in Tasmania between 1953 and 1985. The Coroner's Office is investigating and has spent years reconciling their records with the museum's records.
Australia
Keywords: Medical Ethics; autopsy; body parts; coroners office; pathology

Elon Musk’s Doge put sensitive social security data at risk, whistleblower says - Robins-Early, Nick (The Guardian, 2025)
SSA official alleges that Doge staff uploaded personal data of hundreds of millions of Americans to vulnerable cloud server
United States of America
Keywords: Data protection; Elon Musk; Privacy; Technology; Trump administration; US news; US politics; US social security

Germany charges US citizen with spying for China - Chris Lunday (POLITICO, 2025)
An American defense contractor is accused of offering military secrets to Beijing.
China

Germany charges US citizen with spying for China - Chris Lunday (POLITICO, 2025)
An American defense contractor is accused of offering military secrets to Beijing.
United States of America

Germany charges US citizen with spying for China - Chris Lunday (POLITICO, 2025)
An American defense contractor is accused of offering military secrets to Beijing.
Germany

Privacy at a cost: the dark web’s main browser helps pedophile networks flourish, experts say - McQue, Katie (The Guardian, 2025)
The Tor network’s privacy architecture creates a safe haven for predators to share child sexual abuse material
Worldwide
Keywords: Child protection; Children; Rape and sexual assault; Technology; Tor

Addressing Inequitable Openness in Licences for Sharing African Data and Datasets Through the Nwulite Obodo Open Data Licence - Okorie, Chijioke I.; Omino, Melissa (Law, Technology and Humans, 2025)
Standard Public Open Licences (SPOLs) may unintentionally reinforce exclusion and enable extractive data practices that disadvantage communities contributing valuable datasets that they have preserved and curated through historically challenging conditions.
Africa
Keywords: datasets

Denialist appointed at rights center that oversees ESMA museum - Herald, Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires Herald, 2025)
The center operates in the memorial site at the notorious former Navy School of Mechanics, where nearly 5,000 people were kidnapped and disappeared by Argentina’s dictatorship
Argentina

A living archive: 42 Indigenous languages in Bangladesh preserved under one online portal - Nurunnaby Chowdhury (Global Voices, 2025)
A new digital repository preserves Bangladesh’s linguistic heritage, featuring words, phrases, and IPA transcriptions from 42 indigenous languages, aiming to promote understanding and celebrate the nation’s cultural diversity.
Bangladesh

Indigenous digital activists in Mexico assert their self-determination with regard to artificial intelligence - Mercedes Caso (Global Voices, 2025)
What does artificial intelligence mean for Mexico's Indigenous languages? For two days, digital activists reflected on how these technologies can revitalize or threaten their languages and cultures.
Mexico

Donor crisis prompts rethink on humanitarian data partnership rules - Geneva Solutions - Paula Dupraz-Dobias (Geneva Solutions, 2025)
Under pressure from aid cuts, humanitarian groups may be exposing themselves and people they serve to privacy risks as they seek support from the private sector to improve efficiency. As artificial intelligence gains ground, experts say the rules of the game are due for a rethink.
Worldwide

White House Lists Smithsonian Exhibits It Finds Objectionable - Small, Zachary (The New York Times, 2025)
The Trump administration highlighted material dealing with topics like sexuality, slavery and immigration.
United States of America
Keywords: Art; Bunch; Lonnie G III; Museums; Smithsonian Institution; Trump; Donald J; United States Politics and Government

Invisible Displacement: The Unregistered and Uncounted - Thematic Analysis - . (ReliefWeb, 2025)
Invisible displacement is a growing yet under-recognized phenomenon in humanitarian settings. This report explores the structural, operational, and political factors that obscure the presence of displaced persons who remain outside formal tracking systems, such as IDPs living outside camps, unregistered returnees, nomadic groups, or those who deliberately avoid institutional engagement due to protection concerns. Their invisibility skews humanitarian planning, which can lead to inaccurate data, underfunded programs, and systemic exclusion from life-saving services.
Worldwide

Trump administration to review all 55m US visa holders for potential rule violations - Campbell, Lucy (The Guardian, 2025)
State department says all people who hold valid US visas are subject to ‘continuous vetting’, including of social media
United States of America
Keywords: Marco Rubio; Trump administration; US immigration; US news; US politics

Open Data and Equity: Naming the Issues, Blaming the Causes, and Claiming Solutions. An Exploratory and Interdisciplinary Systematic Literature Review - Santoro, Caterina; Flores, Cesar Casiano; Zuiderwijk, Anneke; Crompvoets, Joep (Information Polity, 2025)
Open data fall short of their goal to empower all social groups equally. Although the literature examines this issue through the concept of inclusion, substantial gaps remain in defining and understanding the implications of open data for equity in public administration, with research on this topic scattered across disciplines. This fragmentation hinders the possibility of evaluating public policies.
Worldwide

The Emotional Textures of the Archive – AHA - Alisa Kuzmina (Historians.org, 2025)
Alisa Kuzmina reflects on the overlap between her marriage green card experience and her research on Cold War–era immigration.
Worldwide

Huawei's reach in Spain sparks widespread concern over state infiltration - Fernández-Pontes, Inés (Euractiv, 2025)
Magistrates and law enforcement are particularly worried about the Chinese firm handling highly sensitive police wiretap data
China

Huawei's reach in Spain sparks widespread concern over state infiltration - Fernández-Pontes, Inés (Euractiv, 2025)
Magistrates and law enforcement are particularly worried about the Chinese firm handling highly sensitive police wiretap data
Spain

In Bolivia, Indigenous radio stations are at the mercy of cyberhacks - Nicaela León Coico (Global Voices, 2025)
The Facebook page of a major Quechua-speaking community radio station in Bolivia was hacked and it lost tens of thousands of followers.
Bolivia

The Guardian view on Britain’s AI strategy: the risk is that it is dependency dressed up in digital hype - Editorial (The Guardian, 2025)
Editorial: The UK’s plans seem to outsource sovereignty for phantom efficiency. Public services provide the data and power while US tech giants reap the rewards
United Kingdom
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Business; Cloud computing; Computing; Economics; Global economy; NHS; Open source; Peter Kyle; Politics; Society; Technology; UK news

Cyber-attack on MoD-linked contractor exposes data of Afghans in resettlement scheme - Ali, Faisal (The Guardian, 2025)
Breach at Inflite The Jet Centre is latest in series of leaks involving private information of Afghan refugees
Afghanistan
Keywords: Afghanistan; Cybercrime; Hacking; Immigration and asylum; Ministry of Defence; Refugees; UK news

Cyber-attack on MoD-linked contractor exposes data of Afghans in resettlement scheme - Ali, Faisal (The Guardian, 2025)
Breach at Inflite The Jet Centre is latest in series of leaks involving private information of Afghan refugees
United Kingdom
Keywords: Afghanistan; Cybercrime; Hacking; Immigration and asylum; Ministry of Defence; Refugees; UK news

NHS to trial AI tool that speeds up hospital discharges - Grierson, Jamie (The Guardian, 2025)
Pilot at Chelsea and Westminster trust aims to reduce paperwork and free up doctors, as the UK moves to improve public services via AI
United Kingdom
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Computing; Health; Hospitals; Labour; London; NHS; Technology; UK news; Wes Streeting

FBI returns stolen document signed by conquistador Hernán Cortés to Mexico - . (The Guardian, 2025)
US officials did not say who had the 16th-century page that was missing from Mexico’s archives for decades
United States of America
Keywords: Americas; Mexico; US crime; US news; World news

FBI returns stolen document signed by conquistador Hernán Cortés to Mexico - . (The Guardian, 2025)
US officials did not say who had the 16th-century page that was missing from Mexico’s archives for decades
Mexico
Keywords: Americas; Mexico; US crime; US news; World news

London museum tells forgotten story of African and Indian troops in second world war - Bakare, Lanre; Arts, Lanre Bakare; correspondent, culture (The Guardian, 2025)
National Army Museum’s Beyond Burma exhibition examines stories of soldiers from Britain’s colonies
Worldwide
Keywords: British army; Culture; Exhibitions; Myanmar; Second world war; South and central Asia; UK news

Russia restricts WhatsApp and Telegram, alleging apps used for fraud and terrorism - . (The Guardian, 2025)
Calls via foreign-owned platforms curbed as critics say Kremlin is pushing for greater control over Russia’s internet
Russian Federation
Keywords: Censorship; Digital media; Europe; Internet; Russia; Social media; Technology; Telegram; Vladimir Putin; WhatsApp; World news

Working to Improve Access to Compensation for Iraqi victims of War and Terrorism - . (ReliefWeb, 2025)
No one should be excluded from rebuilding their life due to missing documentation or inefficient mechanism. This principle guided a high-level roundtable held in Baghdad with the participation of members of the Iraqi Parliament, including representatives from the Legal, Finance, and Displacement Committees, alongside the judiciary and the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.
Iraq

U.K. Secretly Spent $3.2 Million to Stop Journalists From Reporting on Data Breach - Dearden, Lizzie (The New York Times, 2025)
After British authorities accidentally exposed information about 19,000 Afghans, the government sought a legal order preventing disclosure of the breach.
United Kingdom
Keywords: Afghanistan; Decisions and Verdicts; Freedom of Speech and Expression; Freedom of the Press; Great Britain; London (England); News and News Media; Politics and Government

France acknowledges role in repression of Cameroon independence movements - Egbejule, Eromo; correspondent, Eromo Egbejule West Africa (The Guardian, 2025)
Emmanuel Macron writes to Cameroonian president with findings of joint commission on country’s colonial past
Cameroon
Keywords: Africa; Cameroon; Colonialism; Europe; France; World news

Israel is wiping out Gaza’s journalists – and it’s no longer even hiding it - Ginsberg, Jodie (The Guardian, 2025)
The laws of war are clear: journalists are civilians. To target them deliberately in war is to commit a war crime
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)
Keywords: Gaza; Israel; Israel-Gaza war; Journalist safety; Media; Middle East and north Africa; Newspapers & magazines; Press freedom; US news

Israel is wiping out Gaza’s journalists – and it’s no longer even hiding it - Ginsberg, Jodie (The Guardian, 2025)
The laws of war are clear: journalists are civilians. To target them deliberately in war is to commit a war crime
Israel
Keywords: Gaza; Israel; Israel-Gaza war; Journalist safety; Media; Middle East and north Africa; Newspapers & magazines; Press freedom; US news

The Open Source Tool That Has Preserved 150,000 Pieces of Online Evidence - Roberston, Erin Clark, Paddy, Miguel Ramalho (bellingcat, 2025)
Bellingcat’s Auto Archiver is a tool aimed at preserving online digital content before it can be modified, deleted or taken down
Worldwide

Police should disclose ethnicity of suspects in certain cases, new guidance says - Syal, Rajeev (The Guardian, 2025)
Releasing nationality and ethnicity details could help keep peace ‘where there are high levels of disinformation’
United Kingdom
Keywords: Crime; Police; UK criminal justice; UK news

ICA SAHR – An overview of the Brazilian truth commissions - Mônica Tenaglia - ICA International Council on Archives (2025)
An overview of the Brazilian truth commissions and the contributions of archives to investigations into human rights violations during the military dictatorship In this presentation, Mônica Tenaglia aims to provide a contextual overview of transitional justice measures in Brazil, with an emphasis on the National Truth Commission (CNV) and the local truth commissions that were established following the creation of the CNV. The focus of the lecture is to present an overview of the relationship between Brazilian truth commissions and archival institutions, the challenges encountered, and the strategies developed to facilitate access to and use of these archives, as well as the collections produced by the commissions themselves. Finally, she will discuss the initiatives that have been undertaken in Brazil since the conclusion of the truth commissions. Mônica Tenaglia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Science at the Fluminense Federal University and teaches in the Graduate Program in Information Science at the Federal University of Pará. She holds a Ph.D. in Information Science from the University of Brasília, a master’s degree in Archival Studies from the University of London, and a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of São Paulo. She was a faculty member in the Archival Studies programs at the Federal University of Pará and the University of Brasília. Before teaching, she worked as an archivist in Brazil and the United Kingdom, including for the Brazilian National Truth Commission. Her research focuses on the relationship between archives and human rights, transitional justice and truth commissions, the Brazilian military dictatorship, and the centrality of access to information in investigations of human rights violations. Her book Truth Commissions and the Archives of the Brazilian Military Dictatorship (2023) won the Jabuti Academic Prize and received second place in the ABEU Prize – awarded by the Brazilian Association of University Presses.

Slaying and Censoring the Journalists: The Murder of Anas al-Sharif - Kampmark, Binoy (International Policy Digest, 2025)
Israel’s killing of Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif in Gaza exemplifies a deliberate campaign of silencing journalists.
Israel

Appeals Court Allows DOGE Access to Sensitive Data at Several Agencies - Montague, Zach (The New York Times, 2025)
The decision cited a Supreme Court order in June granting DOGE analysts sweeping access to other data stored at the Social Security Administration.
United States of America
Keywords: Data Storage; Decisions and Verdicts; Federal Courts (US); Privacy; Richardson; Julius N; Trump; Donald J; United States Politics and Government

Are Undersea Cables a “Backdoor for Espionage” Against the U.S.? - Tom Nagorski (The Cipher Brief, 2025)
Chinese companies leading in the production and maintenance of undersea cables could be a national security threat to this critical undersea infrastructure.
China

Are Undersea Cables a “Backdoor for Espionage” Against the U.S.? - Tom Nagorski (The Cipher Brief, 2025)
Chinese companies leading in the production and maintenance of undersea cables could be a national security threat to this critical undersea infrastructure.
United States of America

Saved from militants, Timbuktu's famed manuscripts return home after 13 years in Mali's capital - . (CityNews Halifax, 2025)
The Malian military government started returning home the historic manuscripts of Timbuktu, which were spirited out of their fabled northern city when it was occupied by al-Qaida-linked militants more than a decade ago. Islamic radicals destroyed more than 4,000 manuscripts, some dating back to the 13th century.
Mali

The Palestinian Museum Announces the Release of Over 6,000 New Archival Items on its Digital Archive - . (Palestinian Museum, 2025)
The Palestinian Museum has announced the release of over 6,000 archival items on its website as part of the third phase of its Digital Archive Project, through which more than 19,000 items have been digitized, as part of its ongoing efforts to preserve and document Palestinian social history.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

‘Restoring humanity’: Paris exhibition showcases 5,000 years of history in Gaza - Chrisafis, Angelique (The Guardian, 2025)
Saved Treasures of Gaza aims to preserve territory’s historical identity against backdrop of war and famine
Israel
Keywords: Art and design; Ceramics; Culture; Europe; Exhibitions; France; Gaza; Israel-Gaza war; Middle East and north Africa; Palestinian territories; Paris; World news

‘Restoring humanity’: Paris exhibition showcases 5,000 years of history in Gaza - Chrisafis, Angelique (The Guardian, 2025)
Saved Treasures of Gaza aims to preserve territory’s historical identity against backdrop of war and famine
France
Keywords: Art and design; Ceramics; Culture; Europe; Exhibitions; France; Gaza; Israel-Gaza war; Middle East and north Africa; Palestinian territories; Paris; World news

‘Restoring humanity’: Paris exhibition showcases 5,000 years of history in Gaza - Chrisafis, Angelique (The Guardian, 2025)
Saved Treasures of Gaza aims to preserve territory’s historical identity against backdrop of war and famine
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN), France
Keywords: Art and design; Ceramics; Culture; Europe; Exhibitions; France; Gaza; Israel-Gaza war; Middle East and north Africa; Palestinian territories; Paris; World news

The UK’s Online Safety Act is a licence for censorship – and the rest of the world is following suit - Lorenz, Taylor (The Guardian, 2025)
From the US and Australia to France and Italy, those seeking to obliterate privacy and restrict content are on the move, says technology journalist Taylor Lorenz
United Kingdom
Keywords: Child protection; Internet; Internet safety; Technology; UK news; US news

When Brussels’ Watchdog Eats Its Homework - Walker, Gerald (International Policy Digest, 2025)
A whistleblower alleges that European Public Prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi and her deputy destroyed evidence to shield political allies, undermining the EU’s anti-corruption mission.
Belgium

Tyap Wikimedia User Group: Revitalizing Nigeria's Tyap language with digital tools and platforms - Abdulrosheed Fadipe (Global Voices, 2025)
"I dream about a future where children grow up speaking Tyap because their parents speak the language to them during childhood."
Nigeria

Cash Working Group Legal Task Force Presentation on Data Protection - Dobra Fabryka Ukraina (ReliefWeb, 2025)
The protection of personal data is not merely a technical requirement—it is a core principle of humanitarian action, aligned with both humanitarian standards and legal obligations. Ensuring robust data protection helps prevent these risks, safeguarding the lives of beneficiaries and upholding their right to safety and dignity. It also helps prevent discrimination and exploitation by ensuring fair and respectful humanitarian response that upholds beneficiary confidentiality and adheres to humanitarian principles.
Ukraine

Documenting humanity - Nappier, Terri (The Source, 2025)
For nearly 60 years, Chicago-based Kartemquin Films has been reeling viewers in by spotlighting difficult social and political issues, including immigration, labor issues, stem-cell research and women’s rights. After four years of intensive work, WashU’s Film & Media Archive is making the company’s extensive archive of materials, dating from 1966 to 2008, accessible to scholars and the public.
United States of America

India’s war on books attempts to erase the violent atrocities committed on Kashmir - Nasir Qadri (TRT Global, 2025)
The Modi-led government’s ban on 25 books related to the Muslim-majority region is aimed at burying the tortured history of a land under occupation.
Southern Asia

Digital spaces for the Quechua language: safety and inclusion online - Rising Voices (Global Voices, 2025)
As digital content in the Quechua language continues to become increasingly available, Quechua-speaking communities are gaining more opportunities to better represent themselves online and connect across geographic divides. However, as this content grows, so do the challenges in ensuring that these digital spaces are inclusive, safe, and representative, including through content moderation on social media.
Americas

Cambodia takes control of its war crimes legacy - Andre Kwok (Lowy Institute, 2025)
The transformation of a hybrid court into a domestic institution offers lessons for localising international justice.
Cambodia

Arundhati Roy works among dozens of books banned in Indian-administered Kashmir - Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (The Guardian, 2025)
Censorship order accuses books of promoting ‘false narrative and secessionism’ in disputed territory
India
Keywords: Arundhati Roy; Books; Censorship; Culture; Freedom of speech; India; Kashmir; Narendra Modi; South and central Asia; World news

How Burkina Faso’s strongman became the Indo-Pacific’s unlikely hero – and other tales of disinformation - Jennifer Williams, Nava Nuraniyah, Jordon Borg, Julian Droogan (Lowy Institute, 2025)
Digital disciples are spreading false narratives in an effort to exploit anti-Western sentiment across the region.
Burkina Faso

Israel destroys Palestine’s last surviving seed bank, echoing a colonial legacy of erasure - Walid El Houri (Global Voices, 2025)
Israel’s destruction of the Hebron seed bank echoes centuries of settler-colonial tactics worldwide: erasing Indigenous food systems to dominate land, knowledge, and collective memory.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

Israel destroys Palestine’s last surviving seed bank, echoing a colonial legacy of erasure - Walid El Houri (Global Voices, 2025)
Israel’s destruction of the Hebron seed bank echoes centuries of settler-colonial tactics worldwide: erasing Indigenous food systems to dominate land, knowledge, and collective memory.
Israel

‘I must document everything’: the film about the Palestinian photographer killed by Israeli missiles in Gaza - Borger, Julian (The Guardian, 2025)
Fatma Hassona used poetry and photography to record the death and devastation she saw daily. Was she targeted by the IDF?
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)
Keywords: Culture; Documentary films; Edinburgh festival 2025; Edinburgh film festival; Film; Gaza; Israel; Israel-Gaza war; Journalist safety; Media; Palestinian territories; Photography; War reporting; World news

‘I must document everything’: the film about the Palestinian photographer killed by Israeli missiles in Gaza - Borger, Julian (The Guardian, 2025)
Fatma Hassona used poetry and photography to record the death and devastation she saw daily. Was she targeted by the IDF?
Israel
Keywords: Culture; Documentary films; Edinburgh festival 2025; Edinburgh film festival; Film; Gaza; Israel; Israel-Gaza war; Journalist safety; Media; Palestinian territories; Photography; War reporting; World news

China Turns to A.I. in Information Warfare - Julian E. Barnes (The New York Times, 2025)
Documents examined by researchers show how one company in China has collected data on members of Congress and other influential Americans.
China
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; China; Cyberwarfare and Defense; Espionage and Intelligence Services; GoLaxy; Propaganda; Research; Social Media; Trump; Donald J; United States Defense and Military Forces; United States International Relations; United States Politics and Government; Vanderbilt University

‘Women’s bodies exploited at an unprecedented scale’: Chinese censors failing to deal with deepfakes and hidden cameras, say activists - Lau, Jessie (The Guardian, 2025)
Secretly filmed images of women are spreading online, yet the authorities seem more focused on censorship than punishing the perpetrators, critics say
China
Keywords: Asia Pacific; China; Global development; Surveillance; World news

Secret plan to liberate Channel Islands found in dusty box - Silver, Jack (BBC, 2025)
A copy of the plan sets out the successful British plan to liberate the Channel Islands during WW2.
United Kingdom

Charleston’s Climate Lawsuit Against Oil Giants Is Dismissed - Zraick, Karen (The New York Times, 2025)
The legal claim, one of a raft of lawsuits across the country, had accused companies of a yearslong disinformation campaign about climate change.
United States of America
Keywords: Charleston (SC); Compensation for Damages (Law); Decisions and Verdicts; Federal-State Relations (US); Global Warming; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline; South Carolina

ICA SAHR Tuesday Talks - An overview of the Brazilian truth commissions and the contributions of archives to investigations into human rights violations during the military dictatorship - ICA International Council on Archives; Mônica Tenaglia (2025)
Brazil

#IPIArchive: The Road to a Press Freedom AI Commons - . (ipi.media, 2025)
Opening the IPI's archive is not just for preservation, but the first step toward creating a digital press freedom commons for the public good.
Worldwide

Building India-Pakistan Cross-Border Solidarity by using alternate media tools - Patel, Dipa (LSE International Development, 2025)
MSc Health and International Development candidate, Anzal Abbas explores how digital and alternative media platforms can enable ordinary citizens of India and Pakistan to bypass nationalist narratives, build cross-border solidarity, and foster peace through dialogue, cultural exchange, and collective action, despite longstanding political tensions.
India

Building India-Pakistan Cross-Border Solidarity by using alternate media tools - Patel, Dipa (LSE International Development, 2025)
MSc Health and International Development candidate, Anzal Abbas explores how digital and alternative media platforms can enable ordinary citizens of India and Pakistan to bypass nationalist narratives, build cross-border solidarity, and foster peace through dialogue, cultural exchange, and collective action, despite longstanding political tensions.
Pakistan

The killing code: strange symbols in a WA settler’s diaries lay bare frontier atrocities - Allam, Lorena; Collard, Sarah; Archibald-Binge, Ella (The Guardian, 2025)
Stories of murders passed down by Yamatji elders are confirmed by a code hidden in the 1850s journals of prominent Western Australian pastoralist Major Logue.
Australia
Keywords: Australia; Colonialism; Frontier wars; Indigenous Australians; Murder; Rural Australia; Western Australia

A Bid to Undo a Colonial-Era Wrong Touches a People’s Old Wounds - Dimapur, Pragati K. B. Reporting from; Nagaland; India, in (The New York Times, 2025)
An Oxford museum’s collection of objects taken from the Naga people includes human remains. What to do with them now is not a simple matter.
India
Keywords: Arts and Antiquities Looting; Human Rights and Human Rights Violations; India; Indigenous People; Museums; Nagaland (India); Pitt Rivers Museum; Secession and Independence Movements

Spain to Declassify Secret Archives: Morocco Awaits Revelations on Western Sahara - Faouzi, Adil (Morocco World News, 2025)
Spain’s government has approved a groundbreaking draft law on Classified Information that will replace the Franco-era Official Secrets law of 1968.
Morocco

Spain to Declassify Secret Archives: Morocco Awaits Revelations on Western Sahara - Faouzi, Adil (Morocco World News, 2025)
Spain’s government has approved a groundbreaking draft law on Classified Information that will replace the Franco-era Official Secrets law of 1968.
Spain

Israel closes down or leaves unresolved 88% of cases of alleged war crimes or abuse – report - Sabbagh, Dan (The Guardian, 2025)
Conflict monitoring group Action on Armed Violence says Israel is seeking to create a ‘pattern of impunity’
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)
Keywords: Human rights; International law; Israel; Israel-Gaza war; Law; Middle East and north Africa; Palestinian territories; War crimes; West Bank; World news

Israel closes down or leaves unresolved 88% of cases of alleged war crimes or abuse – report - Sabbagh, Dan (The Guardian, 2025)
Conflict monitoring group Action on Armed Violence says Israel is seeking to create a ‘pattern of impunity’
Israel
Keywords: Human rights; International law; Israel; Israel-Gaza war; Law; Middle East and north Africa; Palestinian territories; War crimes; West Bank; World news

Scientists slam Trump administration climate report as a ‘farce’ full of misinformation - Noor, Dharna; Milman, Oliver (The Guardian, 2025)
Experts say the report being used to justify the mass rollback of climate regulations has many claims based on long-debunked research
United States of America
Keywords: Climate crisis; Environment; Science; Trump administration; US news; US politics

Historian uncovers evidence of second mass grave of Irish immigrant railroaders in Pennsylvania who suffered from cholera, violence and xenophobia - Watson, William E. (The Conversation, 2025)
Researchers have discovered a second mass grave of Irish immigrant railroaders in Chester County, Pa.
United States of America

News from the ICA Section on Archives and Human Rights - 2025-08 (August) - SAHR Newsletter Woking Group (ICA, 2025)

Principles in Indigenous Archival Repatriation (PINAR) - Society of American Archivists (Society of American Archivists, 2025)
The SAA Archival Repatriation Committee offers this set of Principles, which aligns with the SAA Core Values Statement and Code of Ethics, and the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials, to center repatriation and ethical returns as a core responsibility for archivists and institutions with holdings pertaining to Indigenous peoples.
United States of America

Russian photographer gets a draconian sentence for sending open source materials abroad - Daria Dergacheva (Global Voices, 2025)
Who is Grigory Skvortsov, sentenced to 16 years in prison for treason, and why any Russian citizen could easily end up in his place
Russian Federation

Smithsonian removes Trump from impeachment exhibit in American history museum - Kingsberry, Janay (The Washington Post, 2025)
A temporary placard, on display since 2021, described the president's historic impeachments. Officials said the exhibit was restored to an earlier version following a review of legacy content.
United States of America

Mass rape, forced pregnancy and sexual torture in Tigray amount to crimes against humanity - McClure, Tess (The Guardian, 2025)
Research documents ‘horrific and extreme’ attacks by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces and warns that impunity has meant such atrocities are expanding to new regions
Eritrea
Keywords: Africa; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Global development; Human rights; Sexual violence; Society; Violence against women and girls; War crimes; Women's rights and gender equality; World news

Mass rape, forced pregnancy and sexual torture in Tigray amount to crimes against humanity - McClure, Tess (The Guardian, 2025)
Research documents ‘horrific and extreme’ attacks by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces and warns that impunity has meant such atrocities are expanding to new regions
Ethiopia
Keywords: Africa; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Global development; Human rights; Sexual violence; Society; Violence against women and girls; War crimes; Women's rights and gender equality; World news

Foreign spies are targeting defence employees working on Aukus, Asio boss reveals - McIlroy, Tom (The Guardian, 2025)
Public servants and private contractors with access to sensitive national security information are making it easy for spies, including by posting on LinkedIn.
Australia
Keywords: Aukus; Australia news; Australian intelligence agencies; Australian military; Australian universities; Espionage; Labor party

Romania offers cybersecurity support to Moldova ahead of September vote - Mihai, Catalina (Euractiv, 2025)
Amid warnings of Russian interference, Moldova has been offered Romanian technical expertise to counter cyber and disinformation threats ahead of its 28 September election.
Moldova

Romania offers cybersecurity support to Moldova ahead of September vote - Mihai, Catalina (Euractiv, 2025)
Amid warnings of Russian interference, Moldova has been offered Romanian technical expertise to counter cyber and disinformation threats ahead of its 28 September election.
Romania

Houthi Video of False Confessions an Apparent War Crime - Niku Jafarnia (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
Videos released by the Houthis on July 27, 2025, showing several crew members from a sunken ship who apparently have been detained for weeks is an outrage on their personal dignity, an apparent war crime.
Yemen

In Argentina, a Bold Step for Global Justice: Holding the Chinese Government Accountable for Atrocities Against Uyghurs - Rayhan Asat and Sophie Richardson (Just Security, 2025)
A recent court decision in Argentina offers a source of hope to Uyghur victims seeking justice for Beijing's alleged atrocities in Xinjiang.
China

In Argentina, a Bold Step for Global Justice: Holding the Chinese Government Accountable for Atrocities Against Uyghurs - Rayhan Asat and Sophie Richardson (Just Security, 2025)
A recent court decision in Argentina offers a source of hope to Uyghur victims seeking justice for Beijing's alleged atrocities in Xinjiang.
Argentina

There are no secrets on the internet. Just ask the women who entrusted their data to Tea - Mahdawi, Arwa (The Guardian, 2025)
An app designed to protect its users from dodgy men has been hacked by dodgy men.
Worldwide
Keywords: 4chan; Apps; Data protection; Dating; Life and style; Online abuse; Social networking; Society; Technology; Women

In a Reversal, Key Hurricane-Monitoring Data Will Stay Online - Mulkey, Sachi Kitajima (The New York Times, 2025)
The Department of Defense said it no longer planned to shut down a program that makes satellite data publicly available to researchers and forecasters.
United States of America
Keywords: Arctic Regions; Defense Department; Global Warming; Ice; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Research; Satellites; Sensors; Space and Astronomy; United States; United States Defense and Military Forces; United States Navy; United States Space Force; Weather

Housing, Land, and Property Documentation in the South of Lebanon: A Rapid Needs Assessment - UNHCR (ReliefWeb, 2025)
The escalation of hostilities in Lebanon during and after September 2024 led to severe destruction, affecting approximately 100,000 housing units and resulting in an estimated USD 3.2 billion in damages, according to the World Bank. This research assesses the impact of the renewed conflict on housing, land and property (HLP) documentation—specifically, the ownership and condition of these records. It examines whether these records were lost or destroyed, and how this loss affects internally displaced persons’ (IDPs) ability to rebuild their lives. The study also explores stakeholder perspectives on the role of the humanitarian community in addressing these challenges, and the potential risks to social stability arising from unclear property boundaries in areas that were completely destroyed.
Lebanon

#KeepItOn: Nepal’s Telegram ban is a dangerous escalation of digital censorship (Access Now, 2025)
Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition are alarmed by the Government of Nepal’s decision to ban the popular messaging application Telegram.
Nepal

Margot K: “What began as a modest bookshelf has grown into a LGBTIQ+ library with over 400 titles” (Amnesty International, 2025)
Growing up in Lebanon as an LGBTIQ+ person was like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded or reading a book in a language I didn’t understand. Around the age of 12, I realized I didn’t fit the usual expectations around sexuality and identity, but I didn’t even have the words for what I was.
Lebanon

‘Lumumba everlasting’: Belgium marks Congo’s slain leader’s 100th birthday with exhibition – and possible trial - Rankin, Jennifer (The Guardian, 2025)
Surprise move towards trial of veteran diplomat over Patrice Lumumba’s 1961 assassination coincides with show seeking to widen focus on his life and fight
Democratic Republic of Congo
Keywords: Africa; Art; Art and design; Belgium; Colonialism; Culture; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Europe; Patrice Lumumba; World news

Uruguay and Chile strengthen cooperation regarding human rights violations (MercoPress, 2025)
Uruguay and Chile advanced their collaboration on policies related to memory, truth, and justice regarding past human rights violations.
Chile

Uruguay and Chile strengthen cooperation regarding human rights violations (MercoPress, 2025)
Uruguay and Chile advanced their collaboration on policies related to memory, truth, and justice regarding past human rights violations.
Uruguay

Russia Counters Ukrainian Drones by Turning Off Russians’ Mobile Internet - Vasilyeva, Nataliya; Lobzina, Alina (The New York Times, 2025)
The same data networks that enable phone apps and web surfing help drones navigate, so officials are imposing daily, patchwork shutdowns. The actions can be very disruptive to daily life.
Russian Federation
Keywords: Communications and Media Blackouts; Computer Network Outages; Drones (Pilotless Planes); E-Commerce; Mobile Applications; Putin; Vladimir V; Russia; Wireless Communications

Internet shutdowns in Russia hit new record - Zhyrmont, Anastasiya (Access Now, 2025)
Internet shutdowns in Russia have been breaking records, with authorities cutting connectivity and blocking apps across the country.
Russian Federation

Russia has also declared war on literature. Look at what’s happening and be warned - Aslanyan, Anna (The Guardian, 2025)
Books – on LGBT themes or Ukraine – are Moscow’s target this time. And there as elsewhere, self-censorship is amplifying oppressors’ work.
Russian Federation
Keywords: Books; Censorship; Culture; Publishing; Russia; World news

Business as usual for racism in schools - Alam-Simmons, Ara (E-Tangata, 2025)
“There’s a bitter irony when those who benefit most from a racist education system are the ones deciding whether we count the data — and how we talk about it.”
New Zealand

Pride, Preservation, and the Power of Archives (International Council of Museums, 2025)
In this episode we speak with Daniel Payne, Reference Archivist at The ArQuives, Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives. The ArQuives, founded in 1973, are now among the largest independent LGBTQ2+ archives in the world, with vast collections ranging from personal papers to photographs and memorabilia, all preserving the diverse story of queer and trans lives across Canada and beyond.
Worldwide

In the US, a factual National Archive still exists — but for how long? - Anna Nemzer (The Hill, 2025)
If access were restricted or content altered or erased, as is already happening on numerous government websites, truth, as in Russia, begins to disappear.
United States of America

Microsoft Used China-Based Support for Multiple U.S. Agencies, Potentially Exposing Sensitive Data - Burke, Doris, Renee Dudley (ProPublica, 2025)
Microsoft says it will no longer use China-based engineers to support the Pentagon. But ProPublica found that the tech giant has relied on its global workforce for years to support other federal clients, including the Justice Department.
China

Microsoft Used China-Based Support for Multiple U.S. Agencies, Potentially Exposing Sensitive Data - Burke, Doris, Renee Dudley (ProPublica, 2025)
Microsoft says it will no longer use China-based engineers to support the Pentagon. But ProPublica found that the tech giant has relied on its global workforce for years to support other federal clients, including the Justice Department.
United States of America

Immigration agents told a teenage US citizen: ‘You’ve got no rights.’ He secretly recorded his brutal arrest - Considine, Clare (The Guardian, 2025)
Video from Kenny Laynez-Ambrosio, 18, puts fresh scrutiny on the harsh tactics used to reach the Trump administration’s ambitious enforcement targets
United States of America
Keywords: Florida; Trump administration; US immigration; US news; US policing; US politics

Defending lives and data amid crises and disasters - ESCAP (ReliefWeb, 2025)
Home to more disasters than any other regions, Asia and the Pacific faces rising risks as extreme environmental events grow in both frequency and intensity. At the heart of disaster preparedness, lies a crucial yet often overlooked system: Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS). Not only are these systems essential for ensuring that everyone has access to a legal identity, as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 16.9, they provide critical and accurate population data, which enable effective disaster planning, response, resource allocation, and recovery efforts.
Worldwide

After 160 years of Welsh settlement in Patagonia, Indigenous voices are finally being heard - Lublin, Geraldine (The Conversation, 2025)
The first Welsh settlers landed on the shores of what is today the Province of Chubut, in Argentinean Patagonia, on 28 July 1865. A major aspect of the settlement that is celebrated is the unique friendship with the Indigenous Tehuelche that the Welsh immigrants would have struck up.
Argentina

Maroon scholar calls for digitisation of the Maroon story - Paul H. Williams (Jamaica Gleaner, 2025)
The story of the Jamaican Maroons is the story of the beginning of the evolution of the Jamaican nation. They were the first people of African descent in the Western Hemisphere to free themselves from European enslavers.
Jamaica

France’s top court annuls arrest warrant for Bashar al-Assad - Willsher, Kim (The Guardian, 2025)
Judges rule document invalid as former Syrian leader had immunity as head of state
Syria
Keywords: Bashar al-Assad; Chemical weapons; Europe; France; Human rights; International law; Law; Middle East and north Africa; Syria; World news

France’s top court annuls arrest warrant for Bashar al-Assad - Willsher, Kim (The Guardian, 2025)
Judges rule document invalid as former Syrian leader had immunity as head of state
France
Keywords: Bashar al-Assad; Chemical weapons; Europe; France; Human rights; International law; Law; Middle East and north Africa; Syria; World news

hūmānus and ARSPHR Launch Groundbreaking Rohingya Atrocities Archive, Continuing Mohibullah's Sacrificial Fight for Truth and Justice (PR Newswire, 2025)
hūmānus and the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace & Human Rights (ARSPHR) announced the pivotal launch of the Rohingya Atrocities Archive, a groundbreaking digital repository. This powerful, meticulously curated platform stands as a testament to ARSPHR's tireless, community-driven documentation, initially gathered on handwritten notes and often precariously stored. In 2020, hūmānus initiated a critical project to painstakingly digitalise these vital records for safekeeping and in-depth analysis, supporting ARSPHR in cleaning the data, filling information gaps, and developing robust investigation strategies.
Southeast Asia

International media groups urge Israel to allow access to Gaza (Euractiv, 2025)
Since the war started following the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas, journalists have been able to enter Gaza only with the Israeli army and with strict military censorship rules
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the United Nations)

International media groups urge Israel to allow access to Gaza (Euractiv, 2025)
Since the war started following the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas, journalists have been able to enter Gaza only with the Israeli army and with strict military censorship rules
Israel

Russia Clamps Down on Online Searches - Anastasiia Kruope (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
This week, Russia’s State Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, adopted a draft law that imposes fines on ordinary citizens for “intentionally” searching for “extremist” content on the internet, including via censorship circumvention tools like Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
Russian Federation

Undelivered farewell letters from victims of Nazi persecution - Arolsen archives (Arolsen Archives, 2025)
The Bavarian State Archives and the Arolsen Archives start a cooperation on execution files from Munich-Stadelheim. The Munich-Stadelheim prison was a “central execution center” under National Socialism, making it one of the main sites of Nazi injustice in Munich. Over 1,000 people were executed there up to 1945. Touching documents from there are undelivered farewell.
Germany

Central African Republic: ICC Convicts Two Anti-Balaka Leaders - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
The International Criminal Court (ICC) conviction of two anti-balaka militia leaders for serious crimes in the Central African Republic is an important step toward justice in the country.
Central African Republic
Keywords: The Netherlands

Artist Amy Sherald cancels Smithsonian show over censorship - Lee, Benjamin (The Guardian, 2025)
Portraitist withdrew her National Portrait Gallery show over reports that a transgender Statue of Liberty painting could offend Trump
United States of America
Keywords: Art; Art and design; Culture; Donald Trump; Painting; US news

Gathering the Red Record: Linking Racial Violence Archives - Northeastern Law’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project (School of Law, 2025)
Northeastern Law’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project (CRRJ) will host a two-day conference in July to mark the launch of the Burnham-Nobles Digital Archive 2.0.
United States of America

Trump signs executive orders targeting ‘woke’ AI models and regulation - Robins-Early, Nick; Gambino, Lauren (The Guardian, 2025)
Crackdown would streamline the building of datacentres and remove environmental protections
United States of America
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Donald Trump; Technology; Trump administration; US news; US politics; World news

Africa Sets Course to Strengthen and Harmonise Health Data Governance (Africa CDC, 2025)
The Africa Centre for Disease Control (Africa CDC) is set to kick off action towards strengthening and harmonising the framework of policies, procedures, and practices that ensure healthcare data is managed, protected, and used responsibly throughout its lifecycle — health data governance — across the continent.
Africa

Albanese government worse than Morrison era at producing documents for public scrutiny, report finds - Belot, Henry (The Guardian, 2025)
A Centre for Public Integrity report found in 2022-23, for the first time, more FOI requests were refused than fully granted to applicants. The report also found the number of FOI documents granted in full had fallen by more than half in just over a decade.
Australia
Keywords: Australia news; Australian politics; Freedom of information

The Huawei Dilemma: Why Europe Needs Strong Intelligence Guardrails - Dave Venable; Mykola Volkivskyi (The Cipher Brief, 2025)
Spain's decision to award Huawei with a contract to manage a wiretap system shows the lack of security standards across European intelligence.
Europe

China's Disinformation Offensive in Taiwan - Hollie McKay (The Cipher Brief, 2025)
Every day, social media feeds in Taiwan are flooded with a mix of sensational and carefully-crafted, more subdued claims. They range from fear-mongering about a potential cross-strait conflict to narratives portraying the Republic of China as grappling with racism and food safety issues, to casting doubt on its relationship with Washington.
Asia

Do You Have Information About the CECOT Deportations? Help ProPublica Report. - Jameel, Melissa Sanchez, Mica Rosenberg, Maryam, Perla Trevizo (ProPublica, 2025)
If you have information about the deportation operation or the immigrants who were deported, we want to hear from you.
United States of America

¿Lo enviaron a usted o a alguien que conozca al CECOT? - Jameel, Melissa Sanchez, Mica Rosenberg, Maryam, Perla Trevizo (ProPublica, 2025)
Si tiene información sobre los venezolanos que Trump mandó a una cárcel salvadoreña, queremos hablar con usted.
United States of America

‘Women are the guardians of our culture’: why Kihnu is Estonia’s island of true equality - Lewis, Sian (The Guardian, 2025)
They wear traditional dress, play ancient melodies on violins and accordions, but the women of this island outpost ensure that it is more than just a living museum.
Estonia
Keywords: Cultural trips; Estonia holidays; Europe holidays; Life and style; Society; Travel; Women

“Under the Microscope”: Activists Opposing a Nevada Lithium Mine Were Surveilled for Years, Records Show - Olalde, Mark (ProPublica, 2025)
Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have collaborated with private security to surveil largely peaceful protesters opposed to the Thacker Pass mine, according to a ProPublica review of thousands of pages of law enforcement communications.
United States of America

Guard at U.S. Embassy in Norway Charged With Spying for Russia and Iran - Pranav Baskar; Henrik Pryser Libell (The New York Times, 2025)
A Norwegian man has been accused of leaking sensitive information about U.S. embassy staff members and threatening Norway’s national interests, according to prosecutors.
Worldwide
Keywords: Classified Information and State Secrets; Diplomatic Service; Embassies and Consulates; Espionage and Intelligence Services; Iran; Mohamed Orahhou; Norway; Russia; United States International Relations

Ministers urged to help students trapped in Gaza with places at UK universities - Weale, Sally (The Guardian, 2025)
Forty people who have been offered scholarships unable to travel without biometric data they have no way of getting.
United Kingdom
Keywords: Education; Gaza; Higher education; Home Office; Israel-Gaza war; Middle East and north Africa; Palestinian territories; Students; UK news; Universities; World news

Ministers urged to help students trapped in Gaza with places at UK universities - Weale, Sally (The Guardian, 2025)
Forty people who have been offered scholarships unable to travel without biometric data they have no way of getting.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the United Nations)
Keywords: Education; Gaza; Higher education; Home Office; Israel-Gaza war; Middle East and north Africa; Palestinian territories; Students; UK news; Universities; World news

UK government urged to offer more transparency over OpenAI deal - Booth, Robert (The Guardian, 2025)
Select committee chair says public need to be reassured about the use of their data after ‘major failures’ in the past
United Kingdom
Keywords: Amazon; Artificial intelligence (AI); Computing; Google; Labour; Microsoft; OpenAI; Palantir; Peter Kyle; Politics; Sam Altman; Silicon Valley; Technology; UK news

Irish Museum of Modern Art rejects censorship claims after Derek Jarman film cancellation - Campbell, Sinéad (The Guardian, 2025)
IMMA says it plans to reinstate screenings of The Angelic Conversation, following a complaint against the showing of a gay kiss on the museum’s outdoor screen
Ireland
Keywords: Censorship; Culture; Derek Jarman; Europe; Film; Ireland; LGBTQ+ rights; World news

From Gaza to Amman, how UNRWA's family archives were rescued under fire - Laure Stephan (Le Monde, 2025)
Documents attesting to the refugee status of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were taken out of Gaza in the early months of the war and stored safely in Jordan. Le Monde tells the story of this previously unreported secret operation.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the United Nations)

From Gaza to Amman, how UNRWA's family archives were rescued under fire - Laure Stephan (Le Monde, 2025)
Documents attesting to the refugee status of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were taken out of Gaza in the early months of the war and stored safely in Jordan. Le Monde tells the story of this previously unreported secret operation.
Jordan

Trump officials release FBI records on MLK Jr despite his family’s opposition (The Guardian, 2025)
About 200,000 pages of surveillance records released despite objection from slain civil rights leader’s family
United States of America
Keywords: FBI; Martin Luther King; Trump administration; US news

UNRWA and Health Insight Asia Take Key Step in Improving Digital Health Records for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA, 2025)
UNRWA and Health Insight Asia have taken a key step in improving healthcare for millions of Palestine Refugees by taking the Agency’s use of electronic medical records to a new level.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the United Nations)

UK may back down on demand for backdoor access to Apple users’ encrypted data - Booth, Robert; Syal, Rajeev (The Guardian, 2025)
Government sources say pressure from Washington, including JD Vance, could lead to Home Office climbdown, according to reports
United Kingdom
Keywords: Apple; Business; Computing; Encryption; Home Office; JD Vance; Law; Politics; Privacy; Surveillance; Technology; UK news; US news; World news

UK may back down on demand for backdoor access to Apple users’ encrypted data - Booth, Robert; Syal, Rajeev (The Guardian, 2025)
Government sources say pressure from Washington, including JD Vance, could lead to Home Office climbdown, according to reports
United States of America
Keywords: Apple; Business; Computing; Encryption; Home Office; JD Vance; Law; Politics; Privacy; Surveillance; Technology; UK news; US news; World news

‘The Lesson from Gaza Is Clear: When Ai-powered Machines Control Who Lives, Human Rights Die’ - CIVICUS (Inter Press Service, 2025)
CIVICUS discusses the military use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Gaza with Dima Samaro, a Palestinian lawyer and researcher, and director of Skyline International for Human Rights, a civil society organisation (CSO) that defends digital freedoms and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the United Nations)

Australia pressed Tony Blair to avoid meeting ‘troublemaker’ 1999 Indigenous delegation, archives reveal - Quinn, Ben; Davies, Caroline (The Guardian, 2025)
Representatives led by Patrick Dodson met Queen but memo reveals PM advised to plead ‘diary problems’
Australia
Keywords: Australia news; Australian foreign policy; Australian politics; Cricket; Foreign policy; Indigenous Australians; Indigenous recognition; John Howard; National Archives; Pat Dodson; Politics; Tony Blair; UK news; World news

Australia pressed Tony Blair to avoid meeting ‘troublemaker’ 1999 Indigenous delegation, archives reveal - Quinn, Ben; Davies, Caroline (The Guardian, 2025)
Representatives led by Patrick Dodson met Queen but memo reveals PM advised to plead ‘diary problems’
United Kingdom
Keywords: Australia news; Australian foreign policy; Australian politics; Cricket; Foreign policy; Indigenous Australians; Indigenous recognition; John Howard; National Archives; Pat Dodson; Politics; Tony Blair; UK news; World news

Trump Releases Thousands of Martin Luther King Jr. Files - Rojas, Rick (The New York Times, 2025)
Historians said they saw little of note in the assassination records that President Trump disclosed despite opposition from most of Dr. King’s family.
United States of America
Keywords: Archives and Records; Classified Information and State Secrets; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Justice Department; National Archives and Records Administration; Trump; Donald J; United States Politics and Government

Routine health information system and health facility data for neglected tropical diseases: general guidance for national programme managers and data clerks (World Health Organisation, 2025)
Given the heterogeneity of NTDs, information pathways and data management practices supporting programmes to eradicate, eliminate and control these diseases have tended to be equally diverse. This situation has created an uneven, complex information pathway beset by duplication and dispersion of effort, inefficiencies and missed opportunities. The WHO-led development of the RHIS provides a unique opportunity to address several of these challenges and harness investments in systems by several stakeholders to strengthen national health information systems. In response, the Global NTD Programme has collaborated with the corporate WHO RHIS toolkit initiative by developing programme-specific guidance.
Worldwide

Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Rwanda (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
In 2021, the Rwandan delegation expressed support for 160 out of 284 human rights recommendations, including relating to access to justice and remedy, prison and detention conditions, and the rights to freedom of speech and association.
Rwanda

CFP: Colonial Objects: Material Culture of Italian Colonialism - Cheryl (Publishing in the Archives Profession, 2025)
DUE 5 September. We welcome critical analyses of objects that propose unexpected, alternative, or conflicting narratives of Italian colonialism. Possible case studies can pertain to the fields of art history, military history, economics, industry, education, fashion, design, media, consumption, and tourism, as well as everyday artifacts and utensils.
Italy

Memories of Movement - Shaeera Kalla; Tsogo Kupa (Africa is a Country, 2025)
An experimental reimagining of protest memory — unsettling the archive and inviting viewers to ask what movements leave behind.
Africa

Tech conglomerate Tencent reportedly requests removal of anti-censorship archive FreeWeChat - Khunsha Dar, Hong (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2025)
Chinese tech giant Tencent is seeking the removal of FreeWeChat.com, an archive developed by GreatFire. The website specialises in surfacing deleted or blocked WeChat posts on politically sensitive topics.
China

Meta argues its AI needs personal information from social media posts to learn ‘Australian concepts’ - Taylor, Josh; reporter, Josh Taylor Technology (The Guardian, 2025)
Tech giant says posts from Australian Facebook and Instagram users are ‘vital learning’ about ‘concepts, realities, and figures’
Australia
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Australia news; Meta; Privacy; Technology

Archiving for Justice, Truth, and Memory: Unpacking the Baggage of What Went Before - Jackson, Rachel (UConn Today, 2025)
Reflections on the importance of the newest addition to ICTY Digital Archives, the Srebrenica Genocide Archives Collection.
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Texas Officials Say They Didn’t See the Flood Coming. Oral Histories Show Residents Have Long Warned of Risks. - Jaffe, Logan (ProPublica, 2025)
After a tragedy, records from local archives can help us understand how a community understands itself. Here’s some of what we learned following the devastating July 4 flooding in Texas.
United States of America

Senate Must Consider Security Risks in Judicial Confirmations - Noah Bookbinder, Christie Wentworth and Danielle DeVillier (Just Security, 2025)
A vote to confirm a judicial nominee is a vote to grant that individual a lifetime security clearance and access to some of the country’s most closely held secrets.
United States of America

The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE - Asher-Schapiro, Christopher Bing, Avi, William Turton (ProPublica, 2025)
ProPublica has obtained the blueprint for the Trump administration’s unprecedented plan to turn over IRS records to Homeland Security in order to speed up the agency’s mass deportation efforts.
United States of America

U.K. Secretly Resettled 4,500 Afghans in Britain After Huge Data Breach - Castle, Stephen; London, Mark Landler Reporting from (The New York Times, 2025)
The government said that information about 18,000 Afghans was accidentally revealed in 2022. A legal order had prevented any reporting on the subject.
United Kingdom
Keywords: Afghanistan; Asylum; Right of; Classified Information and State Secrets; Defense and Military Forces; Great Britain; Healey; John (1960- ); Politics and Government; Taliban

Israel and Iran Usher In New Era of Psychological Warfare - Odenheimer, Steven Lee MyersNatan; Solomon, Erika (The New York Times, 2025)
The 12-day conflict was marked by a flurry of propaganda, disinformation and covert operations aided by artificial intelligence and spread by social media.
Iran
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Defense and Military Forces; International Relations; Mossad; NewsGuard Technologies Inc; Propaganda; Rumors and Misinformation; Social Media; Video Recordings; Downloads and Streaming

Israel and Iran Usher In New Era of Psychological Warfare - Odenheimer, Steven Lee MyersNatan; Solomon, Erika (The New York Times, 2025)
The 12-day conflict was marked by a flurry of propaganda, disinformation and covert operations aided by artificial intelligence and spread by social media.
Israel
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Defense and Military Forces; International Relations; Mossad; NewsGuard Technologies Inc; Propaganda; Rumors and Misinformation; Social Media; Video Recordings; Downloads and Streaming

Understanding challenges in detention through Health Information System (International Committee of the Red Cross, 2025)
Overcrowing in detention causes many health issues. Addressing these issues is another problem. Prior to 2024, there was no standard medical recording in place in BJMP jails. Detainees’ health records were disorganized. Information from consultations were written in loose sheets of papers; these were stored in places where they could easily be accessed, destroyed or lost. The lack of a standard recording system also meant that reliable health data was unavailable, making it hard for the authorities to make decisions in connection to the delivery of basic healthcare to detainees.
Philippines

Kosovo Ex-PM Among 10 Convicted of Falsifying War Veterans’ Lists - Ferati, Krenare (Balkan Insight, 2025)
Former Prime Minister Agim Ceku and nine others were found guilty of falsifying war veterans’ lists to enable people to claim welfare benefits, and sentenced to a year in prison each.
Kosovo

Lost archives of Idi Amin preserved and protected - The University of Wesern Australia (2025)
The “lost archive” of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and materials documenting the country’s history between 1947 and 1986 has been registered by UNESCO.
Uganda

Remembering genocide in Srebrenica through the lens of Kristian Skeie - Farrant, Theo (euronews, 2025)
Photographer Kristian Skeie’s ongoing project documents life in the aftermath of the genocide in Srebrenica, capturing the quiet resilience of survivors and the enduring scars of Europe’s worst atrocity since WWII.
Bosnia

A Bayard Rustin archive aims to preserve his legacy as a queer Civil Rights activist - Jayleen Green (Los Angeles Sentinel, 2025)
Social justice advocates are creating a queer history archive that celebrates Bayard Rustin, a major organizer in the Civil Rights Movement and key architect of the March on Washington. The Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice will launch a digital archive this fall featuring articles, photos, videos, telegrams, speeches, and more tied to Rustin’s work. Sourced from museums, archives, and personal accounts, it’s designed as a central space where others can add their own stories, creating a living historical record.
United States of America

‘The voices of our dead have not faded away’: the fight for the memory of genocide in Srebrenica - Borger, Julian (The Guardian, 2025)
Three decades on, as leaders deny what happened, remains of the thousands killed continue to be identified and buried
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Keywords: Bosnia and Herzegovina; Europe; Islam; Ratko Mladić; Religion; War crimes; World news

Bangladesh’s ousted Sheikh Hasina charged with crimes against humanity - Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (The Guardian, 2025)
Former leader, who is in hiding in India, indicted over deadly crackdown on anti-government protests last year
Bangladesh
Keywords: Bangladesh; Protest; Sheikh Hasina; South and central Asia; World news

Justice Dept. Demands Patient Details From Trans Medicine Providers - Ghorayshi, Azeen; Thrush, Glenn (The New York Times, 2025)
Doctors and hospitals were subpoenaed for private information on gender-related care for minors, the latest move by the Trump administration to stop the treatments.
United States of America
Keywords: Discrimination; Doctors; Hospitals; Justice Department; Medicine and Health; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry; Subpoenas; Teenagers and Adolescence; Transgender; Trump; Donald J; United States Politics and Government

Axon’s Draft One is Designed to Defy Transparency - Maass, Matthew Guariglia and Dave (Electronic Frontier Foundation, 2025)
Axon Enterprise’s Draft One — a generative artificial intelligence product that writes police reports based on audio from officers’ body-worn cameras — seems deliberately designed to avoid audits that could provide any accountability to the public.
United States of America

No Face, No Case: California’s S.B. 627 Demands Cops Show Their Faces - Martinez, José (Electronic Frontier Foundation, 2025)
California has introduced S.B. 627 to prohibit law enforcement from covering their faces during encounters with the public, in response to masked ICE agent actions.
United States of America

Why 18th century European kids were designing their idea of Australia - McGillivray, Mary (ABC News, 2025)
Why, 200 years ago, was a five-year-old girl in Scotland painstakingly embroidering her idea of Australia, and what lessons are hidden in her work?
Australia
Keywords: botany bay; colonial girls history; colonial history; embroidery; laura cook; lorinda cramer; margret begbie; national museum of australia; needlework; samplers

Human rights tribunal rejects worker’s request to ban publication of medical records (Human Rights Law Canada, 2025)
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has denied a former student union executive's request to limit public disclosure of her medical information in a discrimination case, ruling that privacy concerns do not outweigh the principle of open court proceedings.
Canada

Why Big Tech is threatened by a global push for data sovereignty - Dosunmu, Damilare (Rest of World, 2025)
Countries are forcing tech giants to store citizen data locally, challenging the standard business model of harvesting data abroad while keeping profits at home.
Worldwide

France Should Follow WWII Rejection of Head of State Immunity - Kostas, Steve, Dan Plesch (Just Security, 2025)
Newly revealed historical records of European States' criminal indictments of Hitler should shape how courts think of "head of state immunity"
Europe