Countdown Begins for TRT World Forum 2025

10 October 2025

Countdown Begins for TRT World Forum 2025

Scheduled to take place in Istanbul from October 31 – November 1, the TRT World Forum 2025 will once again bring together leading global figures to discuss the most pressing issues shaping our world. This year’s Forum theme is “Global Reset: From the Old Order to New Realities.”

Since its inception in 2017, TRT World Forum has brought together tens of thousands of participants and distinguished speakers from around the world. The 9^th edition of the Forum will once again convene academics, journalists, policymakers, and representatives of civil society organisations to address the most pressing global challenges of our time.

Over the years, TRT World Forum has hosted many prominent figures, including Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine; Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, President of the Republic of Kosovo; Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania; Awn Al-Khasawneh, Former Prime Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; and Dalia Grybauskaitė, Former President of Lithuania.

Reflecting both global and regional priorities, this year’s Forum will feature key discussions on topics such as diplomacy, economics, artificial intelligence, and war reporting.

This year’s TRT World Forum will feature the following public sessions:

Building Strategic Autonomy: Türkiye and the Global Defence Paradigm
Journalism on the Frontlines: From Battlefield Risks to Algorithmic Suppression
The Return of High-Stakes Diplomacy: Middle Powers and the Emerging Multipolar Order
Economic Frontlines: Trade Conflicts and the New Global Rivalries
International Law in Retreat in Palestine? Turning Crisis into Reform
Beyond Techno-Feudalism: Democratising AI Innovation, Governance, and Access
Syria’s New Dawn: Charting a Course for Reconstruction and Stability

In addition to these sessions, expert speakers will provide insights on a broad range of topics, including conflicts in East Africa, cultural diplomacy in Central Asia, Europe’s evolving security architecture, and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

H.E. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is scheduled to open this year’s Forum with a keynote speech addressing current developments in Türkiye and global affairs.

For more information, please visit https://www.trtworldforum.com

ABC and the Broadcasting Corporation of Niue join forces on Alofi building upgrade

26 September 2025

ABC and the Broadcasting Corporation of Niue join forces on Alofi building upgrade

The Prime Minister of Niue Hon. Dalton Tagelagi has officially reopened the Broadcasting Corporation of Niue’s (BCN) Alofi headquarters after a major refurbishment undertaken in partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Over 18 months, ABC International Development (ABCID) has worked with BCN, the Australian and Niue Governments and contractors from Niue, New Zealand and Australia to deliver the $2 million project, funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

ABCID Manager Jo Elsom said the project ensures BCN’s ongoing capacity to provide critical information to the people of Niue and demonstrates the value of the long-standing collaboration between Niue, Australia and their national broadcasters.

According to Elsom, “As the national and emergency broadcaster, BCN plays a critical role in Niue. We are pleased to have worked to restore BCN’s operations, ensuring its delivery of media services to the community. The refurbishment not only rebuilds vital infrastructure but also supports quality, independent broadcasting in Niue and the region.”

BCN General Manager Trevor Tiakia said the completion of the refurbishment gives the Corporation a renewed focus.

“The building is the pride and joy of the community, a source of entertainment and reliable information. It has created a more conducive working environment for our staff and has significantly enhanced the quality of service we are able to deliver to the community.”

To represent the friendship between Niue and Australia, ABC and BCN commissioned a large mural covering one side of the new building, designed and painted in collaboration between Niuean artist Jica Vakaafi and Torres Strait Islander artist Tori-Jay Mordey.

RFE/RL President: Defunding Would be “Massive Gift to America’s Enemies”

16 March 2025

RFE/RL President: Defunding Would be “Massive Gift to America’s Enemies”

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) was informed today (15 March) by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) that its federal grant agreement, which funds RFE/RL’s global operations, has been terminated.

RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said: “The cancellation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s grant agreement would be a massive gift to America’s enemies. The Iranian Ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the demise of RFE/RL after 75 years. Handing our adversaries a win would make them stronger and America weaker.

We’ve benefitted from strong bipartisan support throughout RFE/RL’s storied history. Without us, the nearly 50 million people in closed societies who depend on us for accurate news and information each week won’t have access to the truth about America and the world.”

Rti gains RSF certification

24 February 2025

Rti gains RSF certification

Radio Taiwan International (Rti) has officially received the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification from Reporters Without Borders (RSF). This achievement marks not only the first time a Taiwanese media organisation has earned the certification but also the first for a news outlet serving Chinese-speaking audiences.

To obtain a JTI certification, media outlets must first complete a comprehensive self-assessment covering 18 categories and 130 standards—including disclosure of ownership types, funding sources, editorial policies, accountability systems, fact-checking procedures, and staff training. After publishing a transparency report detailing this self-assessment, they must then undergo an independent third-party audit before being officially certified.

Over 2,000 media organisations in 110 countries have adopted the JTI certification process, with 100 already certified by external agencies such as Deloitte or Bureau Veritas.

Director of the Journalism Trust Initiative, Benjamin Sabbah, noted that JTI serves as a best practice framework for news organisations globally and expressed hope that more publishers will follow Rti’s lead.

Rti Chairperson Cheryl Lai (pictured) emphasised that the certification not only positions the organisation as an international media partner—standing alongside global news agencies and showcasing the strength of Taiwanese journalism—but also signifies Rti’s support for international non-governmental organisations like RSF, thereby helping to deliver important information to audiences around the world.

Radio Liberty journalist released from Belarus detention

13 February 2025

Radio Liberty journalist released from Belarus detention

Trump Administration Secures Release of Radio Liberty Journalist Andrey Kuznechyk from Detention in Belarus

RFE/RL welcomes news of Andrey’s release and is grateful to the American and Lithuanian governments for their support.

After more than three years of imprisonment in Belarus, Radio Liberty journalist Andrey Kuznechyk (pictured) has been freed.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President Stephen Capus said: “This is a joyous day for Andrey, his wife, and their two young children. After more than three years apart, this family is together again thanks to President Trump. We are also grateful to Secretary Rubio and his team, and to the Lithuanian government for their support.

We remain hopeful that our journalist Ihar Losik will also be released and look to the Trump administration for its continued leadership and guidance.”

Andrey Kuznechyk is a veteran journalist with Radio Liberty, known in Belarus as Radio Svaboda.

Image: RFE/RL

ABC Radio Australia on-air in Kiribati

10 February 2025

ABC Radio Australia on-air in Kiribati

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s international radio service, ABC Radio Australia is now available on 92.3FM for residents across the Tarawa atoll in the central Pacific island nation.

The launch in Tarawa, Kiribati marks the return of the service after a decade off air and is the latest milestone for ABC Radio Australia in reaching new audiences across the Pacific. The full radio service offers listeners an extensive schedule of bespoke programming covering the latest in news, music, sports, culture, health, science and faith.

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “We are delighted to be starting the year with the launch of our tenth new ABC Radio Australia service in collaboration with BPA. This latest development signifies not only the network’s incredible growth in both its transmission expansion across the Pacific region but is also reflected in the growing suite of Pacific-focused content that is now accessible to audiences across Tarawa.”

ABC Radio Australia’s FM transmission service is available across Nauru, Palau, Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia), Kokopo and Lorengau (Papua New Guinea), Gizo and Auki (Solomon Islands), Rarotonga (the Cook Islands), with plans for FM services to be made available in 2025 in the Marshall Islands and Buka in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.

WAYS TO LISTEN:

If you’re in Tarawa, Kiribati, tune into to ABC Radio Australia on 92.3FM.

Across the Pacific region, there are multiple ways to listen to ABC Radio Australia – live via internet streaming or in your area through 24-hour FM stations, or catch up with full episodes on ABC Pacific online.