world | Mohamed Fahmy
Exit
Caught Between Egypt, Qatar and the Struggle for Free Press
Judgment comes in just a matter of days –
July 30 – in the trial of us Al Jazeera journalists, after 19 months of a tormenting experience
that has changed me and the lives of my loved ones forever.
Understandably, the world is preoccupied with news about nuclear deals, thugs who kill their own people under the perverted justification of jihad and the banner of Islam and the war on terror that has left many journalists – myself included – under constant threat by governments who consider us just collateral damage.
Among the 200 journalists globally who are now in detention just for doing their job, perhaps our case is one of the best examples of how journalism and politics overlap in the media landscape today. It's no secret that the government of Qatar, the owner of the Al Jazeera Media Network, is a die-hard supporter of the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood.
Was I overly ambitious as a journalist always out for a new challenge to take on the job of the Al Jazeera Bureau Chief of the English channel months after the ouster of the Brotherhood in 2013? After all, the Egyptian government banned and considered the Arabic arms of the channel as biased to the Islamic group and a clear supporter of its cause.
For that very reason I became hypercritical of my own work like never before. I went over in my mind every single bit of newsgathering, statistic, live broadcast and story that came out of our Cairo office. In all humbleness and after much reflection, I consider our reports -- which the Egyptian government alleges were biased and fabricated in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood -- to have been flawless.
And many months later, that assessment was validated by a technical committee of experts appointed by the judge in the retrial, who testified so to the court after reviewing the so-called video evidence.
world | Mohamed Fahmy
Exit
Caught Between Egypt, Qatar and the Struggle for Free Press
Judgment comes in just a matter of days –
July 30 – in the trial of us Al Jazeera journalists, after 19 months of a tormenting experience
that has changed me and the lives of my loved ones forever.
Understandably, the world is preoccupied with news about nuclear deals, thugs who kill their own people under the perverted justification of jihad and the banner of Islam and the war on terror that has left many journalists – myself included – under constant threat by governments who consider us just collateral damage.
Among the 200 journalists globally who are now in detention just for doing their job, perhaps our case is one of the best examples of how journalism and politics overlap in the media landscape today. It's no secret that the government of Qatar, the owner of the Al Jazeera Media Network, is a die-hard supporter of the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood.
Was I overly ambitious as a journalist always out for a new challenge to take on the job of the Al Jazeera Bureau Chief of the English channel months after the ouster of the Brotherhood in 2013? After all, the Egyptian government banned and considered the Arabic arms of the channel as biased to the Islamic group and a clear supporter of its cause.
For that very reason I became hypercritical of my own work like never before. I went over in my mind every single bit of newsgathering, statistic, live broadcast and story that came out of our Cairo office. In all humbleness and after much reflection, I consider our reports -- which the Egyptian government alleges were biased and fabricated in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood -- to have been flawless.
And many months later, that assessment was validated by a technical committee of experts appointed by the judge in the retrial, who testified so to the court after reviewing the so-called video evidence.
world | Mohamed Fahmy
Exit
Caught Between Egypt, Qatar and the Struggle for Free Press
Judgment comes in just a matter of days –
July 30 – in the trial of us Al Jazeera journalists, after 19 months of a tormenting experience
that has changed me and the lives of my loved ones forever.
Understandably, the world is preoccupied with news about nuclear deals, thugs who kill their own people under the perverted justification of jihad and the banner of Islam and the war on terror that has left many journalists – myself included – under constant threat by governments who consider us just collateral damage.
Among the 200 journalists globally who are now in detention just for doing their job, perhaps our case is one of the best examples of how journalism and politics overlap in the media landscape today. It's no secret that the government of Qatar, the owner of the Al Jazeera Media Network, is a die-hard supporter of the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood.
Was I overly ambitious as a journalist always out for a new challenge to take on the job of the Al Jazeera Bureau Chief of the English channel months after the ouster of the Brotherhood in 2013? After all, the Egyptian government banned and considered the Arabic arms of the channel as biased to the Islamic group and a clear supporter of its cause.
For that very reason I became hypercritical of my own work like never before. I went over in my mind every single bit of newsgathering, statistic, live broadcast and story that came out of our Cairo office. In all humbleness and after much reflection, I consider our reports -- which the Egyptian government alleges were biased and fabricated in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood -- to have been flawless.
And many months later, that assessment was validated by a technical committee of experts appointed by the judge in the retrial, who testified so to the court after reviewing the so-called video evidence.
Exit
impact | Eleanor Goldberg
Throw white rum, simple syrup, lime juice, a lot of fresh mint leaves and crushed ice into a blender and pour into your glass. See the Food Network's technique here.
Peru: Pisco Sour
Pisco sours are heavily popular in Peru, where it is widely presumed to have been invented in the early 1900s. It's made with pisco (a white burgundy), fresh lime juice, simple syrup, an egg white and angostura bitters. We see nothing wrong with shaking those together to a froth and pouring into a highball, but blending it up with ice is a great way to upgrade.
Mexico: Margarita
We can't leave out the margarita, a classically beloved cocktail, frozen or otherwise -- this recipe, from HuffPost's Joe Satran, includes a secret ingredient (frozen limeade). Pour tequila, orange liqueur and frozen limeade into a blender with ice. That's it! "Measurements are NOT important in this recipe," he blessedly explains.
Mission Close To Princess Diana's Heart Completed 18 Years After Death
It’s been nearly two decades since Princess Diana died, but her legacy continues to protect vulnerable people in need.
Mozambique, a country that was riddled with landmines after 15 years of civil war, was declared mine free on Tuesday, Halo Trust, the nonprofit behind the clearing campaign, said in a statement. The accomplishment was, in part, a testimony to Princess Diana’s commitment to freeing the world of the weapons of war that lead to grievous injuries and death.
Halo Trust’s mission to rid the globe of landmines rose to prominence in 1997, when – shortly before her death – Diana visited Angola to bring the world’s attention to the underreported issue.
At the time, she watched workers clear about 5,000 mines, CNN reported. She then advocated for the same cause in Bosnia, where she also met with victims who had lost limbs due to land mines.
"Probably her greatest legacy has been the massive increase in interest she has generated in this subject, which will hopefully result in funding and adequate resources being devoted to the whole issue," Paul Heslop, Halo Trust's then-director, told CNN.
Since 1993, Halo Trust has cleared 171,000 mines in Mozambique, which was considered one of the most mined countries in the world. During the civil war, landmines were used as a weapon, and in the aftermath of the conflict, caused hundreds of deaths and injuries a year.
On Tuesday, the government declared Mozambique mine free after Halo Trust destroyed the last known mine on its territory.
The initiative has enabled Mozambique to safely cultivate crops and graze livestock. It also helped the country to develop its infrastructure, access vital commodities such as gas and coal and increase tourism.
To help continue his mother's mission, Prince Harry has spent years working closely with Halo Trust.
In 2010, Harry witnessed landmines’ devastating effects when he visited with amputees in Mozambique. He observed Halo Trust’s demining process and personally detonated a number of mines.
He took his commitment one step further in 2013 when he became a patron of the organization’s 25th anniversary appeal.
When he visited Angola again that year, Harry expressed his frustration over the lack of urgency surrounding the issue.
"[The prince] is irritated about the countries that supplied these landmines are not actually putting in any funds to clear them 25 years later," Guy Willoughby, Halo's chief executive told Sky News. "He has got quite a bee in his bonnet about that, and that is good."
Prince Harry is seen with a deminer from The Halo Trust, a British charity dedicated to removal of landmines, on June 21, 2010 in Cahora Bassa, Mozambique. Prince Harry is following in his late mother's footsteps, Princess Diana, who visited the same charity in Angola eight months before her death.
Diana talks to a Angolan amputee, Tuesday January 14, 1997, at the the Neves Bendinha Orthopedic Workshop in the outskirts of Luanda.
Princess Diana wearing protective gear, in 1997 photo, during a briefing by the British land-mine sweeping organization Halo Trust in Huambo, central Angola, one of the most densely mined areas in the country.
Tetra Images - Yuri Arcurs via Getty Images