News headlines for “Mainstream Media”, page 11
Belarus: Brutal Repression Continues Post Presidential Election
- Inter Press Service
Feb 10 (IPS) - In the months leading up to presidential elections at the end of January, Belarus’s authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko ordered the release of hundreds of political prisoners. Some observers saw this as a sign that the man who had led the former Soviet state for the last three decades could be planning a relaxation of his regime’s brutal repressions in return for a lessening of Western sanctions.
Belarus: A Sham Election That Fools No One
- Inter Press Service
LONDON, Feb 07 (IPS) - Alexander Lukashenko will soon begin his seventh term as president of Belarus. The official result of the 26 January election gave him 86.8 per cent of the vote, following an election held in a climate of fear. Only token opposition candidates were allowed, most of who came out in support of Lukashenko. Anyone who might have offered a credible challenge is in jail or in exile.
Safeguarding Civil Society - a New Global Initiative Could Become a Game-Changer
- Inter Press Service
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 31 (IPS) - Across the world, civil society faces increasing pressure—from restrictive laws on civil society operations to digital surveillance, funding restrictions, and direct attacks on human rights defenders. In response, a global civil society coalition is stepping up. The newly launched European Union System for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society (EU SEE) spans 86 countries, equipping civil society actors, governments and other stakeholders with the data, tools, and resources needed to anticipate and respond in real time to shifts in the enabling environment—ensuring that civil society can thrive, freely express itself, and actively shape its context.
Kenya’s Shadow War on Activism
- Inter Press Service
LONDON, Jan 27 (IPS) - Kenya’s young protesters are paying a high price for speaking out. Last June, a protest movement led by first-time activists from Generation Z emerged in response to the government’s Finance Bill, which would have introduced sweeping tax increases. The government quickly withdrew its plans, but protests continued, articulating anger at economic strife, elite corruption and out-of-touch politicians. The government’s response has been violent. Police have used batons, teargas and water cannon against protesters. On the worst day of violence, 25 June, when some protesters attempted to storm parliament, police fired live ammunition. Over 60 people were reported killed during the protests. At least 1,200 were reportedly arrested.
‘The Closure of Meta’s US Fact-Checking Programme Is a Major Setback in the Fight Against Disinformation’
- Inter Press Service
Jan 24 (IPS) - CIVICUS speaks with Olivia Sohr about the challenges of disinformation and the consequences of the closure of Meta’s fact-checking programme in the USA. Olivia is the Director of Impact and New Initiatives at Chequeado, an Argentine civil society organisation working since 2010 to improve the quality of public debate through fact-checking, combating disinformation, promoting access to information and open data.
Journalists Behind Bars: China, Israel & Myanmar the Worst Offenders in 2024
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 17 (IPS) - The year 2024 has been one of the most devastating for journalists covering conflicts worldwide-- with 361 behind bars, the second highest since the global record of 370 imprisoned back in 2023.
How US Media Hide Truths About the Gaza War
- Inter Press Service
SAN FRANCISCO, USA, Jan 14 (IPS) - A few days before the end of 2024, the independent magazine +972 reported that “Israeli army forces stormed the Kamal Adwan Hospital compound in Beit Lahiya, culminating a nearly week-long siege of the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza.”
Why Russia's Ban on Child-Free 'Propaganda' Impacts Human Rights
- Inter Press Service
BRATISLAVA, Jan 06 (IPS) - “A lot of people are very scared,” says Zalina Marshenkulova. “This is obviously another tool of repression. The state is waging war on the remnants of free-thinking people in Russia and trying to suppress all dissent and freedom,” the Russian feminist activist tells IPS.
‘Digital platforms amplify the Israeli narrative while systematically silencing Palestinian voices’
- Inter Press Service
Jan 02 (IPS) - CIVICUS discusses the challenges Palestinian civil society faces in resisting digital suppression and advocating for justice with Palestinian lawyer and researcher Dima Samaro.
‘The Election Is Just Another Tool to Keep Lukashenko in Power for as Long as Possible’
- Inter Press Service
Dec 23 (IPS) - CIVICUS discusses the ongoing crackdown on civil society in Belarus with Natallia Satsunkevich, human rights defender and interim board member of the Viasna Human Rights Centre.
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