Doge eyes cuts to Peace Corps with in-person visit and records access - Kerr, Dara (The Guardian, 2025)
“Staff from the Department of Government Efficiency are currently working at Peace Corps headquarters and the agency is supporting their requests,” the agency said in an email to the Guardian on Friday. She asked for access to the agency’s financial records.
United States of America
Keywords: Elon Musk; Technology; Trump administration; US news; US politics; World news

23andMe’s demise is a warning: the US needs to overhaul genetic data protection - Dalton Conley (The Guardian, 2025)
We’re moving toward a society where genetic information is a part of everyday life – and we don’t want it in the wrong hands
United States of America
Keywords: Genetics; Insurance industry; Science; US news

Pentagon launches investigation into Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal app after sensitive information leak - Gedeon, Joseph (The Guardian, 2025)
Defense chief and others discussed US military operations on messaging app that included journalist
United States of America
Keywords: Pete Hegseth; Trump administration; US military; US national security; US news; US politics; World news; Yemen

Why cultural heritage must be integrated into International Development - Sophia Anders (LSE International Development - Social, political and economic transformation in the developing world, 2025)
Cultural heritage embodies a community’s history, traditions, identity, and memory – making it a frequent target in conflicts. While the importance of protecting cultural heritage is recognised in the SDGs and by international and military organisations, International Development has yet to fully acknowledge its importance. This research aims to explore how cultural places foster resilience, community cohesion, and nation-building.
Worldwide

Stranger than fiction MI5 tales revealed in first National Archives collaboration - Addley, Esther (The Guardian, 2025)
From Guy Burgess’s briefcase to microdots secreted in talc, an exhibition reveals remarkable items from the agency’s archives – and the extraordinary stories behind them
United Kingdom
Keywords: MI5; UK news; UK security and counter-terrorism

Mike Waltz’s team set up at least 20 Signal chats for national security work - Gedeon, Joseph (The Guardian, 2025)
National security adviser and team shared ‘sensitive information’ in group chats on app, sources tell Politico
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; Pete Hegseth; Signal group chat leak; Trump administration; US national security; US news; US politics

Archiving an Island Nation: The Maldives Government Web Archive - Haupt Fugate, Tracee (The Library of Congress, 2025)
The Maldives Government Web Archives contains Maldives government websites at the national level, including sites such as those for the President’s Office and other ministries like the Ministry of Arts Culture and Heritage. Most of these websites are in Dhivehi (or Divehi) and English. In the future, I’d like to expand the collection to include government sites from the atolls. There are 22 natural atolls and 20 administrative units covering the approximately 1,200 islands that comprise the Maldives. Crawling these websites will allow us to capture information about how each unit responds to the unique challenges and needs of the individual atolls.
Maldives

Classified files and MI5 spy artefacts to be exhibited for the first time - Emily Smith (The Independent, 2025)
The exhibition will offer the public a first-ever glimpse into MI5's private collection
United Kingdom

Microbial Sleuths: SAGA Scientists Investigate Hidden Dangers at the Archives - European University Institute (European University Institute, 2025)
Scientists from the Institute of Molecular Biology in Bratislava visited the Historical Archives of the European Union to sample the archival environment for
Europe

International Archives Week 2025: #ArchivesAreAccessible – Archives for Everyone - ICA (ICA, 2025)
As archives evolve in the digital age, the ability to provide greater access to archival content is more important than ever. This year’s theme will celebrate how archives around the world are embracing new technologies to open up their collections, making it easier for people to engage with history, culture, and knowledge. Whether through digital platforms, enhanced user interfaces, or innovative preservation techniques, the goal is to ensure that archives are available to all, regardless of geographical location or physical limitations.
Worldwide

Library and museum support agency faces massive cuts after Trump order - Jeffrey Brown (2025)
It’s a small federal agency few have heard of, but it has a large impact around the country. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the largest source of federal funding for museums and libraries and the Trump administration has placed roughly 80 percent of IMLS staff on administrative leave.
United States of America

The First Nations Principles of OCAP - The First Nations Information Governance Centre (The First Nations Information Governance Centre, 2025)
The First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession – more commonly known as OCAP® – assert that First Nations have control over data collection processes, and that they own and control how this information can be used.
Americas

Unveiling the Treasures of the ICRC Historical Archives: New Online Catalogue - Rombaldi Revaz, Maya; Vogg, Christian (Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library, 2025)
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) launches a comprehensive, searchable online catalogue of historical archives (1863-1975). This tool enhances accessibility, supports research, and promotes easier access to invaluable collections. Explore the ICRC historical archives website for more information.
Worldwide

Dangerous records: Controlling the Archives of the International Refugee Organization - Huskamp Peterson, Trudy (International Organizations and the Cold War: Competition, Cooperation, and Convergence, 2025)
Worldwide

38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia by Philippe Sands review – war crimes revisited - Anthony, Andrew (The Guardian, 2025)
In the final part of a bravura trilogy detailing the struggle to bring war criminals to account, Sands tracks a former SS commander to Chile, where he found a friend in Augusto Pinochet
Chile
Keywords: Augusto Pinochet; Books; Culture; History books; Law; Philippe Sands; War crimes

38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia by Philippe Sands review – war crimes revisited - Anthony, Andrew (The Guardian, 2025)
In the final part of a bravura trilogy detailing the struggle to bring war criminals to account, Sands tracks a former SS commander to Chile, where he found a friend in Augusto Pinochet
United Kingdom
Keywords: Augusto Pinochet; Books; Culture; History books; Law; Philippe Sands; War crimes

Local lifelines: Enhancing information sharing and inclusion in Sudan - CDAC Network (CDAC Network, 2025)
The local lifelines project aims to improve the humanitarian information ecosystem by supporting an enabling environment for greater localised humanitarian action in Sudan.
Sudan

Found: British Military Documents, Scattered on the Street - Wolfe, Jonathan (The New York Times, 2025)
A man in Northern England said he had stumbled upon hundreds of documents, including threat assessments, armory codes and detailed base patrols. The Ministry of Defense said it was investigating.
United Kingdom
Keywords: Classified Information and State Secrets; Defense and Military Forces; Great Britain; Newcastle-on-Tyne (England)

Q&A: Meet Shakuntala Marndi, Santali-language activist and Wikimedian - Amrit Sufi (Global Voices, 2025)
Shakuntala Marndi, a Santali-language Wikipedian, talks about her efforts to promote Santali online, particularly through her blog and Wikimedia projects.
India

MediaHack: 36 hours against electoral disinformation in Ecuador - Carlos E. Flores (Global Voices, 2025)
Can technology combat disinformation? In the middle of Ecuador's tense presidential campaign, a hackathon in Quito gathered efforts to face this challenge.
Ecuador

Romania conducts social media "stress test" ahead of May election - Datta, Anupriya (Euractiv, 2025)
Romania's agency ANCOM has not explicitly stated whether online platforms have provided sufficient reassurances around disinformation campaigns.
Romania

South Korea admits to human rights violations through mass intercountry adoptions - Ellie Cho (Jurist News, 2025)
The South Korean government’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission admitted on Wednesday that the government had violated fundamental human rights in the intercountry adoption process due to a lack of a proper legislative framework, oversight, and adherence to administrative procedures. The government’s findings are based on an intensive investigation that involved gathering information and conducting interviews with relevant individuals. The gathered information includes a vast amount of data from the archives and adoption records of four major adoption agencies
South Korea

Judge orders now-infamous Signal chat be retained as tariff fallout deepens - Guardian staff (The Guardian, 2025)
James Boasberg, the chief US district judge in Washington, ordered all messages in the group chat be preserved, adding that his decision was aimed at ensuring no messages were lost and not because he decided the Trump administration had done anything wrong. Boasberg is set to decide at a later stage whether the disappearing message function of the Signal chat violated federal records retention laws.
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; Signal group chat leak; Tariffs; Trump administration; Trump tariffs; US news; US politics

South Korea HD Hyundai machinery used in West Bank demolitions - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2025)
HD Hyundai machinery has been widely used in demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), according to new visual and testimonial evidence documented by Amnesty International Korea and local human rights groups.
South Korea

South Korea HD Hyundai machinery used in West Bank demolitions - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2025)
HD Hyundai machinery has been widely used in demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), according to new visual and testimonial evidence documented by Amnesty International Korea and local human rights groups.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the United Nations)

In Turkey, a controversial law on cybersecurity is widely seen as yet another censorship tool - Arzu Geybullayeva (Global Voices, 2025)
The Media and Rights Studies Association (MLSA) highlighted several problematic nuances such as punishing journalists working on data security with the same penalties as the perpetrators behind the leaks.
Türkiye

The Guardian view on Trump and reality: from promoting alternative facts to erasing truths - Editorial (The Guardian, 2025)
The decision to put documents on the assassination of John F Kennedy into the public domain comes alongside a ‘digital book burning’ of data
United States of America
Keywords: Climate crisis; Donald Trump; Freedom of information; Health; John F Kennedy; QAnon; Science; Social media; Trump administration; US politics; US press and publishing; Washington Post; World news

Six human rights organisations submit evidence of crimes against humanity to the International Criminal Court - International Federation for Human Rights (International Federation for Human Rights, 2025)
The Communication draws on interviews with witnesses and victims of alleged crimes, complemented by an extensive analysis of publicly available sources, including public statements of Belarusian high-ranking officials, proving that the alleged crimes were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the part of the Belarusian civilian population perceived by the authorities as "disloyal". They also demonstrate that the Belarusian authorities implement a State policy to intimidate and punish those deemed "disloyal", in a campaign officials have repeatedly described as a "cleansing of society".
Belarus

Judge orders participants in Signal chat group blunder to preserve all messages - Lowell, Hugo (The Guardian, 2025)
Restraining order was issued to ensure that records of Yemen attack group conversation are retained
United States of America
Keywords: CIA; Donald Trump; Marco Rubio; Pete Hegseth; Signal group chat leak; Trump administration; US national security; US news; US politics

What happens to DNA data of millions as 23andMe files bankruptcy? - Geoff Bennett (2025)
The bankruptcy of 23andMe is raising concerns about the future of its DNA information. Once a pioneer in the genetic testing industry, the company faced backlash after hackers leaked user data in 2023. Now, millions could see their genetic data dealt in a potential sale.
United States of America

Trump administration claims details of mass deportations are state secrets - Olivares, José (The Guardian, 2025)
Justice department avoids providing US judge information on expulsions of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador
El Salvador
Keywords: Americas; Donald Trump; El Salvador; Law (US); Trump administration; US foreign policy; US immigration; US news; US politics; Venezuela

Trump administration claims details of mass deportations are state secrets - Olivares, José (The Guardian, 2025)
Justice department avoids providing US judge information on expulsions of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador
Venezuela
Keywords: Americas; Donald Trump; El Salvador; Law (US); Trump administration; US foreign policy; US immigration; US news; US politics; Venezuela

Trump administration claims details of mass deportations are state secrets - Olivares, José (The Guardian, 2025)
Justice department avoids providing US judge information on expulsions of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador
United States of America
Keywords: Americas; Donald Trump; El Salvador; Law (US); Trump administration; US foreign policy; US immigration; US news; US politics; Venezuela

Humanitarian data drought: The deeper damage wrought by US aid cuts - Will Worley (The New Humanitarian, 2025)
Humanitarian data drought: The deeper damage wrought by US aid cuts - The New Humanitarian puts quality, independent journalism at the service of the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world
Worldwide

NIH Ends Future Funding to Study the Health Effects of Climate Change - Annie Waldman, Sharon Lerner (ProPublica, 2025)
It’s unclear whether the guidance will impact active grants, but it appears to halt opportunities for future studies. One climate health expert said the directive would have a “devastating” impact on much-needed research.
United States of America

Drones, informers and apps: Iran intensifies surveillance on women to enforce hijab law - Parent, Deepa (The Guardian, 2025)
Iranian police are using digital tools to identify and punish women who defy the Islamic state’s harsh dress code
Iran
Keywords: Global development; Human rights; Iran; Law; Middle East and north Africa; Surveillance; Women's rights and gender equality; World news

‘You couldn’t trust anyone’: documenting Argentina’s military dictatorship – photo essay - Tondo, Lorenzo (The Guardian, 2025)
Lorenzo Tondo speaks to the photographer José Luis Ledesma about his work documenting the Dirty War, the brutality of Videla’s regime and Maradona’s life in Italy
Argentina
Keywords: Americas; Argentina; Diego Maradona; World news

The New Yorker at 100: ‘We live in a world of misinformation ... a lack of verification. Our readers want what we do’ - Anthony, Andrew (The Observer, 2025)
The venerable magazine is thriving and its long-time editor David Remnick tells us why a dedication to literate, conversation-provoking and veracious reportage has never been more vital
Worldwide
Keywords: Condé Nast; Culture; David Remnick; Magazines; Media; Newspapers & magazines; The New Yorker

IRS nears deal with Ice to share data of undocumented immigrants - Empson, Olivia (The Guardian, 2025)
Immigration officials could give names and addresses, raising concerns about Trump administration’s abuse of power
United States of America
Keywords: Trump administration; US immigration; US news; US politics

Mind your language: The battle for linguistic diversity in AI - Fabrice Robinet (UN News, 2025)
Mr. Pichai’s speech was a far cry from the linguistic missteps of early generative AI – a branch of artificial intelligence capable of creating original content, from text to images, music and animation. When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022, non-English speakers quickly discovered its limitations. A query in English would generate a detailed, informative response. The same prompt in French? Two paragraphs, followed by a sheepish apology: "Sorry, I haven’t been trained on that," or, "my model isn't updated beyond this date."
Worldwide

Press freedom in Serbia is facing a dangerous turning point, editors warn - Savage, Michael (The Guardian, 2025)
Group says reporters at independent outlets suffer ‘constant harassment, physical attacks and smear campaigns’
Serbia
Keywords: Europe; Media; Newspapers; Newspapers & magazines; Press freedom; Serbia; World news

Ukraine’s clandestine book club defies Russia’s push to rewrite history - Pomerantsev, Peter; Dykhman, Alina (The Observer, 2025)
Risking discovery and even prison, teenage readers meet in secret to discuss texts that Putin’s troops are trying to erase
Ukraine
Keywords: Books; Culture; Europe; Libraries; Russia; US news; Ukraine; Vladimir Putin; World news

‘A slap in the face’: activists reel as Trump administration removes crucial missing Indigenous peoples report - Walker, Adria R. (The Guardian, 2025)
The Not Invisible Act Commission’s resource was historic for Native Americans. It’s now been scrubbed from federal websites
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; Indigenous peoples; Native Americans; Trump administration; US news; US politics; Women

Accountability for Past Crimes is Essential to Ensure a Better Future for Syria - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
A better future for Syria, rooted in respect for human rights for all, requires addressing and ensuring meaningful, inclusive and comprehensive accountability for decades of grave human rights violations by the al-Assad government, as well as international crimes committed by all parties to the conflict.
Syria

Activist alerts ICC to spyware attack while sharing Libya torture victims’ details - Kirchgaessner, Stephanie; Giuffrida, Angela (The Guardian, 2025)
A prominent activist in Italy has warned the international criminal court that his mobile phone was under surveillance when he was providing the ICC with confidential information about victims of torture in Libya.
Libya
Keywords: Apple; Espionage; Europe; Giorgia Meloni; Hacking; International criminal court; Italy; Libya; Paragon; Surveillance; Technology; WhatsApp; World news

As Children, They Fled the Nazis Alone. Newly Found Papers Tell Their Story. - Moses, Claire (The New York Times, 2025)
Just under 10,000 Jewish children fled to Britain from Europe from December 1938 to September 1939. Not much was known about their journeys, until recently.
Europe
Keywords: Archives and Records; Children and Childhood; Germany; Great Britain; Jews and Judaism; Kindertransport; Rescues; Research; World War II (1939-45); Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum

With EU support UNESCO launches initiative to preserve the Jewish documentary heritage of Ukraine - EEAS (Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, 2025)
UNESCO launches a new project aimed at preserving and promoting the rich documentary heritage of Jewish communities in Ukraine. The two-year initiative, funded by the EU, seeks to safeguard cultural and historical records, enhance accessibility to archival materials, and support at least ten memory
Ukraine

Pentagon history purge highlights which stories are told and why others are ignored - Geoff Bennett (2025)
The Trump administration’s efforts to strip diversity, equity and inclusion prompted the Defense Department to remove thousands of pages and images honoring the contributions of women and people of color. The Pentagon is restoring some of those web pages, saying the removal was a mistake.
United States of America

Harsh repression and crimes against humanity ongoing Fact-Finding Mission says - OHCHR (OHCHR, 2025)
The Government of Venezuela continues to engage in actions constituting the crime against humanity of persecution on political grounds, committed in connection with the crime of imprisonment or severe deprivation of physical liberty and other crimes, the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela said in its latest update on the country’s human rights situation.
Venezuela

Archivist working for Greek authorities suspected as archaeology smuggling ring kingpin - The Jerusalem Post (The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com, 2025)
Greek authorities arrested 23 individuals in Northern Greece, alleged to be part of three antiquities smuggling rings.
Greece

Donald Trump signs order to dismantle seven federal agencies - Gangitano, Alex (The Hill, 2025)
President Trump on Friday signed an executive order that aims to eliminate seven federal agencies, including ones that focus on media, libraries, museums and ending homelessness.
United States of America

The power of transparency: fighting disinformation and defending USAid - Forster, Gary (Bond | The international development network, 2025)
As the political onslaught against USAID continues, transparency on aid spending is vital for holding truth to power.
Worldwide

Safe and Informed Access: How Vassar College Libraries Dealt with Racist, Xenophobic, and Otherwise Harmful Material in the Digital Library - Nicole Scalessa (bloggERS!, 2025)
While evaluating collections to be migrated in our 2021 move to Islandora 2.0, it became clear that the Wolven Glass Plate Negative Collection required serious attention due to including racist, xenophobic, or otherwise harmful material. This led to a process of evaluation, research, discussion, and implementation that has resulted in an official content warning, informed metadata creation, UX structural changes within the Digital Library, and community events.
United States of America

Government continues systematic repression and escalates surveillance to crush dissent in the aftermath of protests - OHCHR (OHCHR, 2025)
Two and a half years after the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests began in September 2022, the Government of Iran continues to ramp up efforts to restrict the rights of women and girls, and others demanding human rights as part of a concerted effort to crush dissent, the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran warned.
Iran

The CIA Book Club by Charlie English review – ‘It was like fresh air’ - Simpson, John (The Guardian, 2025)
A fascinating, exciting history of how the agency smuggled subversive books across the iron curtain
Russian Federation
Keywords: Books; CIA; Culture; History books; Politics books

The CIA Book Club by Charlie English review – ‘It was like fresh air’ - Simpson, John (The Guardian, 2025)
A fascinating, exciting history of how the agency smuggled subversive books across the iron curtain
United States of America
Keywords: Books; CIA; Culture; History books; Politics books

How social media is helping catch war criminals – video - Ahmed, Kaamil; Morresi, Elena; Glew, Steve; Assaf, Ali (The Guardian, 2025)
Kaamil Ahmed explains how the international legal system is adapting to social media, finding a way to use the digital material shared online to corroborate accounts of war crimes being committed in countries ranging from Ukraine to Sudan
Worldwide
Keywords: Human rights; International criminal court; International criminal justice; Social media; Sudan; Ukraine; War crimes; World news

Judge orders Elon Musk and Doge to produce records about cost-cutting operations - Lowell, Hugo (The Guardian, 2025)
The documents would ultimately inform whether Musk has been operating unconstitutionally to the extent Doge’s activities should be halted.
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; Law (US); Trump administration; US news; US politics

Photographing the Final Days of World War II in Germany - Taylor, Alan (The Atlantic, 2025)
Archival images from the last weeks of World War II, taken by an American Army combat photographer during a push across eastern France into southern Germany
Europe

Strike Wave: Changing Tides of Labor Organizing in Libraries and Information Fields - Cheryl Oestreicher (Publishing in the Archives Profession, 2025)
Call for proposals (due 15 April): This special issue aims to engage in a conversation on how concerns of labor, precarity, and economic forces more broadly take shape within information ecosystems and library and information professions. The global discourse around such organizing efforts has become more prominent, as social movements around reproductive justice, gender liberation, and protests challenging systemic racism and policing primed the broader public for thinking critically about power and oppression.
Worldwide

USAID staff told to shred and burn classified documents - Epstein, Kayla (BBC, 2025)
USAID's acting executive secretary told staff to use shredders and burn bags to dispose of files
United States of America

Statement of the ICC Office of the Prosecutor on the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte - International Criminal Court (International Criminal Court, 2025)
The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) welcomes the arrest and transfer of the suspect Mr Rodrigo Roa Duterte, former President of the Philippines, on 11 March 2025 by the authorities of the Republic of the Philippines. Mr Duterte has been arrested in the context of the Office’s ongoing investigation into the Situation in the Republic of the Philippines.
Philippines

DON'T SHRED ON ME! USAID documents destruction breaks the law, according to National Security Archive - National Security Archive (National Security Archive, 2025)
The acting executive secretary of the U.S. Agency for International Development Monday night ordered the destruction of classified records and personnel files, according to the March 10 email reported by The Guardian, The New York Times, and other outlets.
United States of America

Norwegian research foundations develop new technology for studying war crimes against Ukraine - Norwegian Refugee Council (ReliefWeb, 2025)
News and Press Release in English on Ukraine about Protection and Human Rights; published on 12 Mar 2025 by NRC
Ukraine

Ice accessed car trackers in sanctuary cities that could help in raids, files show - Bhuiyan, Johana (The Guardian, 2025)
Westchester county has laws limiting cooperation, but Ice has accessed trove of data that holds license plate readers
United States of America
Keywords: New York; Surveillance; Technology; Trump administration; US immigration; US news; US politics

Women in the World: Making the Invisible Visible with Crowdsourced Data - ElsaMarie D’Silva; Julia Corvalán (Inter Press Service, 2025)
Despite a push in the past ten years for more female representation and #MeToo movements highlighting the abuse that women have faced for centuries, women’s struggles continue to remain invisible—dismissed, denied, and buried under patriarchal bureaucracy.
Worldwide

U.S.A.I.D. Official Orders Employees to Shred or Burn Classified and Personnel Records - Wong, Edward (The New York Times, 2025)
Union representatives demanded that the aid agency follow the law stated in the Federal Records Act. Defense lawyers argued that officials had not destroyed personnel records and would not destroy any more documents without notification.
United States of America
Keywords: Archives and Records; Carr; Erica Y; Classified Information and State Secrets; Foreign Aid; Government Employees; Marocco; Pete; National Archives and Records Administration; Rubio; Marco; State Department; United States Agency for International Development; United States Politics and Government

The data streams that underpin humanitarian response are about to collapse - Abby Stoddard, Ron Waldman, Lars Peter Nissen, and Paul B. Spiegel (The New Humanitarian, 2025)
The data streams that underpin humanitarian response are about to collapse - The New Humanitarian puts quality, independent journalism at the service of the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world
Worldwide

National Cancer Institute Employees Can’t Publish Information on These Topics Without Special Approval - Song, Lisa, Annie Waldman (ProPublica, 2025)
Vaccines. Fluoride. Autism. Communications involving these and 20 other “controversial, high profile, or sensitive” topics will get extra scrutiny under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
United States of America

‘I hope this isn’t for weapons’: How Syrian data workers train AI - UntoldMag (Global Voices, 2025)
The development and training of AI systems depend on hundreds of millions of data workers. Many of them are situated or displaced from the global majority.
Syria

Internet shutdowns at record high in Africa as access ‘weaponised’ - Egbejule, Eromo (The Guardian, 2025)
More governments seeking to keep millions of people offline amid conflicts, protests and political instability
Africa
Keywords: Africa; Burundi; Comoros; Equatorial Guinea; Ethiopia; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Human rights; Internet; Kenya; Mauritius; Nigeria; Senegal; Tanzania; Technology; World news

Four decades on, still no justice for South Africa's Apartheid-era atrocities - France 24 (France 24, 2025)
Victims of Apartheid-era atrocities are suing the South African government for damages over failing to prosecute those suspected of committing Apartheid-era crimes. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission identified some 300 suspects to be investigated for possible prosecution, but the vast majority were never pursued.
South Africa

Newly restored photos show the ruin of 'Bloody Sunday' in Selma on its 60th anniversary - Ayana Archie (WYSO, 2025)
James "Spider" Martin was assigned to photograph the protests in Alabama after civil rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson was killed by state troopers.
United States of America

HHS grants DOGE access to child support database, overriding objections - Stein, Jeff; Diamond, Dan (The Washington Post, 2025)
The decision came after resistance from career staff at the agency.
United States of America

Amnesty International Adopts Preserve365 to Streamline the Archiving and Preservation of Human Rights Records in Microsoft 365 - Accesswire (Morningstar, Inc., 2025)
Preservica, a pioneer in Active Digital Preservation archiving, is proud to announce that Amnesty International has selected Preserve365® to enhance archiving and preservation for its critical human rights records. The global organization, dedicated to researching, advocating, and mobilizing to end human rights abuses, will use Preservica's embedded Active Digital Preservation solution for Microsoft 365 to transform how it archives records in Microsoft SharePoint.
Worldwide

Israeli military creating ChatGPT-like tool using vast collection of Palestinian surveillance data - Davies, Harry; Abraham, Yuval (The Guardian, 2025)
The powerful new AI model is designed to analyze intercepted communications – but experts say such systems can exacerbate biases and are prone to making mistakes
Israel
Keywords: Gaza; Israel; Israel-Gaza war; Middle East and north Africa; Palestinian territories; Surveillance; World news

Israeli military creating ChatGPT-like tool using vast collection of Palestinian surveillance data - Davies, Harry; Abraham, Yuval (The Guardian, 2025)
The powerful new AI model is designed to analyze intercepted communications – but experts say such systems can exacerbate biases and are prone to making mistakes
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the United Nations)
Keywords: Gaza; Israel; Israel-Gaza war; Middle East and north Africa; Palestinian territories; Surveillance; World news

Trump Fired the Archivist of the United States - Baron, Jason R. (Washington Monthly, 2025)
Trump dismissing Dr. Colleen Shogan and replacing her with Marco Rubio as Acting Archivist is an ominous sign.
United States of America

Unveiling the Treasures of the ICRC Historical Archives: New Online Catalogue - cvogg (Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library, 2025)
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) launches a comprehensive, searchable online catalogue of historical archives (1863-1975). This tool enhances accessibility, supports research, and promotes easier access to invaluable collections.
Worldwide

‘We’re losing our environmental history’: The future of government information under Trump - McKenzie, Jessica (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 2025)
Government data is a vast resource that everyone relies on, whether they know it or not. Experts are worried about the future of this resource.
United States of America

Addressing disinformation and protecting information integrity - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2025)
Key takeaways from our session at RightsCon featuring key experts on information integrity and media resilience in Europe.
Europe

RightsCon 2025: Protecting digital freedom in a conflicted world - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2025)
At RightsCon 2025, civil society and experts discussed digital freedom, information integrity, and China's transnational repression.
Worldwide

‘Let’s dig into the archives and tell the truth’: interrogating Yale’s connections to slavery - Pengelly, Martin (The Guardian, 2025)
Pulitzer prize winner David Blight follows his biography of Frederick Douglass with a deep dive into his university’s dark past
United States of America
Keywords: Books; Culture; History books; Race; Slavery; US news; US universities; World news; Yale University

Media reforms urgently needed to protect freedom of expression - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2025)
To protect freedom of expression and journalists, Bangladesh's Interim Government must urgently reform media law.
Bangladesh

Brooklyn’s fraught history with slavery is examined in a new exhibit - McFadden, Syreeta (The Guardian, 2025)
With 10 archival files, Trace/s upends simplistic narratives about New York’s history with enslavement
United States of America
Keywords: Black US culture; Brooklyn; New York; Race; Slavery; US news

Preserving records of 'atrocities' by Hasina regime critical - Pioneer, The (The Pioneer, 2025)
Bangladesh's interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has called for the “meticulous preservation” of records documenting alleged "atrocities" committed under the administration of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh

DOGE threat: How government data would give an AI company extraordinary power - Stanger, Allison (The Conversation, 2025)
As DOGE taps into sensitive federal agency data repositories, many people fear what could happen to the data. One little-discussed but hugely consequential possibility: fueling Elon Musk’s xAI company.
United States of America

Who Owns the Story? Ethical Approaches to Humanitarian Narratives - Bullen, Maya (LSE International Development, 2025)
How humanitarian organisations can incorporate storytelling ethically in their communications.
Worldwide

The deadly consequences of disinformation in the Pacific - Lisa Singh; Tushar Joshi (The Interpreter, 2025)
International partners, including Australia and India, are well placed to counter the scourge.
Worldwide

Collecting our loss - Williams, Matariki (E-Tangata, 2025)
"There is little or no information recording where the taonga came from, who they belonged to, who made them, what their names were, or how they were used.” — Matariki Williams on how the majority of taonga stored in collections have been separated from their stories.
New Zealand

How Cambridge Analytica Used Intimate Data to Exploit Gun Owners’ Private Lives - Corey G. Johnson; Anna Donlan (ProPublica, 2025)
Documents obtained by ProPublica detail the sophistication and intrusiveness of Cambridge’s work for the gun industry in 2016. The firm’s campaign aimed to help elect Donald Trump and keep industry-friendly politicians in the Senate.
United States of America

Deference to Passports Puts Dissidents at Risk - Feigenbaum, Evan A., Alena Popova (Foreign Policy, 2025)
Biometrics, already used in some border crossings, could help protect activists.
Worldwide

Human rights museum removes Buffy Sainte-Marie from exhibit - Press, Steve Lambert The Canadian (Toronto Star, 2025)
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights has removed singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie from an exhibit because of questions about her First Nations identity.
Canada

Trump is gutting environmental data, obscuring climate and pollution risks to the public - Zwarenstein, Carlyn (Salon, 2025)
Deleting websites and ignoring scientific data threatens to undo clean air and water regulations
United States of America

Digital laws must be transparent and protect free expression - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2025)
Bangladesh's Interim Government must prioritise transparency, public accountability, and human rights in its drafting of new digital laws.
Bangladesh

DOGE Gains Access to Confidential Records on Housing Discrimination, Medical Details — Even Domestic Violence - Coburn, Jesse (ProPublica, 2025)
While some agencies have resisted efforts by Elon Musk’s team to access confidential records, HUD has opened the door. The potential harm to privacy could be significant.
United States of America

Ukraine Humanitarian Fund: Introducing the UHF Data Hub - OCHA (ReliefWeb, 2025)
This dynamic, user-friendly dashboard is a go-to source for up-to-the-minute information on how UHF funding drives humanitarian action in Ukraine.
Ukraine

Digging in to Black Labor History at GW - Ruth Steinhardt (GW Today, 2025)
Archives available through the Special Collections Research Center include historical material from two of the largest and most iconic American labor unions.
United States of America

Why has the Spanish government removed a mummy from museum view? - Walfisz, Jonny (euronews, 2025)
Spain’s Ministry of Culture has ordered a Madrid museum to remove a mummy from view as part of a government policy to “decolonise” state-owned museums.
Spain

Stop attacks on journalists and media freedom in the West Bank - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2025)
Israel authorities must stop the assault on journalists and the media in Palestine's West Bank, and protect vital reporting.
Israel

Stop attacks on journalists and media freedom in the West Bank - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2025)
Israel authorities must stop the assault on journalists and the media in Palestine's West Bank, and protect vital reporting.
Palestine (Permanent Observer of the United Nations)

ProPublica Updates Its Database of Museums’ and Universities’ Compliance With Federal Repatriation Law - Hudetz, Mary (ProPublica, 2025)
Institutions across the U.S. returned more than 10,300 Native American ancestors to tribes in 2024, making it the third-biggest year for repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
United States of America

Ukraine’s Information War - Jacobsen, Scott Douglas (International Policy Digest, 2025)
Valeria Kovtun discusses the fight against disinformation in wartime Ukraine, emphasizing media literacy, advocacy, and the power of humor in countering propaganda.
Ukraine

Tackling political pressure and legal hurdles to revive media freedom - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2025)
Outdated laws, issues with public media, SLAPPs, mounting economic, political, and physical pressures undermine media freedom in Croatia.
Croatia

Farmers Sue Over Deletion of Climate Data From Government Websites - Zraick, Karen (The New York Times, 2025)
The data, which disappeared from Agriculture Department sites in recent weeks, was useful to farmers for business planning, the lawsuit said.
United States of America
Keywords: Global Warming; Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Peace Begins with Access to Information in Romich - Zejin Yin (UNMISS, 2025)
For years, the people of Romich lived in near-complete isolation—no radio, no reliable phone signal, and during the rainy season, no way out.“When it rains, we are completely cut off,” says Mary Nyak, a local resident. “To make a call, we climb trees, hoping to catch a weak signal. But most of the time, we are left in silence.”Romich became the county headquarters of Tonj East in 2020, following South Sudan’s peace agreement. But despite its new status, progress remained slow. Roads were barely passable, and frequent communal clashes made travel even riskier.
South Sudan

‘It allowed us to survive, to not go mad’: the CIA book smuggling operation that helped bring down communism - English, Charlie (The Guardian, 2025)
From George Orwell to Hannah Arendt and John le Carré, thousands of blacklisted books flooded into Poland during the cold war, as publishers and printers risked their lives for literature.
Poland
Keywords: Books; CIA; Communism; Culture; George Orwell; Human rights; Poland; Publishing

‘It allowed us to survive, to not go mad’: the CIA book smuggling operation that helped bring down communism - English, Charlie (The Guardian, 2025)
From George Orwell to Hannah Arendt and John le Carré, thousands of blacklisted books flooded into Poland during the cold war, as publishers and printers risked their lives for literature.
United States of America
Keywords: Books; CIA; Communism; Culture; George Orwell; Human rights; Poland; Publishing

Trump administration shuts down national database documenting police misconduct - Oladipo, Gloria (The Guardian, 2025)
Database, first proposed by Trump in 2020 and created by Biden administration in 2023, is now offline.
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; Trump administration; US news; US policing; US politics

‘My paedophile letters’: French surgeon to stand trial accused of abusing 299 child patients - Willsher, Kim (The Observer, 2025)
Joël Le Scouarnec’s ‘black books’ of handwritten notes in which alleged sexual abuse was recorded are at the heart of case against him
France
Keywords: Europe; France; Rape and sexual assault; Trial by jury; World news

Apple removes advanced data protection tool in face of UK government request - Hall, Rachel (The Guardian, 2025)
Apple says removal of tool after government asked for right to see data will make iCloud users more vulnerable.
United Kingdom
Keywords: Apple; Business; Computing; Data and computer security; Data protection; Home Office; Politics; Privacy; Technology; UK news

Green Book exhibit showcases history, struggles and triumphs of Black travel in the U.S. - Sarah Clune Hartman; Gabrielle Hays (PBS NewsHour, 2025)
The “Negro Motorist Green Book,” a guide for African Americans first published in 1936, was a valued resource at a time when travel held the promise of adventure but was also perilous. It is now the subject of an exhibit showcasing the history, struggles and triumphs of Black travel in America.
United States of America

‘This is censorship’: Palestinian flags covered up in major exhibition at National Gallery of Australia - Haydar, Nour (The Guardian, 2025)
Pacific Indigenous art collective claims NGA cited ‘high level’ security risk in direction to remove Palestinian flag from tapestry
Australia
Keywords: Art and design; Australian art; Culture; Gaza; National Gallery of Australia

Giving Voice to Data: How Community Radio in Zanzibar is Using Gender-based Violence (GBV) Data to Drive Change - UN Women - Africa (Zawya, 2025)
Giving Voice to Data: How Community Radio in Zanzibar is Using Gender-based Violence (GBV) Data to Drive Change
Tanzania

‘I have a lot to contribute’: Whitehall whistleblower wants her job back - Weaver, Matthew (The Guardian, 2025)
Josie Stewart won an employment tribunal case against the government for unfair dismissal, after she leaked information in the public interest
United Kingdom
Keywords: Afghanistan; BBC; Civil service; Commonwealth and Development Office; Foreign; Media; Politics

Joint UN submission to protect a healthy future for our information society - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2025)
A review is underway of the UN Member States’ commitments to a people-centred, inclusive, and development-oriented information society.
Worldwide

Kyiv’s White House wooing implodes as Zelenskyy tells the truth about Trump - Borger, Julian (The Guardian, 2025)
All America’s allies know that Trump is trapped in a disinformation bubble, but Zelenskyy said it out loud
Ukraine
Keywords: Donald Trump; Trump administration; US politics; Ukraine; Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Kyiv’s White House wooing implodes as Zelenskyy tells the truth about Trump - Borger, Julian (The Guardian, 2025)
All America’s allies know that Trump is trapped in a disinformation bubble, but Zelenskyy said it out loud
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; Trump administration; US politics; Ukraine; Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Conflicts over access to Americans' personal data emerging across federal government - Caitlin Andrews (IAPP, 2025)
The Trump administration's fast-moving efforts to limit the size of the U.S. federal bureaucracy, primarily through the recently minted Department of Government Efficiency, are raising privacy and data security concerns among current and former officials across the government, particularly as the administration scales back positions charged with privacy oversight. Efforts to limit the independence of a host of federal agencies through a new executive order — including the independence of the Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission — are also ringing alarm bells among civil society and some legal experts.
United States of America

Cambodia’s Stolen Statues Are Coming Home to an Overflowing Museum - Ives, Mike (The New York Times, 2025)
Foreign institutions and collectors are returning artifacts with deep spiritual meaning for Cambodians. Where and how to display them remain open questions.
Cambodia
Keywords: Angkor Wat (Cambodia); Arts and Antiquities Looting; Buddhism; Cambodia; Cleveland Museum of Art; Collectors and Collections; Guimet Museum of Asian Art; Khmer Rouge; Koh Ker (Cambodia); Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museums; National Museum of Cambodia; Phnom Penh (Cambodia); Restoration and Renovation; Sculpture

Armenians in Turkey after the Second World War: An Archival Reader of USSR Consular Documents - MassisPost (MassisPost, 2025)
This reader brings to light newly discovered archival material compiled by the Soviet Consulate in Istanbul. The book reveals the lives and experience of Armenians in Turkey in the 1940s, with a particular focus on the process of emigration to Soviet Armenia. The accounts, translated for the first time into English, are comprised of Soviet officials’ reports and first-hand testimony by survivors of their lives during the post-genocide period, making this an invaluable new contribution to the existing collections of Armenian survival testimonies.
Armenia

Armenians in Turkey after the Second World War: An Archival Reader of USSR Consular Documents by Talin Suciyan - MassisPost (MassisPost, 2025)
This reader brings to light newly discovered archival material compiled by the Soviet Consulate in Istanbul. The book reveals the lives and experience of Armenians in Turkey in the 1940s, with a particular focus on the process of emigration to Soviet Armenia. The accounts, translated for the first time into English, are comprised of Soviet officials’ reports and first-hand testimony by survivors of their lives during the post-genocide period, making this an invaluable new contribution to the existing collections of Armenian survival testimonies.
Turkey

The Digital Preservation Coalition welcomes the Common Crawl Foundation as its newest member - Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC Blog, 2025)
The Common Crawl Foundation (CCF) has joined the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) this month, becoming the Coalition’s newest Associate Member. As a non-profit foundation dedicated to the Open Web, Common Crawl maintains a free, open repository of web crawl data that can be used by anyone.
Worldwide

Meta Will Escalate Any Concerns of Unfair E.U. Regulation to Trump - Jackson, Fiona (TechRepublic, 2025)
When companies are treated differently and in a way that is discriminatory against them, then that should be highlighted to that company’s home government,” Meta’s global affairs head said.
Europe

Meta Will Escalate Any Concerns of Unfair E.U. Regulation to Trump - Jackson, Fiona (TechRepublic, 2025)
When companies are treated differently and in a way that is discriminatory against them, then that should be highlighted to that company’s home government,” Meta’s global affairs head said.
United States of America

The Vanishing Archive: UNHCR Archives’ Recovery and Preservation of the Records from the Former Yugoslavia - Laura Bernier Ebell (UNHCR Blog, 2025)
In 2015, a major legacy project began in the Records and Archives Section to document, declassify, and preserve the records created by UNHCR staff during the Balkans Wars. Our internal estimation of the fax paper contained in this collection is around 20%, or 300,000 pages – all of which will be lost to time without intervention.
Europe

Top Social Security official exits after clash with Musk’s DOGE over data - Rein, Lisa; Bailey, Holly; Stein, Jeff; Bogage, Jacob (Washington Post, 2025)
Yet another top career staffer is leaving the administration amid a disagreement over a request by Elon Musk’s team for sensitive government information.
United States of America

The Battle of Iwo Jima began 80 years ago. Listen to recordings from the frontlines - Ulaby, Neda (2025)
The Library of Congress preserved recordings from Marine Corp combat correspondents at Iwo Jima that included interviews with soldiers, music and the sounds of war.
United States of America

Preserving Our Public Data Heritage - Data Rescue Project (Data Rescue Project, 2025)
The PEGI Project recently released a post about the preservation of public federal data in support of the Data Rescue Project. PEGI stands for Preservation of Electronic Government Information and was created in 2016 by a group of government information librarians who were concerned about the future of electronic forms
United States of America

IRS reportedly preparing to give Musk’s Doge agency access to taxpayer data - Helmore, Edward (The Guardian, 2025)
US agency reviewing request for access to classified system containing personal financial records of US taxpayers.
United States of America
Keywords: Elon Musk; Trump administration; US news; US politics

Intercepted review – phone taps are a chilling glimpse into Russian soldiers’ minds in Ukraine - Hoad, Phil (The Guardian, 2025)
Recordings of fighters’ wiretapped phone calls are juxtaposed with images of wartime destruction in Oksana Karpovych’s compelling war documentary.
Ukraine
Keywords: Culture; Documentary films; Europe; Film; Russia; Surveillance; Ukraine; World news

A Picture to Remember review – memories of a Donetsk happy childhood before the war - Le, Phuong (The Guardian, 2025)
Olga Chernykh’s portrait of life in war-torn Ukraine, based on home videos, examines how bonds and memories persist through trauma, loss and distance.
Ukraine
Keywords: Culture; Documentary films; Europe; Family; Film; Life and style; Ukraine; World news

South Korea Bans Downloads of DeepSeek, the Chinese A.I. App - Tobin, Meaghan; Young, Jin Yu (The New York Times, 2025)
Regulators said they would suspend the app until they could be sure it complied with the country’s data protection laws.
South Korea
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; China; DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co Ltd; South Korea

MLK’s family fear new batch of assassination files will have FBI ‘smears’ - Yang, Maya (The Guardian, 2025)
Family of Martin Luther King Jr says Trump mandate could revive J Edgar Hoover’s efforts to discredit revered activist.
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; John F Kennedy; Martin Luther King; Robert F Kennedy Jr; Trump administration; US news; US politics

White House forcing out National Archives top leadership in major shakeup - Reuters (Reuters, 2025)
The Trump administration is forcing out senior leadership at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration in a major shakeup.
United States of America

The F.R.E.I.H.E.I.T. Project: tackling disinformation in Eastern Europe - Euractiv (Euractiv, 2025)
The F.R.E.I.H.E.I.T Project is a bold and ambitious initiative currently tackling the growing threat of disinformation, particularly in Europe’s Eastern Neighbourhood. It is expanding its focus to critical areas such as energy, agriculture, security, and migration, all of which are vulnerable to manipulation.
Europe

Trump called the press ‘the enemy of the people’. Now it’s time to defend ourselves - Ginsberg, Jodie (The Guardian, 2025)
The one-time defiance and solidarity of publications across the political aisle is strained as outlets cave to Trump’s threats
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; Media; New York Times; Newspapers; Newspapers & magazines; US news; US press and publishing; Washington Post

UK Encryption Order Threatens Global Privacy Rights - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
The United Kingdom government’s order to Apple to allow access to encrypted cloud data harms the privacy rights of users in the UK and worldwide.
United Kingdom

Exhibition marking 50 years anniversary of Asmara Massacre - Ministry of Information, Eritrea (Zawya, 2025)
Eritrea: Exhibition marking 50 years anniversary of Asmara Massacre
Eritrea

Federal data is disappearing. Meet the teams working to rescue it and learn how you can help. - MuckRockNews (MuckRockNews, 2025)
Since the start of the new Trump administration, hundreds of federal data sets and government websites have gone offline without warning, sometimes returning with major changes and sometimes not returning at all. On February 13th, MuckRock hosted an event with organizations that are helping lead the efforts to preserve the public’s data.
United States of America

How to find climate data and science the Trump administration doesn’t want you to see - Paz, Alejandro; Nost, Eric (The Conversation, 2025)
Several groups are working to preserve webpages, tools and data – some of which have already gone missing from government webpages since the start of the Trump administration.
United States of America

Undersecretariat of Cultural Heritage (Chile) secures UNESCO fund to enable the National Library’s preservation of photographic, audiovisual, and sound archives from the dictatorship era - UNESCO (UNESCO, 2025)
Chile

Between Russia and Elon Musk, German Voters Face a ‘Dual Front’ of Disinformation - Bennhold, Katrin; Myers, Steven Lee (The New York Times, 2025)
In the first major European vote since President Trump’s re-election, influence campaigns are targeting Germany from two sides.
Germany
Keywords: Alternative for Germany; Artificial Intelligence; Computers and the Internet; Elections; Germany; International Relations; Musk; Elon; Politics and Government; Rumors and Misinformation; Russia; Social Media; X (Formerly Twitter)

Former Haitian first lady seeks to declassify documents related to her husband's assassination - Ducrepin, Sindy (Voice of America, 2025)
Martine Moise, former first lady of Haiti, appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to declassify documents related to the assissination of her husband, Haitian President Jovenel Moise.
Haiti

Former Haitian first lady seeks to declassify documents related to her husband's assassination - Ducrepin, Sindy (Voice of America, 2025)
Martine Moise, former first lady of Haiti, appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to declassify documents related to the assissination of her husband, Haitian President Jovenel Moise.
United States of America

The dark side of AI innovation is supercharging disinformation and damaging democracy - Euractiv (Euractiv, 2025)
Misinformation and disinformation have always existed, but technological advancements have accelerated their impact. This Special Report looks at how AI misuse is damaging democracy.
Worldwide

ICRC: number of missing people in Russia-Ukraine war reaches 50,000 - Langrand, Michelle (Geneva Solutions, 2025)
As the war in Ukraine nears its third year, new data from the Red Cross reveals the staggering scale of disappearances and the long road ahead in the search for those missing.
Ukraine

Video evidence of January 6 Capitol attack missing from US government website - Betts, Anna (The Guardian, 2025)
Attorneys representing a collection of news organizations said in a legal filing submitted on Tuesday that video evidence used during the sentencing of a rioter involved in the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol had vanished from an online government platform.
United States of America
Keywords: Law (US); Trump administration; US Capitol attack; US crime; US news; US politics

China tops list of countries trying to silence exiled dissidents over past decade, study shows - McQue, Katie (The Guardian, 2025)
A quarter of the world’s countries have engaged in transnational repression – targeting political exiles abroad to silence dissent – in the past decade, new research reveals. The Washington DC-based non-profit organisation Freedom House has documented 1,219 incidents carried out by 48 governments across 103 countries, from 2014 to 2024.
Worldwide
Keywords: Asia Pacific; China; Europe; Human rights; Media; Newspapers & magazines; Press freedom; Russia; Transnational repression; Uyghurs; World news

Musk’s ‘efficiency’ agency site adds data from controversial rightwing thinktank - Sainato, Michael; Noor, Dharna (The Guardian, 2025)
Website of ‘Doge’ includes information published by thinktank CEI, which claims to fight ‘climate alarmism’
United States of America
Keywords: Climate crisis; Donald Trump; Elon Musk; Trump administration; US news; US politics

Looking at Women, Looking at War by Victoria Amelina review – in memory of the Ukrainian novelist who catalogued war crimes - Cooke, Rachel (The Guardian, 2025)
A powerful, posthumous collection of diary entries, interviews, war reports and poetry has the late author’s tragic absence at its heart.
Ukraine
Keywords: Books; Culture; Essays; Journalism books; Ukraine

Campaigner for migrants in Libya targeted in spyware attack - Giuffrida, Angela; Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (The Guardian, 2025)
An Italy-based human rights activist whose work supports the international criminal court in providing evidence about cases of abuse suffered by migrants and refugees held in Libyan detention camps and prisons has revealed that Apple informed him his phone was targeted in a spyware attack.
Italy
Keywords: Africa; Europe; Giorgia Meloni; Hacking; International criminal court; Italy; Libya; Middle East and north Africa; Migration; Technology; WhatsApp; World news

Campaigner for migrants in Libya targeted in spyware attack - Giuffrida, Angela; Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (The Guardian, 2025)
An Italy-based human rights activist whose work supports the international criminal court in providing evidence about cases of abuse suffered by migrants and refugees held in Libyan detention camps and prisons has revealed that Apple informed him his phone was targeted in a spyware attack.
Libya
Keywords: Africa; Europe; Giorgia Meloni; Hacking; International criminal court; Italy; Libya; Middle East and north Africa; Migration; Technology; WhatsApp; World news

FBI says it has discovered 2,400 new records related to JFK assassination - Press, Associated (The Guardian, 2025)
The agency was transferring the records for declassification and did not say what information they contained.
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; FBI; Joe Biden; John F Kennedy; US news; US politics

Polar heritage sites are slipping into the sea – but can one island live forever online? - Cecco, Leyland (The Guardian, 2025)
On Qikiqtaruk, off Canada’s Yukon coast, scientists are wielding virtual-reality cameras, 3D models and digital archives to protect the island’s history and culture before it disappears
Canada
Keywords: Americas; Arctic; Canada; Climate crisis; Coastlines; Conservation; Conservation and indigenous people; Environment; Geology; Global development; Indigenous peoples; Oceans; Science; Sea level; Whaling; World news

Israeli Police Raid Palestinian Bookshops in East Jerusalem - Odenheimer, Natan; Jakes, Lara (The New York Times, 2025)
The police said the stores were selling books that supported terrorism and that two members of the family who owned the business had been arrested. A lawyer said their detention was “political” rather than legal.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the United Nations)
Keywords: Books and Literature; East Jerusalem; Gaza Strip; Israel; Palestinians

Russia destroys documents of the National Archive Fund in Dnipropetrovs'k region - UNN (UNN, 2025)
As a result of a Russian drone attack, the Mezhivskyi archival unit in Dnipropetrovs'k region was damaged. About 10% of the collection of documents of the National Archival Fond was lost due to the fire and its extinguishing.
Ukraine

‘Many teachers don’t want to do this, but they’re trapped’: film shows extent of Putin indoctrination in Russian schools - Sauer, Pjotr (The Observer, 2025)
Two years after he started documenting the effect of the Ukraine war on his pupils, Pavel Talankin reveals how it led to accolade – and exile from home.
Russian Federation
Keywords: Culture; Documentary films; Europe; Film; Russia; Sundance 2025; Sundance film festival; Teaching; Ukraine; Vladimir Putin; World news

Why Responsible Data Access will determine the Future of AI: The Increased Importance of Data - Chafetz, Hannah (Data Stewards Network, 2025)
At this moment, the AI Action Summit is taking place in Paris, bringing together heads of state and government, international organizations, civil society, and CEOs to look at how artificial intelligence can be most effectively harnessed by society. Achieving these goals requires something more foundational — responsible data access. Without data to train, finetune, and augment them, there can be no AI systems.
Worldwide

Judge temporarily blocks Musk’s ‘Doge’ team from accessing treasury records - Press, Associated (The Guardian, 2025)
Injunction granted in response to lawsuit alleging the Trump administration allowed Musk’s team access to sensitive data in violation of federal law.
United States of America
Keywords: Elon Musk; Trump administration; US news; US politics

Preserving Disability: Disability & the Archival Profession - Cheryl (Publishing in the Archives Profession, 2025)
The book weaves together first-person narratives and case studies contributed from disabled archivists and disabled archives users, bringing critical perspectives and approaches to the archival profession. Collectively, these works address the nuances of both disability and archives-critically drawing attention to the histories, present experiences, and future possibilities of the archival profession.
Worldwide

Berlin court rules against X on data access - Datta, Anupriya (Euractiv, 2025)
Two civil society organisations sued X after the platform refused to grant systematic access to publicly available data.
Germany

Map wars in the Middle East: How cartographers charted and helped shape a regional conflict - Leuenberger, Christine (The Conversation, 2025)
But no matter the purpose, all maps have something in common: They are political. Making maps is about making decisions about what to omit and what to include. They are subject to selection, classification, abstractions and simplifications. And studying the choices that go into maps can reveal different stories about land and the people who claim it as theirs.
Worldwide

Revealing India’s Cold War secrets - Mark Pierce (The Interpreter, 2025)
Indians worried about interference by “the foreign hand” in their affairs might have over-estimated their adversaries.
India

From archives to impact: Historian, UWG alumna is changing how America sees black history - Press Release (The City Menus, 2025)
How does one define history? For University of West Georgia alumna Autumn Smith ’21, that isn’t a rhetorical question. The historian has already made an impact preserving, presenting and promoting the untold stories of Black history and culture. There are even three Emmy awards to prove it. “(Re)Defining History: Uncovering the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre,” produced by WABE Studios, explores the truth behind the carnage, what led to the violence and how it spawned resilience in Atlanta’s Black communities.
United States of America

Trump launches sanctions against the ICC - AFP (JusticeInfo.net, 2025)
The decision comes as no surprise, but the reactions are massive, and its consequences could threaten the existence of the International Criminal Court (ICC): on Thursday 6 February 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order providing for sanctions against the Hague Court, which he accused of ‘taking illegal and unfounded actions against America and (its) close ally Israel’.
United States of America

Defector who exposed Assad’s brutality calls for Syria sanctions to be lifted - Christou, William (The Guardian, 2025)
The former military officer, previously known only as ‘Caesar’, smuggled evidence of thousands of deaths out of the country.
Syria
Keywords: Syria

Disappearing Data: Trump Administration Removing Climate Information from Government Websites - Rachel Santarsiero (National Security Archive, 2025)
In the first two weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term, the administration has begun to scrub critical environmental resources and datasets from federal agency websites. To combat this effort to suppress and censor public data, the National Security Archive’s Climate Change Transparency Project today publishes a selection of materials on climate change and environmental justice that have been deleted from agency web pages and spotlights the environmental and archivist organizations working to identify, scrape, and preserve these critical data.
United States of America

Harvard law library acts to preserve government data amid sweeping purges - Satter, Raphael; Satter, Raphael (Reuters, 2025)
A unit of Harvard University's Law Library says it is releasing an archive of more than 300,000 government data sets, aiming to protect vital public information at a time when President Donald Trump's administration is wiping it from the web.
United States of America

The Subsequent Nuremberg Trials 1946-1949: Digitalization project launched - Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, 2025)
A new research project is making the extensive documentation from the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials from 1946-1949 available digitally – a milestone for digital humanities and the historical reappraisal…
Germany

As Trump Administration Purges Climate Data and Web Pages, Research Groups Scramble to Save Information - Price, By Kiley (Inside Climate News, 2025)
The Trump administration has directed federal agency staff to remove climate references and scientific data from many web pages. Researchers are rushing to archive it.
United States of America

CDC webpages go dark as Trump targets public health information - Sherman, Carter; Glenza, Jessica (The Guardian, 2025)
Resources for contraception, gender-affirming care, STIs and HIV flicker in and out of existence or vanish completely.
United States of America
Keywords: Health; Trump administration; US domestic policy; US healthcare; US news; US politics; World news

Tiny Nigerian museum marking a forgotten British invasion pushes for recognition - Egbejule, Eromo (The Guardian, 2025)
In the sleepy Nigerian port town of Koko, the reminder of a forgotten invasion by the British more than a century ago has itself been forgotten. Officially known as the Nanna Living History Museum, the building was designated a national monument in 1990.
Nigeria
Keywords: Africa; Colonialism; Heritage; Nigeria; UK news; World news

Repeal Amendment to Draconian Cyber Law - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
The Pakistan government’s recent amendment to the country’s cybercrimes act seriously threatens internet freedom and free expression.
Pakistan

DeepSeek making a splash with EU data protection bodies - Moreau, Claudie (Euractiv, 2025)
DeepSeek's emergence in the European digital space has been closely watched by national data protection authorities, who are concerned the company is breaching the GDPR by transferring EU personal data to China.
Europe

The Panama Canal Treaty Declassified - National Security Archive (National Security Archives, 2025)
The documents posted today include CIA reports, NSC briefing papers, White House meeting minutes, telephone transcripts and audio tapes dating back to the Kennedy era. These fascinating archival records provide a contextual, factual overview to understand and appreciate the historical foundations of the foreign policy crisis that is escalating today over Panama.
Panama
Keywords: United States of America

Senior USAid officials put on leave after denying access to Musk’s Doge team - Roth, Andrew (The Guardian, 2025)
After standoff, Doge members gained control over access system, letting them lock out workers and read emails
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; Elon Musk; Trump administration; US Congress; US news; US politics; USAid

Argentine Navy ordered to preserve dictatorship archive - Jaureguy, Martina (Buenos Aires Herald, 2025)
Judge Alicia Vence halted the planned destruction of archives which could serve as potential evidence of crimes against humanity
Argentina

Exonerated environmental defenders to face murder retrial in El Salvador - Lakhani, Nina (The Guardian, 2025)
Critics decry ‘politically motivated’ decision to revisit civil war-era charges against leaders of anti-mining campaign. Five Salvadorian environmental defenders who were exonerated of bogus civil war charges will face retrial this week amid growing evidence of political interference.
El Salvador
Keywords: Americas; El Salvador; Environment; Mining; World news

1,500 videos, photos of July atrocities collected - Staff Correspondant (The Daily Star, 2025)
Bangladesh Protest Archive, a digital platform that has been collecting videos, audio recordings, and photos documenting the state-led atrocities, including police brutality, perpetrated during the July uprising last year, announced its official launch yesterday.
Bangladesh

Specters of the Past: How Russia and Ukraine are Weaponizing History - Piccoli, Erik (International Policy Digest, 2025)
History is a powerful tool so it would make sense that both Ukraine and Russia are rewriting their histories.
Russian Federation

Specters of the Past: How Russia and Ukraine are Weaponizing History - Piccoli, Erik (International Policy Digest, 2025)
History is a powerful tool so it would make sense that both Ukraine and Russia are rewriting their histories.
Ukraine

Tunisia reclaims lost voices of WWI riflemen from German archives - RFI (RFI, 2025)
Germany has returned hundreds of sound recordings of North African soldiers who were held as prisoners during World War I, helping to fill a major gap in Tunisia’s war archives.
Tunisia
Keywords: Germany

Trump orders USDA to take down websites referencing climate crisis - Canon, Gabrielle (The Guardian, 2025)
Forest service website among many sites affected as agencies scramble to comply with president’s orders
United States of America
Keywords: Climate crisis; Donald Trump; Environment; Trump administration; US news; US politics; World news

Trump Removes Access to CEJST, Our New Coalition Restores It - EDGI_Team (Environmental Data and Governance Initiative, 2025)
Last week the Trump administration removed access to the Council on Environmental Quality’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST). The public web tool allowed users to see on a map which places in the US face marginalization and disproportionate climate and pollution burdens.
United States of America

Trump administration seeking access to database of immigrant minors - Miroff, Nick; Sacchetti, Maria (The Washington Post, 2025)
The Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is responsible for caring for unaccompanied minors, has long operated independently of ICE.
United States of America

As Data Goes Off-Line Under Trump, Environmental Researchers Are Uploading Backups - Quinn, Ryan (Inside Higher Ed, 2025)
A team of scholars has worked since November to archive resources that are valuable to themselves and the public—just in case they were taken down. In the first few days of Donald Trump’s second term as president, the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST, for short) disappeared from government websites. It was an interactive map of U.S. Census tracts that are “marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution,” as the pre-Trump federal government put it—something researchers and the public could use to quickly locate and zoom in on specific communities and analyze the problems they face.
United States of America
Keywords: premium

As conflict rates soar, misinformation is getting worse - Clionadh Raleigh (POLITICO, 2025)
We may not be able to change how people ingest information, but we can and should place guardrails around the evidence we use to inform the public.
Europe

Archiving Gaza: The Race to Save Evidence of War Crimes and Mass Destruction - Hassan, Lila (Drop Site News, 2025)
Inside the dangerous effort to dodge censorship and document the horrors of Israel's war against Gaza.
Palestine (Permanent Observer of the United Nations)

The Russian-Ukrainian Conflict and War Crimes: Challenges for Documentation and International Prosecution - Grzebyk, Patrycja; Uczkiewicz, Dominika (Routledge, 2024)
As the largest international armed conflict in Europe since World War II, Russia’s war against Ukraine has provoked strong reactions and questions about the post-1945 world order, the utility of the war, and the effectiveness of international criminal justice. Throughout the chapters in this volume, scholars and legal practitioners from Canada, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, the UK, and the United States present the results of interdisciplinary research, insights from the perspective of other post-communist states, and first-hand expertise from directly working on the documentation and prosecution of these crimes.
Russian Federation

The Russian-Ukrainian Conflict and War Crimes: Challenges for Documentation and International Prosecution - Grzebyk, Patrycja; Uczkiewicz, Dominika (Routledge, 2024)
As the largest international armed conflict in Europe since World War II, Russia’s war against Ukraine has provoked strong reactions and questions about the post-1945 world order, the utility of the war, and the effectiveness of international criminal justice. Throughout the chapters in this volume, scholars and legal practitioners from Canada, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, the UK, and the United States present the results of interdisciplinary research, insights from the perspective of other post-communist states, and first-hand expertise from directly working on the documentation and prosecution of these crimes.
Ukraine

India regulator seeks greater access to social media records, source and memo say - Batra, Shubham (Zawya, 2024)
India's markets regulator is seeking broader powers from the government to remove unauthorised financial advice from social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram, and to access their call records for investigations into market violations, a government source and a document reviewed by Reuters showed.
India

SAHR Tuesday Talks - Managing UNHCR Records - ICA (ICA, 2025)
Managing UNHCR Records, Archives and Protecting Information on Refugees and Displaced Persons
Worldwide

Long-lost anti-fascist mural from 1930s restored and back on show in Mexico - Graham, Thomas (The Guardian, 2025)
A long-neglected 1930s mural in Mexico that warns about the rise of fascism has been revealed and restored – just as some historians say the world faces that threat once more.
Mexico
Keywords: Americas; Art; Communism; Diego Rivera; Mexico; Nazism; Painting

Provision of Information Management and Analysis Organizational Review - KonTerra Group (OCHA, 2025)
The review focuses on OCHA’s IM and Analysis function (including its role in the provision of IM and Analysis products and services to the humanitarian community).
Worldwide

Peacebuilding and disinformation - Berghof Foundation (Berghof Foundation, 2025)
A non-governmental organisation supporting people in conflict in their efforts to achieve sustainable peace through conflict transformation and peacebuilding
Worldwide

Russia Is Spinning Up a New Barrage of Lies in Europe - McGee, Luke (Foreign Policy, 2025)
European officials are in a long battle against disinformation.
Europe

Seizure of news organisation's laptop undermines press freedom - ARTICLE 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2025)
The Malaysian police recently confiscated a laptop from Malaysiakini as part of their ongoing investigation into former Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin's comments regarding a purported royal addendum that could allow former Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to serve his prison sentence under house arrest.
Malaysia

Saving history: These archivists' mission to preserve social media record of war in Gaza - Charlie Bell; Agnes Ored (SBS News, 2025)
Archivists preserve social media posts from conflict zones — but verifying and protecting the vast quantity of dynamic content presents huge challenges for the teams that attempt it.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

A new Vancouver archive aims to keep alive the memory of the Holocaust - Wendy Cox (The Globe and Mail, 2025)
As per his mother’s wishes, Taylor has donated his grandfather’s archives to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre (VHEC) and the UBC Library. The digitization of the archive is set to be completed in August, and it will be open to researchers worldwide. On Monday, Taylor also launched a six-episode podcast called The Hidden Holocaust Papers.
Canada
Keywords: Social Issues