we're looking at other media stories that are on our radar this week with one of our producers tara tara 2 weeks ago the ethiopian prime minister abi ahmed wins the nobel peace prize he helped forge that peace deal with neighboring eritrea ending a military stalemate that lasted 20 years and this past week a major media owner in the country says that he is now being targeted by government agents what's the story so richard this is a story about 2 powerful men in a new and a relationship that looks like it's gone fella the prime minister took power in 2018 after wave of anti-government protests and like you say he's just been awarded a nobel prize one journalist said the obvious rival was at the time an obama moment for the ip and the media mogul you mentioned that he was a journalist and activist in exile a controversial figure for a lot of people but very much credited as a galvanizing force in the open and he showed videos and protests strategies from

his living room coming newsroom in minnesota after be assumed power joe was returned to ethiopia a very influential player with a formidable new station at his disposal the iranian media network this is 100 was the cry of the prime minister when we spoke to him not the kind of freedom that we seen it will be today is unprecedented that everybody has this doubt in their mind is this is this a dream is it going to last is this guy going to go on to another dictator where we're 20 not support him but we're going to call his feet to the fire as well because there are a lot of promises he must kill so that's on prime minister in july 28th now on tuesday the prime minister issued a thinly veiled threat to join in parliament saying if he continues to stir up unrest and undermine peace the government would quote take men. sounds like it

didn't take long for those measures to take place well joe one of the later that evening a group of police officers showed up at howth after midnight tried to dismiss his security detail and there was a kind of confrontation joy goes on facebook and that's not forget this is the guy who mobilized the masses in 2018 and thanks to his 1750000 followers by wednesday morning there were thousands on the streets including outside his home which you could say is rather convenient timing because this week also hinted who run for prime minister next the government has categorically denied is try to arrest him or harm i'm sure the nobel people will be watching with interest from star com thanks to our. next we're moving to a media story whose roots date back to the late 19th century european powers were setting sail for africa sweeping across the continent colonizing country after

country once they took power they wrote laws designed to ensure that the colonized would not rise up against the colonizers laws that could also be used to silence censor intimidate or jail journalists who refused to toe the line come the late 1950 s. africans began revolting and over the next decade or 2 most countries would win their independence however much of the colonial legislation remains in place and there is now a growing list of journalists in sub-saharan africa falling afoul of those laws and they were never written with contemporary democratic societies in mind the listening posts nick knew or had now on the colonial era laws that still determine what can and cannot be reported in parts of sub-saharan africa. chervil 2018 in the democratic republic of congo the newspaper editors that was funny. was jailed for publishing articles particle of

a bank she was prosecuted under a defamation law dating back to 940 when the d r c was a belgian colony november 2 10165 zambian radio journalists were arrested for allegedly calling a member of the ruling party a useless person they were charged under section 179 of the zambian penal code which dates back to british colonial times and in another former british colony courts one makani a newspaper editor at the sunday standard published a report that the former president was involved in a late night car crash he was charged with sedition i told my lawyer that you know what i am going to plead guilty to save the ship because i believe i did that i think and if it's incidents yes they will be but there was a change of government and they got me excited about the heat but i was very disappointed that they go the tide just because that took away the only opportunity

we had the chinese the constitutionality of this edition so sedition. compared to a lesser office of defamation which were much more used to is very specific to care. it is people at the pinnacle of power in the society there are some as that the said comments remarks views expressed have a potential of cost and national security threat or a public order threat $1.00 suspects that because the the newspaper was so independent then had been writing about other matters that was clearly upset in the government of the day that they used that as an excuse to move against the journalists the irony of course is that the world looks up and sees it as a best of democracy and stable rule in sub-saharan africa and yet

some fortunately sedition still remains a crime in botswana and it is used to close down the democratic space. which is by design colonial era los weren't written to protect democracy but to limit dissent in countries like britain france and belgium established the african colonies in the late 19th century the new colonial administrations expected journalists who were almost exclusively white and mostly compliant to highlight the achievements of government perpetuating the notion of african dependence on colonialism they also want to be opponents silenced and a legal framework was created so that. when the colonize ation process began in the late 1950 s. and african governments started coming into power securing independence was the

priority not media freedom and the new leader is so valued in the lords that they inherited what happened after independence. when our black lead us to call before they were calling for a free media but after they changed they decided to use the strategy that was used by the koran yet they are colonial masters and there was a reason for that why because the nation building projects the forcing of people to now identify themselves as it says zambia. now have to be centrally managed or centrally controlled so in order to do that no new governments found it necessary to send a single message as the only voice that had their good intentions and everybody else was destroying what this government was trying to build our leaders

see the media is an opposition. you know and they don't understand the role of the media because the only generic version. of our leaders we're hiding behind this idea of nation building and cohesion we contacted multiple governments that still have colonial era laws in place to ask why decades after independence those laws are still on the books none of them got back to us it's not just the legacy of colonialism that lingers on in africa but the legal residue of apartheid in south africa. this year marks 25 years of democracy in the country but journalists there still have to contend with doors that were designed to preserve white minority rule. 1982

protection of information act gave some thought because apart take government sweeping powers to keep secrets and silence journalists in a democratic era many of the provisions in that glow are deemed unconstitutional but that hasn't prevented its use a big surprise was last year when an investigative journalist. who had written a book called the president suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a police raid and. it was. his stance simply because he had confidential information from the intelligence services in his possession he's been charged under this act and while the case has been moved ahead against him it's still hanging over his head. the ruling african national congress has made several attempts to place the $902.00 protection of state information act its version the

protection of state information bill even made it through parliament. the campaign it's journalists and lawyers said it was new only in name and still gave the state unconstitutional powers the bill remains unfinished business it's been on the president's desk for 6 years now awaiting signature until then the a particular law remains in force. historically always aside there's an unwritten cultural code in the region it's called into the idea in african culture that a shared sense of humanity builds and binds communities the challenge for modern day african societies and their leaders who are no longer united by the common goal of ending colonial. it's hard to reconcile the reverence of a true with the irreverence of critical journalists not too long ago in this very same. criticizing a public figure the political leadership could be seen to be

a lack of good but the attitudes are changing as people begin to identify themselves often his text. message is this way that their concerns these days are less about jet i dislike him and more about. the media or journalists not digging deep enough it's important that people realize that if they want to live in a democratic society that there is no way that a government a democratically elected government or a post colonial government should be in a position to use colonial era laws of apartheid norms to try and subjugate the population i am convinced that if they want to keep those laws in this they truth because they have a vested interest. and there is no. basis no it is guys i would put into good stuff power to the extent that even to criticize them for it.

and finally back to lebanon and an ngo that we did not touch on in our lead story the lebanese have a reputation for party ok it's a stereotype but as anyone who has ever been to beirut will tell you it is not entirely undeserved and rather than putting their partying on hold while the politics plays out on the streets they've combined the 2 activities video has emerged online of a demonstration slash street party in tripoli that looks like some kind of revolutionary raise the d.j. mahdi carinae has quickly grown into a folk hero who knows maybe he'll be the country's next president we'll leave you now with that tripoli video. and a few others plus some tweets on the lebanese practicing politics as only they can and we'll see you next time here at the listening post.

was. talk the talk no jews there oh. they don't believe in the 2 state solution the do

you still believe in the 2 state solution we listen to what i just said it was that pakistan would never start a war i'm anti war we meet with global news makers and talk about the stories that matter although just 0. this is a really fabulous news from one of the best i've ever worked in there is a unique sense of bonding where everybody teams in but something i feel every time i get on the chair every time i interview someone we're often working around the clock to make sure that we bring events as i currently as possible to the viewer that's what people expect of us and that's what i think we really do well. for you know testing about how does this in question whether online life face mental state comes directly out of trance like it's playful or if you join us on sand this is an attack on academic freedom and on our ability to do research and teach freely this

is a dialogue myanmar is not making it very welcoming for people to come about everyone has a voice climate change is real the discussion is real and i'm here to talk about the solutions on al-jazeera. i mean this is to. whether someone or someone has been. think

it's how you approach. it is a certain way of doing it consciously. not backing down antigovernment protests continue across iraq despite the rising death toll. is there a life from a headquarters in doha i'm dead you know also ahead after more than a 1000000 people rally against chile's government the president says he has heard

their message. new details emerge in the u.k. truck deaths of vietnamese mother shares the harrowing details of her daughter's final moments. no longer a man's world how yemen's war is pushing more women into doing jobs traditionally done by men. hello we begin with the latest from the iraqi capital baghdad where police have fired stun grenades at anti-government protesters they were trying to enter the heavily fortified green zone where the iraqi parliament is. at least $42.00 iraqis were killed during nationwide protests on friday and a curfew has been imposed in 8 provinces demonstrators are demanding the resignation of government leaders as well as an end to corruption and economic

hardship in the oil rich country well the leading cleric in iraq has joined calls for calm through his representative grand ayatollah sistani warned the violence could tip iraq into chaos but that's another talk on the we call them protesters and security forces alike to fully abide by the peaceful nature of the demonstrations and not let them slide into violent acts of riot and havoc let's bring in a touch of the name she's joining us from to how do you do square that's really the epicenter of the protests on a talk show on friday was very much deadly what are you hearing and seeing today. there are. definitely deadly the last death toll we have from the iraqi human rights commission is 42 iraqis across the country were killed in protests that began on friday there is a sit in i don't know if you can see the tents behind me here in tahrir square in baghdad overnight several 100 people probably maximum spent the night here in the

square and they say they will to stun grenades and tear gas they say that they were not part of the contingent of people who have been attempting to the return of barrier leading to a bridge that would go to the green zone that is where top level government offices are as well as the u.s. embassy so there's a lot of anger that i'm hearing from protesters this morning they're saying that the government is using excessive force against them when all they are hearing are 8 bandanas. coke and other types of loose ends to help rinse their eyes out if they are it's hard with here gas but it has to be noted that the protests in other parts of the country particularly the south took a very violent turn and there are 8 cities that are under a partial or. evil curfew and in the town of samarra i dasn't government and political party office buildings were lit on fire there's another town in the south next of basra called him a sign apparently families who lost loved ones during the protest said they are

ready to exact revenge and will be taking measures in basra protesters also stole several military humvees so clearly there was a violent element to the protests but people here in tahrir square are again complaining that they remain peaceful and that this is their right to protest and they want the government to respect it and we know that the government is holding an emergency cabinet session a little later on today what do we expect to to happen there and should we expect to hear from any of the leaders. well we're told that the parliament will be meeting to discuss the reforms the reforms by the way that has been largely rejected by the protests were serious were speaking do because they want one thing and one thing only they want this current government to step down prime minister atal abdomen had he has said that if the government resigns chaos will follow but protesters are not accepting that

a short time ago the ministry of interior however did release a statement saying that the government is condemning the violent crimes that took place overnight that they don't have anything to do with quote the peaceful protests and that these protests have been deprived of their peaceful nature it says that the government did not use excessive force and are committed to human rights but they also say that they had to arrest numerous people who are attacking government buildings ok to show thank you for that update from baghdad. in chile a riot police have fired some of the 1000000 marchers in the largest anti-government demonstration for decades tear gas on lead pellets targeted protesters who said barricades on fire in the capital santiago president sebastian pinera says he's heard the message of the protesters complaining about inequality in the rising cost of living at least 19 have been killed in 2 weeks of unrest meanwhile appolo has more from santiago more than 1000000 people have taken to the

streets of the chilean capital to protest for the 7th day in a row it is a historic moment there's never been this many people on the streets at least since 1988 people are comparing this to the 1988 march where a 1000000 people march on the streets of the chilean capital to mark the beginning of the end of the pinochet dictatorship friday was an eventful day not only in santiago but in other parts of the country involved but i saw at the national congress protesters attempted to storm the national congress interrupting a session of of representatives sending every everyone home is a big concern with so many people out on the streets well over a 1000000 people out on the streets on the 7th night of a military enforced curfew is that things will remain peaceful this is been one of the reasons people been so angry over the course of the past weeks is the unrest began with the heavy handed response from police and armed forces with use tear gas water cannons and even live ammunition to disperse the crowd to neighboring been

everywhere the u.n. says it supports an audit of the disputed presidential election result the e.u. u.s. and regional leaders have urged for a 2nd round the vote continuing protests or rather a continuing after the electoral tribunal confirmed the controversial reelection of president ever morale is extending his rule to nearly 2 decades. yemen's internationally recognized government and southern separatists have reached an initial agreement to stop fighting against each other yemen's minister for information. tweeted that a deal will be officially signed within 2 days separatists seize control of the port city of aden in august saudi led negotiations and to reunite the coalition it's been fighting who the rebels 2015 the u.a.e. also a coalition member has been supporting the separatists. turkey says the kurdish withdrawal from syria's northern border is going as planned despite reports of sporadic

fighting in the region kurdish forces have until tuesday to completely withdraw from the so-called safe zone which runs 30 kilometers into syria turkey. and more troops to patrol the area and clear it of any remaining fighters ankara has also rejected claims by amnesty international that it's forcing some syrian refugees to return to the region. government protests in the capital beirut have started walking roads and people are calling for a civil disobedience movement until the government steps down there frustrated over corruption spiraling economic crisis stephanie spoke to some protesters to find out how anger against the government has been building for years 7 7. bandler has barely slept this week. running on adrenaline. she and her friends are blocking roads in downtown beirut to keep the pressure on

the government. i look at. the protests that have erupted have not come from nowhere. this has been building for years we have seen over the past. was very clear. very poor. people paid. planes what that feels like. we started having the problem. so we were running fighting for survival every day. was

a suburban morning. that we. were. birds. the 2015 garbage crisis was another turning point politicians bickered who had collected off the streets fueled by their business interests resulting in the country drownding under piles of garbage it triggered demonstrations then to the same messages coming from everyone out protesting now whether sunni shia druze or christian their leaders have become rich adair and lebanon's expects that unity in a society that is defined by the secretary and allegiances is a 1st. not alone when she accuses lebanon's leaders of exploiting sectarianism to keep the people divided.

religion. all over the. more. these protests may have been triggered by a proposed tax on using social media apps to make phone calls before that a large part of the population was already at a boiling point most recently. forest fires spread across lebanon the government couldn't control them its fire aircraft in disrepair it had to seek help from abroad. perilous is just one voice among many governments of come and gone and their failures of piled up to become unbearable but the leaders who govern this country have remained the same for decades and the people want accountability stephanie decker al-jazeera the. vietnamese people smuggled into the u.k.

may have been among the 39 found dead in a container truck on wednesday earlier reports said they were all chinese the container arrived in essex on a ferry from belgium police are continuing to question 4 people including a truck driver from northern ireland who was arrested on suspicion of murder a word has more from london well i think the police have made a 4th arrest in this fast moving investigation he is a 48 year old man arrested at stansted airport on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people a manslaughter 2 other people were arrested earlier both $38.00 a man and a woman in northern england with a lorry driver arrested at the scene is still being held by police the real focus now of course is trying to identify the victims in the early stages of the investigation it was thought they were all chinese nationals but some vietnamese families are reported to have raised concerns about the welfare of their relatives and.