Israel-Palestine, Morocco, Senegal.

Today's three stories you should know.

Oct 25, 2023

Israel-Palestine

Good journalists never want to become the news themselves. But Al Jazeera, home to some of the best journalists in the world, today found itself in the news twice. First, according to a story in Axios, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked Qatar, which funds Al Jazeera, to “rein in” the network’s coverage of the Israel-Gaza war. Later, the entire family of the veteran Gaza correspondent for the network’s Arabic-language channel was killed in an Israeli strike on a house they were sheltering in. His wife, his son, his daughter, and his grandson. Shattering footage showed a weeping Wael Dahdouh cradling the face of his dead 15-year-old son who lay in a body bag. Al Jazeera reported he wanted to follow his father into journalism. Dahdouh heard about their deaths while live on air reporting Israeli strikes on the area.

Morocco

Residents of a Moroccan town that was among the worst-hit by a devastating earthquake last month held a protest against local authorities today. The people of the town of Amizmiz say they have been living in tents since the September 8 quake but that conditions are now deteriorating as winter approaches with heavy rains and winds sweeping into the region. In response, authorities said they would speed up aid. More than 3,000 people died in the earthquake and thousands were left homeless.

Senegal

Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko is in an intensive care unit after resuming a hunger strike eight days ago, according to his lawyer. Sonko has said he intends to run in presidential elections next February but has accused the government of trying to bury his political career with a series of criminal prosecutions. He had initially begun a hunger strike on July 30 but called it off on September 2.