Israeli occupation of Palestine tends to be a touchy subject for news media, so much so that they break journalistic standards and writing etiquette just to avoid implicating one party over another — which still seems to end up working out in Israel’s favor and never Palestine’s. That’s led to a media environment that can’t clearly call out the ethnic cleansing and apartheid inflicted upon Palestinians, doesn’t point to context when talking about the results of decades-long oppression and displacement, and can’t help but equivocate about two disproportionately affected populations. But maybe that’s starting to change.
Sana Saeed looks at what U.S. media coverage has gotten wrong about recent events in Gaza, Sheikh Jarrah and occupied Palestine, and offers her own media critique.
There’s undoubtedly a very special relationship between Israel and the United States. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in the British Mandate of Palestine, the two countries have had deep ideological, political and spiritual ties. This unique relationship between the two has resulted in shielding Israel from criticism and accountability for its occupation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians for over seven decades. Yet can this relationship be explained simply by the role of Zionist lobbying? By U.S. foreign policy objectives? Can American support for Israel be simply explained as continued empathy for the horrors of the Holocaust? Or is the truth closer to home and in the mirror?
In the season finale of Backspace, Sana looks at how the story of Israel has been constructed in the United States — and the very American story at its root, where the indigenous of the land are rendered visible in a very particular way.
What’s happening with civilians in Gaza? Why is it so complicated to open Egypt’s border for aid? And where’s this all going? #AJStartHere with Sandra Gathmann answers three big questions on the Israel-Gaza war.
Saving Pangolins From Poachers In Cat Tien, Vietnam | The Last Defenders | Full Episode
CNA Insider – 15-9-2023
Cat Tien is one of Vietnam’s most biologically diverse and largest national parks. It is home to 40 species of critically endangered wildlife, including the vulnerable pangolin population.
Lam and Julong are anti-poaching officers from Save Vietnam’s Wildlife. Together with the government’s forest rangers, they form a forest protection team to fight against the threats posed by poaching to wildlife. They face the risk of possible violent confrontation with armed poachers and the danger of the unpredictable elements of the forest.
Tân Hoá village is known as the “seasonal flooded zone” of Quang Binh province, where during the rainy season the flood water can submerge the whole village. Tân Hoá used to be one of the poorest villages in Quang Binh province. Since 2011, when tourism activities were adopted by Tân Hoá village, many people have acquired stable jobs and, subsequently, their quality of life has improved significantly.
The village is situated in the vicinity of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, benefiting from unique natural conditions and a rustic charm. The village has been recognized by the provincial People’s Committee as an ecological and cave tourism area within the Tu Lan cave system. Surrounded by primary forests, limestone mountains, and the tranquil Rao Nan river, Tân Hóa village exhibits a simple and enduring beauty that leaves a lasting impression on visitors.
Tân Hoá Tourism Village is a pioneering tourism business model that promotes collaboration between enterprises and the local community, aiming for mutual benefits. Oxalis Adventure, as its partner, has implemented a clear and comprehensive business strategy based on three fundamental principles: safety, conservation, and involvement of the local people.
The Village and Oxalis Adventure believe that involving local people in the tourism business is a strategic approach rather than just a responsibility. They have gradually trained the local people to become proficient in serving tourists and transitioned from community involvement into community ownership on services that they deliver.
DESCRIPTION This chart shows global debt levels cause by direct loans from China (as percentage of GDP) in 2021.
According to World Bank data analyzed by Statista, countries heavily in debt to China are mostly located in Africa, but can also be found in Central Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. As the new preferred lender to low-income countries, China held 37 percent of these nations’ debt in 2020. Just 24 percent of the countries’ bilateral debt comes from the rest of the world that year.
The “New Silk Road” project, which finances the construction of port, rail and land infrastructure across the globe, has created much debt to China for participating countries. At the end of 2021, of the 98 countries for whom data was available, Pakistan ($27.4 billion of external debt to China), Angola (22.0 billion), Ethiopia (7.4 billion), Kenya (7.4 billion) and Sri Lanka (7.2 billion) held the biggest debts to China. The countries with the biggest debt burdens in relative terms were Djibouti and Angola, followed by the Maldives and Laos, which opened a debt-laden railway line to China last year. The President of the World Bank, David Malpass, has called the level of debt many countries once again hold “unsustainable”.
Chinese loans have higher interest rates than those from international institutions like the International Monetary Fund or The World Bank or bilateral loans from Paris Club countries, and also have shorter repayment windows. Their setup is closer to commercial loans concerning their conditions of repayment, confidentiality as well as their objectives of funding specific infrastructure projects instead of pursuing development goals in general.
The Covid-19 pandemic has complicated the already difficult repayment of Chinese loans even more. According to the Financial Times, the country had to renegotiate loans worth $52 billion in 2020 and 2021 – more than three times the amount that met this fate in the two previous years. One such case was Sri Lanka – also among China’s biggest debtors – which in 2022 was the first Asian country in two decades to default on its debt.
[1/2]A dove flies over the debris of houses destroyed in Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
Summary
Fake or misleading posts proliferate after Hamas attack
Cyber distortions deepen enmity in region and beyond
Acrimony online can have real world consequences
AMSTERDAM/LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) – As the Israel-Hamas war rages, regulators and analysts say a wave of online disinformation risks further inflaming passions and escalating the conflict in an electronic fog of war.
An explosion at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of Palestinians on Tuesday is the latest focus of the surge of activity as supporters of both sides in the battle between Israel and Hamas try to bolster their own side’s narrative and cast doubts on the other’s.
Which Countries Receive the Most Foreign Aid From the U.S.?
The United States provided more than $50 billion in aid to over 150 countries and territories, regional funds, and NGOs in 2021.
Each year, Congress appropriates foreign assistance based on national security, commercial, and humanitarian interests.
In this map, USAFacts uses data from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to highlight the countries that received the largest portion of aid.
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Food Assistance and the War on Drugs
In 2021, the U.S. directed its aid towards nations grappling with internal conflicts and humanitarian crises.
Following the request from the Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin asking the prefects in France to ban all pro-Palestinian demonstrations, Jean-Claude Samouiller, President of Amnesty International France said:
“The ban on all demonstrations in support of the Palestinians in France constitutes a serious and disproportionate attack on the right to demonstrate.
Faced with the atrocities committed by Hamas in southern Israel, and also the blockade and very heavy bombings in the Gaza Strip, it is important that civil society actors can mobilize peacefully and publicly, in particular those calling on those engaged in the conflict to respect the rights of civilian populations. This is why there cannot be a systematic ban on the right to peacefully demonstrate support for the rights of the Palestinian populations.
Under international law, a ban on demonstrations can only be considered as a last resort. Authorities should always seek to protect and facilitate the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in the first place.Jean-Claude Samouiller, President of Amnesty International France
A ban can only be legal if it is motivated by a specific threat and if it is demonstrated that no other less restrictive measure could guarantee public order.”
CVD 