Politics
Pentagon imposes new restrictions on media
- Reporters to get approval before releasing information.
- New guidelines restrict reporters’ movement within Pentagon.
- Reporters required to sign an affidavit promising to comply.
WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has unveiled new restrictions on media covering the US military, requiring them to pledge not to disclose anything not formally authorised for publication and limiting their movements within the Department of War.
The new guidelines, laid out in a lengthy memo distributed to reporters on Friday, require them to sign an affidavit promising to comply — or risk losing their media credentials.
The move is the latest by the administration of President Donald Trump to control media coverage of his policies, and after he suggested that negative stories could be “illegal.”
The Pentagon “remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust,” the memo says.
But it adds: “Information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authori[s]ing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified” — effectively barring material sourced to unnamed officials.
This new restriction would apply to both classified and “controlled unclassified information.”
The memo also details sweeping new restrictions on where Pentagon reporters can actually go without official escorts within the military’s vast headquarters just outside Washington.
“The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon – the people do,” Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X.
“The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility. Wear a badge and follow the rules — or go home.”
The new rules come months after Hegseth faced stark criticism for revealing timings of US air strikes on Yemen’s Houthis in a Signal group chat that inadvertently included a reporter.
Hegseth — a former Fox News co-host and Army National Guard veteran — was also reported to have shared those details in a separate Signal group chain that included his wife.
A spokesperson for The New York Times — a frequent target of Trump’s ire — called the new rules “yet another step in a concerning pattern of reducing access to what the US military is undertaking at taxpayer expense.”
National Press Club President Mike Balsamo hit out at the new rules and called on the Pentagon to quickly rescind them.
“If the news about our military must first be approved by the government, then the public is no longer getting independent reporting,” Balsamo said in a statement.
“It is getting only what officials want them to see. That should alarm every American.”
- Cyberattack disrupts flights at multiple European airports.
- Airports warn of delays, cancellations after cyberattack.
- Frankfurt and Zurich airports confirm no disruption.
BRUSSELS: A cyberattack at a service provider for check-in and boarding systems has disrupted operations at several major European airports, including London’s Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin, causing flight delays and cancellations on Saturday.
Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers, London’s Heathrow Airport said on Saturday, having warned of delays.
RTX, Collins Aerospace’s parent, was not immediately available for comment outside of US business hours.
The attack has rendered automated systems inoperable, allowing only manual check-in and boarding procedures, Brussels Airport said on its website.
“This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights…The service provider is actively working on the issue and trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.”
Passengers with a flight scheduled for Saturday were advised by the affected airports to confirm their travel with airlines before heading to the airport.
“Due to a technical issue at a system provider operating across Europe, there are longer waiting times at check-in. We are working on a quick solution,” Berlin Airport said in a banner on its website.
Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s largest, was not affected, a spokesperson said. An official from the operations control centre at Zurich Airport also said it had not been impacted.
A viral audio clip has triggered outrage in India after a woman identified as telecaller Anu Radha Verma was heard hurling curse words and derogatory language at a “debt-ridden” Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel during a dispute over loan repayment.
According to Indian media, Verma allegedly insulted the officer’s education and profession, telling him he was ‘ignorant” and would not have been “sent to the border if you were educated”.
She also accused him of “usurping others’ money”, adding: “That is why your children are born disabled.”
At one point, she dismissed his attempt to respond, saying: “What lesson will you teach me? My family is also linked to the army. You are living on debt and you will teach me?”
After the audio circulated widely on social media, speculation arose that Verma was connected to a bank.
The bank in question, however, issued a clarification, denying she was an employee, though many questioned how she might have obtained sensitive loan data if not linked to the institution.
Amid mounting criticism and a worsening public perception of the Indian armed forces, another audio clip of Verma, but this time offering an apology to the CRPF personnel, also surfaced online.
The woman was heard requesting to “stop harassing” her with audio or video calls and offensive messages to stop.
A viral audio clip has sparked outrage in India after a woman, identified as telecaller Anu Radha Verma, was heard using abusive and derogatory language against a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel during a dispute over loan repayment.
According to Indian media reports, Verma allegedly mocked the officer’s education and profession, telling him he was “ignorant” and would not have been “sent to the border if you were educated.”
She went further, accusing him of “usurping others’ money” and even remarking, “That is why your children are born disabled.”
At one stage, when the officer tried to respond, she cut him off, saying: “What lesson will you teach me? My family is also linked to the army. You are living on debt and you will teach me?”
As the audio spread widely across social media, speculation mounted that Verma was linked to a bank.
However, the bank named in online claims issued a clarification denying she was an employee though questions remain about how she obtained sensitive loan details if not through official channels.
Amid mounting criticism and a worsening public perception of the Indian armed forces, another audio clip of Verma, but this time offering an apology to the CRPF personnel, also surfaced online.
The woman was heard requesting to “stop harassing” her with audio or video calls and offensive messages to stop.
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