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Chinese minister vents anger when Canadian reporter asks about human rights
China’s foreign minister berated a journalist during a visit to Canada on Wednesday for asking an “irresponsible” question about China’s human rights record. Wang Yi was in Ottawa to meet prime minister Justin Trudeau and Stéphane Dion, the minister of foreign affairs. THE GUARDIAN

Why Telegram’s security flaws may put Iran’s journalists at risk
The mobile messaging app Telegram is popular in Iran, where citizens who have limited access to uncensored news and mainstream social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, use it to share and access information. But the app’s estimated 20 million users in Iran, including those who use Telegram to report and communicate with sources, could be putting themselves at severe risk of data compromise, security experts warn. CPJ

In Egypt’s broad crackdown, prominent journalists are now facing trial
Khaled el-Balshy, the head of the Press Syndicate journalists’ union, Yehia Qalash, and another board member, Gamal Abdel Raheem, are facing trial on Saturday and the prospect of going to prison, as President Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi continues a broad crackdown on critics. NPR

State Department deliberately cut embarrassing questions from press video
The State Department acknowledged Wednesday that someone in its public affairs bureau made a “deliberate” request that several minutes of tape be cut from the video of a 2013 press briefing in which a reporter asked if the administration had lied about secret talks with Iran. THE WASHINGTON POST

Journalist gagged by security apparatus in Sudan
On Monday, Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) officially banned journalist Mujahid Abdallah from exercising his profession in any way. Abdallah, political programmes and news director of Omdurman news channel, has been unofficially suspended since March 15. ALL AFRICA

Free speech under attack
Watchdogs report that speaking out is becoming more dangerous—and they are right. According to a new report by The Economist, curbs on free speech have grown tighter. Without the contest of ideas, the world is timid and ignorant. THE ECONOMIST