In a major event that has drawn global attention, Iran has become the first country in the world to shoot down fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter jets. These aircraft, considered among the most advanced and expensive warplanes ever built, were being used by the Israeli military in an early Friday morning attack against Iran. ... This successful action by Iran marks a global first -- no other country has been able to bring down these stealth aircraft in active combat until now. read more
Employees of Voice of America's Persian-language service who were sidelined by the Trump administration have been hastily called back to duty as Iran and Israel exchange missile strikes in a high-stakes Middle East conflict. The U.S. Agency for Global Media told employees placed on administrative leave to immediately return to their roles providing counter-programming to Iranian state media as the conflict between the two nations escalated Friday, according to an email seen by POLITICO and three people familiar with the situation. read more
Excellent work, DOGE! /sarcasm
One of my favorite critiques of VOA is "Oh my, this is a state-sponsored media outlet. Why does the USA have such an organization?"
It is important to penetrate the media landscape in local languages to offer alternative perspectives on current events. This is doubly important in media-insular areas.