BBC's Anthony Zurcher receives award at White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
Correspondent for the BBC, has been honored with the inaugural Center for Integrity in News Reporting Award for excellence in White House reporting. He was awarded for his coverage of how Joe Biden navigated the diplomatic and political consequences of the war in Gaza. Zurcher received the award at this year's White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington D.C.
The Center for Integrity in News Reporting is dedicated to recognizing and awarding excellence in journalism that embodies impartiality, objectivity and fairness.
The judges praised Zurcher's reporting, commenting: "Careful, clear, direct language is the hallmark of the BBC's reporting. The reporting and the writing provide clarity without taking sides, while keeping a deeply divided readership abreast of the latest developments"
'These articles exemplify impartial reporting by presenting the complexities of the Israel-Gaza conflict with clarity, restraint, and a commitment to balance. They neither sensationalize events nor take sides, instead offering a rigorous examination of the political and humanitarian stakes. With careful sourcing, measured language, and a focus on verifiable facts, they embody journalism that has 'the courage to not fear and the discipline to not favor.''
Zurcher has been reporting on U.S. politics for three decades covering elections, Congress and the White House. He is the author of the U.S. Politics Unspun, the BBC's weekly newsletter on the biggest stories in Washington and their global impact and a co-presenter of the BBC's award-winning podcast, Americast.
You can read Zurcher's winning coverage here:
Israel-Gaza briefings: Tough choices for Israel in US's Middle East vision
Israel-Gaza briefings: Biden treading carefully through political minefield
Pro-Palestinian protests heap pressure on Biden from left and right
Problems that plagued Carter have also troubled Biden
For a full list of WHCA winners, read the full announcement on the White House Correspondents' Association website.
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Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Greta Thunberg is locked in an Israeli prison cell and will be dragged to court with other 'freedom flotilla' activists, her lawyer claims - after snub from Sweden
Greta Thunberg is being held in an Israeli prison and will appear in court tomorrow after Israeli commandos intercepted the 'freedom flotilla', according to the activist's lawyer. Thunberg, alongside the 11 other activists on board are expected to appear in court on Tuesday morning after they were taken to the Israeli port city of Ashdod. 'We demand information about the whereabouts of our clients and the right to meet them,' lawyer Nariman Shehade Zoabi told Expressen. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which organised the voyage from Italy to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, said last night that the ship had come 'under assault' in the Mediterranean Sea. The Madleen was said to have been shadowed by speedboats and drones before 'quadcopters' surrounded and sprayed the ship with an unidentified 'white irritant substance', shortly before the IDF seized it. Israeli commandos took over the vessel and arrested the activists, before taking them to Ashdod, in southern Israel. But as of late Monday afternoon, their lawyers claimed they had not received any information about their clients' whereabouts. 'Based on previous experiences, Greta Thunberg and the others will be taken to Givon prison near the town of Ramle. There, what are called illegal immigrants are detained and there is a court that can quickly decide on deportation,' Zoabi, from the human rights organisation, Adala, added. She is waiting in Ashdod alongside five others, three of whom are lawyers, and explained the deportation process could be quick. 'Israel has no interest in detaining them and they themselves do not want to stay in the country', she said. But until they are deported, the activists will be detained in Givon Prison. It comes after Sweden rejected Greta Thunberg 's plea for help on board the 'freedom flotilla' after Israeli commandos intercepted the vessel on its approach to Gaza. Maria Malmer Stenergard, the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, said on Monday that she believes Thunberg is not in need of support from the ministry after the climate activist called on followers to pressure the government into action. 'A great responsibility rests on those who choose to travel contrary to the advice given to a place,' she said outside the Swedish parliament, as protestors gathered in Stockholm to demand an intervention. The minister lamented that, as a result of Greta's plea, the consular hotline had received a high volume of calls that meant Swedes 'in need' abroad were being held in long queues for assistance. 'It is quite dangerous to run a campaign that means that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' consular hotline is called down,' she said, adding: 'The consequence is that Swedes in need abroad have to wait in line for far too long.' Stenergard suggested she did not believe Thunberg needed help, but assured: 'If she needs consular support, we will do everything we can, just as we do with all Swedish citizens.' Israel has claimed that all passengers on board the charity vessel are 'safe and unharmed'. The foreign ministry said today it expects the activists to return to their home countries. Protestors hold signs reading 'Neutrality = complicity' (C) and Palestinian flags as they attend a demonstration to show their support for activists aboard a boat stopped by Israeli forces enroute to deliver aid to Gaza, in Toulouse, south-western France on June 9, 2025 Protestors have called on the governments of the 12 crew members to act after the activists claimed to have been 'intercepted and kidnapped' in international waters some 100 miles from the coast of Gaza. In London, demonstrators gathered outside the FCDO offices in Whitehall to call on the government to protect the crew of the British-flagged ship. One held a sign that read: ' Israel attacks UK boat. UK does nothing.' Images emerged last night, showing the deck of the charity vessel splattered with white liquid. Activist Yasmin Acar, among those on board, said it had been deployed by Israel and was affecting her eyes. 'Communications are jammed, and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio,' the coalition wrote on Telegram. Huwaida Arraf, the co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, told Al Jazeera that crew members had said their eyes were burning from the substance. 'We don't know what that chemical was. Some people reported that their eyes were burning,' they said. Israel 'forcibly intercepted' the British-flagged vessel at 3.02am local time this morning, some 100 miles from the coast of Gaza, the FFC said in a statement. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz argued the blockade - in place for years - was needed to prevent militants importing weapons into Gaza. He congratulated the military on its 'quick and safe takeover' of the ship this morning after Israeli commandos seized the vessel. After diverting the boat, Israel's foreign ministry posted a picture of the activists all in orange life jackets being offered water and sandwiches. Katz said that the crew were safe and unharmed, and would be taken to the Israeli Port of Ashdod where they would be shown a video of Hamas 's October 7 atrocities. Critics called on the UK Government to protect the crew of Madleen on Monday Video shows gunmen storming into southern Israel during Hamas's October 7 massacre, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage In comments shared on social media today, Katz said it was 'appropriate' the crew now see 'what atrocities [Hamas] committed against women, the elderly and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself'. The video of Hamas' attacks reportedly contains 43 minutes of 'uncensored' footage of 'people being massacred and bodies mutilated during the onslaught', according to the Times of Israel. The Israeli foreign ministry also derided what it called the 'selfie yacht' carrying 'celebrity' activists, adding that the aid onboard would be transferred to Gaza through what it called 'real humanitarian channels'. The 12 activists had left Italy on June 1, aiming to bring awareness of food shortages in Gaza, which the UN has called the 'hungriest place on Earth', after 21 months of war. The UN has warned the territory's entire population is at risk of famine. But the Israeli government had vowed to prevent the 'unauthorised' Madleen from breaching the naval blockade of Gaza, urging it to turn back. Protesters gather in support of the Freedom Flotilla and Palestine outside the Foreign Office After losing communication with the vessel, the FFC posted pre-recorded videos from the crew. In her video, Thunberg said: 'If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel.' Why are the activists protesting? The crew on board the Madleen sailed towards Gaza in an effort to raise awareness of the deepening humanitarian crisis. Israel imposed a blockade on supplies - including food and medicine - into the Palestinian enclave on March 2, and limited aid only began to enter again late last month after pressure from allies and warnings of famine. ActionAid had reported in April that the price of flour in Gaza had soared to $300 a bag after more than 50 days without new aid deliveries. More than 3,700 children were newly admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition in March alone, it said, an 80 per cent rise on the previous month, per UNOCHA. Still, most people in Gaza are surviving on just a single meal per day, consisting mostly of pasta, rice or canned food. Humanitarian workers and experts have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive. Nine tenths of the population have been displaced by 21 months of war, with Israel now pursuing a new major offensive in the strip. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza's Palestinian population. The FFC said that Israel had acted with 'total impunity'. It said that the cargo, containing baby formula, food and medical supplies, had been 'confiscated'. Israel said that the aid on board would be 'transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels'. The foreign ministry stressed that all crew members were 'safe and unharmed'. It said that it expected the activists to return to their home countries. Arraf, a human rights attorney and Freedom Flotilla organiser, pushed back: 'Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen.' 'This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the (International Court of Justice's) binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.' Israel has come under criticism for apprehending the group of activists in international waters. Francesca Albanese, the UN's Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said the British government must 'urgently seek full clarification' about the ship's status and work to 'secure the immediate release' of the vessel and crew. 'The Madleen must be allowed to continue its lawful humanitarian mission to Gaza,' she said. MailOnline approached the Foreign Office for comment. Protestors amassed outside the FCDO offices in London today. One held a sign that read: 'Israel attacks UK boat. UK does nothing.' Ellie Chowns, Green Party Foreign Affairs spokeswoman and MP for North Herefordshire, said: 'The UK Government cannot remain silent while international waters are turned into a battleground and humanitarian actors are criminalised. 'The forced interception of the Madleen, a British-flagged vessel, is utterly unacceptable. Unarmed civilian crew were seized by Israeli military forces while sailing in international waters, their life-saving cargo taken, and international law trampled. 'I echo the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's demands: the immediate release of these civilians, unfettered delivery of vital baby formula, food and medical supplies to Gaza, and full accountability for these flagrant violations.' The Ashdod Port. The Madleen crew were taken to Ashdod today An Israeli officer at the Super Nova Festival in Re'im, Israel, after it was attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023 The Gaza-bound aid ship Madleen, organised by the international NGO Freedom Flotilla Coalition, anchored off Catania, Italy, on June 1 Critics have branded the interception 'state piracy' and condemned the lack of action from the crew members' respective governments. Mouin Rabbani, a non-resident fellow at the Qatar-based Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, told Al Jazeera: 'This is not only an act of state piracy. It's in direct violation of the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice.' Spain summoned Israel's charge d'affaires in protest of the interception, according to El Pais, citing a source at the Spanish Foreign Ministry. French Foreign Minister Jeal-Noel Barrot said France wants to 'facilitate the rapid return' of six French nationals travelling with the group. Turkey slammed Israel for the interception, describing it as a 'heinous attack'. 'The intervention by Israeli forces on the 'Madleen' ship.. while sailing in international waters is a clear violation of international law,' it said, describing it as a 'heinous attack' by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Turkey's foreign ministry said there were Turkish nationals among those on board, without identifying them. The Freedom Flotilla's website said the boat was carrying 12 people from seven countries, including Turkey. 'The international community's justified reaction to Israel's genocidal policies, which use hunger as a weapon in Gaza and prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid, will continue,' the ministry added, saying Israel would manage to 'silence the voices defending human values'. Five year-old Osama al-Raqab, suffering from severe malnutrition, undergoes treatment at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Youni in the southern Gaza Strip 31 May 2025. His mother said his weight has dropped to just nine kilograms Zakariya al-Majdoub, an 11-month-old baby born in Khan Yunis during Israeli attacks on Gaza, faces life-threatening malnutrition in Gaza on June 3, 2025 Rihan Sharab, a Palestinian mother, tries to keep the joy of Eid alive with her handcrafted toys by distributing them to children in the Mewasi camp while Israeli attacks continue in Khan Yunis, Gaza on June 4, 2025 A Palestinian man collects aid supplies from the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 9, 2025 Eight-year-old Rahab Matar, who was injured during an Israeli airstrike while playing in a park in Gaza, stays at a temporary shelter set up at the Yarmouk Stadium, Gaza City, June 7 Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza to alleviate widespread shortages of food and basic supplies. It recently allowed humanitarian deliveries to resume after barring them for more than two months and began working with the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. But humanitarian agencies have criticised the GHF and the United Nations refuses to work with it, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality. Dozens of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May, according to Gaza's civil defence agency.
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
White House struggles to hire senior advisers to Pete Hegseth
Hegseth will testify before lawmakers on Capitol Hill three times this week, his first appearance since his confirmation hearing. His testimony is scheduled to focus on the Pentagon budget, but no Defense Department budget has been provided to Congress as of yet. Vance, Wiles and others have looked for job candidates in some of the traditional places, including inside the White House and on Capitol Hill, according to the second former U.S. official, a defense official and a congressional aide. Some candidates have been judged politically problematic, the former U.S. official and others familiar with the process said. For example, the White House personnel office has disqualified some for not being MAGA enough, according to the former U.S. official and a current U.S. official familiar with the process. In addition to trying to assist him with hiring, the White House has taken multiple other steps to help — and manage — Hegseth. 'Vice President Vance has had Secretary Hegseth's back since the day President Trump nominated him, and he fully supports the incredible work Pete's doing at the Pentagon to improve military readiness and drive recruitment numbers to record highs,' Vance spokesman William Martin said in a statement. Another White House official said it was typical for the White House to be involved in staffing for key roles across government. Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for the White House, said Hegseth enjoys 'the full support' of Trump. But last month White House officials directed Hegseth to cancel a trip to the Middle East after they learned he planned a stop in Israel, according to a current and a former official. Instead, they put Hegseth on Air Force One to travel with President Donald Trump, who did not include Israel in his itinerary. A different Cabinet official, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, visited Israel several weeks later and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump's request. A person familiar with Hegseth's planning said Noem's trip reflected the White House's desire to have Netanyahu meet with a trusted messenger. An unexpected purge When they arrived at the Pentagon early this year, two senior advisers to Hegseth, Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick, were seen as his close allies — previous colleagues of his, even friends, whom he had brought in to staff key roles. Caldwell was a senior adviser to Hegseth; Selnick was Hegseth's deputy chief of staff. But in April, security escorted Caldwell and Selnick, as well as Colin Carroll, the chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, out of the Pentagon in connection with an investigation into allegations of a leak of sensitive information. In a joint statement, the three men called the way were treated 'unconscionable' and argued that they were not given any information about the investigation, any leak allegations against them or any evidence that had been found. A little less than a week later, the turmoil around Hegseth worsened. The New York Times reported that he had shared sensitive information about an ongoing U.S. military operation in Yemen on a Signal chat that included his wife, his personal attorney and his brother, along with others close to him. The revelation came a month after national security adviser Mike Waltz mistakenly added the editor of The Atlantic to a separate Signal group chat with Hegseth, Vance and other senior administration officials focused on the same military operation in Yemen. Two days after the Times' story was published, Hegseth went on Fox News and accused Caldwell, Selnick and Carroll not only of leaking information while they were employed at the Pentagon, but also of having given the paper the information about the Signal chat. Hegseth did not publicly describe the evidence against them. The drama continued in May when White House officials removed Hegseth and his personal attorney, Tim Parlatore, also a Navy official, from overseeing the investigations into the three suspended aides, according to a current official and a person familiar with the probe. White House officials shifted responsibility for the probe to the deputy defense secretary, Stephen Feinberg, with whom such an investigation would normally reside. That move, according to two sources familiar with the investigation, was a sign that there is a growing lack of confidence in Hegseth's ability to objectively oversee the investigation of his former aides. After no evidence against the former aides emerged and it became increasingly clear that the three men were not guilty of leaking, administration officials began to question whether their firings had been hasty, two former administration officials and a current official said. Infighting among the Hegseth advisers who remain continued, meanwhile, according to the defense official and a former administration official. And Hegseth himself remains largely isolated, relying on a small group of advisers, the defense official said. Hegseth now leans heavily on a former military aide, Ricky Buria, who retired from the military in April hoping he could serve as Hegseth's chief of staff, a civilian position. But White House and Pentagon officials view Buria as a political novice who had reportedly been critical of Trump and Vance in private. (A Defense Department spokesman did not respond to a request for comment from Buria.) As a result, White House officials rejected Hegseth's plan to hire Buria as his chief of staff, one of the defense officials and an administration official said. Despite that, Buria was seen with Hegseth during his recent trip to Asia in a workout video posted on social media. Successes and setbacks Since Hegseth joined the administration in January, he has had successes. He expunged diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs from the Pentagon and the military services. Recruiting, particularly in the Army, is up on his watch, continuing a trend that began before Trump's election but gained strength under Hegseth, according to Trump administration officials. "There has never been more enthusiasm to serve under Secretary Hegseth's leadership at the DoD,' said Parnell, the Chief Pentagon Spokesman. And during his recent trip to Asia, Hegseth was seen as effective in messaging to Beijing to stop any potential aggression in the region, according to current and former administration officials.
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Israel seizes Greta Thunberg's aid boat the Madleen
Israeli forces have taken command of a charity boat on its way to Gaza carrying humanitarian aid — and the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The Freedom Flotilla vessel Madleen, which had tried to break a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, is now heading to a port in Israel, officials said on Sunday. It was boarded during the night, and the Israeli foreign ministry later confirmed that it was under Israeli control. 'The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries,' the ministry wrote on X. 'The show is over.' It shared a video showing soldiers handing out sandwiches and water bottles to the detained activists as they were escorted to the Ashdod port. In one picture, a soldier proffered a sandwich to Thunberg as she smiled awkwardly. 'Greta Thunberg is currently on her way to Israel, safe and in good spirits,' the ministry said. Israeli media reported that the activists would be made to watch footage of Hamas killing Israelis on October 7, 2023, when the group attacked Israel and sparked the war. All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry said. 'They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over.' The Madleen was reportedly flying the red ensign, the UK's shipping flag, suggesting that the UK government retains jurisdiction over the ship even if it was in international waters. Israel had previously requested that Britain attempt to prevent the ship travelling towards Gaza, according to Israeli media reports. Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories, posted on X: 'As the Madleen was reportedly intercepted and seized by Israeli forces in int'l waters, the UK gov must urgently seek full clarification and secure the immediate release of the vessel & its crew.' The Freedom Flotilla Coalition posted a video message from Thunberg early on Monday, recorded before the vessel was boarded. The Swedish climate activist said: 'If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israel occupational forces or forces that support Israel. 'I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible,' she added. The French MEP Rima Hassan, who was also on board, posted on X: 'The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2am.' She shared a photograph of the crew seated wearing life jackets, with their hands in the air. Yasemin Acar, another activist, said in a livestreamed video from the boat that 'chemicals' had been dropped on the boat which were affecting her eyes. She showed a white substance on the deck. An Israeli military official told The Times that after 'several attempts' and the 'refusal of the individuals to change direction', Israeli soldiers used paint 'which is not harmful or dangerous' to stop the boat violating the naval blockade. On Sunday the Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced that an alarm had been sounded and the boat's occupants were preparing for an interception. Israel Katz, the defence minister, wrote on X: 'I have instructed the IDF to act to stop the hate-flotilla Madleen from reaching the shores of Gaza — and to take any means necessary to that end.' • 'It's high spirits': life aboard Greta Thunberg's Gaza-bound flotilla Katz said: 'To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back — because you will not reach Gaza. Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or aid terrorist organisations — at sea, in the air and on land.' The Madleen — which is carrying 12 people including Thunberg and Hassan — was in Egyptian waters on Sunday evening. It departed from Sicily on June 1 carrying medical supplies, baby formula and prosthetic limbs for the people of Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition responded in a statement on X saying it expected 'interception and an attack from Israel at any moment'. It called for the governments of those on board to protect them. Thiago Ávila, another activist on board, posted a video on social media saying the boat's navigation devices had been disabled. 'They are preparing to stop us or attack us,' he said. It is possible that this was only a temporary shutdown, since the boat could still be seen on the coalition's Madleen Tracker website. The trip has already made headlines after the Madleen picked up four Sudanese migrants who were trying to escape the Libyan authorities. The migrants had jumped into the sea from a boat that was rapidly deflating, a representative for the Freedom Flotilla said. Israel had warned the Madleen not to attempt to dock, saying that if the boat failed to turn back, it would pull the ship to the port of Ashdod and deport its crew. But the activists had reason to be cautious, reminded of when Israel stormed the Mavi Marmara flotilla on May 31, 2010, in international waters 80 miles from the Israeli coast. Descending on ropes from helicopters, Israeli commandos opened fire, killing nine Turkish activists on board, after the activists attacked the soldiers. A tenth activist remained in a coma before dying four years later. The survivors were taken to Ashdod deported within days. Hassan said there had been a lack of official response from countries whose citizens are part of the crew. 'No state has responded,' she said. 'The message being sent is that Israel is being allowed to act with impunity, without any guarantee of protection for us. 'There are 12 of us civilians on board. We are not armed. There is only humanitarian aid.' Some of the activists on board have been criticised for their past remarks against Israel. Hassan, who is barred from entering the country, is reported to have accused Israel of being responsible for the October 7 attack, while Ávila attended the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah — which is deemed a terrorist group by the UK and the US — after he was assassinated last year.
