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POLITICO •

Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid flotilla carrying Greta Thunberg and MEPs

News of the Israeli enforcement of the blockade immediately triggered demonstrations by pro-Palestine groups in major cities, stations and ports around Europe, particularly in Italy where the flotilla has become a political headache for Giorgia Meloni’s government. In Rome, activists gathered outside Termini station, while at Naples central station the tracks were blocked by protesters for an hour. The main trade unions have called a general strike for Friday, Oct. 3. The USB union accused...
POLITICO •

Shooting down Russian jets ‘on the table,’ von der Leyen says

On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft in their airspace. Shortly afterwards, Polish Foreign Affairs Minister Radosław Sikorski responded to a clip of Trump’s answer to a reporter’s question on the matter by saying “Roger that.” Speaking on British radio station LBC on Wednesday, Sikorski elaborated: “The army has a duty to protect its territory, also in the air, and we will do...
POLITICO •

Poland to Russia: ‘You have been warned’ so don’t ‘whine’ if your jets are shot down in NATO airspace

The incursion into Estonia came after Russia sent drones into both Poland and Romania earlier this month, putting NATO on high alert across Europe. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Monday that Warsaw will shoot down enemy aircraft that enter Polish airspace. “I want to be very clear. We will make a decision to shoot down flying objects without discussion when they violate our territory and fly over Poland. There is no room for debate here,” Tusk told a press conference. Not to be...
POLITICO •

Polish authorities thwart drone over government buildings in Warsaw

At least 19 drones entered Polish airspace that night, leading Poland to invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which states that NATO allies will consult with one another when the territorial integrity of the alliance is threatened. On Sept. 12, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced the launch of the “Eastern Sentry” mission to bolster defenses on the alliance’s eastern flank in response to the Russian drone incursion. “While this was the largest concentration of violations of NATO ai...
POLITICO •

Luxembourg to recognize state of Palestine

European leaders have increasingly been calling for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza. Luxembourg intends to recognize the state of Palestine, Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel told a parliamentary commission on Monday. According to local media, the final decision on the recognition is expected to be taken later this month at the U.N. General Assembly in New York in coordination with several other countries, including France and Belgium. The announcement comes af...
POLITICO •

Germany’s AfD sparks firestorm by distributing fake deportation tickets to migrants

“If it’s to be called remigration, then it’s just called remigration,” Weidel declared to applause​, employing a euphemism for mass deportations once used only by the party’s most radical fringe. “Only remigration can still save Germany,” read the fake plane tickets, according to an image the AfD chapter shared online. Police are investigating the incident as a possible case of incitement to hatred, according to public broadcaster SWR. The outlet also reported that fake tickets were distri...
POLITICO •

Erdoğan says Turkey ready to intervene if Syria splits

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Monday that Turkey is ready to step in if Syria breaks up following a rebel overthrow of the regime of President Bashar Assad last month. “We will not consent to the disintegration of Syria or the disruption of its unitary structure under any guise. If we see a risk in this regard, we will take the necessary steps swiftly,” Erdoğan said at a press conference. Turkey supports the rebel group that currently leads Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, putti...
POLITICO •

Germany and France agree to work with Syrian rebels on ‘basis of fundamental human rights’

Western capitals are debating how to engage with the Syrian rebels, who are led by a group that is a designated terrorist organization. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to work with the Syrian opposition groups that took power in Damascus “on the basis of fundamental human rights and the protection of ethnic and religious minorities,” Berlin said in a statement Monday. The decision came during a phone call the French and German leaders held Mond...
POLITICO •

UK reports 2 additional cases of deadly new mpox variant

The new infections were detected among the household contacts of the country’s first confirmed case. Two additional cases of the new variant of mpox, an infectious viral disease that can cause high fever, a painful rash and death, were reported Monday by the U.K. Health Security Agency, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the country to three. The new infections were detected among the household contacts of the country’s first confirmed case, which was reported in London on Oct. 30. T...
POLITICO •

Yahya Sinwar death: European leaders react

Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people in cross-border raids on Oct. 7, 2023, and took around 250 hostages back to Gaza. The unprecedented attack prompted Israel to launch an offensive that has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry. Both von der Leyen and Michel also called on Thursday for a cease-fire in Gaza, where the U.N. estimates nearly 2 million people are experiencing “extremely critical” levels of hunger as a result of Israel’s...
POLITICO •

‘No engagement at all’ on Gaza cease-fire talks for weeks, Qatar’s PM says

Doha has long held a close relationship with Hamas and is widely seen as a key figure in the mediations. Israel and Hamas have not engaged in talks over a cease-fire in Gaza for around a month, Qatar's prime minister indicated Wednesday after the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Brussels. "In the last three to four weeks, there is no conversation or engagement at all, and we are just moving in the same circle with the silence from all parties," Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani...
Center for International Media Assistance •

‘My Job is for Humanity’: Afghan Journalists Keep the News Flowing

For years, independent Afghan newspaper Etilaatroz has published hard-hitting investigations into corruption, discrimination, and nepotism. In 2017, the Afghan parliament stopped the sale of government land due to an investigation by the paper, which showed that then-President Ashraf Ghani sold the land to an election supporter at a deeply discounted rate. Later that same year, the newspaper published a leaked document showing that Afghan government officials had encouraged promotion of Pashtun
Center for International Media Assistance •

Fighting Fake News: How Mis- and Disinformation Legislation is Weaponized Against Journalists

In the aftermath of Russia’s deadly attack in Mariupol, Ukraine, that left nearly 600 civilians dead, journalist Maria Ponomarenko found herself ensnared in a legal battle for posting online that Russia was responsible, which the Russian defense ministry denied. In February 2023, she was sentenced to six years in prison for spreading “false” information about the Russian military. Her case is emblematic of a growing global trend as countries around the world try to protect their news ecosystems
Center for International Media Assistance •

Year in Review: Top 5 CIMA Publications of 2022

In 2022, independent media around the world faced some of the greatest threats seen in recent years. Global crises—including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, extreme violence in Mexico, and instability in Haiti—have contributed to a more hostile environment for independent reporting, including a reversal of the years-long global decline in journalist killings. Despite this troubling turn, independent media continue to relentlessly persevere in the face of increasingly hostile environments. As th
Center for International Media Assistance •

‘Alternative Means’: How Civil Society in Southern Africa Can Combat Impunity

Most killers of journalists walk free. The statistics are staggering: worldwide, almost nine out of 10 cases of journalist killings are met with impunity. To mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists and the tenth anniversary of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of the Impunity (UNPA), CIMA spoke with Zoe Titus, director of the Namibia Media Trust and chairperson of the Global Forum for Media Development, about how civil society can
Center for International Media Assistance •

Rebalancing the Relationship Between Big Tech and News Media

As the global journalism industry struggles to adapt to shrinking revenue brought on by the failure of traditional business models, Big Tech companies continue to dominate the digital advertising market. This uneven playing field has led policymakers in the US, EU, and Australia to attempt to rebalance the relationship between Big Tech and news organizations—but how are those efforts impacting media outlets located outside of the Global North? On September 20, CIMA hosted “Should Big Tech Pay f
UNC Media Hub •

Trekking through time: Documenting ancient Cherokee trails in Western North Carolina

Brows furrowed and field notebooks in hand, the two men can be found deep in the mountains several days a week. They walk carefully, pausing every so often to deliberate, take notes or point out landmarks. They are searching for trails that intertwine the eighteenth-century history of the Cherokee people and a prominent American naturalist. The mission: to preserve this history by documenting the ancient Cherokee paths that were used by explorer William Bartram on his journey throughout the Ame
UNC Media Hub •

Fighting the Defense Industry: Asheville Group Organizes Local and National Effort

The winding French Broad River is home to a number of rare and endangered species. Along the banks of the river outside Asheville, the oaks, river birches, sycamores, and willows provide crucial shelter for animals and the river alike. But 100 acres of the area beside the river have been cut down to make way for a plant that will be producing aircraft parts for Pratt and Whitney, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the world.
UNC Global •

Former US Ambassador Mary Yates Shares Lessons from a Diplomatic Career in Africa

Former US Ambassador Mary Yates Shares Lessons from a Diplomatic Career in Africa In a discussion at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, former U.S. Ambassador Mary Yates warned of the dangers of forgetting about the African continent on the world stage. “Our disengagement is noted,” Yates said. “Since 2010, U.S. trade with Africa has decreased by more than 50 percent, and U.S. presidents have made just two visits.” Yates, who served for decades in the American Foreign Service ac
UNC Media Hub •

Waging Peace: Students from North Carolina and Iraq Create a Virtual Exchange

A couple of years ago, University of Mosul student Nora Al Jadoue wanted to leave Iraq. At the same time, UNC sophomore Eden Yousif wasn’t sure she would ever get to see Iraq. But thanks to an innovative virtual exchange program between the University of Mosul, UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC-Greensboro, students are developing new understandings of Iraq and the U.S. Despite being over 6,000 miles apart, students in Iraq and North Carolina have found they have much to share with one another and plenty
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