Press Freedom Under Pressure: Egypt denied torture claims from lawyers defending six Matsda2sh journalists, as prosecutors charged them with terrorism links, “fake news,” and forced “confessions,” while rights groups called the crackdown an escalation against independent reporting. Media Regulation & Platform Accountability: Turkey’s journalists’ unions and European media groups urged X to stop blocking accounts without court orders, and the UK opened an Ofcom probe into whether Meta’s Instagram “Instants” disappearing-photos feature was properly risk-assessed under online safety rules. Big Media Deal With Editorial Fallout: Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery’s merger closed, creating Skydance, with states’ antitrust settlement, promised production investment, and concerns about editorial independence as CBS News and CNN come under shared leadership. Civic Space Watch: Serbia’s election-era media regulator credibility was questioned by OSCE after it declined to monitor TV Informer, while a US Gallup survey found perceived media freedom hit a historic low amid fragile trust. Local Media Rights: Derbyshire Live challenged a county council ban on a reporter, arguing the move was unjustified in an ongoing dispute. Journalism in Court: In India, the Supreme Court disposed of a long-pending legislative privilege vs free speech reference after the triggering assembly resolution was withdrawn. Media Education: A sports broadcasting course at Bryant University trained undergrads to craft on-air leads through debate and opinion-building.