Nation branding: how Ukraine turned advertising into a weapon

Kyiv is the first to launch an official nation branding campaign in the midst of war

22 AUG 2022


A woman walks past large ‘Bravery is Ukrainian brand’ adverts in central Kyiv
Oleksii Chumachenko/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Nadia Kaneva, an associate professor at the University of Denver, on Ukraine’s ​communication strategy to keep the world focused on its fight against Russia.

When a preview of Vogue’s October 2022 cover story on Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska hit Twitter last month, reactions on social media were swift and polarised. Some critics said that a photo shoot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz for a fashion magazine was a “bad idea” and glamorised war.

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Others lauded the magazine and Ukraine’s first lady for bringing awareness to the suffering of Ukrainians, five months after Russia first invaded its neighbouring country.

In the cover photo, 44-year-old Zelenska wears a cream-coloured blouse with rolled up sleeves, black trousers and flats. She sits on the stairs of the Ukrainian Parliament, leaning forward with hands intertwined between her knees. Her makeup is minimal, her hair casually tossed as she looks directly at the camera. Within hours Ukrainian women started using the hashtag #sitlikeagirl to share photos of themselves in the same pose as a show of solidarity.

Vogue’s profile of Zelenska, headlined “A Portrait of Bravery” and written by journalist Rachel Donadio, fits into a larger communication strategy, mounted by Ukraine’s government, that’s intended to keep the world focused on the country’s fight against Russian aggression. As part of that effort, Ukraine also initiated a nation branding campaign in April with the tagline “Bravery. To be Ukraine.”

As a communications scholar, I have studied how former communist countries like Ukraine have used marketing strategies to burnish their international reputations over the past two decades – a practice known as nation branding.

Ukraine, however, is the first country to launch an official nation branding campaign in the midst of war. For the first time, brand communication is a key part of a country’s response to a military invasion.

Nation branding and the end of communism

The idea that nations can be branded emerged at the beginning of the 21st century. This kind of work uses advertising, public relations and marketing techniques to boost countries’ international reputations. Campaigns are often timed to coincide with major sporting, cultural or political events – like the Olympics.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, formerly communist Eastern European countries were particularly eager to rebrand themselves and get an updated international image.

When Estonian musicians won the international singing competition Eurovision in 2001, Estonia became the first post-Soviet country to hold this prize. Subsequently, the country’s government hired an international advertising company to design a modern national brand for Estonia as it prepared to host Eurovision the following year.

Research has shown, however, that former communist countries’ nation branding efforts were not meant just for international consumption. They also provided a new way to talk about national identities at home, and re-imagine national values and goals, via marketing terms.

But until 2022, no country had used nation branding to fight a war.

‘Bravery is our brand’

Executives from the Ukrainian advertising agency Banda first pitched the idea for Ukraine’s Bravery Campaign to the government shortly after Russia invaded in February 2022. Based in Kyiv and Los Angeles, the agency had already worked before the war on government-sponsored campaigns, marketing Ukraine as a tourism and investment destination.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy endorsed the wartime branding campaign and publicly announced its launch on 7 April 2022, in a video address. “Bravery is our brand,” he stated. “This is what it means to be us. To be Ukrainians. To be brave.”

In the following months, Banda produced numerous messages in formats ranging from billboards, posters and online videos, to social media posts, T-shirts and stickers. A campaign website offers downloadable logos and photographs and asks visitors to share the message of bravery and donate to Ukraine.

Some billboards feature images of courageous, ordinary Ukrainians and soldiers. Other billboards are emblazoned with bold slogans in the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag. They urge audiences to “Be brave like Ukraine” and say that “Bravery lives forever.”

Inside Ukraine, the campaign’s messages appear on everything from juice bottles to 500 billboards in 21 cities. The campaign is also running in the US, United Kingdom, Canada and 17 countries in Europe, including Germany, Spain and Sweden, according to AdAge.

This massive communication effort is happening at a minimal cost to Ukraine. Banda is donating its services, and the Ukrainian government pays only for production costs. Media space, including high-profile billboards in Times Square and other major cities, was donated by several global media companies.

Branding as a weapon of war

Banda’s co-founder, Pavel Vrzheshch, has said the campaign aims to strengthen Ukrainians’ morale as they continue to fight Russia. But the focus on bravery is also about Ukraine’s future, he says.

“The whole world admires the Ukrainian bravery now, we must consolidate this notion and have it represent Ukraine forever,” Vrzheshch said in a media interview.

At its core, the campaign attempts to transform an intangible value, like bravery, into an asset that can be converted into real military, economic and moral support. In other words, it aims to cultivate positive public opinion in the West that will support further aid to Ukraine in order to help fight the war.

This way of using brand communication in a war is unprecedented in at least three ways.

First, rather than relying only on diplomatic channels to seek international support, Ukraine is harnessing popular media and social media networks to speak directly to citizens of other countries. It gives ordinary people around the world a chance to show solidarity through donations or by sharing campaign messages and pressuring their government to support Ukraine.

A formal brand campaign also allows Ukraine to extend the visibility of the war beyond news coverage. As the conflict continues, it is likely to fade from news headlines in international media. But billboards, social media posts and the strategic use of entertainment publications like Vogue can keep it in front of audiences.

Finally, the best brand messages connect with consumers by inviting them to imagine better versions of themselves. Famous ad slogans like Nike’s “Just do it” or Apple’s “Think different” illustrate this idea. So does Ukraine’s call to people around the world to “Be brave like Ukraine.”

It is notoriously difficult to measure the effectiveness of nation branding campaigns, as brand consultants point out. The process is costly and time-consuming, and results are often contested.

The direct impact of the Brave Campaign may not be clear for months to come. It is also not clear how long its message will continue to resonate. But it is clear that Ukraine is transforming nation branding into a new propaganda weapon, adapted for the age of consumer culture and constant media stimulation.

Nadia Kaneva, Associate Professor, University of Denver

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

NORTHERN CANADA

Raglan Mine preparing for ‘longer conflict’ as strike nears 3-month mark
Yesterday 


Raglan Mine is preparing for an ongoing strike at the mine to last a long time.

Work at the nickel mine, located in Nunavik, came to a halt May 27 after 630 members of the United Steelworkers union voted to strike. The union and Glencore Group, the mine’s parent company, had been trying to negotiate a new collective agreement since the end of March.

Next week the strike will enter the three-month mark.

Raglan Mine is now getting ready for winter with a lower level of production due to the absence of unionized staff, said mine spokesperson Amélie Rouleau.

“We are preparing the site and our teams for a longer conflict,” she said.

Work is underway to get the concentrator, which begins the raw nickel refining process, running at about 25 per cent of what would be its usual operation.

With that going, the mine can continue shipping products from the raw material it has available.

Raglan Mine is located in the northeast region of the Ungava Peninsula. It is the largest employer in Nunavik, with close to 1,200 workers who rotate in and out of the mine throughout the year.

Throughout the summer, talks involving a mediator have reopened and broken down. The mediator continues to be involved in negotiations.

On July 10, Glencore presented an offer to the union. Ten days later, 76.7 per cent of members voted to reject it.

In the meantime, Raglan Mine site contractors and other non-unionized employees are taking on some of the production and site maintenance work.

“It’s obviously way slower than normal, but it’s still moving, that’s the good news,” Rouleau said.

Union representative Cimon Guy, a member of its negotiating committee, said his side is not surprised that Raglan is getting ready for winter and an increase of operations without them.

“These big companies, they have contingency plans,” Guy said.

“We expected it, they’re doing their thing, and that’s totally normal.”

This month, Makivik Corp. will start sending 2022 Raglan Trust cheques to Nunavik beneficiaries. The money is contributed by the mine to Makivik.

The amount Makivik sends out through the trust cheques varies depending on profits at the mine.

According to Rouleau, the strike should not have an impact on this year’s cheques, but it might next year.

“It does have an impact for our host communities and that’s why we’ve been trying to minimize, as much as possible, the impact,” Rouleau said.

Despite negotiations seeming to be at a standstill after nearly three months, both sides still say they are hopeful about reaching a deal, and want to put this dispute behind them.

“I just hope we can get back to negotiating and we can settle this,” Guy said.

“People, at the end of the day, they just want to work. … It’s too bad this conflict is keeping back some honest workers who just want to get the job done.”

David Venn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News

Can rivers and lakes recover from drought?

Major rivers across Europe are at their lowest levels in years, and climate change will only make things worse for aquatic ecosystems. But allowing nature to take back control can help fix some of the damage.


Rivers across Europe have hit record low water levels this summer

Europe's intense summer heat waves have brought rivers across the continent to their lowest levels in years.

Major waterways like the Rhine, Danube and Po are warming and at critically low levels, threatening agriculture, commerce, drinking water and natural ecosystems. The European Drought Observatory has reported that nearly 50% of the continent is under a drought warning, with some analysts calling it in the worst in 500 years.

As we continue to burn fossil fuels that make the planet hotter, heat waves and drought are expected to become more frequent and intense. Countries will have to adapt and deal with the consequences.
What do lower water levels and higher temperatures mean for rivers and lakes?

Lower levels aren't just bad news for our well-being — they're also detrimental to the health of rivers and lakes themselves, as well as the wildlife dependent on them.

When water levels fall, living space is restricted and plant and animal populations struggle to coexist, Jose Pablo Murillo, program officer at the Stockholm International Water Institute, told DW. Water quality declines, and ecosystems are disrupted.

And variations in both temperature and levels that are outside normal limits can "quickly increase the risk of drastic changes in the conditions of river and lake ecosystems," he said.

"This damage is not only limited to the rivers, but can extend to adjacent ecosystems upstream and downstream that depend on the services that rivers provide such as drinking water, food supply, irrigation and nutrients," Murillo added.

Because warmer waters are hospitable environments for bacteria and other pollutants, drinking water risks contamination. Lower water levels, mean it's less likely those pollutants will be diluted and washed away.

"When an ecosystem is under high stress for a long period of time it becomes increasingly difficult for it to recover," added Murillo.

Harmful algae blooms

Warmer waters also disrupt the delicate balance in aquatic ecosystems.

"Temperature is crucial for aquatic ecosystems as it influences the chemistry of water," said Murillo. "As the water temperature rises, water holds less dissolved oxygen." Without that oxygen, it becomes more challenging for the local biota — aquatic plants and animals — to survive.

Some researchers have pointed to low oxygen levels as an aggravating factor in the recent mass fish die-off in the Oder River between Germany and Poland. Historically low water levels since 2018, along with high water temperatures of around 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit), mean fish in the river are stressed.

Murillo said lower oxygen levels and increased nutrient pollution can end up stimulating the growth of freshwater algae, a process called eutrophication.

"These issues can reinforce each other," he said. "For example, higher concentrations of nutrients can result in algal blooms that decrease oxygen levels. This can lead to the death of biota, which increases the nutrient load, and so on."

Toxic algal blooms, seen here as billowing green clouds, have returned to Lake Erie

That's the case in Lake Erie, on the border between Canada and the United States, where agricultural nutrient runoff has seen the return of toxic algal blooms in the western basin. Both countries managed to cut algal blooms in the latter half of the 20th century by reducing runoff. But warmer lake waters have seen a recurrence of the algae over the last 20 years, especially in 2011, 2014 and 2015. This has created "dead zones" of depleted oxygen, causing many fish deaths.

Waterways choked with sediment

Parched, slow-moving rivers and shrinking lakes are also much more likely to see an increase in sedimentation. Loose sand, silt and other soil particles, which would otherwise be swept away, instead settle at the bottom.

This unnatural buildup of sediment destroys the area's natural habitat by preventing vegetation from growing and damaging food supplies for fish and other aquatic life. In the United States, for example, sediment pollution — from natural erosion and human land use — accounts for around $16 billion (€15.8 billion) in environmental damage every year, according to the country's Environmental Protection Agency.

Murillo pointed out that this sediment, while a potential problem in one area, might be vital to ecosystems in deltas and coastal wetlands further downstream.

"It can also affect the routes of fish that migrate upstream or the availability of food for wildlife that live by rivers and lakes," he said.
How can we help rivers and lakes to recover?

Scientists are clear that we must cut climate-altering emissions to address the root causes of drought and extreme heat. But even if we immediately address these challenges, the effects on our waterways will still be felt for decades to come.

There are, however, some things that can be done to give lakes and rivers a helping hand.

One way to keep rivers from overheating is to make sure they're shaded. Over the past decade, a UK initiative called Keeping Rivers Cool — launched by the Environment Agency government body — has planted more than 300,000 trees along the banks of rivers and streams across the country.

Maintaining shade is good for waterways — and fish

These trees help shade the watercourses and bring temperatures in small rivers down by an average of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius (up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit) — welcome relief for brown trout and salmon populations. One demonstration site along the Ribble River in the northwest recorded shaded areas that were up to 6 degrees cooler on hot days.

The trees also provide a habitat for native plant and animal species, prevent erosion and filter out sediment and pollution before they reach the water.
Reverting rivers to their natural state

Heavily modified rivers are less resilient to global heating and are not able to hold water in droughts and floods. Restoring their natural flow and condition is one solution. That can be achieved by removing unused dams, weirs and other barriers, allowing the water to flow freely once again.

That's a major task in Europe. According to 2020 data, the continent is home to at least 1.2 million barriers fragmenting rivers and streams.

Rewilding rivers, like the Eau Blanche in Belgium, can also benefit the surrounding ecosystem

Dam Removal Europe, a coalition of environment groups that include the World Wildlife Fund, the World Fish Migration Foundation and Rewilding Europe, recorded the removal of at least 239 barriers in 17 European countries in 2021, with Spain, France and Sweden leading the way.

It's one of many groups across the continent helping to bring rivers back to a more natural state, along with adjacent wetlands and marshes. Often, native fish and plant species are quick to reestablish themselves once barriers have been removed.

"There are many ways for us to help rivers recover. Overall, we need to reduce the stress we impose on freshwater ecosystems," said Murillo.

He added that it was essential to consider a "more holistic management of these ecosystems," one that takes into account how extensively our lakes, rivers, streams and oceans are interlinked and dependent on each other.

DROUGHT: GERMANY'S RIVERS DYING OF THIRST

A matter of draft

When fully loaded, the entire black part of a cargo ship's hull rests under the water. But this is currently not possible on many German rivers. Now, cargo ships may only be partially loaded. And if the load falls below a certain level, transport by ship is no longer worthwhile.

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Edited by: Jennifer Collins

UK inflation will hit 18% in early 2023, says leading bank Citi

Forecasts updated after 25% and 7% rally in gas and electricity prices respectively last week

Citi expects the consumer prices index to breach 18% in the first quarter of 2023, the first time since 1976. 

Photograph: Aleksander Kalka/Zuma Press/Rex/Shutterstock


Alex Lawson and Rowena Mason

Mon 22 Aug 2022 

Inflation in the UK will hit 18% early next year as consumers count the cost of the deepening energy crisis, one of the world’s biggest banks has predicted.

The US financial services group Citi said it expected the consumer prices index to breach 18% in the first quarter of 2023, while the retail prices index inflation rate would soar to 21%.

Citi’s prediction is significantly higher than previous modelling of the impact of rising costs. Earlier this month the Bank of England said it expected inflation to reach 13% by the end of the year, while the Resolution Foundation thinktank has forecast it could reach as high as 15% by early 2023.

The last time UK inflation reached 18% was in 1976 when an oil supply shock ripped through the global economy and left the UK seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

The climbing forecasts have put pressure on the Conservative leadership candidates to say how they would tackle inflation. Liz Truss released a plan to “put the West Midlands at the heart of our economic revival” on Monday night, without mentioning inflation. Rishi Sunak set out his own plans to make the UK a science superpower and to replace the Horizon research programme, from which Britain has been frozen out after Brexit. But his campaign had earlier warned that Truss’s plans for tax cuts could create an “inflation spiral”.

Labour said inflation was a global problem but “worse in the UK than elsewhere due to Conservative mismanagement over the past 12 years”.

Pat McFadden, the shadow Treasury minister, said: “With each passing day there is a new survey saying energy prices will rise even higher than expected and with them, inflation too. People simply cannot afford the rises projected to hit them in the coming months. That is why Labour has proposed freezing energy bills over the coming winter, saving households £1,000 and protecting them from rocketing prices.”

Citi is highly regarded for its economic forecasting, working with the Institute for Fiscal Studies thinktank on its regular “green budget” analysis.

Benjamin Nabarro, the chief UK economist at Citi, said its forecasts had been updated after a 25% and 7% rise in UK gas and electricity prices respectively last week.

Conditions in the gas market worsened on Monday in response to Russian state-owned operator Gazprom announcing unscheduled maintenance on the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline into Europe.

The price of gas for next-day delivery to the UK shot up 37% to 495p a therm at one point, the highest since March. The month-ahead gas price touched record highs, up 16% to 540p a therm.

In Europe, the gas price according to the TTF benchmark rose more than 10% to a high of €290 (£245) a megawatt hour, and in France the year-ahead electricity price surged to more than €800 a megawatt hour, up from just over €100 at the start of the year.

Citi predicts typical dual-fuel tariff energy bills will hit £3,717 in October, higher than most forecasts of between £3,500 and £3,700. Ofgem, the energy regulator for Great Britain, will announce the level of the next price cap on Friday.

The US bank predicted that the cap would rise to £4,567 in January – about £300 higher than some forecasts – before reaching £5,816 in April.

Energy bills have rocketed this year as high wholesale gas prices, in part down to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have fed through into bills.

The government is examining options to tackle the crisis, including ramping up an existing support package, which gives £400 to every household from October, and a “tariff deficit scheme” pushed by suppliers.

Bill Bullen, the chief executive of Utilita, on Monday called for the Conservative party to end its leadership contest early so that the energy crisis could be tackled immediately.

Citi said it expected at least a £300 reduction in bills as a result of an anticipated cut to VAT on household energy bills and a suspending of green levies on bills.

However, it added: “In reality, any government response to this is likely to involve substantially more fiscal firepower (around £40bn in our view).”

Citi analysts said offsetting the energy increase in full would cost £30bn, equivalent to 1.4% GDP, for the next six months. The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, has presented a £29bn plan to freeze bills for six months.

Analysts at RBC said global gas traders including Shell would benefit from higher prices, as well as the power station owner Drax and the energy group SSE.

On Monday, Europe was due to receive its first cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Australia in six years, arriving at the Isle of Grain terminal in Kent. The Attalos gas tanker was poised to bring in LNG for use immediately in the UK as well as export to Europe.

Asked about the possibility of blackouts this winter, Downing Street downplayed concerns. A No 10 spokesperson said: “Households, businesses and industry can be confident they will get the electricity and gas that they need over the winter. That’s because we have one of the most reliable and diverse energy systems in the world.”

She said consumers should not panic or feel they should cut down on energy use. “These decisions, in terms of energy consumption, remain decisions for individuals. But what I’m saying is that households, businesses and industry can be confident that they will have the electricity and gas that they need.”

Abbas calls for release of all Palestinians held by Israel

August 21, 2022 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on July 05, 2022 

[Algerian Presidency/Anadolu Agency]

August 21, 2022

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for the release of all Palestinian detainees from Israeli jails, Anadolu Agency reported.

"We must continue our demand for addressing the Palestinian refugee issue and the release of all the brave detainees," Abbas said at an inauguration ceremony for two charitable projects in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

According to Palestinian figures, there are nearly 4,550 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails, including 175 minors and 27 female detainees, along with 670 detainees held under the Israeli administrative detention without charge or trial.

On Saturday, Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails threatened to stage an open-ended hunger strike to protest Israeli abuses.

For years, Palestinians jailed by Israel have used hunger strike to demand better living conditions and an end to indefinite detentions.

READ: How Israel oppresses the Palestinians

Abbas vowed that the Palestinians will not leave their occupied territories.

"We will not leave out country whatsoever the conditions are," he said.

In 1993, the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel signed the Oslo agreement, which gave Palestinians a form of civil rule, but negotiations failed to complete the agreement and lead to a Palestinian state.

Peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis collapsed in April 2014 as Tel Aviv refused to stop settlement building and release Palestinian detaines imprisoned before 1993.

Slain veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh honoured with street naming, scholarships

August 21, 2022 

A portrait of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh ,who was killed by Israeli Forces, is seen during the preparations for U.S. President Joe Biden's visit in Bethlehem, West Bank on July 14, 2022 [Issam Rimawi - Anadolu Agency]

August 21, 2022 at 1:02 pm


More than 100 days after Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered in Jenin, hundreds of Palestinians and supporters gathered in Ramallah to unveil a street named after the Palestinian veteran journalist.

The street is on the way that Abu Akleh used to travel daily to get to work at the Al-Jazeera network office in Ramallah and where she was reporting live coverage of incidents in Palestine.

Ramallah City Municipal Council announced the new street in the presence of Abu Akleh's family and supporters, along with a monument where she stood during her reports.

The memorial reflects the symbolism of Abu Akleh in the collective memory of Palestinians since they still consider her as their voice. Ramallah Municipal spokeswoman Maram Totah said the street names are a way to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the Palestinian cause as city streets are always named after martyrs and fighters who carried their message in their lives and deaths.

"Shireen was an exceptional giver. She held the voice of the Palestinians and never stopped telling the world about the crimes committed by the occupation against the Palestinian human being," said Totah.

"She had a special, special place in the hearts of the city's people. She was attending the social activities with them and this memorization of her in Ramallah is to honor her and all the martyrs of the Palestinian press," Totah added.

READ: The world lets Israel evade punishment for killing Palestinians

In addition to Ramallah, many Palestinian cities have named streets and central squares after martyrs on the West Bank and Gaza strip.

Several universities have launched scholarships and prizes Abu Akleh's name, including Birzeit University, Al-Quds University and the Arab American University in Jenin and Beirut.

Abu Akleh lived and worked in Ramallah.

Her photos and murals bearing her image are ubiquitous in the West Bank.

Families have also named their children in tribute to the veteran journalist and to express the endless effect and presence of her voice in their memories.The Thabet family from Rafah in the southern Gaza strip named their twin daughters Shireen and Jenin, days after Abu Akleh's assassination.

"We missed her voice during the last Israeli attacks against Gaza. She was our high voice and through her coverage, the world heard about our continuous suffering, "the girl's father, Mohammad, told Anadolu Agency. "I honor her – her efforts during the hard nights in the streets and hospitals to make the pictures and news."

Following the last Israeli attack on Gaza, Thabet's house was slated for demolition and his 3-month-old daughters were injured.

"Despite this hard life under occupation, we are an endless nation. If the Israeli army killed Shireen, there are thousands of Shireen. I gave my daughter Shireen's name because when you give your child a name of a martyr you ensure his upbringing, "added Thabet.

The family of Abu Akleh's is still trying to get justice demanding a US investigation that they hope will lead to accountability.

The world marks Aug. 21 as International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.

Despite global condemnation of terrorism, the victims of Israeli occupation in Palestine are in a continuous struggle to have their voices heard.

READ: The US 'investigation' into Abu Akleh's killing tells us that Israeli impunity is a priority

For them, Abu Akleh was their hope from being forgotten or neglected and she was killed while advocating for Palestinians.

The Israeli assaults against Palestinian journalists escalated during the last year.

The Palestinian Center for Freedoms and Development (MADA) documented 368 incidents against Palestinian journalists, with 155 direct violations that varied between injuries and murder.

Three journalists were killed during the last war against Gaza in August with 33 media headquarters attacked by airstrikes.

More than 100 assaults were documented against journalists since the beginning of 2022, with most in Jerusalem and Jenin in April.

CHICAGO NOT GAZA

Activists demand justice after police assault Palestinian-American teen


Calls for justice are mounting after a Palestinian-American teenager 17-year-old Hadi Abuatelah was brutally beaten by US Police at a traffic stop last month near Chicago 

[@aaanmarkaz/Twitter]

August 21, 2022 

Calls for justice are mounting after a Palestinian-American teenager was brutally beaten by US Police at a traffic stop last month near Chicago.

On 28 July, a video filmed by a bystander went viral showing two police officers in Oak Lawn, Illinois, on top of the teen, 17-year-old Hadi Abuatelah, beating him before a third officer is seen briefly placing his knee on the child's head or neck. Hadi is then handcuffed by the officers.

One of the officers claimed he smelled marijuana from the car in which Hadi was riding as a passenger and also alleged he was carrying a gun. The video shows that a gun was found after the beating, but it is not at all clear where it came from.

According to Electronic Intifada (EI), Hadi sustained multiple injuries, including fractures to his pelvis and face, and internal bleeding in his brain. He was transferred to a local hospital in a critical condition and remained there for six days before being released from the hospital and into police custody.

WATCH: Muslim shops shut down in Chicago

On Wednesday, hundreds of supporters and civil rights activists gathered outside the Oak Lawn Police Department, denouncing the police force and calling for accountability over Hadi's assault.

"If we wait on the Oak Lawn Police Department to do it, nothing would happen," Frank Chapman, executive director of the National Alliance Against Racism & Political Repression, was quoted as saying by The New Arab. "We're demanding that the state attorney general take action. If need be, we'll go all the way to the Department of Justice."

"In the US we have an upsurge in racism. White supremacists are running rampant and committing all sorts of acts of violence against people of colour. It's very important for us to come together," he added.

Despite the sensitivity over the incident, raising concerns of institutional racism and profiling by law enforcement, the Oak Lawn police responded to the demonstration by putting armed officers on rooftops and surrounding protesters with additional officers equipped with military-grade weapons and full SWAT gear, reported EI.

Hadi is due to appear in court on 25 August, however activists are still waiting to find out from the state's Attorney's Office whether the three officers will be charged.

Israel orders heads of Palestinian rights groups to stop work

August 22, 2022 

Israeli forces in the West Bank on July 26, 2022

 [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

August 22, 2022 

Israel's domestic spy agency, Shin Bet, has ordered the directors of two Palestinian rights groups to stop their work and sever their connections with their organisations, Haaretz has reported.

"They told me that I need to know that the organisation that I work for is illegal, and that it is illegal for me to keep working there either in or out of the country, and that if I continue, they will act against me," said Khaled Quzmar, director of Defence for Children International – Palestine.

Quzmar told Haaretz that he received a call from a man who identified himself as a Shin Bet investigator and called him in for interrogation. The agency told him that this was the last warning that it would give. Nevertheless, he insisted to Shin Bet officers that the allegations were untrue.

"I said that I know my organisation 100 per cent and that it's a lie, and that if they have evidence that they can take me to court," he explained to Haaretz. "They said that if I continue to work at the organisation, they will take me to court." There was a clear threat from Shin Bet, he added.

The director of Al-Haq rights group, Shawan Jabarin, also told Haaretz that he received a call from a man who called himself Fahed and said that he was from Shin Bet. He too was called for interrogation.

READ: 9 European countries 'concerned' about Israel closing Palestine NGOs

"I told him that I am a man of the law, and that if he wants to, he needs to send me an official letter via a lawyer or to come to my home," said Jabarin. "He told me that continuing to work at Al-Haq and opening its offices is terrorism, and that I am a member of the PFLP. I told him that I am not, and that he is a liar who represents the forces of the occupation.

"He told me that I will pay a high price and that I will be detained and investigated. I asked him if this was a threat, and he said 'Yes'."

The Shin Bet order came just days after Israeli occupation forces raided the offices of seven Palestinian rights groups which were declared by Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz last October to be "terrorist entities".

PLO opens its offices to rights groups closed by Israel


Israeli forces raided and shut down 7 Palestinian NGOs allegedly having links to terrorism in Ramallah, West Bank on 18 August 2022 

[Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

August 22, 2022 

The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) yesterday announced that it had opened its offices as temporary headquarters for the seven rights groups closed by Israel, the PLO's Human Rights Department said.

Following an emergency meeting held in Ramallah, the PLO's Human Rights Department said that its decision comes in response to the Israeli decision to close the Palestinian rights groups.

During the meeting, Fatah Deputy Head, Mahmoud Al Aloul, said: "The closure of the seven Palestinian rights groups is part of the Israeli crimes committed against the Palestinians on a daily basis."

Head of PLO's Human Rights Department, Ahmad Al Tamimi, said that the department is ready to offer all the needed support for the rights groups to be able to resume their work.

Director of Al-Haq, Shawan Jabarin, said: "The Israeli closure of the offices of the rights groups is a political measure which is targeting all Palestinians."

READ: US 'concerned' over Israel raids on Palestinian NGOs, admitting lack of evidence for terror claims

On Thursday at dawn, Israeli forces raided the city of Ramallah in the West Bank and closed the offices of seven Palestinian human rights NGOs.

The raid included six NGOs designated as "terrorist organisations" in 2021, as well as the Union of Health Work Committees, which Israelclaims is linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), outlawed by Tel Aviv.

Kuwait to lay off 750,000 Egypt workers

August 22, 2022

Expatriate workers in Kuwait City on 15 March 2020 

[YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP/Getty Images]

August 22, 2022 

Kuwait has announced that it will lay off 250,000 Egyptian workers next month and suspend all contracts with non-nationals.

Some 500,000 further Egyptian workers will lose their jobs over the next year as the Gulf country seeks to remove all expatriate workers across sectors.

Egyptians make up around 24 per cent of the total workforce in Kuwait, the Kuwait Times said in February, making them the largest expatriate group in the country.

For a long time, the largest group was Indian workers, but according to the same source they now make up 23.7 per cent of Kuwait's workforce.

The statistics report, by the State Audit Bureau, said that only 22.3 per cent of the workforce are Kuwaiti out of 77.7 per cent of non-Kuwaitis.

READ: Kuwait names first ambassador to Iran in over six years

Two years ago, a video of a Kuwaiti customer slapping an Egyptian cashier went viral with commentators saying it underscored racism in the country towards Egyptian workers.

The same year an Egyptian worker was stabbed to death in Kuwait whilst a Snapchat influencer called Egyptians "filthy servants."

In 2020 Kuwait's parliament proposed a draft law to reduce the number of foreign workers in the country with the aim of getting the number of Egyptians down to ten per cent.

The law stipulated that government agencies should not renew the residencies of foreign workers.

The decision to lay off 750,000 Egyptian workers has come as the cost of living across the world has soared and many families have struggled to buy basic goods.

Egypt's unemployment rate hit 7.2 per cent this year. The North African state's economy has struggled over recent years due to widespread corruption, the aftermath of the global coronavirus pandemic and now the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Remittances from Egyptians abroad hit $31.5 billion in 2021 and constitute a major source of foreign currency, making it the fifth largest recipient of remittances in the world largely from Gulf countries.

Russian embassy in Canada weaponizes social media to fuel support for Ukraine invasion



By Ahmed Al-Rawi, for The Conversation

2022-08-22

In order to curb the spread of disinformation by official Russian news sources, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) recently made a symbolic move by banning Russia’s state-run RT news channel in Canada.

Yet this is an ineffective measure given the way social media channels controlled by the Russian Embassy in Ottawa are spreading disinformation, and how fact-checking is being weaponized by the Russian government to twist reality and confuse people about the war in Ukraine.

As a researcher who studies disinformation, I first investigated the way Arabic tweets with hashtags like #WeStandWithRussia and #RussiaHasAJustCause have been used since the beginning of this year.
New accounts

In my ongoing research, I’ve collected 26,440 tweets posted by 10,544 unique users who supported Russia. Over 27 per cent of the tweets were posted from accounts created in 2022, including 4,052 tweets in just one day on Feb. 15, 2022, and 5,457 tweets in the month of February alone. The highest number of tweets were posted in January and February 2022 by accounts created in these two months.

When I further examined the most-mentioned Twitter accounts that these users retweeted, I found they were the accounts of the Russian Embassy in Egypt (@Rusembegypt) followed by the Arabic-language Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@Russia_AR). The majority of the other accounts frequently retweeted are related to other Russian embassies in the region.

These findings made me turn my attention to Canada.

The Russian Embassy in Ottawa runs its own Twitter account — @RussianEmbassyC — as well as a Telegram account and VK (Russia’s Facebook) public channels.

Similar to the findings in the Middle East, I have found that the Russian Embassy in Canada is active in spreading disinformation and promoting the Russian perspective on the events taking place in Ukraine.

‘Fake news’ accusations

Instead of heavily relying on RT or Sputnik, Canada’s Russian Embassy mostly retweets messages from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Russian embassies from around the world. That includes tweets that attempt to discredit any factual reporting on the war.



The Russian embassy also frequently posts official statements attacking Canadian politicians as well as Canadian media for what it views as their biased positions about the war in Ukraine. That included an attack on the Canadian government and the news media for allegedly spreading lies.


The term fake news itself is weaponized to serve the interests of the Russian government, similar to the way Donald Trump frequently used the term fake news when he was president of the United States.

One of the most troubling features of this Russian disinformation campaign pertains to the weaponization of fact-checking practices. In a recent tweet, the embassy announced the launch of a new website called waronfakes.com, which attempts to lend credibility to official Russian propaganda.


The website allegedly provides fact-checking services on the war in Ukraine and is offered in five languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese). Ironically, no Ukrainian or Russian-language content is offered, revealing what foreign audiences are being targeted by the Russian government. Nonetheless Russian content is offered on a Telegram channel.
Sudden flurry of new accounts

To understand who’s retweeting the Russian Embassy’s messages, I collected 4,796 tweets from 2022 posted by 3,796 unique users. Similar to the case of the Middle East, the month of February 2022 had the highest number of Twitter accounts created that subsequently retweeted posts from the Russian Embassy.

While this might not prove any co-ordinated inauthentic activity, it does look suspicious.

The Russian Embassy in Canada mostly retweets messages sent by the Russian Foreign Ministry, like @mfa_russia and @mid_rf, and vice versa. The @mfa_russia account is the second-most active in terms of retweeting messages sent by the Russian Embassy.

Though the official and public efforts in Canada in terms of cracking down on Russian disinformation has been to ban the RT and Sputnik news channels, the reality is that Russian embassies are creating their own information echo chambers.

Social media also creates direct engagement with the Canadian public that cannot be blocked by CRTC. The embassy often sends direct messages like the one below via its Telegram channel:

The Russian Embassy’s Telegram message thanking the Canadian public for showing support. Author provided, Author provided

Other times, the embassy urges the Canadian public to mistrust news coverage of the events in Ukraine.


My analysis shows the CRTC’s decision to ban RT is ineffective because the news channel can be viewed on multiple platforms in Canada and elsewhere.

Russian disinformation has evolved to increasingly rely on various information sources, including the social media outlets of diplomatic missions around the world as well as fake fact-checking sites like waronfakes.com.

The disinformation war that Russia is fighting is being fought on different linguistic fronts — the English language is only one of them — and it’s mostly being waged on social media.

By Ahmed Al-Rawi, for The Conversation

Ahmed Al-Rawi is Assistant Professor, News, Social Media, and Public Communication, Simon Fraser University.

This is a corrected version of a story originally published on April 10, 2022. Figures have been updated in relation to the Arabic tweets and Russian embassy tweets.

‘From Canada with love’: Canadians are paying to write messages on Ukrainian rockets

By Stewart Bell  Global News

Posted August 22, 2022 

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Ukrainian rockets with messages from Canadian donors. SaveMyRocket.com

“Love from Toronto.”

“Putin … with loathing from Canada.”

“Liam from Canada says F—k you Putin.”

The rockets Ukrainian forces have been firing at the Russian army in recent weeks have carried taunting messages from Canadians.

Photos taken by Ukrainian troops show inscriptions requested by Canadians on artillery, mortar and howitzer shells.

READ MORE: Memes, stamps and profane slogan tees: Ukraine war merch funds war efforts

They are part of a fundraising campaign that allows donors to brand Ukrainian rockets launched into Russian-held territory.

In exchange for a pledge, Ukrainian troops will pen a donor’s words on a shell and shoot it at Russian positions.

Afterwards, the sponsor gets a photo of the shell and video of it firing. The donations are used to buy equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“Soldiers at the front lines will write your message in permanent marker on an artillery shell,” the fundraising website says. “Wish someone a happy birthday. Ask for a date … Send greetings to Putin.”

Depending on the type of munitions, minimum pledges range from $150 to $2,000. According to the website, the process takes two weeks.

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Ammunition inscribed with a message from Canadian donor. Signmyrocket.com

“It felt like a small revenge,” said Nika, a Ukrainian-Canadian from Manitoba who participated. Global News is identifying her by her first name only due to security concerns.

She said her 86-year-old grandfather still lives in Ukraine and has to hide in a bomb shelter due to Russian attacks. “We feel helpless watching this horrific war unfold,” she said.

The message she put on the rocket read: “Glory to Ukraine. Canada is with you.”

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Ukrainian M777 howitzer shell with message from Canadian donor. Signmyrocket.com

Writing messages on weapons is a longstanding tradition, but as a fundraising tool in a conventional armed conflict, it may be unprecedented.

“This is probably new,” said Jessica Davis, a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service analyst specializing in finance.

An expert on national security law, Prof. Leah West of Carleton University, said she did not see any legal problems for Canadians who take part in the campaign.

Ukrainians have launched scores of innovative fundraising drives to finance their defences against the invasion ordered by President Vladimir Putin six months ago.

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Anton Sokolenko, the 21-year Ukainian IT student behind Sign My Rocket. Handout

Anton Sokolenko said he started Sign My Rocket on Telegram because so many supporters of Ukraine wanted to pay to write on ammunition.

A 21-year-old IT student and volunteer at a Ukrainian non-profit group that supports the armed forces, Sokolenko said two web designers later created the website.

“And the site is very important, so people around the world can express their hatred to Russians, make a donation to the Ukrainian army and get something in exchange,” he said in an interview.

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A maple leaf on a Ukrainian rocket, top, paid for by B.C. residents, and a message from Toronto. SignMyRocket.com

Donors can also write messages on the turret of a T-72 tank or the barrel of a howitzer, as well as on a grenade dropped from a drone.

So far, the campaign has raised more than US$200,000. The money has been used to purchase vehicles, drones and other gear, Sokolenko said.

He shared photos showing a half-dozen rockets with messages he said Canadians paid to have written onto the shell casings.

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Ukrainian rocket with a message paid for by a Canadian donor. Signmyrocket.com

All have been fired already, although he didn’t know exactly where.

“With love from Canada,” read one of them, paid for by Rob, an Alberta resident who Global News is identifying only by his first name for security reasons.

In an interview, he said many of his friends were Ukrainian-Canadians, and while he had donated to humanitarian groups, he also wanted to help the troops.

“I just wanted to do something,” he said. “It’s not a lot, but I’m willing to have my little part in it.”

He said he had also paid to put a message on an M777 howitzer shell: “F—k Putin – Ukraine will always be free!!”

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Canada sent M777 howitzers like this one to Ukraine. The barrel is marked with a message from a sponsor. Signmyrocket.com

The Canadian government sent several howitzers to Ukraine in April, provided training on their use and later sent replacement barrels.

A B.C. resident, who Global News is identifying only by his first name Ethan, said he had put a message on a shell as a birthday gift for a Ukrainian friend.

“My motivation for purchasing a shell message was that I wanted my money to go directly to a Ukrainian on the frontlines, instead of some faceless charity,” he said.

“I strongly support Ukraine, and I hope our government continues to send support to them.”

Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca