Israel attacks Yemen’s Hodeidah, striking port areas
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Israel has previously bombed Hodeidah and Sanaa International Airport; Houthi missile targeted Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Israel has launched air attacks on Yemen’s Hodeidah governorate, according to the Houthi Interior Ministry. The attack late on Sunday came after the Israeli army said it had warned those present at three Houthi-controlled ports in the area to evacuate. It was the latest salvo in exchanges between Israel and the Houthis. Israel bombed the Hodeidah port after a Houthi attack near Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv earlier this month. Israeli strikes have also targeted parts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa and the main international airport there. The Houthis have been firing missiles at Israel and on Israeli targets in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians under fire since the war on Gaza began 19 months ago. Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed more than 52,000 people, including 57 who starved to death due to the total Israeli siege since March 2, according to Palestinian officials. A ceasefire deal between Yemen’s Houthis and the United States does not include any operations against Israel, the group’s chief negotiator announced earlier this week. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Fact-checking Trump’s claim of securing $10 trillion in investments for US
Since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump has touted corporate and foreign US investment announcements as proof he is ushering in “the golden age of America”. On January 21, Trump said that before he’d finished the “first full business day” of his second term, the United States had “already secured nearly $3 trillion of new investments”. On April 2, he said, “It looks like we’re going to have about $6 trillion of investments”. Six days later, Trump told National Republican Congressional Committee Dinner attendees that the investment total was “now revised up to about $7 (trillion)”. During an April 30 NewsNation town hall, Trump speculated that “it could be more than $8 trillion”. On May 4, Trump told Kristen Welker, the host of the NBC News programme Meet the Press, “I think we probably have close to $9 trillion of investments coming into this country.” On May 6, Trump told reporters, “I think the real number could be $9 or $10 trillion.” Finally, on May 8, Trump said, “We have now close to $10 trillion — think of that, $10 trillion” in investments. “We’re talking about essentially two months.” Advertisement That’s far beyond the figures the White House has released publicly. We tallied the White House’s public lists of investments; they amount to $2.1 trillion in corporate investments, or at most $5.1 trillion when including promised investments from other countries. Experts cautioned that the promised corporate investments are not guaranteed to materialise in full, or during Trump’s presidency, and some of them would have occurred regardless of who was president. Trump isn’t the first to overstate new investments on his watch. Outgoing US President Joe Biden said in 2024 that his bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act had attracted $640bn in private investments; economists told PolitiFact that Biden’s numbers were based on what companies had announced, which is not the same as dollars already spent. Roman V Yampolskiy, a University of Louisville professor and a specialist in artificial intelligence, which dominates the promised investments Trump cited, said, “Historically, large-scale investment announcements often overpromise and underdeliver. There is a performative element to them, especially in politically charged contexts. They function as political theatre as much as economic commitment.” White House lists do not match Trump’s words Since Trump’s inauguration, the White House has publicised investment announcements from three countries and roughly 60 companies on its website, including in a “non-comprehensive running list”. Many of the highest-dollar corporate announcements were in March and April. Corporate announcements in the White House’s lists total approximately $2.1 trillion worth of US investment. Advertisement The White House separately has cited commitments from the United Arab Emirates to invest $1.4 trillion over the next 10 years; from Japan to “boost” its investment in the US to $1 trillion; and from Saudi Arabia to invest $600bn in the US during Trump’s presidency. Combined with the corporate announcements, these bring the total to about $5.1 trillion, $4.9 trillion short of Trump’s figure. But the $5.1 trillion total has caveats. For example, the White House said “Japan announced a $1 trillion investment in the US”, but the article it linked said in 2023, Japan’s US investment was $783.3bn and Japan would “boost” that to $1 trillion. That’s an increase of $216.7bn rather than a new $1 trillion investment. That would put the total value of newly pledged US investment at about $4.3 trillion. Trump’s second-term White House tally of US investments The White House figures can’t easily be used for apples-to-apples comparisons. Some of the investments are planned over Trump’s four-year term, others over five years or a decade. In one case – ADQ and Energy Capital Partners’ planned $25bn investment — it isn’t limited to US-based projects. The White House declined to detail additional investments. A spokesperson pointed to federal Bureau of Economic Analysis data that shows a 22 percent increase in business investment in the first quarter of 2025, calling it a historic increase. However, experts cautioned this increase was shaped by businesses stocking up on inventory before Trump’s tariffs take effect and said the increase is unlikely to be sustained. Advertisement Many of the announcements are aspirational, experts say Experts told PolitiFact that each of the five biggest investments on Trump’s list warrants some caution, because they might not reach Trump’s cited dollar amounts or were not solely prompted by Trump’s policies. “Many of these announcements, particularly those in the AI and semiconductor sectors, appear to be, at least in part, aspirational in nature,” Yampolskiy said. “They serve a signalling function: to attract investor attention, shape policy discourse, and secure favourable regulatory or funding environments.” The five largest company investments collectively account for 82 percent of the dollar value on the White House’s corporate list. Five companies accounting for the majority of new investment promises are: Stargate The Stargate Project is an artificial intelligence collaboration among OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank, announced during a January 21 White House event. The White House values the investment at $500bn. The company’s official announcement says $100bn will be invested “immediately” and that it “intends to invest” a total of $500bn over the next four years, a goal repeated by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son at the White House event. “Whether that much will ultimately get spent remains to be seen,” wrote John Higgins, chief economist at Capital Economics, an international consulting firm. Enrique Dans, who studies technology and policy at Madrid’s IE Business School, said the $500bn figure is “astronomical – roughly 2 percent of US gross domestic product – and lacks clear documentation”. Advertisement At the White House event, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said, “We wouldn’t be able to do this without you, Mr President.” But Altman had been discussing plans for a $100bn investment 10 months before Trump won his second term, The Washington Post reported, including an Abilene, Texas, data centre that began construction in summer 2024. “AI investments have been on a global trajectory driven by technological maturity and competitive pressure, especially from China,” Dans said. “Any US president would have
What can be learned from the latest conflict between India and Pakistan?
A tense ceasefire holds days after the most intense hostilities in decades. Feelings of relief and hope are sweeping India and Pakistan. The latest flare-up in hostilities that killed at least 60 people across the two countries has come to a dramatic halt after four days. Nearly 30 countries including the United States are reported to have been involved in getting the ceasefire agreed. The administration of US President Donald Trump, which announced the truce, has proposed a new round of talks at a neutral venue to try and end the bitter rivalry. A dispute over divided Kashmir, India’s accusation that Pakistan is backing terrorist attacks inside its territory, and differences over the sharing of river water are all issues that have been festering for decades. So are both sides at last ready to negotiate? Presenter: Cyril Vanier Guests: Walter Ladwig – Senior lecturer in International Relations at King’s College London Elijah Magnier – Military and political analyst Shashank Joshi – Defence editor of The Economist newspaper Adblock test (Why?)
Will the truce between India and Pakistan resolve differences over Kashmir?
A ceasefire is agreed after four days of their most fierce military conflict in this century. Tensions soared on Tuesday when India attacked areas inside Pakistan that it claimed sheltered armed groups. That was after 26 tourists were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir last month. India has accused Pakistan of backing the fighters, a claim Islamabad denied. Why has the Kashmir region been a source of hostility between the two countries since independence from British rule in 1947? How far can colonial legacy be blamed for the conflict? And what lies ahead? Presenter: Sami Zeidan Guests: Victoria Schofield – British biographer, historian and author of books on Kashmir. Radha Kumar – Author, academic and an Indian government-appointed negotiator appointed to resolve the Kashmir crisis Ayesha Jalal – Professor at Tufts University and expert on South Asian history. Adblock test (Why?)
Putin proposes direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul on May 15
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, “without preconditions” to achieve “lasting peace” and “eliminate the root causes” of the three-year conflict. The offer, delivered early on Sunday, came hours after the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. The leaders, who were meeting in Kyiv, said their call is backed by United States President Donald Trump and threatened “massive” new sanctions on Moscow if it did not agree with their plan. Putin, however, rejected that proposal, slamming European “ultimatums” and “anti-Russian rhetoric”, before outlining the counter-proposal for renewed Russia-Ukraine negotiations. “We are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,” the Russian president told reporters. “We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul.” Putin said that he would speak to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later on Sunday about facilitating the talks. Advertisement There was no immediate response from Ukraine to the proposal. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously said he was ready for peace talks, but only after a ceasefire is in place. ‘No preconditions’ Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has left hundreds of thousands of soldiers dead and triggered the gravest confrontation between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. In the first weeks of the conflict, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held direct talks in Istanbul, but failed to agree to halt the fighting. Putin said Russia was proposing restarting the talks in an attempt to “eliminate the root causes of the conflict” and “to achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace” rather than simply a pause for rearmament. “We do not exclude that during these talks we will be able to agree on some new ceasefire,” he added. Putin, whose forces have advanced over the past year, has faced increased public and private pressure from Trump as well as warnings from European powers to end the war. But he has offered few concessions and has stood firm in his conditions for ending the war. In June 2024, Putin said Ukraine must officially drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw its troops from the entirety of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed by Russia. Russian officials have also proposed that the US recognise Russia’s control over about one-fifth of Ukraine and demanded that Ukraine remain neutral, though Moscow has said it is not opposed to Kyiv’s ambitions to join the European Union. Advertisement Putin specifically mentioned the 2022 draft deal from the talks in Istanbul. According to the Reuters news agency, that draft deal stipulated that Ukraine should agree to permanent neutrality in return for international security guarantees from the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: China, France, Russia, the UK and the US. “It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv,” Putin said. “Russia is ready to negotiate without any preconditions.” Russia, Putin added, had proposed several ceasefires, including a moratorium on striking energy facilities, an Easter ceasefire, and most recently, the 72-hour truce during the celebrations marking 80 years since victory in World War II, but accused Ukraine of repeatedly violating the ceasefires. He said that during the May ceasefire, Ukraine had attacked Russia with 524 aerial drones, 45 sea drones, a number of Western missiles and that Russia had repelled five attacks on Russian regions. Ukraine, too, has accused Russia of repeatedly violating its own ceasefire. Trump factor Anatol Lieven, the director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, told Al Jazeera that both sides were trying to blame each other for failing to agree to a ceasefire deal amid pressure from Trump to end the war. “Trump has threatened to walk away from the peace process if there isn’t some kind of settlement or agreement on a ceasefire soon. And the question is, who he blames for the failure? If he blames the Russians more, then full US aid will continue to Ukraine, and the sanctions he has threatened will be intensified,” said Lieven. Advertisement “If, however, he blames Ukraine more, then, as he’s done once before, he will suspend US aid and intelligence assistance to Ukraine, and that, of course, will drastically weaken Ukraine’s military position and strengthen that of Russia. So both sides are manoeuvring to try to throw blame for any failure onto the other.” Earlier on Saturday, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the UK travelled together to Ukraine for the first time, in a visit that Zelenskyy said sent “a very important signal”. The five leaders held a meeting in Kyiv and issued a statement calling for a ceasefire “lasting at least 30 days” from Monday, to make room for a diplomatic push to end the war. “An unconditional ceasefire by definition cannot be subject to any conditions. If Russia calls for such conditions, this can only be considered as an effort to prolong the war and undermine diplomacy,” the statement read. French President Emmanuel Macron said the US would take the lead in monitoring the proposed ceasefire, with support from European countries, and threatened “massive sanctions … prepared and coordinated between Europeans and Americans” should Russia violate the truce. Meanwhile, retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, said on Saturday that a “comprehensive” 30-day ceasefire, covering attacks from the air, land, sea and on infrastructure, “will start the process for ending the largest and longest war in Europe since World War II”. Trump, who says he wants to be remembered as a peacemaker, has repeatedly said he wants to end the “bloodbath” of the Ukraine war, which his administration casts as a proxy war between the US and Russia. Advertisement Former US President Joe Biden, Western European leaders and Ukraine portray the invasion as an imperial-style land grab and have repeatedly pledged to defeat Russian forces. Putin meanwhile casts the war as a watershed moment in Moscow’s relations with the
Israel capitalises as Gaza fatigue sets in
One might think that images of starving children, as political leaders withhold aid and openly call for ethnic cleansing, would be topping news agendas everywhere. In the case of Gaza, the failure of many in the international media to meet the moment has made them part of the story. Lead contributors:Chris Doyle – Director, Council for Arab-British UnderstandingDaniel Levy – President, US/Middle East ProjectMuhammad Shehada – Visiting fellow, ECFRSarah Leah Whitson – Director, DAWN On our radar: As India and Pakistan go toe-to-toe in their most intense fighting for decades, a flood of disinformation is fuelling the sense of panic on both sides. Meenakshi Ravi reports. Seeking justice on Ghana’s courtroom shows If you are dealing with something personal and painful – a broken marriage or a family dispute – you might turn to a friend. For something as serious as sexual assault, it might go to trial. But in Ghana, more and more people are turning somewhere else: live radio. The so-called “justice-style” shows promise swift, public resolutions. But they are also controversial, with critics accusing them of turning private pain into primetime theatre. Advertisement Featuring:George Sarpong – Executive secretary, National Media CommissionMenenaba – Ghanaian writerOheneni Adazoa – Host, Sompa Nkomo ShowZakaria Tanko Musah – Lecturer in media law and ethics, Journalism Institute Adblock test (Why?)
Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Ancelotti coy on future as Alonso link grows
Carlo Ancelotti says Xabi Alonso has “all the doors open” for a move to a big club, with speculation building that the former Real Madrid midfielder is set to replace the Italian coach at the helm of the Spanish powerhouse. Ancelotti gave his routine pre-game news conference on Saturday, a day after Alonso announced he was leaving Bayer Leverkusen. He praised the work of Alonso, who has been widely linked to an eventual move back to Madrid after leading the German club to the Bundesliga title last season. “I read that Xabi is leaving Bayer Leverkusen, where he did a fantastic job,” Ancelotti said before Sunday’s trip to Barcelona. “He has all the doors open because he has shown that he is one of the best coaches in the world.” Xabi Alonso confirmed in a news conference on Friday that he would leave Leverkusen at the end of the season [Marius Becker/Picture Alliance via Getty Images] Ancelotti again refused to speak about his future, especially before a decisive Clasico in LaLiga. Madrid trail Barcelona by four points and need to win to keep alive their chances of winning a trophy this campaign. Advertisement But he did speak movingly about what Madrid means — and will mean — for the most successful manager in European football. For Ancelotti, his relationship with the club he has spent six seasons at in two stints is an everlasting “honeymoon”. “The honeymoon with this club never ends, it continues forever,” he said. “I think that Real Madrid, like Milan before, are the teams that stay with me, given the time I have spent here. At the beginning, there is passion, and when that fades, other feelings emerge, a sense of tender care. My honeymoon with Real Madrid will last for as long as I live.” The 65-year-old coach is under contract through the next campaign but is widely expected to leave after an underwhelming season in which the team played worse despite adding Kylian Mbappe to its squad. Brazil have been courting Ancelotti for over a year, and it appears talks are still ongoing with the veteran manager. Real Madrid must play ‘complete’ game at Barcelona With only four games remaining of the LaLiga season, only a win will realistically keep Real’s hopes of retaining the title, and for Ancelotti, they will need to get everything right to have a chance on Sunday. “In this type of game, you have to do things well. Barcelona are used to keeping the opponent in their own area, but no team is perfect,” he said. “It’s a game where there’s a lot at stake, and to win, you have to manage everything well, defend well, attack well. We have to play a complete game.” With so much at stake against their great rivals, Ancelotti will have little trouble getting his players fired up. Advertisement “It’s not difficult to motivate the players because it’s the type of match for which the players already come out motivated and with a lot of confidence,” he said. “Playing with Barcelona is special. It will be the last ‘El Clasico’ of the season because Barca are not in the Club World Cup.” Who’s scoring in #ELCLÁSICO? 🤍 pic.twitter.com/Tgx1X8cVuA — LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) May 8, 2025 Barcelona focused despite Champions League woe Barcelona’s players have discussed last week’s Champions League elimination and are ready to put their disappointment behind them against rivals Real Madrid, manager Hansi Flick said in his news conference on Saturday. Barca suffered a 4-3 Champions League semifinal defeat by Inter Milan on Tuesday. A home win on Sunday would move Flick’s side one victory away from their 28th Spanish league title. “We’re doing well. After the defeat in Milan, everyone knows it’s not easy … but we’re doing things right. We’ve talked about what we want to do in these two weeks,” Flick told reporters. “There are four more games to go. El Clasico is important, we have to show how well we can play. We have to show confidence. The players are doing very well … We’ve been talking about what they are thinking, what they are feeling. “We had to talk about it as a group. Everyone knows that in a Clasico, you have to give 100 percent. You have to be active, intense, dominant. Real Madrid is a very good team, and we need the fans.” El Clasico – the low down Translated as “The Classic” in English, El Clasico is the name given to any football match between rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. Advertisement The special matchup between these football sides was born out of a more-than-a-century-old political-historical dimension between an increasingly distinct Catalan national identity, with FC Barcelona representing Catalonia, pitched against the centralised power structures of Spain’s capital city, Madrid, and by extension, its most famous football club, Real Madrid. The first match between the two Spanish mega clubs was played on May 13, 1902. In total, 260 matches have been played. Real Madrid lead in head-to-head results with 105 wins to Barcelona’s 103, with 52 draws. Last five LaLiga matches Barcelona: W-W-W-W-D (most recent fixture first) May 3, 2025 – Real Valladolid 1-2 BarcelonaApril 22, 2025 – Barcelona 1-0 MallorcaApril 19, 2025 – Barcelona 4-3 Celta VigoApril 12, 2025 – Leganes 0-1 BarcelonaApril 5, 2025 – Barcelona 1-1 Real Betis Real Madrid: W-W-W-W-L (most recent fixture first) May 04, 2025 – Real Madrid 3-2 Celta VigoApril 23, 2025 – Getafe 0-1 Real MadridApril 20, 2025 – Real Madrid 1-0 Athletic ClubApril 13, 2025 – Alaves 0-1 Real MadridApril 5, 2025 – Real Madrid 1-2 Valencia Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli protesters in Tel Aviv demand an end to war on Gaza
Thousands gather demanding an end to the war and the release of Israeli captives in Gaza. Thousands of Israelis rallied in central Tel Aviv, calling on the government to end the war on Gaza and secure the immediate release of Israeli captives held in the besieged Palestinian enclave. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that in Tel Aviv, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an Israeli campaign group, held its weekly rally Saturday in “Hostages Square”, while another demonstration by families of captives is taking place outside the Israeli military headquarters. A separate antigovernment protest is also occurring at Habima Square in Tel Aviv. The Times of Israel reported that Shai Mozes, whose parents were held captive and released in separate exchange deals, told the crowd at the protest in Habima Square that Israel’s “real enemy is not Hamas, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is destroying Israel as a Jewish and democratic state”. Netanyahu’s critics in Israel have accused the prime minister of extending the war for his own personal and political survival. Haaretz also reported that protests are expected in other cities, including Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beersheba, as well as at dozens of other sites and intersections across Israel. Advertisement After Netanyahu announced an expanded offensive in the Gaza Strip on Monday, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum criticised the move in a statement, saying the plan is “sacrificing” those still held in the Palestinian territory. A demonstrator wearing a mask representing US President Donald Trump and carrying a doll with a mask depicting Netanyahu at an antigovernment protest in Tel Aviv [Jack Guez/AFP] Hamas releases video of two Israeli captives alive in Gaza Hamas’s armed wing released a video on Saturday showing two Israeli captives alive in the Gaza Strip, with one of the two men calling to end the 19-month-long war. Israeli media identified the pair in the undated video as Elkana Bohbot and Yosef Haim Ohana. The three-minute video released by Hamas’s Qassam Brigades shows one of the captives, identified by media as 36-year-old Bohbot, visibly weak and lying on the floor wrapped in a blanket. Ohana, 24, speaks in Hebrew in the video, urging the Israeli government to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of all remaining captives. Bohbot and Ohana were both abducted by Palestinian fighters from the site of a music festival during Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023. Adblock test (Why?)
Newark mayor denies trespassing at US immigration centre following arrest
Ras Baraka denies charge against him a day after he spent several hours in police custody. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has denied trespassing at a new United States federal immigration detention centre following his arrest and release. Baraka, who has been protesting the centre’s opening this week, denied his trespassing charge on Saturday, a day after he spent several hours in police custody. The mayor has gone head-to-head with the Trump administration over undocumented immigration, pushing back against the opening of the Delaney Hall Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 1,000-bed detention facility, arguing that it should not be allowed to open because of building permit issues. Officials accused Baraka of trespassing and ignoring warnings to leave the Delaney Hall facility in Newark, New Jersey. “I’m shocked by all the lies that were told here,” he said, adding he had been invited there for a news conference. “No one else [was] arrested, I was invited in, then they arrested me on the sidewalk.” Alina Habba, interim US Attorney for New Jersey, said on the social media platform X that Baraka trespassed at the detention facility, which is run by private prison operator Geo Group. Advertisement Habba said Baraka had “chosen to disregard the law”. Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for public affairs with the US Department of Homeland Security, said in an interview with CNN on Saturday that the investigation was ongoing and that more video from the scene would soon be released. She also accused Baraka of playing “political games”. Baraka was taken into custody by the ICE agents in a scuffle at the facility. He had joined several lawmakers at the detention centre for a demonstration on Friday. Video of the incident showed that Baraka was arrested after returning to the public side of the gate to the facility. Local elected officials swiftly condemned the federal agents’ actions, with the state’s governor, Phil Murphy, writing on X that he was “outraged by the unjust arrest”. Adblock test (Why?)
Reporting from behind shifting front lines in Myanmar’s civil war
On a typical day, Mai Rupa travels through his native Shan State, in eastern Myanmar, documenting the impact of war. A video journalist with the online news outlet Shwe Phee Myay, he travels to remote towns and villages, collecting footage and conducting interviews on stories ranging from battle updates to the situation for local civilians living in a war zone. His job is fraught with risks. Roads are strewn with landmines and there are times when he has taken cover from aerial bombing and artillery shelling. “I have witnessed countless people being injured and civilians dying in front of me,” Mai Rupa said. “These heartbreaking experiences deeply affected me,” he told Al Jazeera, “at times, leading to serious emotional distress.” Mai Rupa is one of a small number of brave, independent journalists still reporting on the ground in Myanmar, where a 2021 military coup shattered the country’s fragile transition to democracy and obliterated media freedoms. Like his colleagues at Shwe Phee Myay – a name which refers to Shan State’s rich history of tea cultivation – Mai Rupa prefers to go by a pen name due to the risks of publicly identifying as a reporter with one of the last remaining independent media outlets still operating inside the country. Advertisement Most journalists fled Myanmar in the aftermath of the military’s takeover and the expanding civil war. Some continue their coverage by making cross-border trips from work bases in neighbouring Thailand and India. But staff at Shwe Phee Myay – a Burmese-language outlet, with roots in Shan State’s ethnic Ta’ang community – continue reporting from on the ground, covering a region of Myanmar where several ethnic armed groups have for decades fought against the military and at times clashed with each other. Ta’ang National Liberation army officers march during an event to mark the 52nd Ta’ang revolution day in Mar-Wong, Ta’ang self-governing area, northern Shan State, Myanmar, in 2015 [File: Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP] Fighting to keep the public informed After Myanmar’s military launched a coup in February 2021, Shwe Phee Myay’s journalists faced new risks. In March that year, two reporters with the outlet narrowly escaped arrest while covering pro-democracy protests. When soldiers and police raided their office in the Shan State capital of Lashio two months later, the entire team had already gone into hiding. That September, the military arrested the organisation’s video reporter, Lway M Phuong, for alleged incitement and dissemination of “false news”. She served nearly two years in prison. The rest of the 10-person Shwe Phee Myay team scattered following her arrest, which came amid the Myanmar military’s wider crackdown on the media. Spread out across northern Shan State in the east of the country, the news team initially struggled to continue their work. They chose to avoid urban areas where they might encounter the military. Every day was a struggle to continue reporting. Advertisement “We couldn’t travel on main roads, only back roads,” recounted Hlar Nyiem, an assistant editor with Shwe Phee Myay. “Sometimes, we lost four or five work days in a week,” she said. Police arrest Myanmar Now journalist Kay Zon Nwe in Yangon in February 2021, as protesters took part in a demonstration against the military coup [Ye Aung Thu/AFP] Despite the dangers, Shwe Phee Myay’s reporters continued with their clandestine work to keep the public informed. When a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit central Myanmar on March 28, killing more than 3,800 people, Shwe Phee Myay’s journalists were among the few able to document the aftermath from inside the country. The military blocked most international media outlets from accessing earthquake-affected areas, citing difficulties with travel and accommodation, and the few local reporters still working secretly in the country took great risks to get information to the outside world. “These journalists continue to reveal truths and make people’s voices heard that the military regime is desperate to silence,” said Thu Thu Aung, a public policy scholar at the University of Oxford who has conducted research on Myanmar’s post-coup media landscape. Journalists with Shwe Phee Myay conduct a video interview in Shan State, Myanmar, in September 2024 [Courtesy of Shwe Phee Myay] On top of the civil war and threats posed by Myanmar’s military regime, Myanmar’s journalists have encountered a new threat. Advertisement In January, the administration of US President Donald Trump and his billionaire confidante Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began dismantling the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID had allocated more than $268m towards supporting independent media and the free flow of information in more than 30 countries around the world – from Ukraine to Myanmar, according to journalism advocacy group Reporters Without Borders. In February, The Guardian reported on the freezing of USAID funds, creating an “existential crisis” for exiled Myanmar journalists operating from the town of Mae Sot, on the country’s border with Thailand. The situation worsened further in mid-March, when the White House declared plans for the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to reduce operations to the bare minimum. USAGM oversees – among others – the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, which were both leading providers of news on Myanmar. Last week, RFA announced it was laying off 90 percent of its staff and ceasing to produce news in the Tibetan, Burmese, Uighur and Lao languages. VOA has faced a similar situation. Tin Tin Nyo, managing director of Burma News International, a network of 16 local, independent media organisations based inside and outside Myanmar, said the loss of the Burmese-language services provided by VOA and RFA created a “troubling information vacuum”. Myanmar’s independent media sector also relied heavily on international assistance, which had already been dwindling, Tin Tin Nyo said. Many local Myanmar news outlets were already “struggling to continue producing reliable information”, as a result of the USAID funding cuts brought in by Trump and executed by Musk’s DOGE, she said. Some had laid off staff, reduced their programming or suspended operations. Advertisement “The downsizing of independent media has decreased the capacity