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Journalist Probir sent to jail
A Faridpur court today sent journalist Probir Sikdar to jail in connection with a case filed against him under the Information and Communication Technology Act. THE DAILY STAR

Backdrop of Bangkok bombing: A country sliding into dictatorship
Since the military toppled a democratically elected government on May 22, 2014, ending months of street protests, experts say that Thailand — once widely considered a beacon of liberal democracy in Southeast Asia — has been sliding toward dictatorship, replete with tightened restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and the press. LOS ANGELES TIMES

Beyond the censors’ reach: Indie Chinese films come to NYC
“Cinema on the Edge: The Best of the Beijing Independent Film Festival 2012-2014,” which runs through Sept. 13 at venues throughout the city, showcases many of the finest, and most controversial, films screened and not screened in Beijing’s festival, an event that made its debut in 2004 and faced increased scrutiny by Chinese censors before finally being shut down last year. WALL STREET JOURNAL

Editorial: India’s government censorship
Since his election in May 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has trumpeted India’s open society and vibrant democracy when he speaks to foreign heads of state and business leaders. But, at home, his government is seeking to restrict freedom of expression, including recent attempts to limit access to the Internet and the freedom of Indian television networks to report the news. THE NEW YORK TIMES

Spain news site sends defiant signal over press freedom fears
Despite having little more than a name and a beta website, El Español has already signed up almost 9,000 subscribers – a rare feat in a country where users expect online news to be free. The founders of El Español, which has hired some of Spain’s best known investigative reporters from rival outlets, aim to send a signal of journalistic defiance at a time when much of the Spanish press remains mired in crisis. FINANCIAL TIMES

‘Caught in the middle’: Journalists seeking asylum often stuck in limbo
Forced exile is “as violent an aggression against press freedom as imprisoning journalists,” said María Salazar-Ferro, coordinator of CPJ’s Journalist Assistance Program. “It’s a very easy, very underreported way of silencing critical voices,” she said. “You send someone somewhere else where, yes, they’re able to survive, but they’re not able to continue working, and they’re most certainly not able to continue being critical.” COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW