Gaza aid ship on fire after reported drone attack
NewsFeed An aid ship heading to Gaza has sent out a distress signal after crew members say it was hit in a drone attack and has caught fire. There are 30 aid workers on board the Freedom Flotilla ship, which was attempting to break Israel’s 2-month aid blockade. Published On 2 May 20252 May 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Palestine the world’s most dangerous place for journalists, RSF says
US President Donald Trump overseeing ‘troubling deterioration’ in press freedom in US, Reporters Without Borders says. Palestine has become the world’s most dangerous state for journalists amid Israel’s war on Gaza, with dozens of reporters likely killed specifically due to their work, a media freedom watchdog has said. Israeli forces killed nearly 200 journalists in the first 18 months of the war, at least 42 of whom were slain while doing their job, Reporters Without Borders said on Friday as it released its World Press Freedom Index 2025. “Trapped in the enclave, journalists in Gaza have no shelter and lack everything, including food and water,” said the Paris-based group, which is also known by its French acronym RSF. “In the West Bank, journalists are routinely harassed and attacked by both settlers and Israeli forces, but repression reached new heights with a wave of arrests after 7 October, when impunity for crimes committed against journalists became a new rule.” Journalists suspected of collaborating with Israel are also hampered in their work by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, while a cybercrime law adopted by the Palestinian Authority limits freedom of expression and freedom of the press, RSF said in its report. Advertisement Palestine ranked 163rd for press freedom in the latest index, a drop of six places from 2024. Of 180 jurisdictions, 112 saw declines in press freedom, with the average score globally falling to a record low of 55 points, according to the report. The United States dropped two places to a record low of 57, with the watchdog accusing US President Donald Trump of overseeing a “troubling deterioration in press freedom”. “President Donald Trump was elected to a second term after a campaign in which he denigrated the press on a daily basis and made explicit threats to weaponize the federal government against the media,” RSF said. “His early moves in his second mandate to politicise the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), ban The Associated Press from the White House, or dismantle the US Agency for Global Media, for example, have jeopardised the country’s news outlets and indicate that he intends to follow through on his threats, setting up a potential crisis for American journalism.” Israel dropped 11 places to 112th, with Reporters Without Borders pointing to growing restrictions on press freedom, media plurality and editorial independence since the start of the war in Gaza. “Since 2021, only journalists working for Channel 14, a media outlet that covers Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a favourable light, have been granted interviews with the country’s leader, who accuses the Israeli press of conspiring against him,” the group said. “In 2024, the Minister of Communication called on the government to boycott Haaretz, one of the few newspapers to criticise Netanyahu’s policies, including the massacre of civilians in Gaza – a topic that is largely suppressed.” Advertisement Eritrea was the lowest-ranked jurisdiction, just behind North Korea and China. Norway was ranked first for press freedom, followed by Estonia, the Netherlands and Sweden. Adblock test (Why?)
South Korea appoints new acting leader as ex-PM enters election race
Han Duck-soo declares candidacy in June 3 election to replace impeached ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol. South Korea has sworn in its third acting president in less than six months, as his predecessor declared his candidacy in a snap election to replace impeached ex-leader Yoon Suk-yeol. Education Minister Lee Ju-ho pledged to ensure “stability” as he was appointed acting leader on Friday, a day after Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stepped down to run in the June 3 election. “I will try my best to ensure government functions are managed stably,” Lee told reporters. The appointment of a new acting president came as Han’s candidacy injected more uncertainty into an election race that has been upended by doubts over the eligibility of the left-leaning frontrunner, Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party. “I’ve determined to find what I can do for the future of the Republic of Korea that I love and for all of us,” Han told a news conference at the National Assembly on Friday. “I’ll try my utmost to be chosen by the people at this presidential election.” On Thursday, the Supreme Court overturned Lee Jae-myung’s acquittal on election law violations, sending the case back to a lower court. Advertisement If his conviction is upheld before the election, Lee, who has dominated polls for months, would be disqualified from the race. Next month’s election was called after Yoon, a former prosecutor-turned-conservative politician, was removed from office over his shock declaration of martial law in December. While Yoon’s declaration lasted less than six hours before being voted down by South Korea’s legislature, the political uncertainty and chaos it unleashed continues to reverberate nearly six months later. Han, 75, took over as acting president following Yoon’s impeachment on December 14, before he was himself impeached and replaced by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok. In March, the Constitutional Court overturned Han’s impeachment, restoring him to the role of acting leader. A veteran politician and bureaucrat, Han has served as prime minister in both liberal and conservative administrations, as well as doing stints as trade minister, finance minister, and ambassador to the United States. While not affiliated with a political party, Han is expected to ally with Yoon’s conservative People Power Party. He said his campaign platform would focus on limiting the power of the executive and amending the constitution to add more checks and balances. Following Han’s announcement, the Democratic Party accused him of abandoning his duties as a caretaker leader. “We warn former Prime Minister Han. Don’t hide your greed with a lie that you are running for the people,” Democratic Party spokesperson Noh Jong-myun said. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Why has Trump’s Russia-Ukraine deal stalled?
US President Donald Trump boasted that he could broker a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire in his first 24 hours in office. 100 days later, fighting continues, and both sides are questioning the plan the Trump administration has laid out. Why is there still no agreement on a ceasefire proposal, and what does it reveal about the limits of American power? Adblock test (Why?)
Al Jazeera wins two Peabody Awards for documentaries on Gaza war carnage
Fault Lines wins in News & Documentary category while Close Up wins in Interactive & Immersive category. Al Jazeera Media Network has been honoured with two prestigious Peabody Awards, one of the most esteemed accolades in broadcast storytelling. The awards recognise the Al Jazeera English Fault Lines documentary The Night Won’t End in the News & Documentary category, and the Al Jazeera English Digital film One Day in Gaza from the series Close Up, in the Interactive & Immersive category. The 85th annual Peabody award winners were announced on May 1, 2025, in advance of its annual ceremony in Los Angeles on June 1, 2025. The awards honour intelligent, powerful and moving stories told in broadcast and digital media. Al Jazeera English’s Fault Lines documentary The Night Won’t End uncovers the tragic human cost of war. It depicts the realities of the unrelenting Israeli bombing campaign on Gaza, the unsafe “safe zones,” and arbitrary executions through the eyes of three families during the initial 15 months of the war. The film investigates the death of five-year-old Hind Rajab, who was waiting to be rescued from a car where her family members had already been shot dead. Two medics dispatched to rescue her were also killed, as verified by a forensic watchdog agency. Advertisement Laila Al-Arian, executive producer of Fault Lines, stated, “No single piece can fully capture the scale of the atrocities in Gaza, but we aimed through investigative journalism and on-the-ground storytelling to offer a glimpse of what life has been like. We are honoured by this recognition because it helps bring more attention to a continuing story the world needs to see. Though we filmed this over a year ago, the horrors we documented remain a daily reality for more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza.” To date, The Night Won’t End has garnered multiple awards, including in the coveted International Current Affairs category at the Royal Television Society Awards in the United Kingdom, the Overseas Press Club prize for best TV, video or documentary about international affairs, and the long-form award from the Centre for Information Resilience Open-Source Film Awards. The One Day in Gaza film from the series Close Up is a compilation of videos recorded by 10 individuals in Gaza, who were asked to document moments throughout their day, thereby helping viewers understand the immense hardships and constant dangers faced by Palestinians living under the constant bombardment in Gaza. Juan Carlos Van Meek, director of digital innovation and programming, expressed his gratitude for awarding the team the Peabody Award, stating, “I am immensely proud of our team’s relentless efforts in amplifying the humanity of Palestinians living in Gaza under constant bombardment. Through the brave voices of people on the ground, we have captivated millions of viewers and helped sustain global attention on the ongoing genocide, ensuring their stories are not forgotten.” Advertisement The recognition of these documentaries underscores Al Jazeera’s commitment to highlighting the profound human experiences amid conflict. As the situation in Gaza continues to unfold, The Network remains dedicated to shedding light on the stories that matter, ensuring that the voices of those affected are heard on a global platform. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel executing ‘genocidal war’ against Palestinians, Qatar tells ICJ
NewsFeed A senior Qatari diplomat told the International Court of Justice that Israel is conducting a “genocidal war against the Palestinian people” and weaponising humanitarian aid. He joined a long list of representatives from governments across the world condemning Israeli actions in its war on Gaza. Published On 1 May 20251 May 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
US Senate rejects bid to block Trump’s tariffs
Three Republican senators join Democrats in voting for resolution to oppose US president’s trade policy. The United States Senate has rejected an effort to block US President Donald Trump’s tariffs amid bipartisan concerns about the impact of his trade salvoes on the economy. The upper house of the US Congress voted 49-49 to knock back the resolution on Wednesday, hours after government data showed that the US economy shrank for the first time in three years. Three Republican senators – Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – voted for the measure in a rare rebuke of Trump from within his own party, along with all present Democrats and Independents. “The United States Senate cannot be an idle spectator in the tariff madness,” Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, who represents Oregon, said ahead of the vote. “The Congress has the power to set tariffs and regulate global trade.” The resolution was widely viewed as a symbolic gesture since it was unlikely to have gained traction in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and would ultimately be subject to Trump’s veto power. Advertisement “It’s still a debate worth having, because, you know, if a month from now, we have massive tariffs go on, and we have a massive sell off in the stock market, and we didn’t have a first good quarter in growth, and if it’s worse again in the second quarter, people would start asking, ‘Is it good policy, or is it a bad policy?’” Paul, who co-sponsored the resolution, said of the failed vote. Trump has played down fears that his sweeping tariffs, including a 145 percent duty on China, could tip the US into recession. The US Department of Commerce on Wednesday reported that the economy contracted 0.3 percent during the first three months of the year, a period that occurred before Trump imposed his steepest tariffs. A recession is typically defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. Adblock test (Why?)
Lakers-Timberwolves: Gobert stars, knocks LeBron, Doncic out of playoffs
Rudy Gobert’s 27-point, 24-rebound game for Minnesota Timberwolves knocks Los Angeles Lakers out of the NBA playoffs. The Minnesota Timberwolves sent LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers tumbling out of the NBA playoffs at the first hurdle, producing a clinical 103-96 win to complete a 4-1 series victory. Minnesota’s French centre Rudy Gobert delivered a dominant display at both ends of the court on Wednesday, finishing with 27 points and 24 rebounds as the Lakers exited the postseason in the first round for the second straight year. The Wolves advance to a Western Conference semifinal showdown against the winner of Golden State’s series against the Houston Rockets. The Lakers, meanwhile, were left to reflect on another disappointingly short postseason campaign after a regular season that had built impressive momentum after the stunning trade for Luka Doncic in February. The Lakers’ failure to acquire an authentic defensive big after Anthony Davis’s departure to Dallas came back to haunt them on Wednesday as Gobert dominated around the rim. The Lakers – who had surged to third seed following Doncic’s arrival – were also found wanting offensively, with James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves making just five three-pointers between them. Advertisement “It feels great,” Gobert told TNT television after the win. “We had a season with ups and downs so to come here and play the way we did means a lot. “We just have a bunch of guys that want to win. And a lot of guys who have been through adversity throughout their career and their life and we love each other … all the things we went through throughout the season prepared us for this moment.” Gobert’s contribution was backed by 23 points from Julius Randle while Anthony Edwards added 15 points with 11 rebounds and eight assists. Doncic led the Lakers scoring with 28 points while Rui Hachimura chipped in with 23 points and James 22. The Los Angeles Lakers ‘Big-3’ of Luka Doncic #77, LeBron James #23 and Austin Reaves #15 bow out of the first round of the NBA playoffs in Game 5 of the Western Conference, first-round playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 30, 2025, at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California, US [Juan Ocampo/Getty Images via AFP] Rockets avoid elimination against Warriors In Wednesday’s other playoff game, Houston kept their series against Golden State alive with a 131-116 thrashing of the Warriors, narrowing the gap in their Western Conference series to 3-2. Fred VanVleet scored 26 points, Amen Thompson added 25 points and five steals and Dillon Brooks chipped in 24 for the Rockets, who led by as many as 31 points and were up by 29 when Warriors coach Steve Kerr waved the white flag, pulling Stephen Curry and the rest of his starters with 5:50 left in the third quarter. Advertisement With their season on the line after an agonising loss in a game-four thriller, the Rockets blasted out of the gate. They connected on 64.7 percent of their shots in the first quarter on the way to a 40-24 lead. VanVleet drilled three of Houston’s six first-quarter three-pointers and the Rockets made all 13 of their free throws in their opening period blitz. The Warriors looked powerless to respond, with Curry and Jimmy Butler failing to score in the opening quarter, and the team turned the ball over five times. Curry’s first basket was a three-pointer midway through the second quarter. But the Warriors could make few inroads in the face of Houston’s suffocating defence and the Rockets led 76-49 at halftime. Kerr said he had no qualms about pulling his starters in a potential clinching game, a decision that gave some rest to 37-year-old Curry – playing through a thumb injury – Draymond Green and Butler, who missed game three with a pelvic injury. They can still close out the series when they host game six on Friday. “We can’t come out with that lack of defensive focus and energy and expect to beat a great team on their home floor,” Kerr said. “They took it to us – they were awesome tonight.” Curry finished with 13 points and Butler scored eight for the Warriors. Moses Moody scored 25 points and led the Warriors reserves in a late comeback bid that saw them pull within 13 points with five minutes left. Then things got chippy again, with Warriors’ reserve Pat Spencer ejected for head-butting Houston centre Alperen Sengun – and the Rockets pulled away to close out the Game 5 win. Jalen Green #4 of the Houston Rockets looks to pass the ball between Gui Santos #15 and Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half in Game Five of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 30, 2025 in Houston, Texas, US [Alex Slitz/Getty Images via AFP] Adblock test (Why?)
Meta, Microsoft report strong earnings despite trade war uncertainty
Tech giants beat Wall Street expectations after weeks of volatility in US stocks. Tech giants Microsoft and Meta posted better-than-expected results in the first quarter of the year, offering some reprieve to investors after months of turbulence unleashed by United States President Donald Trump’s trade war. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, reported a net quarter profit of $16.64bn, or $6.43 per share, for the January–March period – up 35 percent year-on-year. Revenue rose 16 percent, ending at $42.31bn and higher than Wall Street expectations of about $41.4bn. Microsoft posted a net quarter profit of $25.8bn, or $3.46 per share, and up 18 percent year-on-year. The company’s revenue came to $70.1bn, up 13 percent year-on-year and ahead of analysts’ expectations. Both companies cited artificial intelligence (AI) as a major driver of growth, helping to ease investors’ concerns about a possible slowdown in demand for the burgeoning technology. Meta recently incorporated AI tools into its advertising business, its top source of revenue, while Microsoft reported strong growth in its cloud computing business. Advertisement Google’s parent company, Alphabet, which has also invested heavily in AI, last week reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue of $90.23bn. The results are a boost for the US tech sector, whose share prices have been on a rollercoaster ride since Trump returned to the White House on January 20. The market value of the top seven US tech companies – Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Amazon, Tesla, Apple and Alphabet – plunged by 24 percent, or $4.2 trillion, in the first 100 days after Trump’s inauguration. Trump’s tariffs, including a 145 percent duty on China, have disrupted businesses and unnerved investors, who are anxiously awaiting his next moves following his announcement of a 90-day pause on so-called “reciprocal” duties targeting almost all countries. The US economy shrank 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2025, the US Department of Commerce said on Wednesday, adding to fears that the US is likely to tip into a recession this year. In an earnings call with investors, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Meta is “well-positioned to navigate the macroeconomic uncertainty” of recent months. The company also released a standalone AI app this week, MetaAI, and plans to spend between $64bn and $72bn on capital expenditure in 2025 to complete construction on data centres. Adblock test (Why?)
With song and seed, Brazil’s Indigenous Maxakali confront climate change
Maxakali territory once spanned at least three large valleys in the Atlantic Forest. Elders in the village remember how the forest supplied food, medicine and construction materials — in addition to serving as habitat for the yãmĩyxop, spiritual beings central to Maxakali beliefs. “There were medicines in the forest for us,” explained Damásio. “When we had stomachaches, we would use the bark from the trees to feel better. But now, it’s just grass. The farmers burned everything.” But the four remaining Maxakali reservations — reduced to 6,434 hectares (15,900 acres) of pasture — contain less than 17 percent of their original vegetation. Some experts consider the Atlantic Forest to be regionally extinct. That absence has many Maxakali leaders turning to reforestation — and finding in their musical traditions an ecological blueprint of the past. Manuel Damásio Maxakali tends to banana trees in Minas Gerais, Brazil [Sara Van Horn/Al Jazeera] Singing organises life in Maxakali villages: Music, for instance, is used to cure illness, teach history or transmit practical instructions, like how to make bags or weave fishing nets. “Songs tie together the whole Tikmũ’ũn social structure,” said de Tugny, the Hāmhi project coordinator, who is also a musicologist at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. “People don’t compose songs. They have songs.” To have a song, she added, means being capable of taking care of the spirit considered to be the song’s creator. Ancestral songs also provide an extremely detailed register of local ecology. Twelve musical canons, distinct in grammar and lexicon, total about 360 hours of song. Contained in the lyrics are hundreds of species of flora and fauna now extinct in the territory. “We sing about everything: the saplings, the bananas, ourselves,” explained Manuel Kelé, leader of the village of Água Boa. “Even dogs have a song within our religion.” Caretakers at the Hāmhi nursery tend to the growing trees and plants [Sara Van Horn/Al Jazeera] One song, for example, lists 33 species of bees, some of which don’t have names in Brazil’s national language, Portuguese, and only two of which are currently present in the territory. The lyrics supply information about bee behaviour that many Maxakali have never witnessed first-hand. “The songs are snapshots,” said de Tugny. “They are like photographs of every detail that exists in the Atlantic Forest: the names of insects, birds, plants, moments of relationship between an animal and a leaf. All these are registered.” For the Maxakali, ritual songs also play a crucial role in helping the forest regenerate. Singing is a daily part of their work in Hāmhi’s tree nurseries. Nursery caretakers not only sing to seeds as they are buried, but they also make music as part of the regular rhythms of harvesting and cultivation. Caretakers divide into groups, position themselves around the nursery, and sing in concert with each other. The song lyrics help participants remember the ecological knowledge of their ancestors. And while some of the work at Hāmhi is dedicated to planting fruit trees and other crops, the project’s leaders see reforestation as key to reducing the region’s fire risks. Song is an important part of the growing cycle in Maxakali culture [Sara Van Horn/Al Jazeera] Since its inception in 2023, the Hāmhi project has planted over 60 hectares (148 acres) of fruit trees and 155 hectares (383 acres) of Atlantic Forest vegetation. The goal is a reforested area nearly twice that size. Programme participants have also organised themselves into a provisional fire brigade and even created natural fire barriers, using traditional methods like planting species of fire-resistant vegetation. “Songs help the forest grow,” said Damásio, the village leader. “We ask those who have died to help us. They walk here and assist us. We are calling on the forest to grow back.” Adblock test (Why?)