TUNIS, Aug 10 – Tunisia has gone through five prime ministers in as many years since its revolution, each pushing a widely-praised transition to democracy. None, though, has made much progress in building the economic stability and opportunity that young Tunisians demand. Now the sixth post-uprising premier, French-educated technocrat Youssef Chahed, is making bold promises… Continue reading New Tunisian Premier Tries to Break Economic Reform Curse
Category: News
People have found creative ways to share information since the beginning of civilization using the tools available to them at the time. Information gives us knowledge and knowledge empowers us to make better decisions, be aware of dangers and opportunities learn new ways to be safer, happier, and smarter. Now technology gives us real-time access to stories happening everywhere from our neighborhoods to right across the globe, connecting us to our communities and the rest of the world. But this technology comes at a price. Everywhere we look, someone is trying to capture our attention with the latest headline, celebrity gossip, or ad campaign. It can feel overwhelming. How do you know what to read, what to ignore, or who to believe? Here we explore the world of news to find out how stories become headlines, the role of journalists, and the different ways that issues are reported. All with the aim of helping you and I become smarter consumers of all the information that’s out there. With all this talk of fake news, we’ll take a look at why it is so important to have real and trustworthy news sources. But first what is news? News is information about recent events or recently changed situations. The news has a variety of purposes. It can be things that inform us interest us or even prepare us. And you can find it in newspapers, radio, TV, online, and increasingly on social media.
Olympics: Egyptian Refuses to Shake Hands with Israeli Opponent
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 13 – Egypt’s Islam El Shehaby refused to shake hands with Israel’s Or Sasson after their judo match at the Rio Olympics on Friday, drawing boos from the crowd and stirring a debate about intolerance at the Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) opened a disciplinary commission after El Shehaby, who… Continue reading Olympics: Egyptian Refuses to Shake Hands with Israeli Opponent
Turkish Military Attaches Missing After Being Summoned in Post-Coup Probe: Official
ANKARA, Aug 11 – Two Turkish military attaches in Greece are missing after being called back to Ankara as part of investigations into last month’s failed military coup, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Thursday. Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest armed forces, has discharged thousands of soldiers including some 40 percent of generals since… Continue reading Turkish Military Attaches Missing After Being Summoned in Post-Coup Probe: Official
Two Attackers Killed, One Hostage Dead in French church Attack
PARIS, July 26 – Two attackers killed a priest with a blade and seriously wounded another hostage in a church in northern France on Tuesday before being shot dead by French police. There were no immediate details on the identity or motives of the two assailants but the investigation was handed to the anti-terrorist unit… Continue reading Two Attackers Killed, One Hostage Dead in French church Attack
Turkish President Gains Upper Hand in Power Struggle
ISTANBUL, July 24 – At the crossroads between a divided Europe and a convulsed Middle East, Turkey is caught in a power struggle between former Islamist allies which is shaking democratic institutions and raises questions about its future path. Since a failed coup on July 15, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) founded by… Continue reading Turkish President Gains Upper Hand in Power Struggle
Cameron Says UK Must Stay Close to the EU After Brexit
FARNBOROUGH, England, July 11  – Prime Minister David Cameron said it was in Britain’s fundamental interest to remain very close to the European Union when it renegotiates a new relationship with the bloc it voted to leave in a referendum last month. Speaking to global aerospace executives at the Farnborough airshow, Cameron said Britain must… Continue reading Cameron Says UK Must Stay Close to the EU After Brexit
Syrian Rebel Group Say They Are Investigating Child Beheading Video
A boy sits outside a bakery in the rebel held al-Shaar neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria July 14, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail A boy sits outside a bakery in the rebel held al-Shaar neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria July 14, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail BEIRUT, July 20 – A Syrian rebel group which has received U.S. military backing said… Continue reading Syrian Rebel Group Say They Are Investigating Child Beheading Video
Sterling Slides to 31-year Low as Brexit Shock Deepens
LONDON, June 27 – Sterling fell to a 31-year low against the dollar on Monday as a sell-off stemming from Britain’s decision to quit the European Union gathered pace, with the euro also pressured as Brexit clouded the future of the rest of the bloc. Safe-haven currencies like the yen and the Swiss franc extended… Continue reading Sterling Slides to 31-year Low as Brexit Shock Deepens
Mumbai Red-light Area Gentrifies, Putting Sex Workers at Greater Risk
MUMBAI, June 27 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Rising rents and redevelopment are forcing sex workers out of Mumbai’s oldest red-light district, leaving them vulnerable to further exploitation, according to a new report. Police crackdowns and gentrification have pushed most sex workers out of the infamous Kamathipura district to the suburbs, from where they commute back… Continue reading Mumbai Red-light Area Gentrifies, Putting Sex Workers at Greater Risk
Cannes Festival Entry Focuses on Taiwan Death Penalty Debate
TAIPEI, May 9 – A prize-winning Taiwanese film exploring the use of the death penalty will screen at the Cannes Film Festival later this month, adding to recent increased debate about the island’s use of capital punishment. Leon Lee’s 23-minute film titled “The Day To Choose” puts its main character, a lawyer and strong opponent… Continue reading Cannes Festival Entry Focuses on Taiwan Death Penalty Debate
Domestic Focus May Limit Clout of $2 Trillion Saudi Fund
DUBAI, May 17 – Saudi Arabia aims to create the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund, a $2 trillion behemoth that can throw its weight around global markets, but the fund’s growth abroad is likely to be slowed by its responsibility for aiding the economy at home. Building the Public Investment Fund (PIF) into “the largest… Continue reading Domestic Focus May Limit Clout of $2 Trillion Saudi Fund
Saudis, Russia Agree Oil Output Freeze, Iran Still Obstacle
DOHA, Feb 16  – Top oil exporters Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed on Tuesday to freeze output levels but said the deal was contingent on other producers joining in—a major sticking point with Iran absent from the talks and determined to raise production. The Saudi, Russian, Qatari and Venezuelan oil ministers announced the proposal after… Continue reading Saudis, Russia Agree Oil Output Freeze, Iran Still Obstacle
Leading From The Front
For the first time in history, 39 Muslim nations have come together to establish a broad global military coalition with the sole aim of countering terrorism. From a Joint Command and Coordination Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the newly inaugurated Islamic Military Coalition to Counter Terrorism is drawing up plans to combat terrorists and terror… Continue reading Leading From The Front
Syrian Rebels Advance Against Daesh Near Turkish Border
AMMAN, April 5 – Syrian rebels were closing in on a town near the Turkish border held by Daesh on Tuesday after seizing numerous villages from the group in the area, rebels and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The rebels involved in the offensive include factions fighting under the banner of the Free… Continue reading Syrian Rebels Advance Against Daesh Near Turkish Border
Daesh Driven Out of Syria’s Ancient Palmyra City
BEIRUT, March 27 – Syrian government forces recaptured Palmyra on Sunday, state media and a monitoring group said, inflicting a significant defeat on the Daesh group which seized the city last year and dynamited its ancient temples. Syrian television quoted a military source saying the army and its militia allies took complete control of the city… Continue reading Daesh Driven Out of Syria’s Ancient Palmyra City
Nearly 87 Million Children Under 7 Live in Conflict Zones, Brains Not Developing
LONDON, March 24 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Nearly 87 million children around the world under seven years of age have been growing up in conflict zones, in conditions that can hinder the development of their brains, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday. Exposure to extreme trauma may hinder the development of brain… Continue reading Nearly 87 Million Children Under 7 Live in Conflict Zones, Brains Not Developing
Daesh Claims Killing of Christian in Bangladesh as “Lesson to Others”
DHAKA, March 23 – Daesh claimed responsibility for stabbing a Christian to death in Bangladesh as a “lesson to others”, an online group that monitors extremist activity said, the latest killing declared by the militant group in the Muslim-majority nation. The South Asian country has seen a surge in Islamist violence in which liberal activists, members… Continue reading Daesh Claims Killing of Christian in Bangladesh as “Lesson to Others”
Software, Printer Problems Delayed Discovery of Bangladesh Heist
DHAKA, March 17 – The cyber thieves who stole $81 million from Bangladesh Bank hid their tracks by installing malware that manipulated a central bank printer to hide evidence of the heist, according to a person familiar with the investigation. Earlier, two central bank officials filed a police report that said that a computer and… Continue reading Software, Printer Problems Delayed Discovery of Bangladesh Heist
Anti-Trump Protesters: A Patchwork of People and Facebook Pages
KANSAS CITY, Mo./BLOOMINGTON, Ill., March 13 – Donald Trump has called them thugs, professional organizers and supporters of Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders. But the protesters who have stepped up their actions against the Republican presidential front-runner are a disparate group from different walks of life, with no national organization to speak of. They assemble… Continue reading Anti-Trump Protesters: A Patchwork of People and Facebook Pages
Daesh Using Birth Control To Maintain Sex Slaves
WASHINGTON, March 13 – Daesh is using several forms of contraception to maintain its supply of sex slaves, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing interviews with more than three dozen Yazidi women who escaped from the militant group. The New York Times reported that Daesh used “oral and injectable contraception, and sometimes both” to ensure that the women did not… Continue reading Daesh Using Birth Control To Maintain Sex Slaves
Daesh Using Birth Control To Maintain Sex Slaves
WASHINGTON, March 13 – Daesh is using several forms of contraception to maintain its supply of sex slaves, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing interviews with more than three dozen Yazidi women who escaped from the militant group. The New York Times reported that Daesh used “oral and injectable contraception, and sometimes both” to ensure that the women did not… Continue reading Daesh Using Birth Control To Maintain Sex Slaves
Egypt Parliament Expels MP for Dining With Israeli Ambassador
CAIRO, March 3- Egypt’s parliament voted on Wednesday to expel an independent lawmaker who invited the Israeli ambassador in Cairo for dinner, drawing widespread criticism and prompting a fellow deputy to attack him with his shoe. Speaker Ali Abdelaal announced that 465 lawmakers, out of 490 who attended the session voted to expel Tawfik Okasha… Continue reading Egypt Parliament Expels MP for Dining With Israeli Ambassador
Iran Committed to OPEC’s Oil Output Freeze: Iranian Ambassador to Oman
Muscat (Newsweek Middle East)– A day after Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh ridiculed a decision by the Organization of the Oil Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to freeze oil output, the Islamic Republic’s Ambassador to Oman said his country “is committed to OPEC’s oil output freeze decision.” Speaking on the sidelines of Iran’s Capital Market Roadshow… Continue reading Iran Committed to OPEC’s Oil Output Freeze: Iranian Ambassador to Oman
Bahrain To free U.S. Citizens Accused of Illegal Gathering: Lawyer
DUBAI, Feb 16 – Bahrain’s public prosecution office said on Tuesday it had accused four U.S. nationals of participating in an illegal gathering but ordered them freed pending further investigation. The media campaign group Reporters Without Borders said on Monday that a U.S. journalist and three members of her camera crew had been detained in… Continue reading Bahrain To free U.S. Citizens Accused of Illegal Gathering: Lawyer