United Arab Emirates plans to bankroll first ‘planned community’ in south Gaza - Brown, Cate (The Guardian, 2026)
Exclusive: Blueprints describe a ‘case study’ community where residents submit biometric data to gain entry
Keywords: Gaza; Middle East and north Africa; Palestine; United Arab Emirates; World news

United Arab Emirates plans to bankroll first ‘planned community’ in south Gaza - Brown, Cate (The Guardian, 2026)
Blueprints describe a ‘case study’ community where residents submit biometric data to gain entry
Keywords: Gaza; Middle East and north Africa; Palestine; United Arab Emirates; World news

Smithsonian Exhibition Showcases Hidden Archives of Historically Black Colleges - Chera Watson (The EDU Ledger, 2026)
New exhibit reveals how HBCUs have served as stewards of African American history and culture for generations.

Philadelphia sues US government for removal of slavery-related exhibit - Dunbar, Marina (The Guardian, 2026)
Display at President’s House site, residence to George Washington, had information on people enslaved by him
Keywords: Philadelphia; US news

Pentagon contractor indicted over alleged leak tied to raided Washington Post reporter - Luscombe, Richard (The Guardian, 2026)
Worker illegally provided classified information ‘related to national defense’ to journalist, justice department says
Keywords: FBI; Maryland; Media; Newspapers; Press freedom; Trump administration; US military; US news; US politics; US press and publishing; Washington Post

The Beauty of the Archives for the Disability Rights Movement - Samantha Greenaway (Her Campus, 2026)
On Saturday, Jan. 10, the Positive Exposure Gallery presented the Disability Rights Archive.

Jordan used Israeli firm’s phone-cracking tool to surveil pro-Gaza activists, report finds - Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (The Guardian, 2026)
Researchers find with high confidence that security officials used Cellebrite to extract data from activists’ phones
Keywords: Gaza; Israel; Jordan; Middle East and north Africa; Palestine; Protest; Surveillance; Technology; World news

Jordan used Israeli firm’s phone-cracking tool to surveil pro-Gaza activists, report finds - Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (The Guardian, 2026)
Researchers find with high confidence that security officials used Cellebrite to extract data from activists’ phones
Keywords: Gaza; Israel; Jordan; Middle East and north Africa; Palestine; Protest; Surveillance; Technology; World news

Jordan used Israeli firm’s phone-cracking tool to surveil pro-Gaza activists, report finds - Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (The Guardian, 2026)
Researchers find with high confidence that security officials used Cellebrite to extract data from activists’ phones
Keywords: Gaza; Israel; Jordan; Middle East and north Africa; Palestine; Protest; Surveillance; Technology; World news

From paper files to digital access: the digital transformation of the ICRC Archives (Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library, 2026)
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) opened its general archives to the public, marking a turning point in the possibility of analysing the history of the ICRC, humanitarian action, and armed conflicts. Since then, the ICRC archives and library have welcomed thousands of researchers, students or journalists, and answered dozens of thousands of requests.

Doge improperly shared sensitive social security data, DoJ court filing reveals - Gedeon, Joseph (The Guardian, 2026)
Trump administration acknowledges that Elon Musk’s cost-cutting operation accessed Americans’ sensitive data
Keywords: Elon Musk; Trump administration; US news; US politics; US social security

Tracing the long history of Aboriginal-Chinese people in Australia, through archives and art - Burchmore, Alex (The Conversation, 2026)
Aboriginal Chinese People at the National Museum of Australia brings together contemporary art, personal reflections and archival photographs

Tracing the long history of Aboriginal-Chinese people in Australia, through archives and art - Burchmore, Alex (The Conversation, 2026)
Aboriginal Chinese People at the National Museum of Australia brings together contemporary art, personal reflections and archival photographs

Inside the Doctors Without Borders Clinics That Israel Is Closing in Gaza - Shbair, Bilal; Halbfinger, David M.; Boxerman, Aaron; Alghorra, Saher (The New York Times, 2026)
The aid group has refused to comply with new Israeli rules restricting speech and demanding information on staff. Patients are stunned. “I need this place,” says one.
Keywords: Doctors Without Borders; Gaza Strip; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry

Poland hindered Soviet efforts to prevent WWII, claims head of Russian state archives - Tilles, Daniel (Notes From Poland, 2026)
The head of Russia’s Federal Archive Agency, a body subordinate to President Vladimir Putin, has claimed that historical documents show how Poland hindered efforts by the Soviet Union to prevent the outbreak of World War Two, which began with Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland.
Keywords: Poland

Albanese says the social media ban is working, but it is too early to say if it has been successful - Taylor, Josh (The Guardian, 2026)
As the UK government faces pressure to follow suit, evidence on whether the ban is working is still a while away.
Keywords: Anthony Albanese; Social media ban; Social media bans

Accountability Lacking for Sweida Abuses (Human Rights Watch, 2026)
Syrian government forces and local Bedouin and Druze armed groups are responsible for grave abuses during clashes in Syria’s southern Sweida governorate in July 2025.

Crown-Indigenous Relations Ministry ordered to release files on children's graves (Toronto Sun, 2026)
The Federal Information Commissioner has asked the Crown-Indigenous Relations Ministry to release files on purported Indian children graves.

When Records Bear Witness. Survivors of the Shoah Give Testimony through Compensation Proceedings Files. - Müller, Steffen (Document Blog, 2026)
I live in Munich and after being laid off in 2015 I was looking for something useful to do. Which is why I came across the “Archiv der Münchner Arbeiterbewegung e. V. “. During my first visit there in 2015, the archivist gave me the choice between helping with an exhibition on trade unions and Read More

Bank Evidence for Future Prosecutions (Adam Isacson, 2026)
During the worst years of Colombia’s conflict, human rights groups kept databases and archives of abuses. That’s where we are now.

Digitization of general archives -our FAQ (Cross-Files | ICRC Archives, audiovisual and library, 2026)
The ICRC archives have decided to entrust an external provider with the digitization of its fonds. In consultation with this provider, it has been decided that the digitization work could not be carried out at the ICRC’s premises in Geneva. Various series of archives will therefore be sent to our service provider for digitization. As...

Personal information of 4,500 ICE and Border Patrol agents leaked online - Mike Bedigan (The Independent, 2026)
ICE List website says it was leaked information about federal agents after shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis

Uganda Cuts Internet Days Before Presidential Election - Bigg, Matthew Mpoke; Blanshe, Musinguzi (The New York Times, 2026)
The authorities say the decision was made to prevent the spread of misinformation as President Yoweri Museveni seeks his seventh term in office.
Keywords: Africa; Communications and Media Blackouts; Computers and the Internet; Defense and Military Forces; Demonstrations, Protests and Riots; Elections; Museveni, Yoweri; Politics and Government; Uganda; internal-open-access-from-nl

The Enduring Fight for Justice for Victims in War - Bassas, Arthur (Pass Blue, 2026)
Operating in 50 countries across five continents, the center aims to ensure that the voices and demands of victims are recorded, considered and enacted whether a conflict is resolved, peace is being negotiated or violations continue.

Israeli Police Question Top Netanyahu Aide Over Leaked Document Case - Kershner, Isabel (The New York Times, 2026)
Tzachi Braverman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff, was detained for questioning on Sunday over accusations that he sought to impede an investigation.
Keywords: Braverman, Tzachi (1959- ); Classified Information and State Secrets; Corruption (Institutional); Feldstein, Eliezer; Hamas; Israel; Netanyahu, Benjamin; Politics and Government; Rumors and Misinformation; internal-open-access-from-nl

The League of Nations archives go online, reopening history to the world - Bussard, Stephane (Geneva Solutions, 2026)
In 2022, a major digitisation effort reached completion: the entire archive of the League of Nations was placed online. Long mainly consulted by western scholars, the collection is now open to historians worldwide — a shift that could gradually reshape how the institution is studied and understood.

Gyeonggi Province Publishes "Comprehensive White Paper on the Human Rights Archive of Camp Town Women" - Lee Young-kyu (Asia Economy, 2026)
This white paper is the result of a comprehensive summary of the entire process of the "Ordinance on the Protection, Support, and Remembrance of Victims of Women in Gyeonggi-do," which was carried out from April to December last year.

FBI takes over case of ICE agent killing US woman and cuts Minnesota’s access to evidence - Leingang, Rachel; Luscombe, Richard; Gedeon, Joseph; Campbell, Lucy (The Guardian, 2026)
Minneapolis remains on edge, with several protests planned after shooting of Renee Nicole Good
Keywords: ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement); Minneapolis; Minnesota; Minnesota ICE shootings; Trump administration; US immigration; US news; US politics

Tim Davie says BBC will stay on X to try to stem ‘flood’ of global misinformation - Savage, Michael (The Guardian, 2026)
Director general says BBC needs to reach young audiences online amid pressure to leave Elon Musk-owned site
Keywords: BBC; Elon Musk; Grok AI; Internet; Media; Tim Davie; UK news; X

New tool allows Californians to request data brokers to delete personal details - Robins-Early, Nick (The Guardian, 2026)
State seeks to give residents greater control over their personal data and have fewer messages forced upon them
Keywords: California; Data protection; Surveillance; Technology; US news; West Coast

Canadian officials say US health institutions no longer dependable for accurate information - Bowden, Olivia (The Guardian, 2026)
Misinformation from the Trump administration is cited as fuelling Canadians’ concerns over childhood vaccinations
Keywords: Americas; Canada; Coronavirus; Health; Infectious diseases; Robert F Kennedy Jr; Society; Trump administration; US news; Vaccines and immunisation; World news

Canadian officials say US health institutions no longer dependable for accurate information - Bowden, Olivia (The Guardian, 2026)
Misinformation from the Trump administration is cited as fuelling Canadians’ concerns over childhood vaccinations
Keywords: Americas; Canada; Coronavirus; Health; Infectious diseases; Robert F Kennedy Jr; Society; Trump administration; US news; Vaccines and immunisation; World news

Katherine may have 700 half-siblings. She's trying to find them to pass on medical advice - Merrit, Rachael (ABC News, 2026)
Hundreds of people have accessed South Australia's Donor Conception Register in its first year, lifting decades of secrecy surrounding anonymous donations — an outcome that has prompted calls from a leading advocate for similar moves at national level.
Keywords: ART; Australian Medical Association; Donor Conception Register; IVF; South Australia

Web hosting company deletes archive of 300+ murdered Gaza journalists' work (Canary, 2026)
Namecheap revoked the domain of a digital memorial honouring the victims of Israel's targeted murder of journalists in Gaza

‘Just an unbelievable amount of pollution’: how big a threat is AI to the climate? - Niranjan, Ajit (The Guardian, 2026)
Defenders say AI can do good to fight the climate crisis. But spiralling energy and water costs leave experts worried
Keywords: AI (artificial intelligence); Climate crisis; Computing; Environment; Grok AI; Technology

Puyallup Family Data Reclamation Project (Center for Human Rights, 2026)
By centering tribal authority and Indigenous data sovereignty, the project will create a tribally governed digital archive, facilitate community validation sessions, and lay the groundwork for future educational and public engagement initiatives defined by the Puyallup people.

Disability and the Archives: Access, Absences and Action - . (Shakespeare's Globe, 2026)
Join us online for Disability and the Archives: Access, Absences and Action, a two-day virtual conference hosted by Shakespeare's Globe.

How Thousands of Secret Russian Documents Were Exposed - Troianovski, Anton; Sonne, Paul (The New York Times, 2025)
Russian journalists learned that a government office inadvertently made thousands of sensitive complaints viewable online, including accounts of abuse and coercion in the military.
Keywords: Defense and Military Forces; Human Rights and Human Rights Violations; Moskalkova, Tatyana N; Politics and Government; Russia

Cabinet Office accused of covering up for royal family after blocking release of Andrew documents - Davies, Caroline; Quinn, Ben (The Guardian, 2025)
Minutes of travel expenses of former Duke of York as UK trade envoy withheld from National Archives
Keywords: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor; Diana; Monarchy; National Archives; Princess of Wales; Queen Mother; UK news

The Cover-Up: Inside the Plot to Conceal Assad’s Crimes - Goldbaum, Christina; Alnassife, Saad (The New York Times, 2025)
Thousands of documents and interviews with Assad-era officials reveal how the regime worked to conceal evidence of its atrocities during the Syrian civil war.
Keywords: Assad, Bashar al-; Assad, Maher al-; Embargoes and Sanctions; Human Rights and Human Rights Violations; International Relations; Mamlouk, Ali; Political Prisoners; Syria; internal-open-access-from-nl

US judge blocks Trump administration from deporting UK anti-disinformation campaigner - Walker, Peter; Crerar, Pippa (The Guardian, 2025)
Imran Ahmed of Center for Countering Digital Hate files complaint against senior Trump allies
Keywords: Censorship; Digital media; Donald Trump; Elon Musk; Law; Media; Pam Bondi; Social media; Technology; Trump administration; UK news; US news; World news

US judge blocks Trump administration from deporting UK anti-disinformation campaigner - Walker, Peter; Crerar, Pippa (The Guardian, 2025)
Imran Ahmed of Center for Countering Digital Hate files complaint against senior Trump allies
Keywords: Censorship; Digital media; Donald Trump; Elon Musk; Law; Media; Pam Bondi; Social media; Technology; Trump administration; UK news; US news; World news

Algeria's parliament approves law declaring France's colonisation a crime - Chothia, Farouk (BBC News, 2025)
Lawmakers unanimously approve a law, which demands an apology and reparations from the former colonial power.

Organ-tuning books in English churches provide notes on a warming climate - Baraniuk, Chris (The Guardian, 2025)
Researchers have realised the records are a ‘goldmine’ to study changes in environmental conditions
Keywords: Climate crisis; Culture; England; Environment; Heritage; Music; UK news

Manchester Museum seeks help to uncover hidden histories of African collection - Osuh, Chris (The Guardian, 2025)
New Africa Hub confronts colonial-era silences by asking visitors to share insights on 40,000 objects
Keywords: Africa; Art; Art and design; British empire; Colonialism; Culture; England; Greater Manchester; Heritage; Manchester; Museums; Sculpture; UK news; World news

A key piece of Port Arthur-era gun reform remains unfinished. Could it have helped prevent the Bondi attack? - Bogle, Ariel (The Guardian, 2025)
A national fireams register would have allowed police to better assess risk posed by alleged Bondi shooters before attack. A register, which would track weapons across the country in real time, was a priority for law enforcement and gun control advocates after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. Almost 30 years later, it remains unfinished, hampered by poor resourcing and poor recordkeeping.
Keywords: Bondi beach terror attack; Gun control

Journalism, Free Expression in Further Peril (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
(London, December 17, 2025) – Authorities in Kazakhstan have targeted independent journalists and media outlets in recent weeks, a coalition of nine human rights groups said today. The authorities have searched the newsroom of an independent news agency, detained media workers, and pressured journalists over their reporting.

Ukrainian Armed Forces Use Blue Shield Markings to Protect State Archives (Mezha.net, 2025)
Ukrainian Armed Forces apply Blue Shield protective markings to state archive buildings preserving cultural heritage, ensuring their protection under international law during conflict.

Transitional Govt. arrests international law expert - ANHA (ANHA, 2025)
The Transitional Government in Syria arrested the international law expert Shamis Mahfouz from his office in Damascus on charges of "conspiring against state security," confiscating his archives and transferring him to Investigation Branch 202.

Azerbaijan’s Surveillance Platform Risks Sweeping Privacy Violations - Giorgi Gogia (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
On November 21, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree establishing a new centralized digital platform that dramatically expends state surveillance powers.

Fighting Anti-Queer Backlash with Citizen Archivists - Lindsay Eanet (In These Times, 2025)
Queer archivist groups like Invisible Histories and the Queer Zine Archive Project are preserving queer history and making it accessible in the face of the federal government's erasure. You can do the same.

Displacement and Migration through the Magnum Archive - Philippine Masson (Magnum Photos, 2025)
On the 75th anniversary of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), we take a look at Magnum's coverage of refugee and displacement crises around the world, from the 1940s to the present day.

The Far Right in Germany Keeps Trying to Unseal National Secrets - Schuetze, Christopher F. (The New York Times, 2025)
Opponents of AfD lawmakers say that their push to publish sensitive details about national security could benefit Russian military planning.
Keywords: Alternative for Germany; Defense and Military Forces; Europe; Germany; Legislatures and Parliaments; Politics and Government; Russia; Ukraine

The Far Right in Germany Keeps Trying to Unseal National Secrets - Schuetze, Christopher F. (The New York Times, 2025)
Opponents of AfD lawmakers say that their push to publish sensitive details about national security could benefit Russian military planning.
Keywords: Alternative for Germany; Defense and Military Forces; Europe; Germany; Legislatures and Parliaments; Politics and Government; Russia; Ukraine

Germany Accuses Russia of Sabotage, Cyberattacks and Disinformation - Schuetze, Christopher F. (The New York Times, 2025)
The German foreign ministry’s announcement, which Russia denied, was the latest suggestion of growing Russian aggression in Europe.
Keywords: Cyberwarfare and Defense; Germany; Russia

Germany Accuses Russia of Sabotage, Cyberattacks and Disinformation - Schuetze, Christopher F. (The New York Times, 2025)
The German foreign ministry’s announcement, which Russia denied, was the latest suggestion of growing Russian aggression in Europe.
Keywords: Cyberwarfare and Defense; Germany; Russia

Supporting the voice of documentary filmmakers in Bishkek - . (International Federation for Human Rights, 2025)
Like every year, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) supports the independent documentary film festival BIR DUINO, which opens this Saturday, 13 December, in Bishkek. Ilya Nuzov, Director of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Desk at FIDH, will be part of the jury.

Symposium on Forensic and Counter-Forensic Approaches to International Law - Chris Carpenter (Opinio Juris, 2025)
To live in a crisis zone today is to be watched, recorded, and broadcasted—often without one’s knowledge or consent. Digital evidence plays a central role in investigating international crimes and human rights abuses—as has been demonstrated vis-à-vis Israel’s atrocities in Gaza in the UN Special Rapporteur’s report on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Anatomy of a Genocide, and Forensic Architecture’s digital forensic investigation, Cartography of Genocide.

Questions Lawmakers Should Ask About Inspector General Report on Signalgate - Hendrix, Justin (Just Security, 2025)
The OIG report on the "Signalgate" incident is far from the “total exoneration” claimed by Hegseth and his aides.

SAHR Announces its New Database - Almeras, Clemence (International Council on Archives, 2025)
SAHR Announces its New Database “Truth and Reconciliation Mechanisms Archives Locator” (TRMAL) on International Human Rights Day.

‘If I must die’: poetry from Gaza creates an alternative archive of testimony - Guerin, Clodagh Philippa (The Conversation, 2025)
Poetry offers something that news and visual imagery cannot in times of crisis: depth over immediacy and meaning over spectacle.

YouTube and big tech censorship threatens global accountability, Palestinian rights groups say - Jawad, Majd (Mondoweiss, 2025)
After the U.S. imposed sanctions, YouTube took down over 700 videos from prominent Palestinian human rights groups. Rights advocates say this censorship goes beyond Palestine and affects the future of international justice and accountability.

Israeli surveillance targets US and allies at joint base planning Gaza aid and security, say sources - Graham-Harrison, Emma (The Guardian, 2025)
Concerns over recording of meetings at coordination centre excluding Palestinians that was set up to provide support for Trump’s Gaza plan
Keywords: Benjamin Netanyahu; Espionage; Gaza; Israel; Middle East and north Africa; Palestine; US news; World news

Israeli surveillance targets US and allies at joint base planning Gaza aid and security, say sources - Graham-Harrison, Emma (The Guardian, 2025)
Concerns over recording of meetings at coordination centre excluding Palestinians that was set up to provide support for Trump’s Gaza plan
Keywords: Benjamin Netanyahu; Espionage; Gaza; Israel; Middle East and north Africa; Palestine; US news; World news

Finland's Truth and Reconciliation Commission makes 70 recommendations - Eilís Quinn (Eye on the Arctic, 2025)
Finland’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission has urged sweeping reforms to strengthen Sámi rights and overhaul the country’s approach to Indigenous affairs, according to details of the nearly 68 recommendations published on Thursday. The Commission, set up by the Finnish government, spent the pa

Leaked photos expose an archive of death in Assad's Syria - Nicole Sadek and Karrie Kehoe (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, 2025)
Photographs of more than 10,000 regime victims capture a campaign of torture and mass murder in haunting, meticulous detail.

'Low- and Middle-Income Countries Need Better Data, Not Just Better Tech’ - Parvaiz, Athar (Inter Press Service, 2025)
Development experts have warned that LMICs were being pushed into digital transformation without the basic statistical systems.

The Deepfake Blindspot in AI Governance - Patel, Dipa (LSE International Development, 2025)
Deepfakes are no longer just a novelty or disinformation threat — they're reshaping digital trust. Despite mounting evidence of their harms in multiple domains, regulatory responses remain fragmented and misaligned with the actual threats. MSc Development Management candidate Rachel Ntow argues that this governance gap is systematically eroding the accountability and digital credibility that institutions

Gazans race to preserve cultural heritage damaged in war - Elkas, Dawoud Abu; Abed, Ramadan (Reuters, 2025)
Workers are busy with shovels, trying to dig out the few surviving remnants of the past.

Unmasking the “Angel of Death”: Newly Declassified Argentine Archives Reveal Josef Mengele’s Open, Unpunished Postwar Life in South America - Fern Sidman (The Jewish Voice, 2025)
By: Fern Sidman – Jewish Voice News For decades, the trail of Josef Mengele—Auschwitz’s “Angel of Death,” the SS physician whose name became synonymous with the mechanized cruelty of the Nazi killing machine—has remained shrouded in myth, speculation, and scattered intelligence reports that seemed to illuminate his path only dimly. But the recent release of […]

South African radio host arrested over recruiting fighters for Russia - Gavin Blackburn (euronews, 2025)
The South African government has warned people to be cautious of campaigns promoted by South African social media influencers promising jobs and study opportunities in Russia.

Ethiopia’s Fight Against Anti-Abortion Propaganda - Misikir, Maya (Foreign Policy, 2025)
How Ethiopians are resisting U.S.-backed disinformation on abortions.

News from the ICA Section on Archives and Human Rights - 2026-02 (February) - SAHR Newsletter Woking Group (ICA, 2026)

News from the ICA Section on Archives and Human Rights - 2026-01 (January) - SAHR Newsletter Woking Group (ICA, 2026)

News from the ICA Section on Archives and Human Rights - 2025-12 (December) - SAHR Newsletter Woking Group (ICA, 2025)

Submission by the Section on Archives and Human Rights (SAHR) of the International Council on Archives (ICA) to the "call for inputs on the impact of mental health challenges on the enjoyment of human rights by young people" issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) - ICA Section on Archives and Human Rights (2026)

Black Archives Day on 29 November 2025 (British Library, 2025)
Join us in celebrating and contributing to the living power of Black archival memory, activism, and cultural transformation.

Taliban used discarded UK kit to track down Afghans who worked with west, inquiry hears - Eleni Courea (The Guardian, 2025)
Whistleblower tells Afghan leak inquiry those affected were told to move and change phone numbers to protect themselves
Keywords: Afghanistan; Military; Ministry of Defence; Politics; Taliban; UK news; World news

Taliban used discarded UK kit to track down Afghans who worked with west, inquiry hears - Eleni Courea (The Guardian, 2025)
Whistleblower tells Afghan leak inquiry those affected were told to move and change phone numbers to protect themselves
Keywords: Afghanistan; Military; Ministry of Defence; Politics; Taliban; UK news; World news

‘We’re a bit jealous of Kneecap’: how Europe’s minority tongues are facing the digital future - Burgen, Stephen (The Guardian, 2025)
What does it mean to lose a language, and what does it take to save it? Those were the big questions being asked in Barcelona recently
Keywords: Culture; Education; Europe; European Union; Kneecap; Language; Languages; World news

A database could help revive the Arapaho language before its last speakers are gone - Cowell, Andrew (The Conversation, 2025)
Many Native American languages only have a few native speakers left.

25 years since the opening of the Securitate archives. (Foundation Office Romania, 2025)
The event will bring together historians and archival specialists from Romania and Moldova, as well as representatives of the key institutions that managed the Securitate files after 1990. A panel discussion will explore the role of archives in rebuilding a democratic society, and a special session will analyze the ethical and legal controversies surrounding the disclosure of the Securitate files.

25 years since the opening of the Securitate archives. (Foundation Office Romania, 2025)
The event will bring together historians and archival specialists from Romania and Moldova, as well as representatives of the key institutions that managed the Securitate files after 1990. A panel discussion will explore the role of archives in rebuilding a democratic society, and a special session will analyze the ethical and legal controversies surrounding the disclosure of the Securitate files.

Blue Shield Appeal for the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Sudan - Almeras, Clemence (ICA, 2025)
The International Council on Archives expresses its full support for the Blue Shield’s urgent appeal to protect Sudan’s cultural heritage amid ongoing conflict. Historic sites, archives, and sacred spaces are at risk, and ICA joins the call for all parties to uphold international law and safeguard the cultural memory of affected communities.

Russian Disinformation Comes to Mexico, Seeking to Rupture U.S. Ties - Abi-Habib, Maria (The New York Times, 2025)
A U.S. government cable said that Kremlin-run outlets had scaled up their efforts across Latin America, seeking to turn people against the United States and garner support for Russia.
Keywords: Diplomatic Service, Embassies and Consulates; International Relations; Latin America; Mexico; Morena (Mexican Political Party); Politics and Government; RT (TV Network); Russia; United States International Relations

‘It’s hell for us here’: Mumbai families suffer as datacentres keep the city hooked on coal - Barratt, Luke; Rehman, Atika (The Guardian, 2025)
As Mumbai sees increased energy demand from new datacenters, particularly from Amazon, the filthiest neighbourhood in one of India’s largest cities must keep its major coal plants
Keywords: Air pollution; Artificial intelligence (AI); Computing; Environment; India; Mumbai; Pollution; South and central Asia; Technology; World news

Commission defends changing scope of personal data in GDPR privacy law - Claudie Moreau (Euractiv, 2025)
The Commission says its Digital Omnibus aims to codify recent rulings of the Court of Justice but privacy experts point to other interpretations of case law

How citizen archivists in South Asia confront the online marginalization of oral cultures and languages - Amrit Sufi (Global Voices, 2025)
Citizen archivists are preserving South Asia’s oral traditions — folk songs, riddles, and histories — by recording, uploading, and transcribing them on Wikimedia platforms, challenging text-centric knowledge systems and reviving marginalized voices.

Documenting War Crimes in Sudan Begins Now - Janine di Giovanni (Foreign Policy, 2025)
Stopping ongoing violence in conflict zones is urgent, but with today’s technology, so is gathering evidence.

The FBI spied on a Signal group chat of immigration activists, records reveal - Levin, Sam (The Guardian, 2025)
Agency accessed private conversations of New York ‘courtwatch’ group that was observing public hearings
Keywords: Activism; FBI; US immigration; US news

Nuremberg trial records made available online after painstaking 25-year project - Connolly, Kate (The Guardian, 2025)
Launch of digitisation project marks 80th anniversary of start of legal effort to bring Nazi leaders to justice
Keywords: Germany; Harvard University; Holocaust; International law; Nazism; Second world war; US news; War crimes

Nuremberg trial records made available online after painstaking 25-year project - Connolly, Kate (The Guardian, 2025)
Launch of digitisation project marks 80th anniversary of start of legal effort to bring Nazi leaders to justice
Keywords: Germany; Harvard University; Holocaust; International law; Nazism; Second world war; US news; War crimes

Harvard Law releases digitized Nuremberg Trials archive on 80th anniversary - Karen Sloan (Reuters, 2025)
Harvard’s collection of Nuremberg Trials documents is the second most-complete outside of the U.S. National Archives, according to the law school’s library. The library received most of its collection in 1949 after the final trial, then added documents over the years through donations from trial participants.

Data & Justice: Mapping police violence in Rio’s Favela da Maré - Aline Galdino de Oliveira & André Galdino de Oliveira & Aristênio Gomes dos Santos (OpenGlobalRights, 2025)
Data analysis can serve as a potent tool to hold law enforcement accountable

Commission plans sweeping cuts to tech laws to pave the way for AI - Claudie Moreau (Euractiv, 2025)
The digital simplification package is being framed as a playbook for growing European AI, as commissioners aim to steer out of political pushback over privacy rule cuts

EBU launches Ukraine Archive with 30,000 verified digital stories - Jacob Granger (Journalism UK, 2025)
Journalists can access a treasure trove of trusted audio and video war-time reporting

European Commission accused of ‘massive rollback’ of digital protections - Rankin, Jennifer (The Guardian, 2025)
Proposed changes to AI Act would make it easier for tech firms to use personal data to train models without consent
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Data protection; Europe; European Commission; European Union; GDPR; Privacy; Technology; World news

President Lai hails National Archives as unifying force for Taiwan (Focus Taiwan - CNA English News, 2025)
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Monday that the newly launched National Archives will offer the public a deeper, unifying understanding of the endeavors of Taiwan's democracy pioneers.

Platform Afterlife: How Archives Keep Queer Cinema Alive - Ahmadi, Darius (Medium, 2025)
When access is care — on bodies, voice, and the quiet power of memory

White nationalist talking points and racial pseudoscience: welcome to Elon Musk’s Grokipedia - Wilson, Jason (The Guardian, 2025)
World’s richest person wanted to ‘purge’ propaganda from Wikipedia, so he created a compendium of racist disinformation
Keywords: Antisemitism; Artificial intelligence (AI); Elon Musk; Far right (US); Internet; Race; The super-rich; US news; Wikipedia; World news; X

Vatican to Return Indigenous Cultural Items to Canada Taken a Century Ago - Povoledo, Elisabetta; City, Ian Austen Elisabetta Povoledo reported from Vatican (The New York Times, 2025)
Dozen of pieces used in a 1925 exhibition, including a whale-hunting kayak, will be returned to Canada early next month.
Keywords: Arts and Antiquities Looting; Canada; Francis; Indigenous People; Inuit Indians; Leo XIV; Pius XI; Popes; Roman Catholic Church; Vatican Museums

‘Reframes history’: fears Māori knowledge diluted in plan to revise New Zealand curriculum - Duff, Michelle (The Guardian, 2025)
Minister rejects claims Māori history is being sidelined in rewrite which includes cutting some references to the Treaty of Waitangi
Keywords: Asia Pacific; Education; Māori; New Zealand

Amnesty International, S.T.O.P. Lawsuit Reveals NYPD Surveillance Abuses (Amnesty International, 2025)
Records obtained by Amnesty International and S.T.O.P. reveal concerning surveillance abuses against protesters and communities of color, including the frequent use of rights-violating facial recognition technology.

For its 40th anniversary, RSF transfers its archives to specialist history centre La Contemporaine to aid research (RSF, 2025)
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is transferring its archives to La Contemporaine, a library, archive and museum of 20th and 21st century history, based in a suburb to the west of Paris. The archives, which have been amassed over forty years, will enable researchers from around the world to study the history of both RSF and press freedom in the years to come.

Vrinda Grover on Holding Russia Accountable for Crimes in Ukraine - Jacobsen, Scott Douglas (International Policy Digest, 2025)
Vrinda Grover details evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine and the UN’s pursuit of accountability through victim-centered justice.

Vrinda Grover on Holding Russia Accountable for Crimes in Ukraine - Jacobsen, Scott Douglas (International Policy Digest, 2025)
Vrinda Grover details evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine and the UN’s pursuit of accountability through victim-centered justice.

Borderline ambiguity: How Google Maps removes disputed Western Sahara border for Morocco users - Agence France-Presse (The Guardian, 2025)
The tech giant has released a statement acknowledging the use of different border displays between Western Sahara and Morocco
Keywords: Africa; Google; Morocco; Western Sahara

Borderline ambiguity: How Google Maps removes disputed Western Sahara border for Morocco users - Agence France-Presse (The Guardian, 2025)
The tech giant has released a statement acknowledging the use of different border displays between Western Sahara and Morocco
Keywords: Africa; Google; Morocco; Western Sahara

Indigenous Knowledge Holders Want to Be Acknowledged - Dhakal, Tanka (Inter Press Service, 2025)
Generational lived experiences are key to confronting and living with a changing climate, say Indigenous knowledge holders.

US ethics officials removed for inquiring into improper access of mortgage files - Levine, Sam (The Guardian, 2025)
Fannie Mae officers were investigating whether Trump ally inappropriately accessed mortgage details of federal officials.
Keywords: Letitia James; Trump administration; US news; US politics

Human rights groups slam Kazakhstan's LGBT propaganda law - Искаков, Ерлан (Kursiv Media Kazakhstan, 2025)
International human rights organizations have condemned proposed amendments in Kazakhstan that would ban the “propaganda of nontraditional sexual orientation.”

Milan prosecutors investigate alleged ‘sniper tourism’ during Bosnian war - Giuffrida, Angela; Willsher, Kim (The Guardian, 2025)
Groups from Italy and elsewhere alleged to have paid Serb soldiers to shoot Sarajevo residents during siege. The investigation originated from a legal complaint submitted by Ezio Gavazzeni, a Milan-based writer who gathered evidence on the allegations, as well as a report sent to the prosecutors by the former mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karić.
Keywords: Bosnia and Herzegovina; Europe; Italy; World news

Protesters target major new Nigerian museum embroiled in looted artefacts row - Egbejule, Eromo (The Guardian, 2025)
Protest at Mowaa comes amid dispute over ownership of Benin bronzes looted by British colonial forces
Keywords: Africa; British empire; Culture; Museums; Nigeria; Protest; World news

Protesters target major new Nigerian museum embroiled in looted artefacts row - Egbejule, Eromo (The Guardian, 2025)
Protest at Mowaa comes amid dispute over ownership of Benin bronzes looted by British colonial forces
Keywords: Africa; British empire; Culture; Museums; Nigeria; Protest; World news

A Massive Archiving Effort at National Parks - Samantha Cole (2025)
This week we have a conversation between Sam and two of the leaders of the independent volunteer archiving project Save Our Signs, an effort to archive national park signs and monument placards.

US to demand countries share data on ‘pathogens with epidemic potential’ in return for health aid - Lay, Kat (The Guardian, 2025)
Draft template seen by the Guardian has no reference to countries receiving benefits for sharing information, such as guaranteed access to medicines developed as a result
Keywords: Aid; Epidemics; Global development; Global health; Infectious diseases; Medical research; Society; US news; USAID; World news

Censorship crusade: Israel targets platforms and online archives to ‘rewrite Gaza’ - Pacific Media Watch (Asia Pacific Report, 2025)
From YouTube to X, Wikipedia, and TikTok, Zionists are capturing all means of communication to erase the evidence of its genocide, reshape the historical record, and censor those critical of it.

Erasing the archives: How authoritarian regimes wage war on memory (Turkish Minute, 2025)
Turkey’s authoritarian leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has accused his strongest political rival, İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, of “spying for the British” — a claim that many observers see as part of a broader campaign to silence dissent. At the same time the government has seized one of the country’s few remaining independent broadcasters, TELE1, and immediately disabled access to its digital archive and YouTube channel — a symbolic act of erasing collective memory.

Integrating Local, Indigenous, and Traditional Knowledge into Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilience (Start Network, 2025)
integrating Local, Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge into formal Early Warning Systems can significantly enhance their reach, relevance, and effectiveness. This knowledge is sustained by community structures including elders and practitioners who steward knowledge, social mechanisms that transmit it (storytelling, ceremony, apprenticeship), and local forums that apply it (customary rules, committees, communal assemblies).

Unesco adopts global standards on ‘wild west’ field of neurotechnology - Down, Aisha (The Guardian, 2025)
The standards define a new category of data, “neural data”, and suggest guidelines governing its protection. A list of more than 100 recommendations ranges from rights-based concerns to addressing scenarios that are – at least for now – science fiction.
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Computing; Neuroscience; Science; Technology; Unesco; United Nations; World news

Secret Harvard archive preserves Israeli publications ‘in case Israel ceases to exist’ - Zein Khalil and Mohammad Sio (Anadolu Ajansı, 2025)
Haaretz says hidden facility at Harvard stores Israel’s cultural and scientific output as safeguard against potential national collapse - Anadolu Ajansı

Secret Harvard archive preserves Israeli publications ‘in case Israel ceases to exist’ - Zein Khalil and Mohammad Sio (Anadolu Ajansı, 2025)
Haaretz says hidden facility at Harvard stores Israel’s cultural and scientific output as safeguard against potential national collapse - Anadolu Ajansı

Privacy watchdog gives Commission green-light for EU-Brazil data transfers - Claudie Moreau (Euractiv, 2025)
But the European Data Protection Board does recommend the EU's executive clarifies law enforcement and national security exemptions

Privacy watchdog gives Commission green-light for EU-Brazil data transfers - Claudie Moreau (Euractiv, 2025)
But the European Data Protection Board does recommend the EU's executive clarifies law enforcement and national security exemptions

Bookstores on Edge as Kremlin Sets Sights on Policing Books - Petersburg, Nanna Heitmann Reporting from the many bookstores of St; Russia (The New York Times, 2025)
Restrictions on publishers and sellers have grown more severe. Volumes are being pulled from shelves or redacted like secret documents, but bookstores remain important sources of community.
Keywords: Book Bans; Books and Literature; Censorship; Fines (Penalties); Homosexuality and Bisexuality; Popcorn Books; Russia; St Petersburg (Russia); Writing and Writers; internal-open-access-from-nl

Documenting Peoplehood: Archives as Resources for UNPO Members’ Fundamental Rights - . (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, 2025)
Archives have long been used as evidence in humanitarian and legal contexts. But, for unrepresented communities they play an even broader role, acting as proof of peoplehood, tools of cultural preservation and foundations for self-determination.

AI firm wins high court ruling after photo agency’s copyright claim - Booth, Robert (The Guardian, 2025)
Ruling in case brought by Getty Images against Stability AI is seen as a blow to copyright owners
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Intellectual property; Law; Media; Media law; News photography; Technology; UK news

Google plans to put datacentres in space to meet demand for AI - Booth, Robert (The Guardian, 2025)
US technology company’s engineers want to exploit solar power and the falling cost of rocket launches
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Climate crisis; Computing; Elon Musk; Google; Nvidia; Space; SpaceX; Technology

"Hide Records at Your own Peril," Government Warns Record Managers - Mbungu Harrison & Mwakwaya Raymond (The Coast Media Group, 2025)
Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has warned records managers against unprofessional conduct, including hiding or misplacing files, saying such actions undermine public trust and taint the image of the profession and government institutions.

YouTube Quietly Erased More Than 700 Videos Documenting Israeli Human Rights Violations - Valdez, Nikita Mazurov, Jonah (The Intercept, 2025)
The tech giant deleted the accounts of three prominent Palestinian human rights groups — a capitulation to Trump sanctions.

Kaya Suraci Researches Human Rights Abuses in El Salvador - Marcos, Andrea (Center for Human Rights, 2025)
"When a spreadsheet of documents mentioning his name became a video call with his family, this work researching atrocities from 40 years in the past gave me new insight into the power of human rights research."

The powerlessness of the ICRC during the Nazi period (Arolsen Archives, 2025)
How and why the Red Cross failed in the face of humanitarian crimes against the civilian population.

Archives in times of war and algorithms: who will guard the memory? - Marimon, Sílvia (Ara in English, 2025)
Barcelona hosts more than 2,000 professionals from 110 countries to discuss the present and future of archives.

Futures_Past Brings Southern African Archives To Life Through Immersive Storytelling (africa.com, 2025)
Six institutions, six powerful histories, and a call to artists to reimagine heritage with immersive arts

The Wayback Machine’s snapshots of news homepages plummet after a “breakdown” in archiving projects - Andrew Deck and Hanaa' Tameez (Nieman Lab, 2025)
Between May and October 2025, homepage snapshots fell by 87% across 100 news publications.

Launch of the Syria Prisons Museum at the National Museum in Damascus (Prisons Museum, 2025)
The Syria Prisons Museum seeks to uncover and document the crimes and violations committed in Syria’s prisons, and to preserve the collective memory of those places. Drawing on live testimonies from former prisoners, the project also relies on documents, photographs, and physical evidence carefully examined and analyzed by the team, in addition to field imaging and 3-D scanning of prisons and detention centers.

Palestine as provenance: archiving against genocide from Gaza to South Lebanon (Jabal Amil) - 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? How can we draw on models and practices of mutual aid and solidarity between Lebanon and Palestine to articulate a robust decolonial archival praxis?
Keywords: Gaza genocide; Lebanon; Nakba; Palestine; Provenance; Zionism; archival erasure; digitality; emergency mitigation

Filming what survives - Ibrahim Snoopy; Phil Cox (Africa is a Country, 2020)
Made just as Sudan descended into war, 'Khartoum' captures the beauty, pain, and humanity of a city shaken by violence—and the filmmakers who became refugees alongside their subjects.

DHS asked Texas for driver’s license data for citizenship checks - Despart, Jen Fifield, Zach (The Texas Tribune, 2025)
It’s the latest step to pool confidential data that the Trump administration claims will help identify noncitizens on voter rolls and tighten immigration enforcement.

DHS Agreement Reveals Risks of Using Social Security Data for Voter Citizenship Checks - Fifield, Jen (ProPublica, 2025)
A recently released agreement gives the Department of Homeland Security access to hundreds of millions of Americans’ Social Security data. It contains alarmingly few provisions to ensure accuracy and privacy, experts say.

Revealed: Israel demanded Google and Amazon use secret ‘wink’ to sidestep legal orders - Davies, Harry; Abraham, Yuval (The Guardian, 2025)
Like other big tech companies, Google and Amazon’s cloud businesses routinely comply with requests from police, prosecutors and security services to hand over customer data to assist investigations. To deal with the threat, officials created a secret warning system: the companies must send signals hidden in payments to the Israeli government, tipping it off when it has disclosed Israeli data to foreign courts or investigators.
Keywords: Amazon; Google; Israel; Technology; US news; World news

Journalism is the oxygen of democracy: How Sudan’s information crisis reflects a global reality (Global Voices, 2025)
Now more than ever, we need to talk about the importance of journalism. This is not about journalism as an abstract ideal, or as an industry fighting for survival, but as a living, breathing force that connects people to the information they need. Protecting journalism is not just about saving newsrooms. It is about safeguarding people’s right to usable, trusted information, which is the very foundation of healthy societies everywhere.

CFP: Seeking Oral Historians for Bloomsbury’s Trans Studies Book Series - Cheryl (Publishing in the Archives Profession, 2025)
Oral historians are warmly invited to write books for Trans Studies, a book series published by Bloomsbury Academic. We seek books that give voice to previously unrecognized transgender and nonbinary people and issues, with a special emphasis on topics not well documented in written literature, but for which there are oral archives that allow the recovery of previously forgotten histories. We also welcome books that explore already well-recognized transgender and nonbinary topics that can be examined in greater depth through oral histories.

Interview with editors of “Archivist Actions, Abolitionist Futures” (Issues & Advocacy, 2025)
Alison Clemens is an archivist and librarian, and founding co-coordinator of the Abolition in Special Collections collective. Jess Farrell is an archival consultant at Redstart Works and a community organizer.

At least 49 relatives and colleagues of Afghans in data leak have been killed, study suggests - Taylor, Diane (The Guardian, 2025)
Research also finds 200 of 231 people notified by MoD of breach reported threats to themselves or families
Keywords: Afghanistan; Data protection; Ministry of Defence; Superinjunctions; Taliban; UK news

Cybercrime Convention ‘a Promise’ That Rights to Privacy, Dignity, Safety Must Be Protected, Secretary-General Says at Signing Ceremony, Calling for Entry into Force (UN Press Release, 2025)
Let us build a cyberspace that respects everyone’s dignity and human rights. And let us ensure that the digital age delivers peace, security and prosperity for all.

Amazon strategised about keeping its datacentres’ full water use secret, leaked document shows - Barratt, Luke; Furneaux, Rosa (The Guardian, 2025)
Executives at world’s biggest datacentre owner grappled with disclosing information about water used to help power facilities
Keywords: Amazon; E-commerce; Environment; Internet; Technology

US expands facial recognition technology at borders to track non-citizens - Reuters (The Guardian, 2025)
New regulation will allow US authorities to require non-citizens to be photographed at any point of departure
Keywords: Facial recognition; Technology; US immigration; US news

Taliban Trample Media Freedom (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
The Taliban have gutted Afghan media since taking control of the country in August 2021 through the use of surveillance and censorship and by punishing media workers for perceived criticism.

Don’t use AI to tell you how to vote in election, says Dutch watchdog - France-Presse, Agence (The Guardian, 2025)
Data protection authority says chatbots are ‘clearly biased’, as Netherlands prepares for national poll
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Europe; Netherlands; Technology; World news

Togolese authorities threaten greater online speech censorship (Global Voices, 2025)
In Togo, the authorities have restated their intentions to regulate online speech, restricting the use of social media amid heightened political tensions.

Massive leak exposes how China’s ‘Great Firewall’ is being exported to other countries - Ali Rogin (PBS News Weekend, 2025)
For years, China’s government has used what’s known as the “Great Firewall” to censor the internet inside its country and block access to select foreign websites. Now, a document leak shows that a little-known Chinese company is exporting these tools to other countries, including Myanmar, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia.

How Zimbabwe is suppressing journalism (GroundUp News, 2025)
Following arrests and draconian legislation, editors are self-censoring to protect their organisations

Why do reparations for colonialism and slavery matter? (Amnesty International, 2025)
Across the world, people are still suffering the effects of slavery and colonialism and struggling to get the reparations they deserve.

Inside the Sudden Collapse of a U.K. Spy Case Against China - Castle, Stephen (The New York Times, 2025)
Evidence prepared for a collapsed espionage trial was published by an under-pressure government in Britain, offering a window into Western countries’ struggle to define Beijing as friend or foe.
Keywords: China; Classified Information and State Secrets; Espionage and Intelligence Services; Great Britain; International Relations; London (England); Security Service (MI5); Starmer, Keir

Inside the Sudden Collapse of a U.K. Spy Case Against China - Castle, Stephen; London, Lizzie Dearden Reporting from (The New York Times, 2025)
Evidence prepared for a collapsed espionage trial was published by an under-pressure government in Britain, offering a window into Western countries’ struggle to define Beijing as friend or foe.
Keywords: China; Classified Information and State Secrets; Espionage and Intelligence Services; Great Britain; International Relations; London (England); Security Service (MI5); Starmer, Keir

CFP: Seeking Material Culture Scholars for Bloombury’s Trans Studies Book Series - Cheryl (Publishing in the Archives Profession, 2025)
Seeking material culture scholars to write and edit books for Trans Studies, a book series published by Bloomsbury Academic. We welcome books on transgender and nonbinary l…

EU countries split over extraterritorial in cloud sovereignty definition - Euractiv (Euractiv, 2025)
France is demanding a Council text tackles US data access laws but several smaller countries are pushing in the opposition direction

Ex-Trump adviser John Bolton pleads not guilty to sharing classified information - Lowell, Hugo (The Guardian, 2025)
Ex-national security adviser surrendered to authorities and made court appearance as he faces 18-count indictment
Keywords: Donald Trump; John Bolton; Trump administration; US news; US politics

Djibouti President Urges Preservation of African Heritage - Africa, Dawan (Dawan Africa, 2025)
The inaugural forum in Djibouti brings together 17 African nations to promote digital archiving, legal transparency, and the preservation of Africa’s collective memory.

Beyond Rhetoric - Feminist Leadership for a Transformative Women, Peace and Security Agenda at 25 - Baldoumas, Abigael (Oxfam, 2025)
Twenty-five years after the United Nations adopted Resolution 1325, the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda is both a landmark in diplomacy and a study in unfulfilled promise. Its most profound achievement has been to force open a conversation about the gendered power structures that fuel conflict.

Launch of veteran card will be used to test UK government’s digital ID scheme - Booth, Robert (The Guardian, 2025)
Ministers hope scheme for 1.8 million people will show how technology works and ease privacy and security concerns
Keywords: Apps; British army; Identity cards; Military; Politics; Technology; UK civil liberties; UK news

Former Bush adviser charged with amassing top secret files - Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (The Guardian, 2025)
Indian-American Ashley Tellis allegedly obtained US military data and passed envelopes to Chinese officials
Keywords: India; South and central Asia; Trump administration; US national security; US news; US politics; World news

Former Bush adviser charged with amassing top secret files - Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (The Guardian, 2025)
Indian-American Ashley Tellis allegedly obtained US military data and passed envelopes to Chinese officials
Keywords: India; South and central Asia; Trump administration; US national security; US news; US politics; World news

Digital ID: Danes and Estonians find it ‘pretty uncontroversial’ - Bryant, Miranda (The Guardian, 2025)
Citizens have enrolled with little opposition, albeit with some concerns over security and privacy, as UK plans system
Keywords: Apps; Cybercrime; Data protection; Denmark; Estonia; Europe; Hacking; Identity cards; Internet; Politics; Privacy; Surveillance; Technology; UK news

A Photographer Who Brought a Vanished Central European Jewry to Life - Erlanger, Steven (The New York Times, 2025)
Edward Serotta created an archive of 1,230 in-depth interviews with Holocaust survivors about how they lived, both before and after. “Every one of them comes with a story,” he said.
Keywords: Archives and Records; Audio Recordings, Downloads and Streaming; Central Europe; Content Type: Personal Profile; Eastern Europe; Jews and Judaism; Photography; Serotta, Edward; United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Vienna (Austria)

Les mécanismes de la corruption illustrés par le cas de Malte - Venard, Bertrand (The Conversation, 2025)
À Malte, huit ans après l’assassinat de la journaliste Daphne Caruana Galizia, qui avait sans relâche dénoncé ce fléau, la corruption demeure un phénomène structurel.

Video: Inside Iran’s Museum of American Espionage - Walsh, Declan; Kiazand, Gelareh; Hazell, Jon; Thornell, Christina (The New York Times, 2025)
The enduring animosity between the United States and Iran is reflected inside the walls of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran, now turned into a museum of anti-American propaganda. U.S. involvement in the June Iran-Israel war has resurfaced that shared past.
Keywords: Central Intelligence Agency; Diplomatic Service, Embassies and Consulates; Iran; Israel; Museums; Tehran (Iran); United States International Relations

‘Your basis to live is checked at each and every step’: India’s ID system divides opinion - Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (The Guardian, 2025)
Keir Starmer is considering Aadhaar as model for UK, but detractors warn of ‘digital coercion’ and security breaches
Keywords: Human rights; India; South and central Asia; Technology; UK news; World news

Civil society urges Commission to probe Irish privacy watchdog's independence - Euractiv (Euractiv, 2025)
In an open letter, more than 40 civil society organisations have questioned the DPC's independence after it appointed a former Meta lobbyist to be its third commissioner

Call for Articles: Disabilities in Libraries & Information Studies - Cheryl (Publishing in the Archives Profession, 2025)
DisLIS Open for Article Submissions Disabilities in Libraries & Information Studies (DisLIS) is now accepting articles for peer-reviewed, open access publication. This includes o…

US news outlets refuse to sign new Pentagon rules to report only official information - Helmore, Edward (The Guardian, 2025)
Defense department policy requires outlets to vow not to obtain unauthorized files and restricts access to some areas
Keywords: CNN; Media; New York Times; Newspapers; Pete Hegseth; The Guardian; Trump administration; US news; US politics; US press and publishing; Washington Post

Against ‘chat control’: we can’t eliminate child abuse by eliminating privacy - Jeremy Malcolm (The Guardian, 2025)
Banning online anonymity tools like Tor won’t stop crime. It will only drive people underground and normalize government control over the internet
Keywords: Children; Privacy; Society; Technology; Tor

Restitution row: how Nigeria’s new home for the Benin bronzes ended up with clay replicas - Oltermann, Philip; Egbejule, Eromo (The Guardian, 2025)
The public display of artefacts looted by British colonial forces at the new Museum of West African Art was supposed to be the crowning glory of a decades-long restitution effort. What went wrong?
Keywords: Africa; Benin; British empire; Culture; Germany; Museums; Nigeria; World news

UN rights chief hails Bangladesh prosecutions over enforced disappearances - UN News (UN News, 2025)
L’ouverture de poursuites contre des personnes accusées d’être responsables de disparitions forcées et d'actes de torture sous le précédent gouvernement au Bangladesh constitue une étape importante vers la reddition de comptes, a déclaré le Haut-Commissaire des Nations Unies aux droits de l’homme.

Meta AI adviser spreads disinformation about shootings, vaccines and trans people - Wilson, Jason (The Guardian, 2025)
Critics condemn Robby Starbuck, appointed in lawsuit settlement, for ‘peddling lies and pushing extremism’
Keywords: Meta; Technology; US news; World news

The genocide in Srebrenica mustn’t be allowed to remain a niche issue - A conversation with activist Sejfuddin Dizdarevic - Arolsen Archives (Arolsen Archives, 2025)
What drives a person to dedicate themselves tirelessly to education, remembrance, and civic engagement? Born in 1977 in Zenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Sejfuddin Dizdarevic came to Germany as a teenager. For him, the genocide in Srebrenica in 1995 marked a decisive turning point in his life.

JP Morgan staff told they must share biometric data to access headquarters - Sweney, Mark (The Guardian, 2025)
Investment bank had previously planned for such information from New York workers to be voluntary
Keywords: Banking; Biometrics; Business; JP Morgan; New York; Technology sector; US news; World news

Dutch want to clarify AI rules instead of delaying them - Maximilian Henning (Euractiv, 2025)
A position paper, obtained by Euractiv, also contains ideas on digital reporting obligations and streamlining privacy rules

New film explores how Caribbean workers helped win second world war - Osuh, Chris (The Guardian, 2025)
Commissioned by the Imperial War Museum, Cornwallis Cloth ends ‘archival silence’ around invaluable West Indian contribution to war effort
Keywords: Black British culture; Caribbean; Imperial War Museums; Second world war; World news

In the dark. Access to key Russian archives is being restricted as the state seeks to tighten its control of historical memory - Alexander Leonidovich (Novaya Gazeta Europe, 2025)
Archive files detailing the fate of millions of Soviet citizens who were executed or imprisoned during the Stalin era have suddenly been made harder for historians to access. The Russian federal archive authority’s decision to limit access to such documents to the relatives of individual victims is both a violation of Russian law and will further hamper the work of historians researching the period. As it is, to date just a quarter of Stalin’s victims are known to historians by name.

Former premier of Nunavut calls on Carney to stop victimizing Inuit - Sanders, Leane (APTN News, 2025)
The former premier of Nunavut is calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to end the federal government’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit against Canada over an “International Biological Experiments” program undertaken in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

This Adoptee Discovered a Trove of Documents in a Nun’s Basement. The Rare Vietnam War Records May Rewrite the Story of Operation Babylift - Strochlic, Nina (Smithsonian Magazine, 2025)
The April 1975 effort matched more than 2,800 infants and children evacuated from Vietnam with adoptive families. Today, the adoptees are searching for clues to their past—and reflecting on the complicated legacy of their evacuation

This Adoptee Discovered a Trove of Documents in a Nun’s Basement. The Rare Vietnam War Records May Rewrite the Story of Operation Babylift - Strochlic, Nina (Smithsonian Magazine, 2025)
The April 1975 effort matched more than 2,800 infants and children evacuated from Vietnam with adoptive families. Today, the adoptees are searching for clues to their past—and reflecting on the complicated legacy of their evacuation

Beyond an Archive of Suffering, PUCL's Manipur Report Is a Challenge to India's Conscience - Ranjan Solomon (The Wire, 2025)
This article draws from a critique of the PUCL report submitted to the organisation by Ranjan Solomon.

Russia Restricts Access to Stalin-Era Purge Archives (Odessa Journal, 2025)
Russian archives block historians from accessing Stalin-era files, citing security, limiting research on millions repressed during Soviet purges.

Senegal Adopts Access-to-Information Law, Joining Africa’s Transparency Wave - Agency, Ecofin (Ecofin Agency, 2025)
Senegal enacts law granting universal access to public information. Reform aims to boost transparency, job access for youth. AFIC praises move as part of Africa-wide transparency trend.

Institutional memory of Palestinian Public Institutions under the war: Post-October 2023 - Eman Redwan, Imad Kahil, Johannes Sauerland, Patricia Valencia Gallego, Fateh Hamarsheh (Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, 2025)
This report presents the first comprehensive assessment of the destruction and loss of public records in Palestinian institutions in the Gaza Strip, following the outbreak of war in October 2023. “Institutional memory”, defined as the archived records and documented knowledge of institutions, is a cornerstone of effective governance, particularly in the justice and security sectors. It underpins transparency, continuity, accountability, and the protection of public and private rights.

Aux origines de la liberté académique, de l’Allemagne aux États-Unis - Fernandes, Camille (The Conversation, 2025)
Essentielle aux échanges d’idées et au développement de la recherche, la liberté académique subit aujourd’hui des attaques aux États-Unis, un pays qui ont contribué à son essor.

Old wounds reopened for Tamils as mass grave discovered since the civil war - Canisius (ABC News, 2025)
A shocking mass grave discovery in Sri Lanka reignites global attention on one of the world's highest cases of unresolved enforced disappearances.
Keywords: Amnesty International; Chemmani grave; excavation; human rights; sri lanka mass grave; sri lankan civil war; sri lankan tamil; tamil; tamil community; war

Indigenous Peoples grapple with claims downplaying the history of residential schools - Passafiume, Alessia (CTVNews, 2025)
As Indigenous Peoples marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this week, they also had to confront a persistent problem: public figures claiming the history of residential schools has been exaggerated or falsified.

Advocates raise alarm over Pfas pollution from datacenters amid AI boom - Perkins, Tom (The Guardian, 2025)
Tech companies’ use of Pfas gas at facilities may mean datacenters’ climate impact is worse than previously thought
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Business; Chemical industry; Climate crisis; Environment; Health; Pfas; Technology

The World's First Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects Wants Its Collection to Shrink, Not Grow - Feldman, Ella (Smithsonian Magazine, 2025)
Visitors can explore 3D renderings of stolen artworks, historical artifacts, rare books and more in UNESCO's new digital museum

Thousands of Germans access Stasi files, 35 years after reunification - DPA International (DPA International, 2025)
Tens of thousands of Germans continue to consult their files from the Stasi, the former East German state security agency, as the country prepares to mark 35 years since reunification on Friday. The Federal Archives received 16,213 applications from citizens for access to files in the first half of 2025, a spokesman told dpa on Thursday.

‘This is strength’: stories of enslaved Africans in Grenada will be made into searchable archive - Abdul, Geneva; Osuh, Chris (The Guardian, 2025)
Depths of Paradise project backed by British family and created by Stephen Lewis, a descendant of survivors
Keywords: Americas; Grenada; Slavery; UK news; World news

UK government resumes row with Apple by demanding access to British users’ data - Milmo, Dan (The Guardian, 2025)
New access order by Home Office would seek access to the tech company’s encrypted cloud backups
Keywords: Apple; Cloud computing; Computing; Data protection; Home Office; Law; Politics; Technology; Telecoms; UK news; US news

Nearly 100 years after her death, Oxford’s first female Indigenous scholar honoured - Tahana, Jamie (The Guardian, 2025)
Mākereti Papakura died weeks before handing in her thesis at Oxford university documenting the life and customs of her tribe, work that is still used by Māori today
Keywords: Asia Pacific; Māori; New Zealand; University of Oxford

White Work and Reparative Genealogy: Reckoning with Ancestral Debt as a Path to Racial Reparations - Watkins, Mary (Spinger, 2025)
White Work and Reparative Genealogy invites white-identifying readers on a courageous journey into the heart of ancestral memory, historical accountability, and racial repair.

Crackdown on forced disappearance alleged perpetrators - Bergam, David (JusticeInfo.net, 2025)
Bangladesh seems to be tackling head-on the scourge of enforced disappearances under the former regime. On 8 October 2025, 24 arrest warrants were issued against army officers allegedly responsible for crimes against humanity, and within a week, 13 had been detained.

‘Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5' Review: Raoul's Peck's Vital Film Shows How We're Living In A ‘1984'-Style Dystopia - Carey, Matthew (MSN, 2025)
Raoul Peck's vital documentary Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5, which premiered tonight at the Cannes Film Festival, makes it startlingly clear the degree to which we are living in Orwellian times. The parallels between the nightmare of 1984 – where Big Brother dictates every facet of life – and Trump's America have not been properly acknowledged. This film does that. T