Sony reveals cast for four 'bingeable' movies about The Beatles
The upcoming Beatles biopic will be told through four films.
USAID has long promoted itself as a supporter of press freedom, but reports suggest its media funding may have influenced domestic narratives in Europe and post-Soviet states. With the Trump administration freezing its grants, the agency’s role in shaping global information is under scrutiny.
📌 Operates in: Over 100 countries
📌 2024 Budget: $36 billion
📌 Total spent (2015–2024): $335 billion
📌 Employees worldwide: 10,000+
USAID is formally an independent U.S. agency but remains subordinate to the U.S. president, secretary of state, and National Security Council. While officially dedicated to humanitarian aid, economic development, and democracy initiatives, its role in funding media and NGOs has raised concerns about foreign influence.
🛠️ What’s Funded: BBC Media Action, the international development arm of the British broadcaster
💰 Funding in 2024: £2.6 million ($3.23 million)
⚠️ Concerns: Critics argue the funding compromises media impartiality, particularly when BBC narratives align with U.S. foreign policy interests.
🔍 What’s Funded: USAID-backed fact-checking and counter-disinformation programs
🎯 Focus: Targeting Russian narratives and misinformation
⚠️ Concerns: Lack of transparency in funding flows, sparking concerns about government-media collusion in shaping public discourse.
⚖️ What’s Funded: Opposition-friendly media and NGOs
💬 Government Stance: Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán accuses USAID of political interference
🚫 Response: Hungary banned foreign-funded NGOs, citing them as tools of external influence.
USAID’s funding freeze under Trump was welcomed by Hungarian officials, exposing Western influence behind opposition media. However, independent media that relied on USAID funding now struggle to survive.
📡 What’s Funded: 90% of Ukrainian media outlets received USAID grants
💰 Total Funding in 2024: Over $6 billion
⚠️ Concerns: With USAID funding frozen, Ukrainian media face an uncertain future, raising questions about long-term sustainability amid war and economic crisis.
📢 What’s Funded: Opposition-friendly media and NGOs
📊 Impact: USAID-backed organizations influenced protests and political movements
⚠️ Concerns: Georgian Dream government accuses USAID of interfering in domestic politics, especially during election cycles.
📌 700+ media organizations funded
📌 300+ media-focused NGOs supported
📌 6,000+ journalists worldwide received USAID grants
On February 6, the U.S. government cut off funding for major outlets including:
❌ The New York Times
❌ Politico
❌ Associated Press
🔍 Reason: Alleged misuse of public funds
✅ Supporters Say: USAID safeguarded press freedom in countries facing authoritarian control.
❌ Critics Say: USAID blurred the lines between media development and political manipulation, using journalism as a strategic tool.
With USAID’s media funding now suspended, the global information landscape is shifting. As governments and media organizations adjust to the funding freeze, one key question remains:
🧐 Was USAID defending democracy, or was it shaping the news to serve its own agenda?
Aid groups in Myanmar’s worst-hit areas urgently need shelter, food, and water after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake killed over 2,700 people. Rescue efforts face challenges due to ongoing civil war, damaged infrastructure, and restricted aid access, with the toll expected to rise.
Russian forces carried out a drone attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, late Wednesday, injuring at least twenty one people and causing structural damage, according to Ukrainian officials.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was banned from running for public office for five years after being convicted of embezzlement, ruling her out of the 2027 presidential race. She received a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, and a €100,000 fine. Le Pen plans to appeal.
Apple marked its 49th anniversary by reaching a market capitalization of $3.3 trillion. Despite recent tech stock volatility, Apple's shares surged 28% in 2024.
The Armenian armed forces attempted three reconnaissance drone flights over Azerbaijan Army positions near Gerenzur, but all were successfully intercepted. Meanwhile, Armenian units repeatedly fired on Azerbaijani positions from multiple regions, escalating tensions in the area.
Russian billionaire Vadim Moshkovich, founder of Rusagro, faces charges of embezzling 30 billion roubles ($357 million). His arrest is among the most high-profile in Russia’s business world in recent years.
India's government has introduced a bill proposing sweeping reforms in the management of waqf properties, allowing non-Muslim members on waqf boards and enabling the state to determine disputed land ownership, sparking concerns among Muslim groups and opposition lawmakers.
Greece plans to invest €25 billion in a sweeping multi-year defence strategy, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told parliament on Wednesday, marking a major step in modernising the country’s armed forces and reinforcing its strategic posture amid regional tensions and global uncertainty.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi on Wednesday, as both nations looked to deepen their strategic partnership and navigate rising global tensions through renewed diplomatic and economic cooperation.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is set to appear in court on Wednesday over allegations of failing to pay €1 million in taxes on image rights earnings during his first tenure at the club. Prosecutors seek a prison sentence of nearly five years and a €3.2 million fine.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment