Mahmoud Khalil, student leader of Columbia protests, arrested
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) have arrested a Palestinian graduate student who played a prominent role in last year’s pro-Palestinian protests at New York’s Columbia University, the student workers’ union said on Sunday. The student, Mahmoud Khalil at the university’s School of International and Public Affairs, was arrested at his university residence on Saturday, the Student Workers of Columbia union said in a statement. Khalil’s wife is a US citizen and he has a permanent residency green card, the union said. He remained in detention on Sunday. Khalil’s wife declined to comment through one of Khalil’s fellow students. Khalil’s lawyer, Amy Greer, told the Associated Press news agency that she spoke by phone with one of the ICE agents during the arrest, who said they were acting on State Department orders to revoke Khalil’s student visa. Informed by the lawyer that Khalil was in the country as a permanent resident with a green card, the agent said they were revoking that too, according to the lawyer. Advertisement Greer said the authorities declined to tell Khalil’s wife, who is eight months pregnant, whether he was accused of committing a crime. Khalil has since been transferred to an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey. “We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained,” Greer told the AP. “This is a clear escalation. The administration is following through on its threats.” The arrest appeared to be among the first known actions under President Donald Trump’s pledge to deport international students who joined the protests against Israel’s war in Gaza that swept college campuses last year. His administration has claimed participants forfeited their rights to remain in the country by supporting Hamas, which is designated as a ‘terror’ organisation by the US. The move has been described as an attack on First Amendment freedoms. Khalil, an Algerian citizen of Palestinian origin, has been one of the school administrators’ lead negotiators of the pro-Palestinian student protesters, some of whom set up a tent encampment on a Columbia lawn last year and seized control of an academic building for several hours in April before police entered the campus to arrest them. Khalil was not in the group that occupied the building but was a mediator between Columbia provosts and the protesters. The protesting students called for Columbia’s divestment from companies with ties to Israel, a ceasefire and an end to the war that killed nearly 50,000 Palestinians and turned the enclave into rubble after nonstop bombardment. The US provided the bulk of the ammunition for the war. Maryam Alwan, Mahmoud Khalil and Layla Saliba speak to members of the media at Columbia University on June 1, 2024 [Jeenah Moon/Reuters] Columbia said last year that it would consider expediting some of the students’ demands through its investments committee. Advertisement Rights groups have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza – home to 2.3 million people. Despite a ceasefire in place since January 19, Israel has blocked the entry of any aid into Gaza since March 1, drawing condemnation from rights groups and aid agencies. The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent Israeli military offensive on Gaza led to months of pro-Palestinian protests that roiled US college campuses. At least 1,100 people were killed in the Hamas attack and some 240 people were taken captive. Most of the captives have been released as part of truce deals. A new round of truce talks will resume in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Monday. Targeted by the government A spokesperson for Columbia said the school was barred by law from sharing information about individual students. The Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, which oversees the country’s visa system, did not respond to questions from the news agencies. It was not immediately clear on what grounds ICE agents arrested Khalil. The ICE comes under the US Department of Homeland Security. In an interview with the Reuters news agency a few hours before his arrest on Saturday about the Trump administration’s criticism of Columbia, Khalil said he was concerned that he was being targeted by the government for speaking to the media. The Trump administration on Friday said it had cancelled government contracts and grants worth about $400m to Columbia University. The government said the cuts and the student deportation efforts are due to “anti-Semitic” harassment at and near Columbia’s Manhattan campus. “What more can Columbia do to appease Congress or the government now?” Khalil said before his arrest, noting that Columbia had twice called in police to arrest protesters and had disciplined many pro-Palestinian students and staff, suspending some. Advertisement “They basically silenced anyone supporting Palestine on campus and this was not enough. Clearly, Trump is using the protesters as a scapegoat for his wider agenda [of] fighting and attacking higher education and the Ivy League education system.” In response to the announced grant cuts on Friday, Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, said the school was committed to combating anti-Semitism and was “working with the federal government to address their legitimate concerns”. Protesting students have denied the charges of anti-Semitism. ‘This is only the beginning’ Maryam Alwan, a Palestinian American senior at Columbia who has protested alongside Khalil, said the Trump administration was dehumanising Palestinians. “I am horrified for my dear friend Mahmoud, who is a legal resident, and I am horrified that this is only the beginning,” she said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that international students who support Hamas, which the US has designated a “terrorist” organisation, face visa revocation and deportation. On Thursday, Columbia issued a revised protocol for how students and school staff should handle ICE agents seeking to enter private school property. The school said ICE agents without a judicial arrest warrant may be allowed to enter its private property in “exigent circumstances”, which it did not specify. “By allowing ICE on campus, Columbia is surrendering to the Trump administration’s assault on universities across the
Who is Mark Carney, Canada’s new Liberal leader and next prime minister?
Montreal, Canada – Canada has its next prime minister. Mark Carney has been elected as the new head of the governing Liberal Party, replacing Justin Trudeau in the midst of historic tensions and fears of a trade war with the United States. An economist and former central banker, Carney will be sworn-in as prime minister in the coming days. He is making his first foray into Canadian politics at the country’s highest level – and with a federal election looming. He is also taking the helm of a party that, after years of declining support and criticism over its handling of social and economic issues, is riding a newfound wave of political momentum. “I will work day and night with one purpose, which is to build a stronger Canada for everyone,” Carney said in his victory speech on Sunday evening after securing 85.9 percent of the vote on the first ballot. But just who is Mark Carney? What policies does he plan to pursue, and will he be able to boost the Liberals’ fortunes in the upcoming federal election against a strong Conservative Party? Advertisement Oxford grad, central banker Born in Canada’s Northwest Territories and raised in the western province of Alberta, Carney has presented himself as a political outsider who can steer Canada through a period of economic turmoil and uncertainty. The country has been roiled by US President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs on Canadian products, which came into effect on March 4. Fears of a recession have fuelled a sense of Canadian nationalism and a desire for steady leadership in Ottawa. Carney holds degrees from Harvard and Oxford universities and spent over a decade at the investment firm Goldman Sachs. More recently, he served as the chair of Brookfield Asset Management, where he also led the company’s “transition investing” – an effort to promote investments that align with global climate goals. But it is his banking experience in times of crisis that Carney and his supporters say best demonstrates his ability to help Canada weather the Trump storm. The 59-year-old began his tenure as the governor of the Bank of Canada amid the global financial crisis of 2008, and he was credited with taking quick and decisive actions that helped spare Canada from a more serious downturn. In 2013, Carney left to take the helm of the Bank of England, where he remained until 2020 – the year the United Kingdom formally left the European Union. There, too, he was recognised as having minimised the effects of Brexit – though his assessment that a break with the EU posed a risk to the British economy drew the ire of conservatives who were in favour of leaving the bloc. Advertisement “He was an innovative and inventive central banker,” said Will Hutton, an author, columnist and president of the UK’s Academy of Social Sciences. “He understood that actually, central banks have a job to make capitalism as legitimate as possible by ironing out its worst proclivities. And he was appalled by Brexit, which he thought was self-defeating,” Hutton told Al Jazeera. “But he managed to organise the Bank of England’s behaviours so the fallout from it was less disastrous than it could have been.” Carney holds a news conference in 2016 as governor of the Bank of England [Matt Dunham/Pool via Reuters] Lack of political experience While few dispute Carney’s economic credentials, his lack of experience in electoral politics has raised questions. He previously served as an economic adviser to Trudeau, who resigned amid widespread anger over his government’s handling of a housing crisis and rising costs of living. But Carney has never run for political office before, and he spent much of the Liberal leadership campaign introducing himself to Canadians. “He’s someone who’s been behind the scenes, an adviser,” said Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University who described Carney as a “technocrat on steroids”. Carney has laid out broad promises since he launched his campaign, including reining in government spending, investing more in housing, diversifying Canada’s trading partners and putting a temporary cap on immigration. A former United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance, Carney is also a major proponent of the idea that the private sector must take a leadership role in tackling the climate crisis and getting to net-zero emissions. Advertisement “I know how to manage crises. I know how to build strong economies,” he said during a debate against the other Liberal leadership hopefuls last month. “I have a plan, a plan that puts more money back in your pockets, a plan that makes our companies more competitive, a plan that builds a strong economy that works for you.” Beland told Al Jazeera that the Liberal leadership contest largely failed to test Carney because his main opponent was longtime friend and former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. The pair did not attack each other much during the race. “That’s not the best test for someone who has no political experience and will then have to basically go into the lion’s den,” Beland said, referring to this year’s federal election, where Carney will face fiery opposition leaders such as the Conservatives’ Pierre Poilievre and Yves-Francois Blanchet of the Bloc Quebecois. ‘Consummate insider’ Carney’s attempt to paint himself as an outsider has been challenged as well. His time as a Liberal Party adviser, coupled with his experience atop the global financial world, make him “a consummate insider and a consummate elite”, said Canadian political analyst and journalist David Moscrop. “At the same time, he’s an accomplished policy expert, a renowned and respected mainstream economic thinker. And if that’s your sort of thing, then this is pretty much the cream of the crop,” Moscrop told Al Jazeera. “But if it’s not your sort of thing, then he represents what some on the left and some on the right see as a kind of global economic elite consensus that is oppressing day-to-day people.” Advertisement Poilievre and his Conservative Party have tapped into that feeling of public
Russia claims new gains; Zelenskyy says ‘committed’ to dialogue with US
Moscow said it captured territory shortly before potential peace talks begin in Saudi Arabia. Moscow says it has made new gains in Ukraine’s Sumy region and Russia’s Kursk region as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was “fully committed” to having a constructive dialogue with United States representatives ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia to discuss how to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. US and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet for talks in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on Tuesday, with US President Donald Trump’s administration vying to secure a ceasefire and a “framework” for a peace agreement. Despite the upcoming talks, the Russian Ministry of Defence said in a briefing that its forces had “liberated” the small village of Novenke in Sumy near the border with Kursk. Moscow also announced the recapture of the villages of Lebedevka, Malaya Loknya, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye and Kositsa in Kursk. Russia briefly occupied parts of Ukraine’s Sumy at the start of its all-out invasion in 2022 but has not taken any territory there since. Kyiv has not yet commented on Russia’s claim to have captured Novenke, which analysts say could bring Russian troops closer to blocking a major Ukrainian supply route. Advertisement Zelenskyy said in his evening address on Sunday: “I want to thank all our units who are steadfastly and against all odds destroying the occupier, repelling attacks and defending our positions. “Diplomacy will be strong only on strong front-line positions. And we are doing our best to ensure that Ukraine’s front-line needs are met.” Who’s meeting who The US cut off Ukraine’s access to intelligence sharing and satellite data, as well as aid – following a White House public spat with Zelenskyy – in a bid to force Kyiv to negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion – Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II. Zelenskyy invited Trump’s wrath for rejecting a mineral deal, which the Ukrainian president says should involve a US security guarantee. But the Trump administration has refused to commit to that and instead asked Europe to step up aid for the war-battered country. European leaders have, meanwhile, agreed to boost defence spending as they pledged support to Ukraine against Russian threats. Washington has also poured cold water over Ukraine’s NATO ambitions. Zelenskyy confirmed on Saturday that he would visit Saudi Arabia next week and that after meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, Ukrainian diplomatic and military representatives would stay for a meeting on Tuesday with the US. “Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively,” the Ukrainian president said on X. Advertisement US envoy Steve Witkoff, meanwhile, confirmed last week that he would meet Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, signalling that he would discuss an “initial ceasefire” and a “framework” for a longer agreement. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also visit Saudi Arabia between March 10 and 12 for talks with Ukrainian counterparts, a statement from the US Department of State said. He will also hold talks with Prince Mohammed to discuss regional issues and ways to bolster US-Saudi Arabian ties, the State Department said. Rubio spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Friday and said Trump wanted to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible. It will be the first high-level gathering of US and Ukrainian officials since the February 28 meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump devolved into a shouting match and ended with the Ukrainian leader being asked to leave the White House. Adblock test (Why?)
Russian forces use gas pipeline in attack on Ukranian positions
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Russian special forces crept miles through a gas pipeline, in an attempt to launch a surprise attack Ukrainian units.
Beauty in Gaza: Noor’s tent salon in the rubble
Gaza City – Amani Dweima has come to the salon with her 16-year-old daughter, Aya. The 39-year-old wants her eyebrows shaped, and Aya wants a full face of makeup; there’s a wedding planned for that evening after iftar. “My niece’s wedding,” Amani says. “We’re celebrating the bride with a small family gathering before the groom takes her to their tent.” Noor’s Salon The salon is a small blue tent with a single table inside topped with a damaged mirror, depilation tools, moisturisers, and some makeup. Outside the tent in al-Shujaeya east of Gaza City, a white handwritten sign reading: “Noor’s Salon” hangs near the curtained entrance. This is Noor al-Ghamari’s salon, a dream project for the young woman who quit nursing college to pursue her love of hair and makeup. She set it up about three weeks ago on a destroyed pavement, the only option available when she and her family returned to the north from their displacement to the south. After greeting Amani and Aya, she starts softening a small piece of sugaring paste, gently kneading it in her hands, and begins working. Advertisement “Since I opened, so many women have come to me with heartbreaking stories … about losing their families and loved ones. They arrive exhausted, their faces drained of light,” Noor said. The idea of a beauty salon in the midst of war may seem odd, Amani and Noor agree, but the act of self-care can help women. Amani, seated, says: ‘Looking after myself changes my mood,’ as Noor works on her face [Abdelhakim Abu Riash, Al Jazeera] “Women come to me from tents, overcrowded schools, or the ruins of their destroyed homes. “I try to offer them a moment of comfort, a small escape. My main goal is for them to leave feeling even just a little lighter, a little happier.” Amani, who was displaced to Deir el-Balah and has recently returned to the north, as well, didn’t think about going to a beautician at all in the early days of the war. Eventually, she came across a similar salon in Deir el-Balah and started to go as regularly as she could. “Looking after myself changes my mood, especially when I see my reflection in the mirror. I always want to look presentable. “The tragedies around us never end. Visiting a beauty salon is … a small escape from all the hardships around us,” she adds. Back in the north, she was “thrilled” when she saw Noor’s Salon and immediately spread the good news to her neighbours and relatives. Beauty amid war Noor believes the war has been particularly cruel to women in Gaza – stripping them of their homes and security and of their capacity for self-care as they poured their energy into survival. “I saw many women whose skin was completely burned by the sun from living in tents, constantly cooking over wood fires, washing clothes by hand, and carrying heavy water containers,” she says. “On top of that, they have no privacy in the overcrowded displacement camps, not to mention the fear, bombings, and all the horrors of war.” Noor stands in front of her tent salon, on a destroyed street in Shujaeya [Abdelhakim Abu Riash, Al Jazeera] And yet, she says, she has had clients of all ages who feel that self-care is essential for them. Advertisement “I met many women who couldn’t stand a single stray hair on their face or eyebrows. Some came to me every week, others regularly or occasionally,” Noor says. She recalls a client she got once, a woman in her early 30s who had been through a huge trauma when her parents and all her siblings were killed in an Israeli air raid. Coping with her loss meant the woman lost all desire to do anything. “I felt so deeply for her,” Noor says. “I gave her a full treatment – threading, eyebrow shaping, a haircut, even a free face massage and masque. “When she looked in the mirror, her eyes filled with happy tears.” Holding on to dreams Israel’s war on Gaza began right as Noor was dreaming, laying out the plans for her own – bricks-and-mortar – salon. Like everyone in Gaza, her life and plans were turned upside down as she, her parents and her eight siblings were forced to flee south after Israeli evacuation orders. For the first two months, her only thoughts were of survival and helping her family, she says. “But after the initial months, when we settled in a displacement camp in the south, I heard women say things like: ‘If only there were a hairdresser or a salon nearby so we could take care of ourselves a little.’ “I would respond: ‘I’m a beautician!’” Noor laughs. Noor stops to check the makeup she’s applying to Aya’s face for the wedding later [Abdelhakim Abu Riash, Al Jazeera] “The women would grab me like they had just found a treasure, and I would start working immediately.” Some women came to her, while she went to others in their tents – depending on their needs. Advertisement Now, her work has become an essential source of income for her and her family during the war, even though she can’t charge her five to eight customers a day much. “I live here, I understand the reality,” she says, explaining why she keeps her prices low. ‘War aged us’ Amani seems restless as Noor finishes threading her face. She asks if Noor can dye her hair, but Noor can’t. “There’s no water in this area,” she explains. “Dyeing needs running water, and my tent is on the pavement, surrounded by destruction – there’s no water, no electricity, nothing. “I make do with the simplest equipment and only offer basic services.” Amani sighs, running her fingers through her greying hair beneath her hijab. “I only used to have a few grey hairs. But now, it’s everywhere. This war aged us,” she says with a sad smile. Noor shifted her attention to Aya, discussing
Video: The silence of feminists in the face of genocide in Gaza
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Western feminist movements have mobilised for women’s rights around the world—except when it comes to Palestine.
What threat does the surge in violence in Syria pose?
UN envoy expresses alarm and urges restraint on all sides amid clashes between security forces, Civilians have reportedly been among the hundreds killed in violence in Syria, as government forces surge to the country’s northwest to respond to fighters loyal to the ousted leader Bashar al-Assad. The situation represents the greatest challenge yet to interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has promised accountability for anyone attacking civilians. The UN has expressed alarm, while appealing for calm from all sides. So what’s the risk of escalation? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests: Marie Forestier – Senior adviser at the European Institute of Peace Ammar Kahf – Executive director of the Omran Center for Strategic Studies Hind Kabawat – Professor of conflict resolution at George Mason University and former deputy head of the Syrian Negotiation Commission Adblock test (Why?)
‘Alarming regression’ in path to peace in South Sudan, UN commission warns
South Sudan has seen an “alarming regression” as clashes in recent weeks in the country’s northeast threaten to undo years of progress towards peace, the United Nations commission on human rights for the country has warned. The statement on Saturday from Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, comes amid a spate of violence between security forces overseen by President Salva Kiir and an armed group his government has alleged is linked to First Vice President Riek Machar. The situation has put in peril the pair’s fragile power-sharing agreement reached in 2018 to end five years of civil war. It has also sparked fears of war in the country’s Upper Nile state. “We are witnessing an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress,” Sooka said. “Rather than fuelling division and conflict, leaders must urgently refocus on the peace process, uphold the human rights of South Sudanese citizens, and ensure a smooth transition to democracy,” Sooka said. Advertisement The chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, also expressed “deep concern” on Saturday. In a statement, he called for an “immediate end to all hostilities.” Eruption of violence The latest flare-up began when fighting erupted between the Sudanese armed forces and a group identified by Human Rights Watch (HRW) as an “armed youth militia” in Nasir County in the Upper Nile state in February. While it remains unclear what started the fighting, HRW noted rumours of forced disarmament may have fueled the unrest. Several clashes have since taken place, with fighters using “heavy weaponry”, according to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The agency has also reported fighting in Western Equatoria state in the southwestern part of the country. Earlier this week, South Sudan’s information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, blamed the violence, in part, on the White Army, a Nuer armed group operating in Upper Nile. He accused the group of working in league with Machar’s party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM/IO). South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, right, and Vice President Riek Machar, left, attend a Holy Mass led by Pope Francis at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan [File: Ben Curtis/AP] Tensions rose further earlier this week when Kiir ordered the arrests of two officials and several senior military officials allied with Machar. The army also surrounded Machar’s home, effectively putting him under house arrest. Advertisement Then on Friday, a UN helicopter attempting to rescue soldiers in the state was attacked, killing one crew member and wounding two others. An army general was also killed in the failed rescue mission, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Friday. Speaking late Friday, Kiir urged calm following the incident. “The government I lead will handle this crisis. We will remain steadfast on the path of peace,” he said. ‘Reckless power struggles’ South Sudan is the world’s youngest country, having gained independence in 2011. However, the independence movement, led by Kiir’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), quickly splintered. By 2013, the country had descended into full-scale civil war. The fighting killed more than 400,000 people and displaced more than a million others. In 2018, the two sides signed the Revitalised Agreement on Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The agreement was meant to see the two warring factions unite their armies under a single unit, write a new constitution, prepare for general elections, organise a census and disarm all other armed groups. However, none of the reforms have been instituted. In the statement released on Saturday, Barney Afako, another member of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, warned observers are witnessing “a return to the reckless power struggles that have devastated the country in the past”. He said that the South Sudanese had endured “atrocities, rights violations which amount to serious crimes, economic mismanagement, and ever-worsening security”. Advertisement “They deserve respite and peace, not another cycle of war,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Women worldwide march to demand end to violence, inequality
Demonstrations from Buenos Aires to Lagos demand justice for victims of femicide and urge reforms to protect women. Demonstrators have taken to the streets across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas to mark International Women’s Day, with many demanding an end to gender-based violence and inequality. In cities like Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday, those warnings were particularly grave, as protesters railed against austerity plans put forth by President Javier Milei that they say will roll back services for women. Milei’s government has shut down the country’s Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity and plans to strike “femicide” – the term for the murder of women in the context of gender violence – from the country’s penal code. His justice minister has called the term a “distortion of the concept of equality”, claiming it indicates a higher value for women’s lives. Reporting from Buenos Aires, Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo said demonstrators say the move is particularly harmful given that one woman is killed every 30 hours in the country. A UN report released last year found that about 60 percent of women and girls killed in 2023 were murdered by their intimate partner or a close relative. Advertisement “Women here say that they’ve been fighting for too long, that they won’t back down, that they won’t be silent,” Bo said. “They say that their fight is too important, and that’s why they say that they will continue with their struggle on the streets.” Women wearing masks hold signs with the names of those who, according to them, are victims of gender-based violence [Susana Vera/Reuters] Hundreds of women in Ecuador marched in the capital Quito holding signs that opposed violence and the “patriarchal system”. “Justice for our daughters!” demonstrators yelled in support of women slain in recent years. In Bolivia, thousands of women began marching late Friday, with some scrawling graffiti on the walls of courts, demanding that their rights be respected and denouncing impunity in femicides, with less than half of those cases reaching sentencing. Placards and a cutout depicting Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa are attached to a monument in Quito, Ecuador [Karen Toro/Reuters] In many European countries, women also protested against violence, for better access to gender-specific healthcare, equal pay and other issues in which there are still disparities with men. In Poland, activists opened a centre across from the parliament building in Warsaw where women can go to have medical abortions, also known as non-surgical abortions, either alone or with other women. Opening the centre on International Women’s Day across from the legislature was a symbolic challenge to authorities in the traditionally Roman Catholic nation, which has one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws. People attend a demonstration to call for gender equality and demand an end to violence against women to mark International Women’s Day in Paris, France [Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters] Protesters also took to the streets in Madrid, Spain. Advertisement Some protesters held up hand-drawn pictures depicting Gisele Pelicot, a French woman who was drugged by her now ex-husband in France over the course of a decade so that she could be raped by dozens of men while unconscious. Pelicot has become a symbol for women all over Europe in the fight against sexual violence. A woman holds a poster honouring Gisele Pelicot, the victim of a mass rape orchestrated by her then-husband Dominique Pelicot [Susana Vera/Reuters] In the Nigerian capital of Lagos, thousands of women gathered at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, dancing and singing and celebrating their womanhood. Many were dressed in purple – the traditional colour of the women’s liberation movement. In Russia, the women’s day celebrations had more official overtones, with honour guard soldiers presenting yellow tulips to girls and women during a celebration in St Petersburg. In Ukraine, a ceremony was held in the city of Kharkiv to commemorate female soldiers who had died fighting Russia’s invasion. Adblock test (Why?)
Women on the front line
On International Women’s Day, Al Jazeera’s journalists Teresa Bo, Fahmida Miller, and Maram Humaid reflect on what it’s like to report from some of the world’s most challenging regions. From their experience, it’s clear that women’s voices are not only vital in journalism but also in the communities they serve. Adblock test (Why?)