Russia's lower house of parliament approved the third reading of a draft law that aims to increase Moscow's sovereignty over its internet segment and defend against foreign meddling. The law will come into force on 1 November 2019. Some parts of the legislation: on cryptographic protection of the information and national system of domains — will come into force on 1 January 2022.
Source: meduza.io

UK universities have spent nearly £90m on payoffs to staff that come with “gagging orders” in two years, raising fears that victims of misconduct at higher education institutions are being silenced.
Source: theguardian.com

Press freedom in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Malta ranks among the worst in the world, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a Paris-based NGO. From journalists' murders to media take-overs by oligarchs close to state powers, the three EU states were portrayed as an embarrassment for the European Union.
Source: euobserver.com

The German Cabinet passed draft legislation aimed at speeding up the deportation of unsuccessful asylum seekers, but critics warn it would break EU law. The proposed law could see the asylum seekers that did not succeed detained in prison.
Source: politico.eu

The EU passed a law to strengthen protections for whistleblowers who report violations of EU law and increase whistleblower reporting to aid law enforcement.
Source: jurist.org