Poland’s president signs media law despite EU concerns
Poland’s president signed a new law giving the government control of state radio and television, an official announced Thursday, despite concerns from the European Union about media independence in the country. Andrzej Duda signed the legislation because he wants state media to be “impartial, objective and reliable,” his aide Malgorzata Sadurska said. She added that the president doesn’t believe the broadcasters guarantee objective information in their current form. ASSOCIATED PRESS

Indonesian rights activist banned from entering Malaysia
Indonesian human rights activist Mugiyanto Sipin was detained by Malaysian immigration officials at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at noon on Thursday and was immediately deported back to Indonesia, a representative has confirmed. Mugiyanto made a statement on his Facebook account that read, “Three police officers who interrogated me said that they were ordered by political authorities to ban me from entering Malaysia. They said that my presence at the Yellow Mania Forum discussion was considered political interference by a foreigner.” THE JAKARTA POST

Vatican newspaper: Charlie Hebdo anniversary cover is blasphemous
One day ahead of the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the publication’s headquarters in Paris that killed 12 people, Charlie Hebdo released 1 million copies of a special edition. The front cover features a bearded man, apparently representative of God, splattered in blood and carrying an assault rifle over his shoulder. The headline translates as: “One year after: The assassin is still out there.” In its commentary this week, L’Osservatore Romano, the newspaper of the Vatican state, said it’s not impressed. CNN

New Zealand police raid on journalist’s home declared unlawful
The New Zealand High Court has ruled that the NZ police broke the law in 2014 when they raided the home of Nicky Hager, an investigative journalist whose work was sharply critical of the NZ government, and who was working on Snowden-related disclosures. Hager’s defense was funded by donations raised by the Freedom of the Press Foundation. The court called the police’s “good enough” warrant “fundamentally unlawful,” and declared the raid to be illegal. BOING BOING

Television journalist attacked in Nepal
An unidentified group has attacked the regional chief of Avenues Television, Nepalgunj on Wednesday night. The group hurled a bottle at Krishna Khanal from a house while he was returning home from work. The journalist has received deep injuries in the incident. Police have arrested two persons and started an investigation into the case. THE KATHMANDU POST

Hondurans show support for local journalist as his sentence is delayed
David Romero Ellner, a journalist recently found guilty of libel and defamation after he broke one of the country’s biggest corruption scandals, arrived at a high court Wednesday for a hearing to determine his sentencing. However, the court decided to delay sentencing until Feb. 9 and Romero was released, after which time he walked through the streets amid a cheering crowd. The journalist’s supporters contend he is a victim of “political persecution.” TELESUR

Zimbabwe plans open access policy, part of efforts across Africa
Zimbabwe has kicked off a new project to support adoption of research data management and sharing services among government, universities, and research institutions as part of its plans to pave the way for a nationwide open access mandate. Meanwhile, similar efforts are sweeping across Africa. The project, started in November, is funded by Electronic Information for Libraries, which works with libraries worldwide to enable access to digital information for people in developing countries. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WATCH

Today in France, front pages look back on Charlie Hebdo
On Thursday, many front pages in France led with remembrances on the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical newspaper, which left 12 dead. Here are some of the front pages that led with Charlie Hebdo, via Kiosko. POYNTER