Nicaragua exits UNESCO over press freedom award
UNESCO has announced Nicaragua is withdrawing from the UN cultural and educational body because the organisation awarded a prize celebrating press freedom to Nicaraguan newspaper, La Prensa.
UNESCO's director general, Audrey Azoulay, announced that she had received a letter on Sunday morning from the Nicaraguan government announcing its withdrawal because of the attribution of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
"I regret this decision, which will deprive the people of Nicaragua of the benefits of cooperation, particularly in the fields of education and culture," Azoulay said in a statement.
"UNESCO is fully within its mandate when it defends freedom of expression and press freedom around the world."
Nicaragua was one of 194 member states in UNESCO.
The body's members set up the press freedom prize in 1997, and the 2025 award was attributed on Saturday to La Prensa on the recommendation of an international jury of media professionals.
"The newspaper La Prensa has made valiant efforts to bring the truth to the people of Nicaragua," President of the international jury of media professionals Yasuomi Sawa said.
"Like other civil society organisations, La Prensa has faced severe repression. Forced into exile, this newspaper bravely maintains the flame of press freedom."
La Prensa is Nicaragua's oldest newspaper and was founded in 1926.
It has confronted and survived three dictatorships, censorship, closures, attacks, the imprisonment of its journalists, and the assassination of its director, Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, in 1978, according to the Inter American Press Association.
Authorities in Nicaragua tried to financially suffocate the newspaper by blocking the importation of paper since 2018.
It was forced to focus on digital news and suspend its print edition in August 2021 after "it was subjected to a violent police raid resulting in the confiscation of its assets, the freezing of its bank accounts, and the unjust imprisonment of its general manager," the association said.
"La Prensa has never ceased reporting for a single day. Its editorial team crossed into Costa Rica under emergency conditions and continues its work in exile today," the association said.
The awards ceremony will take place in Brussels, Belgium, on the sidelines of the World Press Freedom Conference on Wednesday.
"Each year, this prize reminds us of the importance of standing by those who protect and bring information to life," Azoulay said.
In announcing their UNESCO withdrawal, Nicaraguan authorities accused La Prensa of promoting "military and political interventions by the United States in Nicaragua" and denounced the award of the prize as the "diabolical expression of a traitorous anti-patriotic sentiment," UNESCO said.
Nicaragua's angry departure is a blow for the organisation that is also in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump.
In an executive order in February, Trump called for a review of American involvement in UNESCO.
In his first term as president, the Trump administration in 2017 announced that the US would withdraw from UNESCO, citing anti-Israel bias.
That decision took effect a year later.
The United States formally rejoined UNESCO in 2023 after a five-year absence, under the presidency of Joe Biden.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AU Financial Review
6 hours ago
- AU Financial Review
Israel and Iran exchange strikes as conflict enters day two
Dubai | Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes on Israel on Saturday morning, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, after a series of blistering Israeli attacks on Iran's nuclear program and its armed forces a day earlier. Israel's strike used warplanes, as well as drones smuggled into the country in advance, to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists. Iran's UN ambassador said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded in the attacks. AP
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Iran strikes back at Israel with waves of missiles
Iran has launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, after a series of blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear program. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem early on Saturday, sending residents rushing into shelters as successive waves of Iranian missiles streaked across the skies. A man and a woman were killed in Israel and dozens wounded by a missile that landed near their homes, Israel's ambulance service said. Rescue teams were searching the rubble of apartment buildings that were destroyed in Rishon Lezion, a city outside of Tel Aviv. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday the Iranian leadership had crossed a red line by firing at civilians and will "pay a heavy price for it". In Iran, several explosions were heard in the capital Tehran. The Fars news agency said two projectiles hit Tehran's Mehrabad airport, which hosts an air force base. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, have been killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 wounded, most of them civilians. Tehran launched waves of air strikes on Saturday after two salvos on Friday night, Fars reported. One of the waves targeted Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial hub, before dawn on Saturday, with explosions heard as far as Jerusalem, witnesses said. Those were in response to Israel's attacks on Iran early on Friday against commanders, nuclear scientists, military targets and nuclear sites. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel on Friday, two US officials said. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles on Friday and most were intercepted or fell short. Several buildings in and around Tel Aviv were hit. The Israeli strikes on Iran throughout the day and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iran's state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and a facility at Isfahan. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official said revenge would be painful. Iran accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. He called Israel's operation "an act of national preservation." Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that Iran was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. Talks are due to resume in Oman on Sunday but Iran signalled it might not join. with AP Iran has launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, after a series of blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear program. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem early on Saturday, sending residents rushing into shelters as successive waves of Iranian missiles streaked across the skies. A man and a woman were killed in Israel and dozens wounded by a missile that landed near their homes, Israel's ambulance service said. Rescue teams were searching the rubble of apartment buildings that were destroyed in Rishon Lezion, a city outside of Tel Aviv. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday the Iranian leadership had crossed a red line by firing at civilians and will "pay a heavy price for it". In Iran, several explosions were heard in the capital Tehran. The Fars news agency said two projectiles hit Tehran's Mehrabad airport, which hosts an air force base. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, have been killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 wounded, most of them civilians. Tehran launched waves of air strikes on Saturday after two salvos on Friday night, Fars reported. One of the waves targeted Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial hub, before dawn on Saturday, with explosions heard as far as Jerusalem, witnesses said. Those were in response to Israel's attacks on Iran early on Friday against commanders, nuclear scientists, military targets and nuclear sites. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel on Friday, two US officials said. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles on Friday and most were intercepted or fell short. Several buildings in and around Tel Aviv were hit. The Israeli strikes on Iran throughout the day and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iran's state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and a facility at Isfahan. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official said revenge would be painful. Iran accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. He called Israel's operation "an act of national preservation." Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that Iran was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. Talks are due to resume in Oman on Sunday but Iran signalled it might not join. with AP Iran has launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, after a series of blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear program. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem early on Saturday, sending residents rushing into shelters as successive waves of Iranian missiles streaked across the skies. A man and a woman were killed in Israel and dozens wounded by a missile that landed near their homes, Israel's ambulance service said. Rescue teams were searching the rubble of apartment buildings that were destroyed in Rishon Lezion, a city outside of Tel Aviv. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday the Iranian leadership had crossed a red line by firing at civilians and will "pay a heavy price for it". In Iran, several explosions were heard in the capital Tehran. The Fars news agency said two projectiles hit Tehran's Mehrabad airport, which hosts an air force base. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, have been killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 wounded, most of them civilians. Tehran launched waves of air strikes on Saturday after two salvos on Friday night, Fars reported. One of the waves targeted Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial hub, before dawn on Saturday, with explosions heard as far as Jerusalem, witnesses said. Those were in response to Israel's attacks on Iran early on Friday against commanders, nuclear scientists, military targets and nuclear sites. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel on Friday, two US officials said. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles on Friday and most were intercepted or fell short. Several buildings in and around Tel Aviv were hit. The Israeli strikes on Iran throughout the day and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iran's state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and a facility at Isfahan. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official said revenge would be painful. Iran accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. He called Israel's operation "an act of national preservation." Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that Iran was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. Talks are due to resume in Oman on Sunday but Iran signalled it might not join. with AP Iran has launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, after a series of blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear program. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem early on Saturday, sending residents rushing into shelters as successive waves of Iranian missiles streaked across the skies. A man and a woman were killed in Israel and dozens wounded by a missile that landed near their homes, Israel's ambulance service said. Rescue teams were searching the rubble of apartment buildings that were destroyed in Rishon Lezion, a city outside of Tel Aviv. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday the Iranian leadership had crossed a red line by firing at civilians and will "pay a heavy price for it". In Iran, several explosions were heard in the capital Tehran. The Fars news agency said two projectiles hit Tehran's Mehrabad airport, which hosts an air force base. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, have been killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 wounded, most of them civilians. Tehran launched waves of air strikes on Saturday after two salvos on Friday night, Fars reported. One of the waves targeted Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial hub, before dawn on Saturday, with explosions heard as far as Jerusalem, witnesses said. Those were in response to Israel's attacks on Iran early on Friday against commanders, nuclear scientists, military targets and nuclear sites. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel on Friday, two US officials said. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles on Friday and most were intercepted or fell short. Several buildings in and around Tel Aviv were hit. The Israeli strikes on Iran throughout the day and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iran's state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz had been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and a facility at Isfahan. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war, and a senior Iranian official said revenge would be painful. Iran accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. He called Israel's operation "an act of national preservation." Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that Iran was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear program. Tehran had been in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. Talks are due to resume in Oman on Sunday but Iran signalled it might not join. with AP
SBS Australia
6 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Iran's Supreme Leader accuses Israeli government of triggering a war
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the country's two largest cities before dawn, sending residents rushing into shelters. The military says its air defence systems were operating, seeking to intercept Iranian missiles. It says rescue teams were operating at a number of locations across the country where fallen projectiles were reported, without commenting on casualties. Israel's ambulance service says at least 34 people were injured on Friday night in the Tel Aviv area, most with minor injuries and police later reported that one person had died. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel's operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove the threat it says is posed by Iran's nuclear program. He also had a message for the people of Iran. " The Islamic regime, which has oppressed you for nearly 50 years threatens to destroy my country, the State of Israel. The objective of Israel's military operation is to remove this threat- both the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat to Israel. And as we achieve our objective we are also clearing the path for you to achieve your objective, which is freedom." Several explosions were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said at least 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran on Friday, and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. The strikes also killed Iran's highest-ranking military officer, armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, Iranian media has reported. The International Atomic Energy Agency says Israel's initial strikes have destroyed the above-ground uranium enrichment plant at Iran's Natanz nuclear site. said radiation levels outside the site "remained unchanged". Iran has also reported that there was only limited damage to the Fordo and Isfahan nuclear sites. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accuses Israel of initiating a war and says Iran will not hold back in responding. "Life will become bitter for them, without a doubt. They should not think they struck and it's over — no. They started this and triggered a war. We will not allow them to walk away unscathed from the great crime they have committed." Netanyahu, who for decades has raised the alarm about Iran's nuclear program, says he authorised the air assault in an effort to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. Tehran denies this - insisting its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only - but the UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. Iran has been backed in their condemnation of the strikes by Russia and China, with Russia accusing the west of whipping up anti-Iran hysteria for months. The UK says it has spoken to both sides, and is urging restraint- a call largely echoed by the UN Undersecretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo. " I reiterate the call by the Secretary-General to both sides to show maximum restraint at this critical moment and to avoid, at all costs, a descent into deeper and wider regional conflict. We must, at all costs, avoid a growing conflagration that would have enormous global consequences." Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, says his country had no choice but to attack Iran. But his Iranian counterpart, Amir Saeed Iravani, says it is Israel who is causing all the problems in the Middle East. "Supporting Israel today is supporting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and deliberate undermining of global peace and security. The Israeli regime's long-standing crimes against the oppressed Palestinian people, its repeated violation of the sovereignty of regional countries, and its possessions of undeclared weapons of mass destruction have made the Middle East a cauldron of chronic instability." Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says any escalation in the region was concerning. "We want to see a dialogue. We, of course, are very conscious of the threat that Iran becoming a nuclear state would represent to peace and security in the region as well. We want to see these issues resolved through dialogue." The violence raises questions as to whether Sunday's sixth round of talks planned between the US and Iran to seek a deal on Iran's nuclear program would go ahead in Oman. The United States and other Western governments have repeatedly accused Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon, an ambition it has consistently denied.
