Myanmar says it will act against police after video shows beating of Rohingya Muslims
Myanmar’s government said Monday that it would take action against police officers who were shown in a video beating villagers in western Rakhine state, where tens of thousands of minority Muslims are fleeing a military crackdown. The statement was a rare official acknowledgment of abuses in Rakhine, home to a large Muslim population known as […]
India court bans religion, caste in election campaigns
India’s top court has banned the use of religion and caste in political activities ahead of state polls, where such affiliations often determine the fate of campaigns. Most political parties select candidates in various districts based on caste and religious considerations. Monday’s Supreme Court ruling warned politicians who disqualify election candidates based on these two […]
Death From Above: U.S. Airstrikes in Afghanistan
This story was produced in collaboration with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Earlier this year, as the war between government forces and the Taliban continued, Muhammad Ikhlas, a farmer in the southern province of Helmand, crossed the front lines to visit his brother, a policeman whom the insurgent group had recently captured. After a short, […]
Lindsay Lohan Prays For ‘New Me’ Post NYE Party
It’s 2017, and actress Lindsay Lohan is yearning for a big change within. The former Disney child actress took to social media to share with her fans what could be her New Year’s resolution for this year. On Sunday, Lohan updated her Instagram account with an artwork that shows a caricature of her placing her […]
Trump Inauguration Speaker Says He Won By ‘Hand Of God’
The Rev. Franklin Graham, the evangelical leader selected to grace the crowds at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration with a few religious words, attributed Trump’s election victory in November to the “hand of God” –and not Russian President Vladimir Putin. Graham is one of six religious leaders who have been selected to pray and read Bible […]
Christmas message leads to death threats in Pakistan
A Christmas message calling for prayers for those charged under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws has led to death threats against the son of a provincial governor killed five years ago for criticizing the same laws. The case highlights the continuing influence in Pakistan of Muslim hardliners who praise violence in the name of defending Islam, despite […]
Saudi Arabian Pop Star Sings ‘God, Rid Us Of Men’ In Viral Hit
Saudi Arabian pop star Majed Al-Esa shook her country’s deep-seated patriarchy with the lyrics and video of her new feminist song, “Hwages” or in English, “Concerns.” Posted on YouTube Dec. 23, the video now has almost 2.5 million hits. The women in the music video sing phrases that roughly translate to “If only God would […]
Berlin Attacker’s EU Escape Path Raises Questions
By the time police officer Luca Scata fired a bullet into the chest of Anis Amri, the Tunisian national who plowed a 25-ton Scania truck into a Christmas market in central Berlin three days earlier, the 24-year-old attacker had traveled across four European Union countries—Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Before meeting his end in […]
Syria’s future with or without Bashar al-Assad
It is safe to say that, until recently, the debate over Syria’s political future came down to one thing: the fate of President Bashar al-Assad. With his victory in Aleppo, and the firm support of Iran and Russia, it is also fairly safe to say that the Syrian president’s future is secure, for the time […]
Francois Hollande in Iraq to review war on ISIL
French President Francois Hollande has arrived in Baghdad to meet the French forces helping Iraq in the fight against ISIL and to hold talks with top officials. Hollande, who was travelling with French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, had already visited in 2014 and remains the most prominent head of state to come to Iraq […]