Akhbar: read the news, then talk it through

• Anthropic has reported an AI-linked influence operation that Congolese journalists had missed: around 70 AI-generated media sites published at least 318 articles on the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, covering relations with Rwanda and disputed mineral resources. 2
• Armenian civil society groups are teaching media literacy as disinformation and propaganda campaigns grow more sophisticated with generative AI, in a country moving away from its long reliance on Russia. 3
• Egypt has convicted the editor-in-chief of the independent outlet Mada Masr, Lina Attalah, and ordered the site closed, weeks after the platform Mtsdsh was reportedly shut down entirely. 6
• Macau recorded its first conviction under its national security law on 6 November 2026, when former lawmaker Au Kam San, 69, was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison; observers describe the closed-door trial as unfair and a sham. 11
• Gabon has restored social media access after more than eight months without it, though the restoration has come at a cost, according to reporting. 7
• Journalism in Gaza has faced the deadliest conflict for reporters recorded so far, as Israel's ongoing attack has made it the most lethal war for journalists. 10
• In Haiti's Kenscoff district, a community that once lived peacefully has been terrorised by armed gangs after two deadly attacks this year, with residents held to ransom. 13
• Stories also examine how authoritarian states build international markets for digital surveillance, and how commercial data collection is expanding quietly in Nigeria. 1214

Written by AI from the stories it cites; it can be wrong. Ask the desk a question