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Reports that a court in Indonesia sentenced Bambang Harimurti, editor of the news magazine "Tempo," to one year in prison in a libel case that critics said was a setback for press freedom in the country. Acquittal of two of Harimurti's colleagues on the same charges; Details of the article from which the libel case stemmed.

Reports that more confidential material from the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case, including the last name of the woman who had accused Bryant of rape, was accidentally released to the public by the court on July 28, 2004, through the Colorado State Judicial Branch Web site. Third instance of supposedly secret sealed papers slipping through the safeguards; Deep tension that has emerged within the case about the flow of information; Delicate balance that the court has tried to strike between the rights to privacy and the rights of a free press.

The article reflects on the unidentified criminal charge filed against WikiLeaks leader Julian Assange by U.S. federal prosecutors citing the implications of charges and risks to press freedom, the basis of the prosecution, and the charges for alleged criminal conspiracy against him.

The article profiles Jimmy Lai, a media executive in Hong Kong, China who is part of pro-democracy movement Occupy Central, also known as the Umbrella Movement, and focuses on a court case against him. Topics discussed include his involvement in demonstrations held in Hong Kong in September 2014, issues related to freedom of the press in China, and Lai's company Next Media Ltd.

The article reports on the pending legal confrontation as of June 2014 between the U.S. Justice Department and the journalist James Risen over the disclosure of military intelligence in his book "State of War." Details are given outlining the federal case against Risen for not revealing his source, an alleged government leak; the dilemma faced by the Justice Department in prosecuting journalists to pursue government secrecy controls; and larger trends in government leaks in recent years.

The article discusses an Egyptian court's conviction of journalists Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste, and Baher Mohamed on charges of conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood political movement to produce false reports about the Egyptian government. Topics addressed include the U.S. government's condemnation of the ruling as an attack on journalistic freedom and political dissent, as well as concerns about a lack of evidence at the trials.

The author discusses concerns regarding freedom of the press as of December 8, 2013, highlighting a British parliamentary hearing on leaks on government surveillance policies by former U.S. National Security Agency (N.S.A.) contractor Edward J. Snowden that were published in the newspaper "The Guardian." Topics addressed include the questioning of Alan Rusbridger, editor of "The Guardian," as well as the role of journalism in democracy

The article discusses the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals' 2013 decision regarding whether journalist James Risen can be forced to testify against former U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee Jeffrey Sterling, who allegedly leaked information used by Risen in his book "State of War." Federal investigation of government information leaks, judges' attitudes toward the First Amendment of the Constitution, and the legal status of reporters' sources are discussed.

The article reports on the concerns of notable people in the U.S. about press freedom in the lawsuit of entrepreneur against media Gawker Media, which include University of Minnesota media ethics professor Jane E. Kirtley, Mother Jones editor Clara Jeffery, and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen.

Focuses on Chinese journalist Zhao Yan, who has been accused of leaking state secrets to his employer, "The New York Times." How the accusation, which Zhao and "The Times" deny, deprives a defendant in China of almost all rights; Background on Zhao, who was the focus of a high-level investigation in response to an article in "The Times"; Attempt by China's authoritarian leaders to use the loosely defined state secrets law to single out political enemies and prevent journalists from investigating the inner workings of the Communist Party; Evidence against Zhao; Zhao's role writing about the plight of farmers and exposing government corruption; Outlook for Zhao, who has been in jail for nearly a year.

Reports that Judith Miller, an investigative reporter for "The New York Times," was sent to jail after a U.S. federal judge declared that she was defying the law by refusing to divulge the name of a confidential source. How a last-minute deal between Matthew Cooper of "Time" magazine and a confidential source spared Cooper jail time; Miller's comments to Judge Thomas F. Hogan; Issue of a free press; Hogan's role in holding the two reporters in civil contempt for refusing to cooperate with a federal prosecutor's investigation into the disclosure of the identity of a covert operative of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Indication by Hogan that he would lift the contempt sanction against Cooper after he testified before a grand jury; How Miller joins a line of journalists who have accepted jail time rather than betray their sources' confidences; Views of Bill Keller, executive editor of "The Times"; Cooper's decision to drop his refusal to testify; Observation that Miller conducted interviews but never wrote an article about the CIA operative Valerie Plame; Statement from Arthur Sulzberger Jr., Publisher of "The Times." INSET: Journalists Who Served Time.

PARIS -- A widening phone-hacking scandal is prompting a broad reassessment of the balance between press freedom and privacy in Britain, even as France grapples with the consequences of its tradition of protecting the powerful. If Dominique Strauss-Kahn walks free now that the sexual assault case against him in New York seems to be weakening, will the French public have a right, or, indeed, an appetite to know more than what emerged in American courts? And if less-exalted people in Britain feel that their secrets should be protected too, how should they shield themselves from unscrupulous journalists hacking into their most intimate voice mails? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled wisely to protect freedom of the press and the public's access to public information. The ruling, in a case against the North Jersey Media Group, publisher of Hackensack's daily newspaper, The Record, overruled an alarming 2008 decision by a state appellate court. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article reports that the British High Court has lifted restrictions on the BBC from publicizing developments of a sandal over allegations of political parties trading honors for donations. The tussle started when the High Court barred BBC earlier from showing a news report on the scandal, which has political implications for Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is at the last lap of his tenure. However, Blair's spokesman denied any role of the Prime Minister in the scandal.

The article reports that federal judge Claude M. Hilton has explained why he dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by a scientist against the newspaper "The New York Times." The lawsuit was filed by Steven Hatfill, a specialist in biological weapons. According to Hilton, Hatfill failed to show that the newspaper had intentionally published false information.

Focuses on the impact of the imprisonment of "New York Times" journalist Judith Miller on the treatment of foreign countries of their journalists.

Reports on the argument of federal prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald for the government to be allowed to examine telephone records of two reporters of The New York Times to identify their sources for several articles about Islamic charities in the U.S. Defense of the reporters' lawyer on the of argument of Fitzgerald; Lawsuit filed against the government asking the court to stop Fitzgerald from seeking the records by the newspaper; Disputation of the reporters on the assertion that they had tipped off the charities to the raids.

Reports on the agreement between the U.S. and Canada for the plan to clean up the Great Lakes and the major waterways that feed them. Plan of the Bush administration to broaden the continuing restoration efforts in the lakes; Commitment of both countries in protecting and improving the lakes; Appreciation of the environmental groups of the agreement.

Reports that the judge presiding over the retrial of Frank P. Quattrone, former investment banker at Credit Suisse First Boston, ordered the news media not to report names of jurors or potential jurors, apparently in response to the outcome of the trial of two former Tyco executives. Issue of whether the move is constitutional; Background on the mistrial of two former Tyco International executives; Views of lawyers; Comments of John W. Keker, Quattrone's lawyer, and the judge, Richard Owen of Federal District Court in Manhattan; Jury selection; Outlook.

Discusses the debate over whether the New York Post and the WSJ.com broke a journalistic tradition by naming the juror in the Tyco trial who appeared to give an approving hand signal to the defense during trial. How the judge may declare a mistrial because the juror's anonymity was compromised; Lack of laws and regulations that prohibit the disclosure of a juror's name; Problems associated with the access of the news media to juries; Argument from defense lawyers that former Tyco employees L. Dennis Kozlowski and Mark H. Swartz were not guilty of criminal intent in their financial dealings at Tyco.

Reports that the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and other legal organizations has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to open to the public the case involving the detention of Mohamed Kamel Bellahouel, an Algerian-born resident of South Florida. Case background; Efforts of the U.S. government to keep the case secret; Highlights of the request of the media organizations to intervene in the case.

Reports that on March 9, 1998, Acting Justice Anne G. Feldman of State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, New York, ruled against a request by lawyers for Darrel K. Harris to exclude the press during the questioning of prospective jurors. What Harris was charged with; Comments from Justice Feldman; Reason for Feldman's ruling.