Today is the International Day of Education. Yet books are being banned on a large scale around the world, including in the so‑called free West.

Will Danmark be next?

Ik fietste afgelopen zomer naar de Russische grens en maakte een reportage voor Liberales. Onderweg hield ik halt bij het concentratiekamp Buchenwald. Lees de hele reeks op Liberales.be.

Today, several Brussels-based journalist organisations protested against the killing of journalists in Gaza. Among the crowd, I saw one of the most powerful messages. @vvjournalisten.bsky.social, @ifjglobal.bsky.social

For a documentary, I’m cycling from Schengen to the Russian border near Kaliningrad. I’ll cross old borders of East Germany. My journey ends at the Russian border, where democracy ends. In Schengen, I met a group of teenagers from Bucha where, in 2022, people were brutally massacred.

Well, that's one way to prove yourself right about climate change denial. Fire everyone who researches the weather.

Not sure if this is genuine, but it's smart to get the press on the Vatican's side.

The battle for minds is intensifying.

The US embassy has sent questionnaires to Belgian universities about their diversity policies. Let's be clear about that. It's not the US government's business. #harvard #columbia #ugent #kuleuven #uantwerpen

The conclave, a slippery slope to choose a leader for what Marx called people's dope. More media attention for profane news is what I really hope. #pope #conclave #rome

A Turkish court has sentenced Swedish journalist Joakim Medin to a suspended prison sentence for “insulting the President”, his Turkish legal team said. Medin remains in custody due to terrorism-related charges which rights groups have criticized.

After silencing Voice of America and denying Associated Press access to the White House, the administration has now launched its own website with favorable coverage of the president. Why are those who accuse the independent press of lacking independence so eager to establish a partisan press?

On April 30, Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, has a trial for the crime of "insulting Erdogan" by covering last month's protests in Turkey against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. #3E #EndOligarchy www.politico.eu/article/swed...

''Thousands, including descendants of Holocaust survivors, stood holding photos of Palestinian children who had been killed since the war began. Dozens more lined the roads of the city dressed in black, holding out empty pots to symbolise the starvation of those in Gaza.''

In Belgium, there are quite a few Filipino bus and truck drivers. Now that the minister for work is trimming down the number of work permits for non-EU drivers, they fear for their jobs. "We pay taxes in Belgium", they argue. Read my latest for De Standaard.

One new model, and everyone will have forgotten. #tesla #doge #elonmusk

''His wife gave birth to their first child on Monday. His application for a temporary release was declined.'' This man is in jail for expressing his opinion as a foreigner in the US. Free speech is worth nothing in the land of far-right.

Harvard, solid rock.

Släpp Joakim/free Joakim. Dagens ETC journalist Joakim Medin is being detained in Turkey for three weeks now. All he did was report on the protests against the imprisonment of an opposition member. #joakimmedin

Sinds kort werk ik onafhankelijk en maak ik nieuws voor verschillende kranten. Mensenhandel en sociale fraude blijven voor mij belangrijke thema's die moeten gebracht worden. Bedankt De Standaard om hier aandacht aan te schenken.

Constitutions are supposed to protect fundamental rights. In Hungary, the new constitution now restricts them.

"Swedish journalist #JoakimMedin has now been in a Turkish prison for 17 days. He states that the pen is mightier than the sword, and he is right. Help the man out of prison by sharing this story. Medin was reporting on the protests in Turkey, sparked by the imprisonment of an opposition member.

Earlier this week, an army unit voiced its opposition to Netanyahu's far-right war. Yesterday, over 100 Dutch Jews echoed this sentiment in an open letter. Will Netanyahu's supporters label them antisemitic now as well?

Honderden Joden, onder wie Job Cohen en Chaja Polak, in Nederland ondertekenen petitie tegen Gaza-oorlog https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/04/12/honderden-joden-onder-wie-job-cohen-en-chaja-polak-in-nederland-ondertekenen-petitie-tegen-gaza-oorlog-a4889734

"Well, this is shocking. Fake, non-existent experts have been quoted by media outlets, including The Guardian. So-called experts responded to journalists' inquiries on expert platforms through messages. My advice to journalists is to rely on their own networks when seeking expert opinions.

For all those who have opposed free trade for decades. Your dreams have come true. Free trade is dead.

I don't want to get you in trouble. If you want to tell me something, do it professionally 😉.

Je kan hiervoor niet blijven wegkijken.

So, the good news is that consumer goods prices in Europe could drop. The bad news is that uncertainty could lead to a less attractive investment climate. But let's be honest... Europe has a more favourable investment climate than the US these days.

I will keep reposting this weekly until this man is free. Joakim Medin is a Swedish journalist who was imprisoned for reporting on the Turkish protests last week. The worst thing that could happen to him is to be forgotten. #joakimmedin

I am very happy to be living in Belgium, where I have the right to decide on assisted death in case of unbearable suffering. A society that allows individuals to make this decision for themselves is more humane than one that forces people to endure suffering for any reason.

Hey kijk, de nuttige idioten zijn terug. Weet je nog? Hoe Sartre in volle koude oorlog de Sovjet-Unie bezocht en achteraf verklaarde hoe goed het er allemaal was? Dit is niet echt anders.

Well that's good news. Apparently money doesn't buy you everything.

🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

Well, mister Zelensky, that's what they meant when they asked ''Why aren't you wearing a suit?''

What shocks me is that normal people, like you and I, are carrying out this criminal policy. In the end society will have committed crimes against humanity, but no one will feel responsible. Where did we hear that before? Come on Americans, make a difference. Resist.

No, this is NOT as disastrous day for democracy. Le Pen losing her political rights is a direct consequence of abusing democracy.

''Haar kiezers zullen zeggen dat het een politieke uitspraak is''. Maar dat is het natuurlijk niet. Le Pen heeft gefraudeerd met Europees belastinggeld. Het enige wat daar politiek aan is, is dat ze haar macht heeft misbruikt.

De essentie is niet dat de rechter op de stoel van de kiezer gaat zitten, maar dat Le Pen miljoenen aan overheidsgeld misbruikt heeft, en daarom ongeschikt is voor een publiek ambt. Ze leidt de aandacht daar van af. nos.nl/l/2561774

Beautiful work by Yinka Shonibare. RR DACS/Artimage.

The world needs more beauty, art, architecture and mental balance. Just look at the Brazilian supreme court, breathe and forget the endless background noise of humanity for a few minutes. It's Sunday. ☺️ #oscarniemeyer

Since 2024, more than 516 journalists were imprisoned worldwide, according to the International Federation of Journalists—not for spreading fake news, but for reporting on the wrong person or institution. Joakim Medin is now one of them. #freepress

Picture of the week 🙂

Looks like a job offer for a new communications manager to me.

Yesterday in the news: Eternit denied the dangers of asbestos for decades, even though it was aware of the devastating effects on people's health. Nevertheless, they continued promoting the product.* Today's news: Roundup has not been proven to be safe but remains enormously popular among farmers

Dear American citizens, whatever you wish more German citizens would have done in 1933, do that now.

😄🤣😄

It's actually quite funny these dumbasses are using Signal. 😄

Mensen zijn vriendelijker dan je denkt. Een positieve boodschap op BlueSky mag ook wel eens gedeeld worden. Hoewel vaak heel terecht, regeert hier toch vooral verontwaardiging en angst. Laat ons elkaar niet voortdurend in een negatieve bubbel duwen. Het leven is kort.

This is where the US deportees - the disappeared - are going. With no due process & no evidence of law breaking. It’s El Salvador’s secretive Center for Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT). Cells are 10m x 10m & hold over 100 prisoners each. Each cell only has 2 sinks & 2 toilets. (📸 Reuters via BBC)