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White House bars AP, Reuters and other media from covering Trump cabinet meeting

Elon Musk speaks during the first cabinet meeting hosted by US  President Donald Trump, at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday. (REUTERS/File)
Elon Musk speaks during the first cabinet meeting hosted by US President Donald Trump, at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday. (REUTERS/File)
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Updated 27 February 2025

White House bars AP, Reuters and other media from covering Trump cabinet meeting

White House bars AP, Reuters and other media from covering Trump cabinet meeting
  • Move follows White House announcement that it would limit media access to the President in smaller spaces

WASHINGTON: The White House on Wednesday denied reporters from Reuters and other news organizations access to President Donald Trump’s first cabinet meeting in keeping with the administration’s new policy regarding media coverage.
The White House denied access to an Associated Press photographer and three reporters from Reuters, HuffPost and Der Tagesspiegel, a German newspaper.
TV crews from ABC and Newsmax, along with correspondents from Axios, the Blaze, Bloomberg News and NPR were permitted to cover the event.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced the White House would determine which media outlets would cover the president in smaller spaces such as the Oval Office.
The White House Correspondents’ Association has traditionally coordinated the rotation of the presidential press pool. Reuters, an international wire service, has participated in the pool for decades.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that while traditional media organizations would still be permitted to cover Trump on a day-to-day basis, the administration plans to change who participates in smaller spaces. The pool system, administered by the WHCA, allowed select television, radio, wire, print and photojournalists to cover events and share their reporting with the broader media.
The three wire services that have traditionally served as permanent members of the White House pool, the AP, Bloomberg and Reuters, on Wednesday released a statement in response to the new policy.
The services “have long worked to ensure that accurate, fair and timely information about the presidency is communicated to a broad audience of all political persuasions, both in the United States and globally. Much of the White House coverage people see in their local news outlets, wherever they are in the world, comes from the wires,” the statement from the three organizations said.
“It is essential in a democracy for the public to have access to news about their government from an independent, free press.”
HuffPost called the White House decision a violation of the First Amendment right to freedom of the press.
Der Tagesspiegel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Tuesday, the WHCA also issued a statement protesting the new White House policy.
The move follows the Trump administration’s decision to bar the Associated Press from being in the pool because it has declined to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, the name Trump has assigned the body of water, or update its widely followed stylebook to reflect such a change.
Leavitt said the five major cable and broadcast television networks would continue to hold their rotating seats in the pool while the White House would add streaming services. Rotating print reporters and radio reporters would continue to be included, while new outlets and radio hosts would be added.


US court bars Israel’s NSO Group from installing spyware on WhatsApp

US court bars Israel’s NSO Group from installing spyware on WhatsApp
Updated 18 October 2025

US court bars Israel’s NSO Group from installing spyware on WhatsApp

US court bars Israel’s NSO Group from installing spyware on WhatsApp
  • Evidence at trial showed that NSO Group reverse-engineered WhatsApp code to stealthily install spyware targeting users
  • NSO Group produces Pegasus, a highly invasive tool that can switch on a target’s cell phone camera and microphone and access data on it

SAN FRANCISCO: A US judge on Friday granted an injunction barring Israeli spyware maker NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users but slashed a $168 million damages award at trial to just $4 million.
District Judge Phyllis Hamilton ruled that NSO Group’s behavior fell short of a “particularly egregious” standard needed to support the jury’s calculations on a financial penalty.
But in the ruling, seen by AFP, she said the court “concluded that defendants’ conduct causes irreparable harm, and there being no dispute that the conduct is ongoing” the judge granted WhatsApp owner Meta an injunction to stop NSO Group’s snooping tactics at the messaging service.
Evidence at trial showed that NSO Group reverse-engineered WhatsApp code to stealthily install spyware targeting users, according to the ruling, which called such access to user data “unlawful.”
The spyware was repeatedly redesigned to escape detection and bypass security fixes at WhatsApp, the court concluded.
The lawsuit, filed in late 2019, accused NSO Group of cyberespionage targeting journalists, lawyers, human rights activists and others using the encrypted messaging service.
Hamilton ruled however that the $168 million damages verdict awarded to Meta earlier this year was excessive.
“There have simply not yet been enough cases involving unlawful electronic surveillance in the smartphone era for the court to be able to conclude that defendants’ conduct was ‘particularly egregious’,” Hamilton wrote in the ruling which was seen by AFP.
“As time goes on, more of a shared societal consensus may emerge about the acceptability of defendants’ conduct.”
Founded in 2010 by Israelis Shalev Hulio and Omri Lavie, NSO Group is based in the seaside high-tech hub of Herzliya, near Tel Aviv.
Media website TechCrunch reported Friday that a US investment group has acquired controlling interest in NSO Group.
The Israeli firm produces Pegasus, a highly invasive tool that can reportedly switch on a target’s cell phone camera and microphone and access data on it, effectively turning the phone into a pocket spy.
The suit filed in a California federal court contended that NSO tried to infect approximately 1,400 “target devices” with malicious software to steal valuable information.
Infecting smartphones or other gadgets being used for WhatsApp messages meant the content of messages encrypted during transmission could be accessed after they were unscrambled.
The complaint said the attackers “developed a program to enable them to emulate legitimate WhatsApp network traffic in order to transmit malicious code” to take over the devices.
The software has been pinpointed by independent experts as being used by nation states, some of them with poor human rights records.
NSO Group has maintained it only licenses its software to governments for fighting crime and terrorism.
 


White House joins Bluesky and immediately trolls Trump opponents

White House joins Bluesky and immediately trolls Trump opponents
Updated 18 October 2025

White House joins Bluesky and immediately trolls Trump opponents

White House joins Bluesky and immediately trolls Trump opponents
  • Bluesky is the social media platform of choice of many in the left-leaning online world
  • Disgruntled X users began flocking to Bluesky after billionaire Elon Musk took over Twitter (now known as X) in 2022

WASHINGTON: The White House on Friday joined Bluesky, the social media platform of choice of many in the left-leaning online world.
In its inaugural post, the White House account offered a sizzle reel of the administration’s memes, trolls and messages from President Donald Trump’s nine months since returning to office. The post appeared aimed at tweaking liberals who aren’t fans of the Republican president.
The first post included mentions of the administration’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico, a doctored image of Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries adorned in a sombrero with a faux mustache, and stream of photos and video from other big moments in the early going of Trump’s second term.
“What’s up, Bluesky?” the White House said in a message accompanying the video. ”We thought you might’ve missed some of our greatest hits, so we put this together for you. Can’t wait to spend more quality time together!”
Disgruntled X users began flocking to Bluesky after billionaire Elon Musk took over Twitter (now known as X) in 2022, and the platform reported a surge in new users late last year.
It remains small compared to more established online spaces such as X, but it has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood.
The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security also launched Bluesky accounts Friday.
Vice President JD Vance joined Bluesky in June.
Trump’s social media platform of choice is Truth Social. Trump is the biggest shareholder in Trump Media & Technology Group, the company that owns Truth Social.


Kingdom’s Media Bridges initiative explores global content partnerships at MIPCOM festival

Kingdom’s Media Bridges initiative explores global content partnerships at MIPCOM festival
Updated 17 October 2025

Kingdom’s Media Bridges initiative explores global content partnerships at MIPCOM festival

Kingdom’s Media Bridges initiative explores global content partnerships at MIPCOM festival
  • Session reflects broader push to deepen international collaboration

RIYADH: The Media Bridges initiative, under the auspices of the Saudi Media Forum, convened a strategic workshop with the theme “Toward Global Partnerships in Production and Content Marketing,” at the MIPCOM international festival in Cannes, France, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The session reflected ֱ’s broader push to deepen international collaboration in media investment while advancing production capabilities and cutting-edge technologies.

The effort aligned directly with Vision 2030’s emphasis on empowering creative and media industries through expanded strategic partnerships with global players.

Workshop participants examined how traditional media organizations could integrate with digital platforms and international technology firms, creating pathways for Saudi and Arab companies to forge production and marketing alliances suited to the evolving global content landscape.

Those attending explored ֱ’s media infrastructure and investment landscape, with discussions centered on attracting international capital and broadening partnerships across media production and digital content ventures.

The gathering drew a diverse international roster: executives from major technology companies, founders of over-the-top streaming platforms, and experts specializing in media analytics and artificial intelligence applications — bringing varied global perspectives and industry insights to the conversation.

The workshop represented one element in the Saudi Media Forum’s campaign to amplify the Kingdom’s visibility at premier international industry gatherings, positioning ֱ as a rising center for media innovation.


Freed Gaza photographer overjoyed to find family alive after being told in Israeli jail they were dead

Freed Gaza photographer overjoyed to find family alive after being told in Israeli jail they were dead
Updated 16 October 2025

Freed Gaza photographer overjoyed to find family alive after being told in Israeli jail they were dead

Freed Gaza photographer overjoyed to find family alive after being told in Israeli jail they were dead
  • Shadi Abu Sido says Israeli prison guards told him his family had been killed in Gaza war
  • The Palestinian photojournalist was detained without trial under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law, severely beaten

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip: Shadi Abu Sido said his world shattered in Israeli detention when guards told him his wife and two children had been killed in the Gaza war.
“I got hysterical,” the Gaza Palestinian photographer said.
It wasn’t until his release on Monday, part of the US-mediated ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel that halted two years of war, that he discovered his loved ones were alive.
His wife, Hanaa Bahlul, raced down the hallway of his family’s house in Khan Younis and leapt into his arms. He spun her in the air as they clung to each other. Abu Sido kissed his children’s cheeks again and again, murmuring “my love” as he held the daughter and son he thought he would never see again.
“I heard her voice, I heard the voice of my children, I was astonished, it cannot be explained, they were alive. I saw my wife and children alive. Imagine amid death — life,” he said.
Abu Sido, a photojournalist, said he was detained at Shifa hospital in the northern Gaza Strip on March 18, 2024.
He was among 1,700 Palestinians detained by Israeli forces during the devastating war in Gaza and released on Monday, along with 250 prisoners convicted or suspected of involvement in deadly attacks, in exchange for 20 Israeli hostages held by Hamas since its October 2023 cross-border assault.
DETAINED UNDER THE ‘UNLAWFUL COMBATANTS’ LAW
Bahlul said a lawyer from Addameer, a Palestinian human rights group, had told her Abu Sido was being held under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law — a form of administrative detention.
Omer Shatz, an Israeli international law expert at Sciences Po university in Paris, said the law allows Israel to limit access to lawyers, incarcerate people without charge or trial, and arbitrarily detain many Palestinians in Gaza.
According to Addameer, 2,673 Gazans are currently detained under this law.
The Israeli military said in a statement sent to Reuters that its detention policy was “in full alignment with Israeli law and the Geneva Conventions” on legal standards for humanitarian treatment in wartime.
Israel’s Justice Ministry did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
In March 2024 the Israeli military said it raided Shifa hospital, accusing Hamas of operating from the premises. Hamas has denied Israeli allegations it had command posts underneath Shifa and other Gaza hospitals. Reuters could not independently verify the assertions of either side.

’A GRAVEYARD FOR THE LIVING’
Abu Sido said he was severely beaten, handcuffed, blindfolded and forced to kneel for long periods while in detention. His wrists looked raw during his meeting with Reuters, which he said had been caused by the shackles. Reuters could not independently verify the details of his account.
He was first held at Israel’s Sde Teiman military detention camp, then transferred to the Ofer military camp — which is in the Israeli-occupied West Bank — and later to Ketziot prison in Israel, according to his wife.
Bahlul said Abu Sido was arrested only for being “a journalist for a Palestinian institution.”
A spokesperson for the Israeli Prison Service said all inmates were held according to legal procedures and their rights upheld. “We are not aware of the claims described, and to the best of our knowledge, no such incidents occurred under IPS responsibility,” the spokesperson said.
The Israeli military statement said mistreatment of detainees was “strictly prohibited.” The military said that prolonged restraint was only allowed in “exceptional cases” with significant security risks, and denied that detainees were forced to remain in a crouching position.
An Israeli military official told Reuters in September that of around 100 criminal investigations related to the Gaza war, most concerned allegations of abuse or death of detainees in military custody. Two cases have led to indictments, and one soldier was sentenced to 17 months in prison.
Reuters previously spoke to released Palestinian prisoners who said they suffered abuses in Israeli detention.
Many of the Israeli hostages released by Hamas have also described torture, sexual assault, psychological abuse, and denial of food and medical care.
Amany Srahneh of the Palestinian Prisoners Society said conditions for Palestinian inmates deteriorated dramatically after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, with reports of sexual assault, beatings, denial of medication, and food shortages.
She said conditions were even worse for Gaza Palestinians held in military detention.
Abu Sido said that prison was “the graveyard of the living. When I returned to Gaza, it was like my soul returned to my body. But when I saw the destruction..., how can I start again?“


Court strikes down Irish police decision not to investigate Airbnb over Israeli settlements

Court strikes down Irish police decision not to investigate Airbnb over Israeli settlements
Updated 16 October 2025

Court strikes down Irish police decision not to investigate Airbnb over Israeli settlements

Court strikes down Irish police decision not to investigate Airbnb over Israeli settlements
  • More than 150 businesses, including Airbnb and rivals Booking.com, Expedia and TripAdviser, are operating in Israeli West Bank settlements deemed illegal under international law

DUBLIN: Ireland’s High Court on Thursday struck down a decision by the Irish police not to investigate the legality of Airbnb operations in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, rejecting the argument that it did not have jurisdiction.
The ruling does not automatically trigger an investigation by police in Ireland, where Airbnb has its Europe and Middle East headquarters, but it obliges the Irish police to consider the matter afresh, the court heard.
The case was brought by Irish-Palestinian non-governmental organization Sadaka, which asked police to investigate whether Airbnb had broken Irish law by operating in the settlements. It argued that the police decision not to investigate due to jurisdiction issues was “legally erroneous and irrational.”
A lawyer representing the Irish police, Remy Farrell, conceded the case on Thursday and said the matter would be “considered afresh” by the respondents.
Airbnb did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
The company allows listings throughout the West Bank but takes no profits from this activity in the region, the company said in a 2019 statement, in which it said it had never boycotted Israel or Israeli businesses.
More than 150 businesses, including Airbnb and rivals Booking.com, Expedia and TripAdviser, are operating in Israeli West Bank settlements deemed illegal by the UN, a report by the organization’s human rights office showed in September.
Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law.
Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the area. It says the settlements provide strategic depth and security and that the West Bank is “disputed” not “occupied.”