What challenges lie ahead for the new IOC president?
Zimbabwean lands top job in world sport. Kirsty Coventry becomes the first woman and first African to lead the International Olympic Committee, the world’s largest sports body. Bans on Russia but not Israel and the role of money in the Olympic Games are two challenges she faces. What other hurdles lie ahead? Presenter: Sami Zeidan Guests: Philip Barker – editor-in-chief of the Journal of Olympic History Donald Rukare – president of the Uganda Olympic Committee Bassil Mikdadi – founder of the FootballPalestine.com website Adblock test (Why?)
Trying to heal the trauma of Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank
Jenin and Tulkarem, occupied West Bank – Omaima Faraj bows her head in silence for a moment – she’s tired, but the work does not stop. She arrives at a school-turned-shelter near Tulkarem where her first patient, an elderly displaced woman who greets her tenderly, is waiting for her to measure her glucose and blood pressure. Then she moves to the next classroom, the next patient, walking down an open passage drenched in late-February sunshine. Faraj, 25, has been volunteering to help residents devastated by the Israeli raids for weeks. She is one of the young Palestinians working to address the emergency Israel is creating across the occupied West Bank as it raids refugee camps and displaces thousands. Rushing into danger When Israel’s military occupation and displacement of the camp began in what the Israelis have called operation “Iron Wall”, on January 21, Faraj rushed into the camp instead of running away from the violence. The volunteers prioritise visits to patients with chronic diseases [Al Jazeera] She stayed there with her fellow volunteers for more than 12 critical days, when the attacks were at their fiercest and people were still trying to organise to flee the camp. Advertisement They focused on delivering aid to people in need – the injured, the elderly, and people with limited mobility. Nobody could get to a hospital because the Israeli soldiers wouldn’t let them. Israeli soldiers harassed the volunteers, Faraj recounts, describing how they would threaten her and her colleagues, telling them to leave and never return or they’d be shot. One incident particularly haunts her, of an elderly man who was trapped in his house for four days. The team kept trying to reach him, but Israeli soldiers blocked their path. Finally, the International Committee of the Red Cross intervened, coordinating with the Israelis to allow safe passage for the volunteers. When they reached the man, he was in dire straits – lacking food, water and hygiene for four days, but they were finally able to evacuate him. As they were leaving, they were goaded, warned not to return – or risk being shot. Backpack medics “We didn’t have an emergency plan for this,” says Alaa Srouji, director of the Al-Awda Center in Tulkarem. Two volunteers visit an elderly displaced woman to help her and check her health [Al Jazeera] Al-Awda and the Lajee Center of Aida Camp in Bethlehem are training volunteers to document the expulsions of people and camp conditions so they can assess the aid needed. The volunteers are about 15 mostly female nurses and medics who came together when the Israeli raids began, to provide medical aid and distribute essentials to the thousands who were harmed. Their young faces show the toll of nearly two months of working nonstop with people displaced by the Israeli attack on the Nur Shams and Tulkarem camps. Advertisement They are struggling to fill a huge gap left when Israel banned the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) from helping people in the occupied West Bank. These volunteers don’t have headquarters, they spend all day walking around to serve people with nothing more than their backpacks and determination. They go to one of the 11 temporary, hurriedly set up shelters or wherever their patients have managed to find a place to live. They bring medical and psychological support and also clothes, food, and other necessities to those who have lost everything to Israel’s raiding soldiers. Ismael, 23, risked returning to Tulkarem camp, where his home was. He stands in awe of the destruction Israel has inflicted [Al Jazeera] In their backpacks are gauze, portable glucose monitors, gloves, bandages, tourniquets, manual blood pressure monitors, notebooks and pens. “Our role as a local community is so important,” says Alaa. The volunteers must also support each other emotionally, holding group sessions to cope with the toll of working within their devastated communities. Many of them are from the camp, so they are also displaced, targeted, and have seen their neighbourhoods levelled by Israeli bulldozers. Faraj is no different. Like many Palestinians, she is marked by loss and violence after her 18-year-old brother was killed by an Israeli drone in January 2024. The camp is a no-go zone. Some displaced residents take the risk of returning to their homes to try to retrieve some of their belongings. They navigate rubble-filled streets, the stench of rotting food left behind in now-abandoned houses, and sewers torn open by bulldozers, while Israeli soldiers patrol and drones hover overhead, searching for movement inside the camp. Advertisement Laughing, crying, screaming the trauma An hour’s drive from Tulkarem is Jenin, and 10 minutes from Jenin is a village called Kafr Dan where an unusual sound filters in the air – children’s laughter. Children shout, jump, and scream during a Freedom Theater programme to allow them to discuss their trauma and give them a space for play and laughter [Al Jazeera] About 20 children roam around the garden of a large house. They’re gathered into a rough circle by trainers who encourage them to speak – loudly – to let out their fear and anger. The activity is organised by the Freedom Theater of Jenin, which came to Kafr Dan to provide this moment of respite for displaced children to simply be, at least for a moment. They started up inside Jenin camp as a space where children and youth could participate in cultural activities but have been blocked by the Israeli army from being there. So, “We bring the theatre to the children,” says Shatha Jarrar, one of the three activity coordinators. The children are encouraged to be as loud as they like, to scream out the fear and anger they hold inside after the violence they have been exposed to. A game involving a small ball balanced on a spoon is next, making the children laugh again and their watching mothers smile, happy to see their children happy. Sitting by the side is a smiling Um Muhammed, 67, who has brought some of
Migrant deaths hit record number in 2024, UN agency says
Nearly 9,000 fatalities confirmed worldwide, but real toll likely much higher. Nearly 9,000 people died last year trying to cross borders, the United Nations agency for migration says. The death toll set a new grim record for the fifth year in a row. The number of deaths on migratory routes has more than doubled since 2020. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded 8,938 migrant deaths in 2024. The real death toll is likely much higher given that many deaths go unreported or undocumented, the IOM said in a statement on Friday. “The rise of deaths is terrible in and of itself, but the fact that thousands remained unidentified each year is even more tragic,” Julia Black, coordinator of the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, said in the statement. The IOM’s deputy director general for operations, Ugochi Daniels, said: “The increase in deaths across so many regions in the world shows why we need an international, holistic response that can prevent further tragic loss of life.” “Behind every number is a human being, someone for whom the loss is devastating,” he added. Advertisement Asia was the region with the most reported fatalities with 2,788, followed by the Mediterranean Sea with 2,452 and Africa with 2,242. Final data are not yet in for the Americas, but at least 1,233 deaths (including 341 in the Caribbean) occurred in 2024. At least 233 migrants lost their lives in Europe and 174 in the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, a new record. According to the IOM, migrants are all people who leave their place of residence for any reason, for any length of time, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. Some seek asylum because they are fleeing war or violence. News of the record death toll comes days after the agency announced it was suspending many “lifesaving” programmes around the world and firing hundreds of employees due to United States aid cuts, impacting millions of vulnerable migrants and refugees worldwide. The Geneva-based IOM is one of several groups helping displaced people that have been hit by major US aid cuts, forcing it to scale back or shutter programmes, which it said will have a severe impact on migrants. Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli ex-deputy FM confronted over Israel’s renewed assault on Gaza
Redi Tlhabi challenges ex-Israeli deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon on Israel’s ceasefire breach and its war on Gaza. Israel has shattered the ceasefire with Hamas this week through extensive air raids that killed hundreds of civilians, including at least 200 children. Israeli ground troops were also deployed, ending the ceasefire that lasted just less than two months. Then, on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened the residents of Gaza with “destruction and devastation” if they did not expel Hamas. So, what lies ahead for Gaza and is it in danger of a complete takeover? This week on UpFront, Redi Tlhabi speaks with Israel’s former deputy foreign minister about Israel’s war in Gaza. Adblock test (Why?)
Are Gen Z rejecting city life for farm life?
Today on The Stream: We examine why so many people of Gen Z age are choosing farm life over city dwellings. Faced with burnout, soaring rents, and a yearning for a slower, more intentional life, Gen Z is leaving cities behind for farms. From homesteading to off-grid communities, young people are redefining success through self-sufficiency and sustainability. But is rural life truly the answer, or does it bring its own set of challenges? With increasing land costs, social isolation, and infrastructure limitations, can this movement endure? We hear from those embracing this shift. Is rural living the key to a healthier, more sustainable society? Presenter: Anelise Borges Guests:Shannon Hayes – CEO, SAP Bush Hollow FarmVictor Gabriel Lara – Creative directorPatrick Vernuccio – Urban gardening content creator and authorMohammed Ali Al Khater – Co-Founder and CEO, Torba Farm Adblock test (Why?)
Beijing slams request by US lawmaker for information on Chinese students
US congressional panel asks six US universities to share data on students enrolled in science and technology programmes. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has protested a request from a US congressional panel this week for six universities in the United States to provide detailed information about Chinese students enrolled in advanced science and technology programmes. The letters were sent on Thursday by John Moolenaar, the chair of the US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, who alleged that Beijing was embedding its students in top research programmes to gain access to sensitive technology. In response, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged the US to “stop overstretching the concept of national security” and to “protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students” in the country. Mao told reporters that Chinese students make up about 25 percent of all foreign students in the US and contribute to its “economic prosperity and technological development”. In recent years, US universities have widely welcomed Chinese students as a key funding source, as they often pay full international tuition. Advertisement However, the growing number of Chinese students has alarmed lawmakers like Moolenaar, who accused university administrators of jeopardising US research in exchange for higher tuition revenue. ‘Trojan Horse’ Moolenaar stated in his letter that the student visa system had become a “Trojan Horse” for Beijing, “providing unrestricted access to our top research institutions and posing a direct threat to our national security”. “The Chinese Communist Party has established a well-documented, systematic pipeline to embed researchers in leading US institutions, providing them direct exposure to sensitive technologies with dual-use military applications,” Moolenaar’s letter said. Letters were sent to Carnegie Mellon University, Purdue University, Stanford University, the University of Illinois, the University of Maryland, and the University of Southern California. They included requests for information on funding sources and the type of research carried out by Chinese students. The requests also sought “a country-by-country breakdown of applicants, admittances, and enrolments” at the universities. Student visas The letters follow a move earlier this week by Representative Riley Moore of West Virginia to stop Chinese citizens from receiving visas to study in the US or attend exchange programmes. Moore introduced a bill known as the “Stop CCP Visas Act” to Congress, though it is not expected to pass due to widespread opposition. Critics argue that the bill is reminiscent of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which restricted Chinese immigration to the US from 1882 to 1943. Advertisement Moore told NBC News that he would “never apologise for defending America’s national interests against our greatest geopolitical foe”. Adblock test (Why?)
Sudanese army retakes presidential palace
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Sudan’s army has retaken the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum, nearly two years after it was seized.
Fire causes day-long shutdown of UK’s Heathrow Airport
[unable to retrieve full-text content] London’s Heathrow Airport has been closed due to a nearby fire that caused a major power cut.
Georgetown researcher arrest escalates Trump speech crackdown, scholars say
Washington, DC – Nader Hashemi, a professor of Middle East and Islamic politics at Georgetown University, has been a vocal critic of efforts to silence pro-Palestine protesters and academics amid Israel’s war in Gaza. Those efforts reached new heights under the administration of President Donald Trump, which last week took the extraordinary measure of detaining and seeking to deport Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent resident married to a US citizen. Then, immigration authorities came for one of Hashemi’s own students. Earlier this week, agents detained Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, which Hashemi directs. “It’s shocking, and it sort of confirms our worst fears that authoritarian repression on American universities is expanding under the Trump administration,” said Hashemi. Civil liberties groups and rights observers have decried — and challenged — Khalil’s attempted deportation, which Hashemi and other observers describe as an extension of the anti-Palestinian bias in the US government. Advertisement That has often involved conflating anti-Jewish sentiment and support for Hamas, which the US categorises as a “terrorist organisation”, with statements criticising Israeli military action or support for Palestinians, they say. But Hashemi and his colleagues see the targeting of Suri, who is in the US on a student visa, as going a step further, given that he was detained not for public protests but for his alleged personal views. Khaled Elgindy, a visiting scholar at Georgetown who focuses on Palestinian-Israel affairs, said the Trump administration’s enforcement efforts appear to be entering “a different realm with this case”, extending beyond student visa holders and US residents sanctioned for their protest activity. “This person seems to have been targeted, not for his activism,” he said, “but simply for being suspected of holding certain views.” ‘Adverse foreign policy consequences’ For its part, the US Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had approved Suri’s deportation. Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Rubio made the determination by citing the same law used to justify the attempted deportation of Khalil. It is a provision of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act that gives the secretary of state power to remove any non-citizen whose presence in the US is deemed to have “adverse foreign policy consequences”. McLaughlin accused Suri of “actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media”, without providing further details. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for further information from Al Jazeera. Advertisement She also said Suri “has close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior adviser to Hamas”. On Wednesday, Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, confirmed to Al Jazeera that she is a US citizen. Meanwhile, Ahmed Yousef, a former adviser to assassinated Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, confirmed to The New York Times that Suri was his son-in-law. Yousef told the newspaper he had left his position in the political wing of Hamas over a decade ago and has publicly criticised the group’s decision to attack Israel on October 7, 2023. He said that Suri was not involved in “political activism”, much less support for Hamas. Suri has roundly rejected the allegations against him, his lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, told US media. His legal team, which includes the Virginia office of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), has filed a petition at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia seeking his release. He remained at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centre in Louisiana on Thursday. In a statement on Wednesday, Georgetown University also said it supports its community members “rights to free and open deliberation and debate, even if the underlying ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable”. Meanwhile, the Alwaleed Center issued a passionate defence of Suri on Thursday, saying he has become the victim of a “campaign by the Trump Administration to destroy higher education in the United States and punish their political opponents”. Advertisement ‘Direct threat to learning’ Both Suri and his wife Saleh had previously been singled out by “Campus Watch”, a project out of the Middle East Forum that says it “reviews and critiques Middle East studies in North American universities”. Critics have accused the project of being a tool to silence criticism of Israel in higher education. Hashemi, meanwhile, described Suri as a “very respected and serious academic”. “In many ways, [Suri] was the exact opposite to Mahmoud Khalil, in the sense that he was not an organiser or a leader. He was simply a researcher and postdoctoral fellow at our centre,” Hashemi said, “who was just working on themes of minority rights, majoritarianism and the problem of authoritarianism.” Elgindy, meanwhile, said the Trump administration continues to embrace a “dangerous conflation” when it comes to complex discussions of Palestinian rights and resistance. “Really any expression of solidarity with Palestinians or criticism of Israel is deemed in and of itself, to be both anti-Semitic and inherently supportive of terrorism and Hamas,” he said. Elgindy described a “genuine atmosphere of fear” when it comes to open academic debate on the complex realities that define the Israel-Palestine conflict. “It really cuts to the heart of academic freedom — if people have to censor themselves, if students are afraid to ask certain questions or raise certain points because maybe someone in the class is recording and is going to share with some of these extremist groups out there that have been doxxing students,” he said. Advertisement “The intent is to chill debate and to make people second guess whether they should express certain views at all.” A ‘blatant attack’ On Thursday, Congressman Don Beyer, who represents northern Virginia, also weighed in on Suri’s detainment, calling it a violation of his right to “due process” and a “blatant attack on the First Amendment”, referring to the US Constitution’s protections for freedom of speech. His statement offered a preview of the principles likely to be raised in federal courts. The Trump administration has taken the broad position that those
Donald Trump signs executive order to ‘eliminate’ Department of Education
United States President Donald Trump has made good on a campaign promise to begin shuttering the Department of Education, though his efforts are likely to face court challenges and constitutional barriers. On Thursday, the Republican leader held an elaborate ceremony to sign an executive order that would set in motion the department’s demise. A semi-circle of children were arranged in desks around the president, each with their own version of the executive order to sign. When Trump uncapped his marker to sign the order, the children followed suit. When he lifted up the completed order for the cameras, so too did the kids. “I will sign an executive order to begin eliminating the Federal Department of Education once and for all,” Trump said in remarks before the signing ceremony. “And it sounds strange, doesn’t it? Department of Education, we’re going to eliminate it, and everybody knows it’s right, and the Democrats know it’s right.” But Democrats and education advocates quickly denounced the action as not only another example of presidential overreach but as an effort that would harm students across the country. Advertisement “Attempting to dismantle the Department of Education is one of the most destructive and devastating steps Donald Trump has ever taken. This. Will. Hurt. Kids,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on social media within minutes of the ceremony. The order called for Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, a longtime Trump ally, to “take all necessary steps” to facilitate the department’s closure, which must be approved by Congress. The Department of Education was founded in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, as part of an effort to consolidate various education initiatives within the federal government. In doing so, he created a new cabinet-level position, something Republicans even then argued would leach power away from states and local school boards. The department, however, has a limited mandate. It does not set curriculums or school programming but rather focuses on collecting data on education, disseminating research, distributing federal aid and enforcing anti-discrimination measures. A child yawns during the signing of an executive order to shut down the Department of Education [Nathan Howard/Reuters] Trump bemoans test scores Still, Trump has repeatedly held the department responsible for low educational achievement in US schools, an assertion experts say is misleading. “ We’re not doing well with the world of education in this country. And we haven’t for a long time,” Trump said at Thursday’s ceremony. The US does indeed trail other countries in global standardised test scores – but it is by no means last, as Trump has sometimes asserted. Advertisement The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), an international metric for education standards, has found that American students rank as average in their test scores: above countries like Mexico and Brazil but below places like Singapore, Japan and Canada. Test scores had declined in mathematics from 2018 to 2022, something PISA attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. But achievements in reading and science remained stable. Trump, meanwhile, also tied the Department of Education to his broader campaign to cut alleged waste and fraud in the federal government, including through widespread layoffs. He explained from the podium on Thursday that he had offered buyout offers to Education Department employees. “ We’ve cut the number of bureaucrats in half. Fifty percent have taken offers,” Trump said to applause. He added that the employees consisted of “ a small handful of Democrats and others that we have employed for a long time – and there are some Republicans, but not too many, I have to be honest with you.” Trump has previously pledged to expel all “Biden bureaucrats” and install loyalists instead. Critics, however, say he has targeted nonpartisan civil service members with his layoffs, many of whom help maintain government stability from administration to administration. One Trump ally who risks losing their position under the department shake-up is McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. Trump, however, reassured her from the podium on Thursday that she would remain in his government: “We’re going to find something else for you, Linda.” President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order alongside Secretary of Education Linda McMahon [Ben Curtis/AP Photo] Does Trump have the authority? Despite his executive order, Trump cannot single-handedly shutter the Department of Education. Advertisement Only Congress can formally shut down a cabinet-level department. But already, Republicans like Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana have stepped forward to begin legislative proceedings. “I agree with President Trump that the Department of Education has failed its mission,” Cassidy said in a news release. “Since the Department can only be shut down with congressional approval, I will support the President’s goals by submitting legislation to accomplish this as soon as possible.” But if such legislation is introduced, it would likely not generate enough support to reach the threshold of 60 votes needed to overcome the filibuster in the 100-seat Senate. “The Republicans don’t have that,” said Al Jazeera correspondent Shihab Rattansi, reporting from Washington, DC. The Republicans only have a 53-seat majority. Still, Rattansi predicts the issue will likely end up before the Supreme Court, as education advocates prepare to mount legal challenges. The Education Department, Rattansi explained, “is thought of as relatively low-hanging fruit” as the Trump administration tries to expand its executive reach. “They have a very expansive view of executive power. They want to test that in court,” he said. Part of the reason for its vulnerability is that the department is relatively young: It was founded within the last half-century. But Rattansi warned that critical educational functions could be lost or suspended while legal challenges wind their way through the court system. “What the Department of Education does is ensure equal access to education for minorities, for poor kids, for disabled children, and so on. So there’s that extra level of oversight that will now be – potentially, in the short term – removed as court cases are fought,” he said. Advertisement “In the long term, though, this is all about testing the limits of