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Al Jazeera
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Week in Pictures: From Gaza starvation crisis to California wildfires
A global roundup of some of last week's events. A protester faces off against a line of riot police during a demonstration opposing President Javier Milei's veto of congressional legislation that would have increased pension funding and enhanced protections for individuals with disabilities, in Buenos Aires, Argentina [Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo] Published On 10 Aug 2025 10 Aug 2025 From a festival celebrating the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples in El Salvador to solemn commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing in Japan and the ongoing Israel-induced starvation and malnutrition crisis in Gaza, here is a look at the week in photos. Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo] A California Department of Corrections fire crew monitors the Canyon Fire as it blazes through Hasley Canyon, California. The rapidly spreading inferno consumed approximately 15 square miles (39 square km) within just six hours, forcing authorities to place 50,000 residents under evacuation orders or warnings. [Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo] People gather in prayer to commemorate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord at St Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine. [Danylo Antoniuk/AP Photo] Men navigate a flooded street in Lahore, Pakistan, carrying water bottles on a motorbike during heavy rainfall. [Mohsin Raza/Reuters] Police officers detain 89-year-old protester La during a rally in London's Parliament Square. The demonstration, organised by Defend Our Juries, challenged the British government's designation of "Palestine Action" as a "terrorist organisation" under anti-terrorism legislation. [Jaimi Joy/Reuters] People gather in solemn lines to pray before the cenotaph honouring victims of the 1945 United States atomic bombing at Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park, marking the 80th anniversary of the Atomic Bombing Day in western Japan. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters] Traders sift through the smouldering remains of Suq Bacad market in Mogadishu's Yaqshid neighbourhood, desperately searching for salvageable merchandise after an overnight fire devastated their business stalls. [Feisal Omar/Reuters] A traditional dancer participates in a festival celebrating the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples in San Salvador, El Salvador. [Jose Cabezas/Reuters] Police deploy water cannon to disperse ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters blocking a roadway during a demonstration against military conscription in west Jerusalem. [Mahmoud Illean/AP Photo]
DW
10-07-2025
- Business
- DW
Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Challenges for the media
Regional report finds that while media development in Eastern Europe and Central Asia shows resilience through local ownership, delayed crisis responses leave it exposed to donor cuts, threatening sustainability. The beginning of 2025 saw media development in Eastern Europe and Central Asia in crisis. Intensified by the US funding cut, financial support was dwindling while the challenges of strengthening institutional capacity, fostering enabling environments, encouraging cross-sector collaboration, and promoting a vibrant information ecosystem remained the same. Organizations involved in the sector expressed concern that emerging challenges, such as media business development, safety and security training, and legal threats (including SLAPP cases), were overstretching the capacity of editors and managers to focus on long-term sustainability or attract additional funding. Hardly a moment to breathe: Media leaders are stretched thin by emerging challenges like business development, safety training, and legal threats Image: Thomas Koehler/photothek/picture alliance These developments stood in contrast to the successes that the sector had previously been able to achieve. In 2024, media development celebrated a landmark success when the OECD Development Co-Operation Principles for Relevant and Effective Support to Media and the Information Environment , or Media Principles for short, were adopted. DW Akademie conducted a study to find out how media development organizations were faring vis à vis these Principles. The State of Media Development Report was published in April 2025. On the back of this study, a forthcoming follow-up regional report takes a closer look at the specific situation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, based on interviews with local experts and responses to a survey completed by media development organizations across the region. Structured around the OECD's six principles, the report rates how organizations are faring vis à vis the Media Principles, identifies key challenges and provides recommendations for both media organizations and donors. How is media development faring in Eastern Europe and Central Asia amid political instability and economic hardship? With persistent political instability and economic hardship, media development support is especially critical in Eastern Europe and Central Asia — including Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and drifts towards authoritarianism in countries like Georgia. There are, however, also positive examples of post-Soviet countries in the region, such as Armenia and Estonia, which not only respect but actively promote media freedom. In times of war and instability, media support has never been more vital Image: Rodrigo Abd/AP Photo/picture alliance A closer look at the OECD's six principles The research shows that two out of six principles have been positively assessed, while others — especially financial and institutional support — require urgent attention. The "Do no harm" principle (principle 1) was found to be minimally fulfilled, varying across countries and organizations. While donors reportedly respected editorial independence, their delayed or inadequate crisis response, short-term engagement and incoherent policies undermined operational flexibility. Principle 1: Do no harm to public interest media (Minimally fulfilled) (Minimally fulfilled) Principle 2: Increase financial and other assistance (Not fulfilled at all) (Not fulfilled at all) Principle 3: Take a whole-of-system perspective (Partially fulfilled) (Partially fulfilled) Principle 4: Local leadership and ownership (Overall fulfilled) (Overall fulfilled) Principle 5: Improve coordination (Overall fulfilled) (Overall fulfilled) Principle 6: Invest in knowledge, research and learning (Partially fulfilled) Experts across the region stressed the urgent need to boost capital inflow to support resilient and innovative media Image: Guenter Fischer/CHROMORANGE/picture alliance Financial support (principle 2) was widely cited as the most problematic area. Many media organizations reported that efforts to ensure sustainability — such as business development, safety training, and compliance with legal frameworks — were diverting resources away from content production. Despite efforts to engage the private sector, tangible results remain limited. Also, the cancellation of Meta's fact-checking program in the EU — and the potential suspension of similar efforts in other regions — has increased the demand for fact-checking and investigative journalism funding. On the other hand, local leadership and coordination (principles 4 and 5) were positively assessed. New coordination frameworks and partnerships are emerging as critical strategies to resist political instability and respond to ongoing crises. However, research, learning, and innovation (principle 6) continue to suffer from underfunding. The lack of investment has limited regional innovation, constrained the ability of organizations to adapt, and left them unprepared for emerging challenges. Across the region, experts emphasized the urgent need for structural reform in the media sector — including improving capital inflow, adapting to social media driven markets, and strengthening participation in policy discussions to enhance recruitment, innovation, and operational models. In search of unique stories: Local leadership was positively assessed Image: D. Shahbazyan/DW What to do: Focus on media viability, digital strategies and safety While the full report by DW Akademie's think tank DW Freedom offers a host of important recommendations, these are the most important ones to stabilize and consolidate media development efforts in the region: Ensure core funding for media viability: Sustainable core funding is essential to respond to prevalent crises and avoid reliance on politically influenced and/or purely commercial content. Invest in long-term tech innovation: Short-term, fragmented tech funding fails to deliver durable solutions. Donors must coordinate efforts to support scalable digital strategies and reclaim advertising revenue. Address gaps in local media ecosystems: In many areas, TV remains dominant while digital adoption lags behind. Funding must support outlets that reinforce local democracy and help counter growing polarization. Strengthen legal and safety frameworks: Small and exiled media face legal restrictions and security threats. Long-term support for legal reform, journalist safety, and operational protection is essential. Prioritize local leadership and inclusion: Donor preference for international actors often sidelines capable local organizations. Local voices must be integrated into strategy, funding, and implementation processes. Giorgi Jangiani is the Country Lead at Thomson Reuters Foundation, Georgia and GFMD IMPACT regional coordinator for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. He conducted this research as an independent consultant.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
AP PHOTOS: Boca Juniors and River Plate fans taking their passion to the FIFA Club World Cup
Flares and smoke rise from the stands as River Plate players enter the field for a local league soccer match against Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) A fan of Boca Juniors holds up a flare outside his team's home stadium La Bombonera before a local league soccer match against Lanus in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) A River Plate soccer fan holds up flares outside the stadium prior to a local league soccer match against Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Boca Juniors soccer fans ride a bus to the stadium before a local league soccer match against Independiente in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Fireworks explode as players enter the field for a local league soccer match between Boca Juniors and Independiente at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) A River Plate tattoo covers a soccer fan's back outside the stadium before a local league match against Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Boca Juniors fans watch a local league soccer match against Independiente at their home stadium La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) River Plate soccer fans scream during a Copa Libertadores Group B soccer match against Ecuador's Independiente del Valle in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Boca Juniors soccer fans ride a bus to the stadium before a match against Independiente in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) A River Plate soccer fan wearing a hen costume dances outside the stadium before a match against Velez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) A Boca Juniors soccer fan's back is covered in team related tattoos during a local league match against River Plate at his team's home stadium La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) River Plate fans light flares outside their home stadium Monumental before a Copa Libertadores Group B soccer match against Ecuador's Independiente del Valle in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Boca Juniors fans unfurl their team flag during a local league soccer match against River Plate at their home stadium La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) River Plate soccer fans wave their team's flag during a local league soccer match against Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) Boca Juniors fans stand under a banner of soccer legend Diego Maradona as they watch a local league match against River Plate on a monitor set up in the La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Boca Juniors fans stand under a banner of soccer legend Diego Maradona as they watch a local league match against River Plate on a monitor set up in the La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Flares and smoke rise from the stands as River Plate players enter the field for a local league soccer match against Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) A fan of Boca Juniors holds up a flare outside his team's home stadium La Bombonera before a local league soccer match against Lanus in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) A River Plate soccer fan holds up flares outside the stadium prior to a local league soccer match against Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Boca Juniors soccer fans ride a bus to the stadium before a local league soccer match against Independiente in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Fireworks explode as players enter the field for a local league soccer match between Boca Juniors and Independiente at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) A River Plate tattoo covers a soccer fan's back outside the stadium before a local league match against Vélez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Boca Juniors fans watch a local league soccer match against Independiente at their home stadium La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) River Plate soccer fans scream during a Copa Libertadores Group B soccer match against Ecuador's Independiente del Valle in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Boca Juniors soccer fans ride a bus to the stadium before a match against Independiente in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) A River Plate soccer fan wearing a hen costume dances outside the stadium before a match against Velez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) A Boca Juniors soccer fan's back is covered in team related tattoos during a local league match against River Plate at his team's home stadium La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) River Plate fans light flares outside their home stadium Monumental before a Copa Libertadores Group B soccer match against Ecuador's Independiente del Valle in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Boca Juniors fans unfurl their team flag during a local league soccer match against River Plate at their home stadium La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) River Plate soccer fans wave their team's flag during a local league soccer match against Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello) Boca Juniors fans stand under a banner of soccer legend Diego Maradona as they watch a local league match against River Plate on a monitor set up in the La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — They may not have the global stars of Real Madrid or Manchester City, but Boca Juniors and River Plate bring something else: unmatched passion in the stands. They are Argentina's most popular clubs and fierce rivals. Thousands of their fans are expected to travel to the U.S. for the month-long FIFA Club World Cup that starts Saturday, hoping to recreate the electric atmosphere of Buenos Aires' iconic stadiums, La Bombonera and El Monumental. Advertisement From club-crest tattoos and towering banners to chants pledging eternal loyalty or mocking their rivals, these supporters live for their teams. Hardcore groups known as 'barra bravas' lead the noise with drums and trumpets, though some members won't make the trip due to stadium bans or legal troubles. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
CTV News
17-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Heavy rainfall floods Argentine highways, forces evacuations
Boats move through flooded streets after heavy rains in Campana, Argentina, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — More than 2,000 people were ordered to evacuate rural areas north of Argentina's capital after several days of heavy rainfall flooded highways, farmlands and entire neighborhoods. A bus with 44 passengers was stranded overnight for more than 10 hours on one of the roadways connecting Buenos Aires to the interior. Between 8 and 15 inches (300 and 400 mm) of rain has fallen in the past 72 hours when the average monthly precipitation is about 1.7 inches, officials said. More wet weather followed by heavy wind is expected and authorities are urging residents, especially the 275,000 near the city of Zarate along the Parana River, to remain indoors. Authorities likened the storm to one in March that killed at least 16 people.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pope Francis loved soccer, San Lorenzo and the sport's power to unite
FILE - The sun sets over San Lorenzo's stadium, Pope Francis' soccer team, in the Padre Ricciardelli neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File) FILE - Pope Francis holds a San Lorenzo soccer jersey after celebrating his first Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, March 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File) FILE - A man stands in front of a mural of Pope Francis outside the stadium of San Lorenzo, his soccer team, in the Padre Ricciardelli neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File) FILE - Pope Francis is presented with a San Lorenzo soccer team jersey by Colombian former player Ivan Ramiro Cordoba during the pontiff's weekly general audience in St. Peter's square at the Vatican, March 25, 2015. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, File) A rosary, messages, and emblems of the San Lorenzo soccer club, of which the late Pope Francis was a fan, are attached to a column of the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, following his passing on Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) The late Pope Francis is depicted on a mural alongside soccer player Lionel Messi at the Carlos Mugica neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) FILE - Argentine soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona, left, greets Pope Francis in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Sept. 1, 2014. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File) FILE - A man walks past a mural of Pope Francis at the stadium of San Lorenzo, his soccer team, in the Padre Ricciardelli neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File) FILE - A man walks past a mural of Pope Francis at the stadium of San Lorenzo, his soccer team, in the Padre Ricciardelli neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File) FILE - The sun sets over San Lorenzo's stadium, Pope Francis' soccer team, in the Padre Ricciardelli neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File) FILE - Pope Francis holds a San Lorenzo soccer jersey after celebrating his first Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, March 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File) FILE - A man stands in front of a mural of Pope Francis outside the stadium of San Lorenzo, his soccer team, in the Padre Ricciardelli neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File) FILE - Pope Francis is presented with a San Lorenzo soccer team jersey by Colombian former player Ivan Ramiro Cordoba during the pontiff's weekly general audience in St. Peter's square at the Vatican, March 25, 2015. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, File) A rosary, messages, and emblems of the San Lorenzo soccer club, of which the late Pope Francis was a fan, are attached to a column of the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina, following his passing on Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) The late Pope Francis is depicted on a mural alongside soccer player Lionel Messi at the Carlos Mugica neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) FILE - Argentine soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona, left, greets Pope Francis in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Sept. 1, 2014. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File) FILE - A man walks past a mural of Pope Francis at the stadium of San Lorenzo, his soccer team, in the Padre Ricciardelli neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File) BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Pope Francis' passion for soccer was evident throughout his pontificate. A lifelong supporter of Argentine club San Lorenzo, he agreed with those who describe soccer as the most beautiful game in the world. But Francis, who died Monday at 88, also turned to the sport for anecdotes about camaraderie, fellowship and teamwork in an increasingly individualistic society. Advertisement 'Soccer is a team sport. You can't have fun alone,' the pope told a crowd of Italian youth, soccer players and coaches at the Vatican in 2019. 'And if it's lived like that, it can do good for your mind and your heart in a society that is exasperated by subjectivism.' Like most Argentine children, young Jorge Mario Bergoglio grew up with soccer. He played for hours with friends on sidewalks or dusty pitches known as 'potreros' in his native Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires. According to his own assessment, he was not that good. In his recently published autobiography 'Hope,' Francis said his skills were so poor that he was nicknamed 'hard foot.' Advertisement Like many in his family, he became a supporter of San Lorenzo, a club founded by priest Lorenzo Massa in 1908. Its fans are nicknamed 'the crows' due to the black cassock of its founder. As a boy, he became fascinated by the colorful style of play of the team that won the local title in 1946. Until his death he remembered the entire lineup. San Lorenzo won its first Copa Libertadores, the top club tournament in South America, in 2014 — a year after he became pope. The club's board of directors and a group of players took the trophy to the Vatican. Later, club executives decided to name their planned future stadium after Pope Francis, who until the end paid his dues to the club as member No. 88,235. Advertisement THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME? In an interview with Italy's RAI television in 2023, Francis weighed in on the debate about who is the greatest soccer player of all time. Asked to choose between his compatriots Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, World Cup winners from different generations, Francis' answer was unexpected. 'I will add a third,' he said. 'Pelé." He met the Brazilian great, a devout Catholic and three-time World Cup winner, before he was elected pope. Francis later met Messi and Maradona at the Vatican as pontiff. 'Maradona, as a player, was great. But as a man he failed,' Francis said about the 1986 World Cup winner, who struggled with cocaine use and health issues and died in 2020 at 60. Maradona was celebrated by people who in the end didn't help him, the pope added. Advertisement He described Messi, who lifted the World Cup trophy in 2022, as 'very correct' and a gentleman. 'But for me, among those three, the great gentleman is Pelé,' the pope said. In a message read during a tribute to Pelé in Rio de Janeiro a year after his death in 2022, Francis said 'many of the necessary virtues to perform a sporting activity, such as perseverance, stability and temperance, are also part of Christian virtues. Pelé was undoubtedly an athlete who manifested these positive characteristics of sport in his life.' THE WORLD CUP FINAL HE DIDN'T WATCH Despite being a big soccer fan, Francis didn't watch any games on television. He said he avoided watching TV altogether because of a promise he had made to the Virgin of Carmen in 1990. Advertisement The radio became his means to stay informed and listen to soccer matches until he moved to Rome. Once in the Vatican, members of the Swiss Guard, who took care of his security, informed him about San Lorenzo and Argentina match results. That's how he found out that Argentina had won their third World Cup title in Qatar after a penalty shootout against France. While he was enthusiastic about the game, he spoke out against the fanaticism and violence that sometimes overshadow it. He called on top-level players to show humility and always remember their origins. 'Don't forget where you came from. Those pitches in the outskirts, that place for prayer, that small club,' he said in the 2019 speech. Advertisement 'I hope you can always feel the gratitude for your story, which is made of sacrifice, victories and battles,' Francis added. 'Being great in life. That is the victory for all of us.' ____ AP journalist Mauricio Savarese contributed to this report from Sao Paulo. ___ AP soccer:
