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  • Bay area childcare providers hold “Day without Childcare” against Head Start cuts; Dems push back after ICE arrests Newark NJ mayor – May 12, 2025

    Comprehensive coverage of the day’s news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice.

    The post Bay area childcare providers hold “Day without Childcare” against Head Start cuts; Dems push back after ICE arrests Newark NJ mayor – May 12, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.


    This content originally appeared on KPFA – The Pacifica Evening News, Weekdays and was authored by KPFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • More unrelated clips go viral as ‘state of Karachi’ after Operation Sindoor

    Even as as tensions escalate between India and Pakistan following military strikes between the two countries, unverified images and videos claiming to be related to the conflict have flooded social media. One such video of a purported blast is being shared where commentary in the background claims that the visuals were from a bomb blast in the port city of Karachi, the capital city of the province of Sindh in Pakistan.

    A fortnight after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam had killed 26 people, Indian Armed Forces in the early hours of May 7 launched Operation Sindoor, hitting nine sites in Pakistan and PoK from where attacks against India had been planned and directed. The Union Ministry of Defence described the action as “focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature”, with no Pakistani military facilities having been targeted. Late on May 7, reports came in of heavy mortar shelling by Pakistan on forward villages along the Line of Control in Poonch and Rajouri areas of Jammu and Kashmir killing at least 16 civilians. They also attempted to engage a number of military targets in northern and western India including in Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot and Amritsar, among other places, using drones and missiles. These were neutralised by India’s integrated counter UAS grid and air defence systems. Subsequently, Indian armed forces targeted air defence radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan in a proportionate response, and neutralized the air defence system in Lahore.

    Verified X handle @Mahaveer_VJ tweeted the video of the blast and sarcastically wrote, ‘Karachi has become a biscuit’. The tweet garnered close to 550,000 views. (Archive)

    Several X accounts consequently used the ‘copypasta’ technique, wherein they copied the same caption and amplified the video. (Archives- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

    Click to view slideshow.

    The video is also viral on Facebook.

    Click to view slideshow.

    Fact Check

    The video in question has four different clips. Below are four discernible screenshots from each clip.

    Upon a reverse image search of the first image, we found that the clip had been posted on Facebook by a Pakistani user on March 28. The caption, written in Urdu, translates to ‘A fire broke out in the market’. We found the same video on YouTube, in a March 27 video, with the title ‘A fire broke out in Sadiqabad Landa’ written in Urdu.

    Click to view slideshow.

    According to a news report on the Aaj TV website, the fire had erupted in Sadiqabad Landa bazaar and spread to an empty railway coach. Sadiqabad is the Capital of Sadiqabad Tehsil in Rahim Yar Khan District in Punjab province of Pakistan.

    The second image is from a clip that shows a massive explosion happening in a city as the camera pans sideways, towards what is seemingly a religious structure. We ran the keyframes through Google reverse image search and were not able to ascertain the origin of the video. Even when we ran the keyframe featuring the monument, we got no results, which was unusual, given that it appeared to be a major landmark. All of this suggests the clip may be AI-generated.

    We observed a few anomalies when we observed closely. The monument’s ground floor extends to the right, which has several irregularly shaped arches (circled in red). Moreover, the arches seen in the main building of the monument are also asymmetrical. Such anomalies are often a regular feature of AI-generated images.

    Click to view slideshow.

    Alt News spoke with Areeba Fatima, investigative reporter and senior fact checker at Pakistan-based fact-checking organisation Soch Videos. She told us, “There is no such mosque in Karachi, this clip looks AI-generated.”

    The third image is also from March. TikTok user aataaullahbairnd41 had uploaded the same video on March 19 with crying emojis. The user uploaded a similar video, from the same incident, on his TikTok account on the same day.

    Click to view slideshow.

    The fourth image is not from Pakistan. The clip is from a massive fire that broke out at the Blue Light Market in Adum, Kumasi, Ghana, on March 21, 2025, causing significant damage and destruction. The fire originated in a storey building adjacent to Hello FM and quickly spread, impacting multiple shops within the market. Firefighters battled the blaze for over 15 hours, but hundreds of shops were ultimately destroyed.

    Below is a comparison between the viral clip and a video from the aftermath of the incident on March 22.

    Hence, a compilation of unrelated clips is viral on social media. Social media users falsely claim that it is the state of Karachi after India launched Operation Sindoor.

     

    The post More unrelated clips go viral as ‘state of Karachi’ after Operation Sindoor appeared first on Alt News.


    This content originally appeared on Alt News and was authored by Shinjinee Majumder.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Junta bombs northern Myanmar after rebels reject peace negotiations

    Myanmar’s military launched attacks on four villages in northern Myanmar controlled by an insurgent group, according to a statement published by rebels on Friday, despite both armies agreeing to a ceasefire extension only days earlier.

    A junta plane attacked villages in Shan state’s Nawnghkio township, bombing Ya Pyin and Tha Yet Cho from Monday to Thursday, according to a statement from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, which controls the area.

    International rights groups and insurgents have criticized junta forces for repeatedly violating their own ceasefire declared on April 2 and extended until May 31 to aid in earthquake recovery. The junta troops have reportedly killed more than 200 civilians and destroyed homes and a hospital since the March 28 quake.

    While the Three Brotherhood Alliance, comprising the TNLA, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, or MNDAA, and Arakan Army, also declared a ceasefire until May 31, each has individual tensions with junta forces over contested territories.

    The MNDAA agreed to transfer the city of Lashio in Shan state back to the military, but the TNLA has staunchly refused pressure from both the military regime and China during peace talks on April 28 and 29 to return territories acquired after the 2021 coup, including Nawnghkio and several parts of Mandalay region.

    The move will severely cost TNLA, as junta attacks seem to be increasing, said a military analyst, who declined to be named for security reasons.

    “They will be under less pressure if they accept the junta’s demands. If they don’t accept them now, they will suffer more. The [junta] military has a high chance of success,” the analyst said.

    Heavy artillery targeted a wedding ceremony in Tha Yet Cho village on Thursday, killing 4 civilians including a five-year-old child, and injuring seven more. During a battle between TNLA forces and junta soldiers in nearby Nawng Len village, the junta used drones to drop eight bombs and five gas bombs, and fired 31 explosives into residential areas.

    Junta soldiers also targeted Ong Ma Ti and Taung Hla villages, where TNLA troops were stationed.

    The TNLA did not release any information on the gas bomb attacks, and Radio Free Asia could not confirm their effects on residents.

    Junta forces also targeted Mandaaly region’s Thabeikkyin township, bombing TNLA-controlled Hpawt Taw village with a fighter jet.

    The TNLA has urged the public to be vigilant and protect themselves against airstrikes.

    RFA tried to contact junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for more information on the release, but he did not respond.

    The next round of peace talks between China, Myanmar’s military junta and the TNLA will be in August.

    “They [the junta] want to pressure the TNLA before the August discussions,” Thailand-based political analyst Sai Kyi Zin Soe told RFA.

    “The military wants to reclaim the territories they lost in 2023.”

    Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Burmese.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • DEA Ends Body Camera Program After Trump Executive Order


    This content originally appeared on ProPublica and was authored by ProPublica.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Myanmar junta bombs hospital days after declaring ceasefire extension

    Junta airstrikes on villages in southeast Myanmar destroyed a hospital and forced over 8,000 residents from their homes, leaving them in urgent need of aid, according to an insurgent administration opposing the military.

    Junta forces on Monday extended their ceasefire until the end of May, citing the need to help restoration efforts following the country’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Military forces have launched hundreds of attacks across the country since then, killing more than 200 people.

    Heavy artillery fired at the Bago region and Mon state border have left thousands in need of food, clothing and shelter, the Karen National Union, or KNU, said in a statement published on Wednesday.

    In Mon state’s Kyaikto township on April 28, junta forces dropped a 300-pound bomb on Pyin Ka Toe Kone village, destroying a rubber plantation. On May 2, junta Infantry Battalion 207 and Artillery Battalion 310 encircled and fired heavy artillery at Yae Kyaw village, according to the KNU.

    On May 4, the junta bombed Hpa Lan Taung village’s hospital twice, destroying it.

    Multiple displaced groups have been unable to return home due to constant attacks, leaving an increasing number of people displaced, said Nai Aue Mon, a program director of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland, which promotes democracy and peace in Myanmar.

    “The junta is attacking all the time with heavy artillery, a fighter jet and drones. The effect is that the number of people fleeing is increasing, gradually,” he said. “Before, the numbers were only about 700 or 800 displaced people. Then it became 2,000 and 3,000.”

    Some residents have fled to areas controlled by ethnic insurgent groups along the border, while others went to nearby villages, he said. While these villages were largely unaffected in the past, recent clearance operations by junta troops targeting rebel groups have left them with no choice.

    The KNU did not say whether the attacks had resulted in any casualties.

    Radio Free Asia contacted junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for more information on the attacks, but he did not pick up the phone.

    Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by RFA Burmese.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Fired after Zionist uproar, artist Mr. Fish won’t stop drawing the truth | The Marc Steiner Show


    This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Mohsen Mahdawi speaks out after release

    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

  • Viet Thanh Nguyen: 50 years after the Vietnam War


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • After Just Three Months of Trump, Economy Grinds to a Halt

    New data released today found that real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025, below expectations. This is the lowest and first negative GDP reading since the second quarter of 2022. Groundwork Executive Director Lindsay Owens released the following statement:

    “Our economy is crumbling under President Trump’s mismanagement, and today’s falling GDP data confirms our slide toward a recession. As growth grinds to a halt, Americans can expect fewer jobs, lower wages, and a worse standard of living. Between slow growth and sticky inflation, Trump is creating the conditions for a particularly brutal recession.”

    This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.

  • Armed group threatens Iraq’s Al Rabiaa TV after report on Iran-US talks

    Sulaymaniyah, April 28, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned over an arson threat made by the Raba Allah militia against Al Rabiaa TV in Iraq, which led to the deployment of security forces outside its headquarters for one day.

    On April 24, Raba Allah, which is part of the powerful Iranian-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah, threatened to burn down the privately owned satellite channel in a Telegram post, which said “We’ll cross over to you, you know what the heater does.”

    “The militia threat against Al Rabiaa TV is particularly alarming given the fragile state of the media in Iraq, where journalists have been killed with impunity and face constant editorial pressure from political and religious groups,” said Sara Qudah, CPJ’s regional director. “We urge authorities to take all necessary measures to protect the press and ensure journalists can work safely, without fear of retaliation.”

    The threat followed Al Rabiaa TV’s report that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been aware of secret nuclear talks with the United States for two years.

    Al Rabiaa TV’s deputy newsroom manager Ziad Al-Aqabi told CPJ that security forces deployed outside the channel’s headquarters on April 25 had since been withdrawn.

    “We are working professionally … without insulting anyone,” he said.

    Militias have a record of threatening and attacking media outlets in Iraq whose coverage they disagree with. Supporters of the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed Al Rabiaa TV ‘s office in 2022.

    Iraq is ranked 7th in CPJ’s Global Impunity Index 2024, with 11 unsolved murders of journalists over a decade, and is one of the few countries to have been on the Index every year since its inception in 2007.

    CPJ’s text message to interior ministry spokesperson Muqdad Miri requesting comment did not receive any response.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • 2 Macao journalists detained, risk prosecution after seeking to cover parliament 

    New York, April 28, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists decries the 11-hour detention and potential prosecution of two journalists for disruption after they were barred from a parliamentary session in China’s special administrative region of Macao.

    “There has been a systematic erosion of press freedom in Macao, with the denial of entry to journalists and restricted access to public events. The detention of two reporters simply for attempting to cover a legislative session marks a disturbing escalation in the suppression of independent journalism,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “Authorities must drop any potential charges against All About Macau’s reporters and allow journalists to work without interference.”

    Macao, or Macau, is a former Portuguese colony, which reverted to Chinese rule in 1999 under a “One Country, Two Systems” framework that promised a high degree of autonomy and wider civil liberties than the Chinese mainland.

    On April 17, All About Macau’s editor-in-chief Ian Sio Tou and another reporter were barred from entering the Legislative Assembly chamber to cover a debate on the government’s annual Policy Address. Ian is also president of the Macau Journalists Association.

    Police said the case would be transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office for investigation as the journalists were suspected of violating Article 304 of the Penal Code relating to “disrupting the operation” of government institutions, for which the penalty is up to three years in prison.

    All About Macau is recognized for its critical and in-depth reporting on political and social issues.

    Two days earlier, three All About Macau reporters were barred from entering the chamber to hear Macao Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai’s Policy Address, outlining government proposals for the year.

    In a video posted by All About Macau, which quickly went viral online, Ian Sio Tou displayed her Legislative Assembly-issued press card to numerous officials who physically blocked the journalists from the hall.

    Police did not immediately respond to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Pope Francis dies one day after first post-hospital public appearance and with final plea for Gaza

    Asia Pacific Report

    Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, has died aged 88 a day after he made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged from hospital.

    And his final message was for an end to the suffering caused by Israel’s 18-month war on Gaza.

    On Easter Sunday, Pope Francis entered St Peter’s Square in an open-air popemobile shortly after midday, greeting cheering pilgrim crowds and blessing babies.

    The Pope, who had recently spent five weeks in hospital being treated for double pneumonia, also offered a special blessing for the first time since Christmas.

    At the address, an aide read out his “Urbi et Orbi” — Latin for “to the city and the world” — benediction, in which the Pope condemned the “deplorable humanitarian situation” in Gaza.

    “I express my closeness to the sufferings . . . of all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people,” said the message.

    “I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace.”

    On the same day, Francis — who has been Pope for 12 years — also held a private meeting with US Vice President JD Vance to exchange Easter greetings.

    Among responses from world leaders, Vance said his “heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him”, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said it was “deeply sad news, because a great man has left us,” and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Pope France would be remembered for his efforts to build “a more just, peaceful and compassionate world.”

    Most vocal leader on Gaza
    Reporting from Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said the Pope’s death was “another sad day for Gaza — especially for the Christian Catholic community’ in the besieged enclave.

    “He is seen as one of the most vocal leaders on Gaza. He was always condemning the war on Gaza, and always asking for a ceasefire and asking for the end of this conflict,” she said.

    “According to the Christian community in the Gaza Strip, he was in contact with them daily, asking them what they need and asking about what they are facing, especially as this community has been attacked several times during the course of this war.

    “At this stage, the Palestinians need someone to stand by them, to defend and support them.

    “And the Pope has been one of those leaders.”

    Choosing a successor
    Speculation has already begun about his possible successor.

    Traditionally, when the Pope dies or resigns, the Papal Conclave — cardinals under the age of 80 — vote for his successor.

    To prevent outside influence, the conclave locks itself in the Sistine Chapel and deliberates on potential successors.

    While the number of papal electors is typically capped at 120, there are currently 138 eligible voters. Its members cast their votes via secret ballots, a process overseen by nine randomly selected cardinals.

    A two-thirds majority is traditionally required to elect the new pope, and voting continues until this threshold is met.

    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

  • Pope Francis dies one day after first post-hospital public appearance and with final plea for Gaza

    Asia Pacific Report

    Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, has died aged 88 a day after he made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged from hospital.

    And his final message was for an end to the suffering caused by Israel’s 18-month war on Gaza.

    On Easter Sunday, Pope Francis entered St Peter’s Square in an open-air popemobile shortly after midday, greeting cheering pilgrim crowds and blessing babies.

    The Pope, who had recently spent five weeks in hospital being treated for double pneumonia, also offered a special blessing for the first time since Christmas.

    At the address, an aide read out his “Urbi et Orbi” — Latin for “to the city and the world” — benediction, in which the Pope condemned the “deplorable humanitarian situation” in Gaza.

    “I express my closeness to the sufferings . . . of all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people,” said the message.

    “I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace.”

    On the same day, Francis — who has been Pope for 12 years — also held a private meeting with US Vice President JD Vance to exchange Easter greetings.

    Among responses from world leaders, Vance said his “heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him”, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said it was “deeply sad news, because a great man has left us,” and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Pope France would be remembered for his efforts to build “a more just, peaceful and compassionate world.”

    Most vocal leader on Gaza
    Reporting from Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said the Pope’s death was “another sad day for Gaza — especially for the Christian Catholic community’ in the besieged enclave.

    “He is seen as one of the most vocal leaders on Gaza. He was always condemning the war on Gaza, and always asking for a ceasefire and asking for the end of this conflict,” she said.

    “According to the Christian community in the Gaza Strip, he was in contact with them daily, asking them what they need and asking about what they are facing, especially as this community has been attacked several times during the course of this war.

    “At this stage, the Palestinians need someone to stand by them, to defend and support them.

    “And the Pope has been one of those leaders.”

    Choosing a successor
    Speculation has already begun about his possible successor.

    Traditionally, when the Pope dies or resigns, the Papal Conclave — cardinals under the age of 80 — vote for his successor.

    To prevent outside influence, the conclave locks itself in the Sistine Chapel and deliberates on potential successors.

    While the number of papal electors is typically capped at 120, there are currently 138 eligible voters. Its members cast their votes via secret ballots, a process overseen by nine randomly selected cardinals.

    A two-thirds majority is traditionally required to elect the new pope, and voting continues until this threshold is met.

    This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by APR editor.

  • A coffin to mark Pol Pot’s memory, 50 years after the Cambodian capital fell


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Sudan Faces World’s Worst Displacement Crisis After 2 Years of War


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Sudan Faces World’s Worst Displacement Crisis After Two Years of War


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • “Need the World to Pay Attention”: Sudan Faces World’s Worst Displacement Crisis After 2 Years of War

    Seg sudan emi

    Sudan is facing the world’s largest humanitarian crisis after two years of war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. Thousands have died, and some 13 million have been forcibly displaced. There are also widespread reports of sexual and ethnically motivated violence and a worsening hunger crisis. Emtithal Mahmoud, a Darfurian refugee and humanitarian activist, describes how the violence has impacted her own family, including in a recent RSF attack on the Zamzam refugee camp where fighters killed and tortured many civilians. “They kidnapped 58 of the girls in my extended family, and we are still searching for them,” says Mahmoud. “We need the world to pay attention.” Unlike the Darfur crisis of the early 2000s, when it was on the agenda of many world leaders, the current conflict is being largely ignored by the international community, says Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “It is by far the worst displacement crisis in the world,” notes Egeland.


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Building collapses after heavy rain in earthquake-stricken Mandalay, Myanmar | Radio Free Asia (RFA)


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Sudan’s crisis: 20 countries and organizations gather in London after 2 years of war


    This content originally appeared on Human Rights Watch and was authored by Human Rights Watch.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Myanmar celebrates Thingyan after earthquake; Thailand marks Songkran Buddhist New Year (RFA)


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Myanmar celebrates Thingyan after earthquake; Thailand marks Songkran Buddhist New Year (RFA)


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Radio Free Asia.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • “I’m Not Really Free”: Pulitzer Winners “Suave” & Maria Hinojosa Examine Life After Prison

    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

  • Taiwan says Cambodia deported its nationals to China after fraud arrests

    TAIPEI, Taiwan – Cambodia deported Taiwanese fraud suspects to China, the island’s foreign ministry said, urging Cambodian authorities to provide a complete list of the deportees, who may number in the dozens.

    About 180 Taiwanese were arrested together with seven alleged Chinese coconspirators on March 31, during raids on an online fraud center in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh.

    After receiving notification of the arrests on April 1, Taiwan’s representative office in Ho Chi Minh City began negotiating with the Cambodian government, said the ministry. Cambodia deported nearly 190 suspects to China in three groups on Sunday night and early Monday morning but hadn’t provided nationality information, the ministry said.

    Taiwan and Cambodia do not maintain official diplomatic relations as the Southeast Asian country, like most other nations, recognizes Beijing and backs its position that Taiwan is part of China’s territory.

    The representative office had requested that Cambodian authorities provide a complete list of names of the Taiwanese suspects and deport them to Taiwan to face legal consequences in accordance with international norms, according to the ministry.

    Despite these requests, the Cambodian government has yet to provide a complete list or specific number of suspects, the ministry said.

    “Cambodia, under pressure from China, did not provide a list of our country’s nationals or the total number deported, and the ministry not only continues to urge Cambodia to provide the list as soon as possible, but also expresses its serious concern and protest,” said the ministry.

    The ministry also urged Taiwanese not to engage in illegal activities overseas such as telecom fraud.

    Cambodia has become a regional hub for scam operations involving human trafficking and forced labour.

    The scam operations are largely run by Chinese criminal syndicates based in guarded compounds in cities such as Sihanoukville, according to media reports. Victims – many from Taiwan, Myanmar and other Asian countries – are lured with fake job offers, only to be coerced into perpetrating online scams.

    Taiwan has previously complained about countries deporting its nationals to China after being arrested on suspicion of involvement in telecom fraud, including Cambodia, Kenya and Spain.

    According to Taiwan’s estimation, more than 600 Taiwanese people arrested overseas for their alleged involvement in online fraud were deported to China between 2016 and May 2024.

    Neither the Cambodian nor Chinese foreign ministries immediately commented.

    In recent years, Cambodia and China have significantly deepened their relationship across economic, political and military spheres.

    China has become Cambodia’s largest investor and trading partner, with bilateral trade surpassing US$15 billion in 2024. Major infrastructure projects, such as the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway and a US$1.7 billion canal plan, have been developed under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

    Politically, Cambodia has consistently supported China’s positions in international forums, including on contentious issues such as the South China Sea.

    The two nations have also strengthened military ties, including the Chinese-funded expansion of the Ream Naval Base, which has raised concerns in the region about a potential Chinese military presence in the Gulf of Thailand.

    Edited by Stephen Wright.


    This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Taejun Kang for RFA.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Jailed Tunisian commentator Sonia Dahmani faces 10-year -sentence after charges elevated to felony

    New York, April 11, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the immediate release of political commentator Sonia Dahmani after the Tunis Court of Appeals reclassified charges against her as a felony, a move that could lead to a 10-year prison sentence over Dahmani’s critique of prison conditions.

    “The reclassification of imprisoned commentator Sonia Dahmani’s charges as a felony is yet another alarming escalation in the Tunisian government’s use of cybercrime Decree Law 54 to intimidate and punish critical voices,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna. “Tunisian authorities must immediately release Dahmani, drop all charges against her, and put an end to the ongoing judicial harassment against journalists and commentators in the country.”

    Dahmani, a lawyer and political commentator on IFM radio and Carthage Plus TV, was arrested in May 2024 and is currently serving a 32-month prison sentence on charges in connection with televised remarks about the state of Tunisia’s prisons. The case was filed by the General Directorate of Prisons under Article 24 of the cybercrime Decree-Law 54 on spreading false news charges. 

    On Thursday, April 10, the Tunis Court of Appeals upheld felony charges against Dahmani and referred her case to the criminal court, ignoring a February 3 Court of Cassation ruling that found the cybercrime law should only apply to crimes committed via digital systems and not to opinions expressed through traditional media. 

    Dahmani faces five charges for her media commentary; four are classified as misdemeanors. 

    According to CPJ’s December 1, 2024, prison census, at least five journalists were behind bars in Tunisia, the highest number recorded since 1992. The crackdown has intensified since President Kais Saied’s 2021 power grab—when he dissolved parliament, took control of the judiciary, and gave himself powers to rule by decree.

    CPJ’s email requesting comment on Dahmani’s prosecution from the Tunisian presidency did not receive any response.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Decades After Bloody Sunday, Is Trump Taking Civil Rights Back to Before Selma in ‘65?”


    This content originally appeared on Laura Flanders & Friends and was authored by Laura Flanders & Friends.

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  • 60 Years after “Bloody Sunday,” Where Do Civil Rights Stand Under Trump? [TRAILER]


    This content originally appeared on Laura Flanders & Friends and was authored by Laura Flanders & Friends.

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  • Vietnam, US to start trade talks after Trump’s 90-day easing of tariffs

    BANGKOK – The U.S. and Vietnam have agreed to start talks on a trade deal, the Vietnamese government said Thursday, a possible sign of breathing space for some developing Asian countries as President Donald Trump escalates a trade war with China.

    Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met in Washington late Wednesday, the day that 46% U.S. tariffs on Vietnamese exports came into force along with higher tariffs on many other countries.

    Hours later, President Donald Trump announced he was cutting duties for countries that were willing to negotiate to 10% for three months, but continued measures against China, which now faces a 125% tariff on its exports.

    “Though the U.S. has decided to delay the imposition of tariff for 90 days, the two countries should start negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement,” Phoc said, according to the Vietnamese government website.

    An agreement would “create a long-term framework to promote stable and mutually beneficial economic and trade relations in line with the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries,” Phoc said.

    Talks on a technical level would start immediately, the statement said. There was no immediate comment by the U.S.

    The two countries elevated their relations to the highest level, a comprehensive strategic partnership, during a 2023 visit to Hanoi by then-President Joe Biden.

    On April 4, Communist Party General Secretary To Lam offered to cut tariffs on U.S. goods to zero in a phone conversation with President Trump and urged the U.S. to follow suit.

    Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro dismissed the proposal as meaningless because it wouldn’t narrow a massive trade surplus. Navarro also accused Vietnam of “non-tariff cheating,” in an interview on CNBC, citing shipments of Chinese goods being routed through Vietnam as one example.

    Trump’s announcement that he was cutting tariffs for more than 75 countries to 10% for 90 days helped ease concern that a global trade war would trigger a recession. Asian stocks surged on the back of strong gains on Wall Street. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped nearly 9% in the morning and South Korea’s KOSPI index headed more than 5% higher.

    The partial reversal on tariffs is a signal that the U.S. will reward countries that don’t retaliate.

    Japan and South Korea are among the countries that “want to come to the table rather than escalate,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, The Associated Press reported.

    He said the U.S. is planning “bespoke” negotiations with governments that are prepared to make concessions in return for a tariff reduction.

    Edited by Stephen Wright.


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