As citizens in a world filled with an eye popping amount of information, the Week in Review exists so that busy students can still stay up to date on relevant news stories. Whether it is purely for the sake of keeping up with your intellectual friends’ conversations or to make you seem like you actually are capable of continuing your journalism career post-university, we are here to help you do just that. Here is a small, but important, selection of news stories from the past week.
Iraq in Turmoil Yet Again
(Iraqi volunteers in training for the army. Credits: EPA/Khider Abbas)
The unrest in Iraq continued this week, with the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (or ISIS, which stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), with the Sunni insurgency gaining more ground in their quest to make it to the capital of Baghdad. Shi’ite Iraqi men have volunteered by the hundreds and thousands to join the government army in an attempt to thwart the advance of the militant group, which many others have chosen to flee the country, as they found that participating in more bloodshed would be too much to bear. The United States government has announced its intentions to send up to 300 military advisers to help the Iraqi forces to fight against ISIS.
To learn more about the conflict, take a look at the links below:
Iraq Crisis: Everything You Need to Know (Video) | Iraq, Syria, and ISIS: What It All Means (News Article)
World Cup Update
(Japan vs. Greece/ Credits: Action Images/Reuters)
Yes, unless you have been living under a rock, you might have an idea that all over the world, people are fixated on the World Cup. Here is a list of some of the highlights from the past week of action:
-Ousted teams: Cameroon, Spain, Australia, England, Bosnia and Herzegovina
-Teams through: the Netherlands, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Belgium
-Samurai Japan has not had the best time at the World Cup so far. In its first game against Cote d’Ivoire, it had the lead 1-0 in the first half, only to lose that lead within two minutes in the second half. Cote d’Ivoire would hold on to that lead and the match ended 2-1 for “The Elephants.” In its second game, Japan desperately wanted a victory against Greece. However, the game ended in a 0-0 draw, which has now put Japan in a much difficult position to advance to the knock out stage. To advance, Japan must win against Columbia, the group leaders, and also hope for Team Greece to win against Cote d’Ivoire.
-England yet again faced embarrassment after failing to make it through to the knock-out stage for the second time in a row. The country’s media has continued to lament the failure of its once mighty team.
-Team USA won its first game against Ghana, which some hailed as a miracle. John Brooks, who came on as a substitute in the second half, scored the game winning goal in the 86th minute of the game, instantly becoming the nation’s new favorite hero.
Rick Perry Compared Homosexuality to Alcoholism
(Rick Perry/ Credits: Mike Theiler/Reuters)
Rick Perry, the Texas Governor, found himself in hot water again this week when he remarked that “people have the ability of decide” against being gay or an alcoholic. Not surprisingly, the comments drew a huge backlash from the general public, including those at the fundraiser in which Perry made the comments. Perry, who has not been shy about his desire to run for president in 2016, has stood by the comments. In an interview that took place after his remarks concerning his stance equating homosexuality to a disease, he stated that his position “has been fairly clear on that for a substantial period of time.”
Female Japanese Politican Heckled in Japanese Assembly
(Ayaka Shiomura/ Credits: Atsuko Kawaguchi)
Ayaka Shiomura, a female member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, was heckled while she spoke on problems facing working mothers at a formal assembly session on June 18th. The heckles were revealed to have come from members of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDJ), which is the same party as that of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The heckling received a wide condemnation from various parties, and reflected the sexist nature of Japanese politics. Remarks made by members of the LDP include lines such as “Why don’t you just hurry up and get married?” and “Can’t you even bear a child?” Shiomura was visibly shaken by the heckling, but continued on with her speech.
Angelina Jolie Visits Thailand
(Angelina Jolie visits Thailand/ Credits: Getty Images)
Angelina Jolie, fulfilling her commitments as a UN Special Envoy, traveled to Thailand this week, for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Coming just a couple of days after her appearance at the Global Summit to end Sexual Violence in Conflict in London, she toured villages, observed housing conditions, and talked to ethnic Karenni refugees from Myanmar about their experiences in the camps. Jolie has continued to honor her commitments as UN Special Envoy, even while promoting her newest film “Maleficent,” which has been playing in various countries since the beginning of June.