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Washington — Journalists reporting on the U.S. presidential election are facing significant physical and digital threats, says a media support group. Data released by the International Women’s Media Foundation, or IWMF, found that with just five months to November 5, more than 37% of journalists have been threatened with physical violence and 30% say they were threatened online. The data is taken from a survey of more than 350 local journalists covering politics in eight swing states in the country. Those represented had taken part in newsroom safety workshops that the IWMF provided. The main areas of concern cited in the survey were threats, attacks or arrests at campaign rallies or protests, the survey found. Another issue is digital violence from right-wing extremist groups, said Nadine Hoffman, deputy executive director at IWMF. “Nearly 40 percent of the 350+ journalists we’ve trained in the U.S. this year reported threats of or experiencing physical violence; 30% reported digital threats and attacks; 27% experienced legal threats,” Hoffman told VOA via email. To help newsrooms better prepare for election coverage, the IWMF provided safety training in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. “We have upcoming training planned in Illinois and California. We’ll also be offering safety training at journalism conferences across the country this summer,” said Hoffman. The organization believes that newsroom leaders need to instill a culture of safety to protect their reporters — including freelancers — from a range of threats. “Risk is not one size fits all, and editors need to have open and honest conversations before sending their reporters into the field about how best to mitigate the risk they face,” Hoffman said. “For example, journalists of color, LGBTQI+ reporters, and women may face a greater risk of harassment both online and offline,” she added. Data released by the Pew Research Center in June 2022 found more than a quarter of Black and Asian journalists and around a fifth of Hispanic journalists say they have experienced threats or harassment that centers on their race or ethnicity. “I believe that press freedom depends on a diversity of voices and perspectives, and we need to offer more support to the journalists most at risk of being attacked based on their identities, so they are more likely to stay in the profession,” said Hoffman. A rise in hostility toward the media in recent years led to workshops being offered on journalism safety for reporters inside the U.S. “The journalists face threats all year round, which is why our training is necessary,” said Hoffman. She added that the IWMF is joining with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press to include sessions on legal rights for media. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, which since 2017 has collected data on arrests, attacks and threats to journalists in the U.S., has documented an increase in threats to the media during elections. “Election season is not the only time when journalists face threats considering the profession but there is an increase in the intensity of threats like physical violence, targeted interference, and online harassment during this time,” said Harlo Holmes, head of digital security at the Freedom of the Press Foundation. The foundation oversees the Tracker, which was founded by a coalition of press freedom organizations. “I believe that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, especially when it comes to the safety of journalists,” Holmes added. News crews should have a plan for if a situation escalates or turns violent. And journalists should clean up their online footprints to make sure personal information isn’t easily available to trolls, Holmes said. The IWMF’s Hoffman said newsrooms can better prepare with simple measures like the buddy system for teams, setting up a communications plan, and having crews check in at agreed-upon times with their editors when they’re on a potentially risky assignment like covering a protest or rally. Emphasizing the risk to mental health of journalists, Hoffman further suggests that the newsrooms should take trauma seriously. Covering school shootings, civil unrest or police brutality takes a toll, she said.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Washington — The University of Michigan failed to assess whether protests and other incidents on campus in response to the Israel-Hamas war created a hostile environment for students, staff and faculty, according to the results of an investigation by the U.S. Education Department announced Monday. The department's Office of Civil Rights investigated 75 instances of alleged discrimination and harassment based on shared Jewish ancestry and shared Palestinian or Muslim ancestry. The investigation found that the university's responses did not meet its Title VI requirements to remedy the hostile environment. In one instance, when a Jewish student reported being called out for viewing a graduate student instructor's social media post about pro-Palestinian topics, the university told the student that "formal conflict resolution is not a path forward at this time," because the incident occurred on social media. In another instance, when a student who participated in a pro-Palestinian protest was called a "terrorist," the university said it held "restorative circles" to address the incident but did not take further action. In its resolution agreement, the University of Michigan agreed to administer a climate assessment, implement additional training and revise its policies as necessary. It also agreed to monitoring by the Office of Civil Rights through the end of the 2026 school year, reporting its responses to future incidents of discrimination to the department. It's the first investigation to reach a conclusion among dozens launched by the Education Department since Oct. 7, the day Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. Complaints of antisemitism and Islamophobia have led to inquiries at more than 100 universities and school districts, including Harvard and Yale, community colleges and public schools from Los Angeles to suburban Minneapolis. The complaints vary widely but all accuse schools of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin. Colleges and schools are required to protect students from discrimination, and when they don't, the Education Department can invoke penalties up to termination of federal money. Protests over the Israel-Hamas war upended the final weeks of the school year at many campuses across the country, with some cancelling graduation ceremonies or moving classes online after Pro-Palestinian protesters set up encampments in campus spaces. The protests have tested schools as they aim to balance free speech rights and the safety of students. The Education Department has issued guidance detailing schools' responsibilities around Title VI, but the results of the agency's investigations could provide a clearer line showing where political speech crosses into harassment. Finding that boundary has been a struggle for colleges as they grapple with rhetoric that has different meaning to different people. Some chants commonly used by pro-Palestinian activists are seen by some as antisemitic. Some of the federal complaints under investigation argue that those phrases should be barred, including "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" and "intifada revolution." Meanwhile, some complaints say Arab and Muslim students have faced abuses only to be ignored by campus officials. At Harvard, the Education Department is investigating separate complaints, one over alleged antisemitism and the other over alleged Islamophobia. More investigations are expected to be resolved in the coming weeks, but Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said his agency is struggling to keep up with the influx of cases. Republicans have rejected requests to increase money for the Office for Civil Rights in recent years, while the average case load increased to 42 per investigator in 2023. Without more money, that figure could increase to more than 70 cases per investigator, Cardona has said. "We are desperately in need of additional support to make sure we can investigate the cases that we have in front of us," Cardona told members of the House in May. On average, cases take about six to eight months to resolve. The vast majority of the agency's civil rights investigations end with voluntary resolutions. Schools usually promise to resolve any lingering problems and take steps to protect students in the future. While the Education Department investigates, several colleges and school districts have separately been called before Congress to answer allegations of antisemitism. Republicans have held a series of hearings on the issue, grilling leaders accused of tolerating antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignations of some college leaders, including Liz Magill at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard's Claudine Gay, who was also embroiled in accusations of plagiarism.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Nearly 6.5 million – that is the number of Ukrainian refugees the United Nations counts in the third year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to the world body's latest report, most of them hope to return home one day. Lesia Bakalets talked to Ukrainians who have already done so. VOA footage by Vladyslav Smilianets.

Islamabad, Pakistan — The Taliban’s reclusive supreme leader on Monday warned Afghans against earning money or gaining worldly honor at a time when the country is in the grip of humanitarian crises and isolated on the global stage.  Hibatullah Akhundzada gave his warning in a sermon to mark the festival of Eid al-Adha at a mosque in southern Kandahar province, weeks before a Taliban delegation goes to Doha, Qatar for U.N.-hosted talks on Afghanistan.  This is the first round of talks the Taliban will attend since they seized power in August 2021. They weren't invited to the conference of foreign special envoys to Afghanistan in the first round, and they snubbed the second round because they wanted to be treated as the country’s official representatives.  No government recognizes the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan, whose aid-dependent economy was plunged into turmoil following their takeover.  U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the invitation to the Doha meeting at the end of June does not imply recognition of the Taliban.  Akhundzada reminded Afghans of their duties as Muslims and made repeated calls for unity in his 23-minute sermon.  Messages by him and another influential Taliban figure, Sirajuddin Haqqani, to mark a religious festival in April showed tensions between hardliners and more moderate elements who want to scrap harsher policies and attract more outside support.  In Monday’s message, Akhundzada said he wanted brotherhood among Muslims and that he was unhappy about differences between citizens and Taliban officials. Public dissent over Taliban edicts is rare, and protests are swiftly and sometimes violently quashed.  He said he would willingly accept any decision to remove him as supreme leader, as long as there was unity and agreement on his ouster. But he was unhappy about differences and disagreement between people.  “We were created to worship Allah and not to earn money or gain worldly honor,” Akhundzada said. “Our Islamic system is God’s system and we should stand by it. We have promised God that we will bring justice and Islamic law (to Afghanistan) but we cannot do this if we are not united. The benefit of your disunity reaches the enemy; the enemy takes advantage of it.”  The Taliban have used their interpretation of Islamic law to bar girls from education beyond the age of 11, ban women from public spaces, exclude them from many jobs, and enforce dress codes and male guardianship requirements.  Akhundzada told Taliban officials to listen to the advice of religious scholars and entrust them with authority. He said officials shouldn’t be arrogant, boast, or deny the truth about Islamic law.  Pakistani journalist and author Ahmed Rashid, who has written several books about Afghanistan and the Taliban, said Akhundzada’s appeals for unity were a sign of desperation because he refused to spell out the real issues facing Afghans such as unemployment, economic development, and building a consensus for social reform.  “I would not be convinced that this was a meaningful speech if I were the Taliban,” said Rashid.  Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute, said Akhundzada's focus on unity may also be preemptive and meant to nip in the bud any possibility that rifts could flare up again.  He also questioned if the audience being targeted went beyond Afghans to focus on the global Muslim community.  “Operationally speaking, the Taliban don’t have transnational goals. But the supreme leader looks to command respect beyond Afghanistan’s borders,” said Kugelman. 

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Nearly 80 of the countries represented at the Ukraine peace summit agreed that territorial integrity and the principles of international law and the U.N. charter should be the basis for peace talks to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. Eastern Europe bureau chief Myroslava Gongadze has the story from Switzerland. VOA footage and editing by Daniil Batushchak.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Mina, Saudi Arabia — Muslim pilgrims used the early morning hours Monday to perform the second day of the symbolic stoning of the devil, as noontime summer heat caused heatstroke among thousands wrapping up the Hajj pilgrimage. The final days of the Hajj coincide with Muslims around the world celebrating the Eid al-Adha holiday. The stoning of the pillars representing the devil takes place in Mina, a desert plain just outside the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. A third stoning is scheduled Tuesday, before the Farewell Tawaf, or circling the cube-shaped Kaaba in Mecca. The pilgrimage is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. All Muslims are required to make the five-day Hajj at least once in their lives if they are physically and financially able to do so. The Hajj rites largely commemorate the Quran's accounts of Prophet Ibrahim, his son Prophet Ismail and Ismail's mother Hajar — or Abraham and Ismael as they are named in the Bible. The rites have taken place under the soaring summer heat, which at 2 p.m. reached 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) in Mecca and the sacred sites in and around the city, according to the Saudi National Center for Metrology. "Of course, it is something very hard and tiring. The temperature is abnormal compared to the past years and this affects us a lot," said Ahmed Al-Baradie, an Egyptian pilgrim, after finishing his second symbolic stoning. More than 2,760 pilgrims suffered from sunstroke and heat stress on Sunday alone at the start of the first round of stoning, according to the Health Ministry. Jordan announced Sunday that 14 Jordanian pilgrims had died from heatstroke. The number of pilgrims on the roads leading to the pillars Monday morning decreased significantly compared to Sunday. Carrying an umbrella against the burning sun, Pakistani pilgrim Khoda Bakhch visited the stoning site on Monday morning and planned to return at sunset. "After two or three hours, it (temperature) may be too much," he said. Experts say heat exhaustion and heatstroke are likely to become more common in the high temperature, with symptoms including heavy sweating, dizziness, muscle spasms and vomiting. Heatstroke is the most serious heat-related illness and happens when the body loses its ability to sweat. Security forces, medics and first responders have been deployed in and around Mina, especially on roads and open areas to direct and help pilgrims. "I am really impressed by the preparations," Sani Abdullah, a Nigerian, told The Associated Press, adding that he was used to such burning heat in his country. "I have never encountered any problems. Everything is going smoothly." Mina is where Muslims believe Ibrahim's faith was tested when God commanded him to sacrifice his only son Ismail. Ibrahim was prepared to submit to the command, but then God stayed his hand, sparing his son. In the Christian and Jewish versions of the story, Abraham is ordered to kill his other son, Isaac. The Eid al-Adha holiday celebrates Ibrahim's submission to God. The stoning began Sunday, a day after the pilgrims visited the sacred Mount Arafat where they spent their day in worship and reflection. The ritual in Mount Arafat, known as the hill of mercy, is considered the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage. The pilgrims collected the pebbles, which they have used in the symbolic stoning of pillars, from Muzdalifa, an area located a few kilometers (miles) away from Mount Arafat. The Hajj is one of the largest religious gatherings on earth. The rituals officially started Friday when the pilgrims moved from Mecca's Grand Mosque to Mina, then to Mount Arafat. They then return to Mina, where they spend up to three days, each casting seven pebbles at three pillars in a ritual to symbolize the casting away of evil and sin. While in Mina, the pilgrims visit Mecca to perform a "tawaf," or circumambulation, which is circling the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque counterclockwise seven times. Then another circumambulation, the Farewell Tawaf, will mark the end of the Hajj as pilgrims prepare to leave the holy city. Once the Hajj is over, men are expected to shave their heads, and women to snip a lock of hair in a sign of renewal. Most of the pilgrims then leave Mecca for the city of Medina, about 340 kilometers (210 miles) away, to pray in Prophet Muhammad's tomb, the Sacred Chamber. The tomb is part of the prophet's mosque, which is one of the three holiest sites in Islam, along with the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. This year's Hajj came against the backdrop of the devastating Israel-Hamas war, which pushed the Middle East to the brink of a regional conflict. The war has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians in the besieged strip, according to Gaza health officials, while hundreds of others have been killed in Israeli operations in the West Bank. It began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip weren't able to travel to Mecca for the Hajj this year because of the closure of the Rafah crossing in May, when Israel extended its ground offensive to the city on the border with Egypt. More than 1.83 million Muslims performed the Hajj in 2024, slightly less than last year's 1.84 million, according to data released by the Saudi Hajj and Umra Ministry. This year's figures included more than 1.6 million pilgrims from 22 countries, and around 222,000 Saudi citizens and residents.

In Namibia, German charity Skate-Aid has built a skate park on the National Institute for Special Education campus. Here, young learners with disabilities can practice a sport Skate-Aid says encourages empowerment, socializing and having fun. Vitalio Angula reports from Windhoek, Namibia.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.