Philippine Court of Appeals restores Rappler's business license, overturning a 2018 ruling against the news outlet.

The Philippine Court of Appeals has restored the business license of independent news website Rappler, overturning a 2018 ruling against the news outlet and granting a rare victory for free press in Southeast Asia. The decision reverses a ruling against Rappler, which was one of a dozen criminal and civil complaints filed by the government of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Rappler's license was revoked in 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Commission, citing an investment by Omidyar Network as a violation of foreign ownership rules in the Philippines. Rappler, which had investigated Duterte's brutal drug war, had been accused of tax evasion, violation of foreign ownership rules, and cyber libel. Co-founder Maria Ressa, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has described the cases against her and Rappler as "harassment and intimidation."