Kurt"s Middle East News

Suzdaltsev, Jules. “The Rise of the Ottoman Empire.” Seeker, 16 Oct. 2017, www.seeker.com/the-rise-of-the-ottoman-empire-2049066695.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.

This video talks about the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Now before the Ottoman empire there was the Byzantine Empire that held power but just couldn’t keep up after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. During this time it also mentioned the Golden age of Islam which allowed for the rapid growth of Islam. The Ottoman Empire started to grow and then achieved victory at Constantinople. This video relates to the middle east unit because we studied the Ottoman Empire and the fall of other empires like the Byzantine Empire

Kurt's Foundation News

Bechly, Günter. "Human Origins: Out of Africa, or out of Germany?" Evolution
    News, Discovery Institute, 23 Oct. 2017, evolutionnews.org/2017/10/
    human-origins-out-of-africa-or-out-of-germany/. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.

This article is about the human evolution and the different discoveries that helped us know more about human evolution. Some discoveries included human fossil footprints. These fossils have helped us in trying to figure out how old and what origins these hominid apes are from. This relates to the foundations unit because we studied how hominoids looked and where they originated from.

Kurt's Africa News

Richardson, Jim. “South Sudan.” Upfront, vol. 159, no. 4, 30 Oct. 2017.

This article “South Sudan” is about the struggles facing south Sudan during their Civil War. When south Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 people were filled with happiness. But just soon after south Sudan had started a Civil War which has led to the tens of thousands of deaths. This has also led to a food shortage and millions are continuing to starve. This article relates to the African unit because it shows how all the wars and violence has caused the economies to become devastated. Which has also led to the mass numbers of deaths in Africa.

Kurt's Europe News

Castle, Stephen, and Thomas Erdbrink. “Europeans Leaders Criticize Trump’s Disaproval of Iran Deal.” New York Times, 13 Oct. 2017. Nytimes, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/13/world/europe/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.

This article "European Leaders Criticize Trumps Disapproval of Iran Deal" is about how president Trump made a decision to disavow the Iran nuclear deal. This nuclear deal was the culmination of 13 years of diplomacy and also made sure that Iran's nuclear program is not diverted for military purpose. This relates to the Europe unit because it talks about European leaders and the potential violence of such actions.

Daniel's Europe News

Pothier, Fabrice. "Catalonia: None of Europe’s Business." Politico, Politico
     SPRL, 7 Nov. 2017, www.politico.eu/article/
     spains-catalan-independence-carles-puigdemont-crisis-none-of-europe-business/.
     Accessed 7 Nov. 2017.




     The Catalonia problem in Spain right now is getting increasingly complicated to choose between. Many argue that their autonomy should be determined by the citizens with their right to vote for it. If they were to become self governed it would take a big budget from the Spanish government. This is risky because the Catalan separatists have made some questionable decisions, and not many regions in Spain are doing well economically to support his transition. The EU and Spain wants to give them more autonomy yet not complete freedoms, which would pose more problems. Many say the EU should not help because there job is to solve problems between countries not within the countries. This resembles the French Revolution in a way that they want to get a new government for themselves and not be ruled in a fedralist way. 

Daniel's Foundation News

Yasukawa, Olivia, and Tom Page. "Inside the Lab Rewriting the Origins of
     Humanity." CNN, 25 Oct. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/10/25/africa/
     inside-africa-morocco-homo-sapiens-fossils/index.html. Accessed 7 Nov.
     2017.



     Recently new fossils were discovered that could point us to believe that the origins of man did not derive from the East coast of Africa, but the Northwest Coast. These new fossils predate the earliest fossils known by 100,000 years. Scientists are using thermoluminescence detectors to figure how out how old the fossil is. "Human Evolution is like a puzzle", says Jean-Jacques Hublin. He right because there are many pieces to evolution that need to be fit together to see the big picture. This new discovery doesn't necessarily say that East Africa is the origins of human life, but to say that the origins of human life is much more complicated than we think it to be. This relates to our learning because we learned about Lucy who everyone thinks is the oldest evidence of a human being, butthis article tells us it may not be true.

Kira's Europe News

Willimott, Andy. "Children of the Russian Revolution." History Today, vol. 67, no. 10, Oct. 2017.

This article talks about the Communist Revolutions in Russia based off of socialist ideas in the
communist manifesto, which we learned about and how it influenced Eastern Europe. It also
discusses how land and property were seized from the bourgeoisie middle class in Russia and then
given to the state. After this happened, the Soviets ruled over the land with an iron fist controlling
everything. They grew powerful and controlled the neighboring states as well, influencing what went
on in them.

Kiera's Middle East News

"Moved by Otis, Millions of Muslims Gather for Annual Saudi Pilgrimage."
Hartford Courant, uploaded by Stephen Singer, Hartford, 4 Sept. 2017,
www.courant.com/business/hc-biz-otis-mecca-20170831-story.html. Accessed 5
Nov. 2017.

Every year, an estimated three million Muslims assemble in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to worship
their annual religious pilgrimage. Mecca is known as the holiest place to worship, and is where as
many as 300,000 people are expected to cross over Jamaraat Bridge every hour. By doing so, they
are completing the ritual, "Stoning the Devil." Otis, the Farmington-based manufacturer of elevators
and escalators, is working to help Muslims making this journey through Mecca to navigate their way
during the week-long worshipping process called Hajj. The engineers and technicians associated
with Otis are working to provide Mecca's bridge with the proper structural and technological
updates and advancements to preserve the Jamaraat Bridge's culture, while making the journey
easier and more efficient in today's modern day and age. This video relates to information that we
covered in class during our Middle Eastern unit because we learned of the Hajj and how it is
Muslims' duty to travel to Mecca every year to worship the Kaaba and participate in this annual
religious pilgrimage.

Kiera's Africa News

"South Africa Judge Rules Police Murdered Anti-Apartheid Activist in 1971."
The Guardian, Guardian News, 2017, www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/12/
south-africa-judge-rules-police-murdered-anti-apartheid-activist-in-1971.
Accessed 5 Nov. 2017.

Information is resurfacing about the cruel and unusual punishments and murders committed
by police force stationed at John Vorster police station in South Africa in the 1900's. 46 years ago,
Ahmed Timor, an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa, was allegedly said to have committed
suicide. Although, it is just being publicly announced that Ahmed Timor did not in fact end his own
life, but was murdered by police officers, judge Billy Mothle recently confirmed. Other anti-apartheid
activists that lived to know Timol testified against the police at John Voster as well, claiming that
they had been tortured and threatened with death multiple times as well. More and more families
that have lost relatives to this cause during a time relevant to the apartheid regime are beginning to
speak up and gain justice for their lost ones and what they had fought for. This connects to what we
have learned in class about Africa because many more cases and knowledge of Europe's white
rulers and Apartheid activists in South Africa brutally torturing and murdering Africans is starting to
be revealed more frequently in modern times.

Kiera's Foundation News

Uppsala University. "Modern humans emerged more than 300,000 years ago new study suggests."
ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 September 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170928142016.htm>.

A genomic analysis of ancient human remains from KwaZulu-Natal have uncovered that South
Africa may have had a previously unidentified role in the history of humankind. The scientists and
researches involved with this discovery estimate that human divergence had actually occurred
earlier than scientists had already predicted, going back 350,000 to 260,000 yeas ago. Fossils and
other evidence are showing different populations in South Africa to have admixed and emerged
separately at different points in time than what they had thought to be. This changes scientists' idea
of when the divergence among modern humans had actually occurred. This relates to what we had
learned during the Foundations unit because it contradicts with the timeline of the big eras and our
general idea of when humans emerged and the pathway they were set on to reach modern times
now.

Emma's Europe News

"1917: The Fragility of Power." History Today, 17 Oct. 2017, pp. 4-6.

The article “1917: Fragility of Power” from the magazines History Today is about the start of the Russian Revolution and its interconnectedness with the First World War. The article was written at the month marking the centenary of Lenin’s seizure of power. It discussed how the revolution was born of the First World War, contrary to the opinion of Bognador, who says Lenin’s triumph as the pivotal point. The article explains how following Lenin fleeing into exile and being relocated back to Russia when the Central Powers and Allies were at war with each other, it gave Lenin time to get control of Russia’s industrial heartland and also win the Civil war. The empire would be in control of those who prioritized World Revolution than the state of their compatriots. The First World War would guarantee the success of the Russian Revolution and would change the turnout of events in the 20th century. This article relates to our Europe Unit in class because it discusses Russia; a country in our unit and it discusses its government and political leaders.

Colleen's Europe News

“From the Editor 1917: The Fragility of Power.” History Today, Oct.
2017, pp. 3-6.

The article, "From the editor 1917: The Fragility of Power is about
the Russian Revolution and then Civil War. The article starts by
explaining the power that is held by Lenin, a communist and politician
who controls government, and the policy of Glasnost. Glasnost
translates to transparent, which allowed unions to reform. Once the
revolution started many attempts where made to end it, creating a
provisional government. While the revolution was occurring jobs were
diminishing, so many had to hold a stronger grip on their careers. The
article focuses on the map-making business and claims it is one of the
most profitable business. This job is held by a majority of women and
helps with the past and future of record keeping. This article relates
to what we learned because we learned about the plethora of battles
that have happened in Europe. In addition, we learned about the
government and their status. Lastly, this related to class because we
learned about the jobs in different countries that would be lucrative
enough to support a family.

Thomas' Foundation News

Bechly, Günter. "Human Origins: Out of Africa, or out of Germany?" Evolution
     News, Discovery Institute, 23 Oct. 2017, evolutionnews.org/2017/10/
     human-origins-out-of-africa-or-out-of-germany/. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.

This article explains the recent discovery of fossil human footprints. These fossils are said to be around 2-4 million years older than Lucy, the oldest human found. One example of these fossils are human footprints found in Crete, Greece. These date back to around 2.5 million years older than Lucy. Another example are two teeth found in Germany date back to 3-4 million years older than Lucy. This relates to the foundations unit because we also learned about human evolution and the first humans.

Colleen's Foundation News

"'Little Foot' hominid may be far younger than first thought." Mercury [South Africa], 31 Mar. 2017, p. 6. World History in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A487894803/WHIC?u=hell32414&xid=a7d69603. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.

"Little Foot Hominid May be Far Younger Than First Thought" is an article about a recent discovery of an almost complete skeleton that could potentially be much younger than originally estimated. As soon as the discovery occurred many scientist estimated the age to be around 3.7 million years old, older than "Lucy". This discovery started in 1980, when ankle bones were found and then 17 years later the remainder of the skeleton was found. In 2015 scientist kept attempting to figure out how old the skeleton actually was; however, they were never able to determine the exact age. Now scientist have used crystals around the site of the discovery to concluded that "Little Foot" is only 2.8 million years old and might be a complete alternative species in which we evolved from. This article is able to connect back to our foundations unit because this unit is where we learned about the first Neanderthals and the evolution of the entire human species. In this unit, we learned about our oldest relative "Lucy" who was found where the first humans would then be located in the future, Africa. 

Colleen's Africa News

Reuters. “At Least Five Killed in East Congo Clashes: Human Rights Watch.” The New York Times [New York], 30 Oct. 2017. The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/10/30/world/africa/30reuters-congo-violence.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.

"At Least Five Killed in East Congo Clashes: Human Rights Watch" is an
article about recent and violent deaths that have occurred in an
African country. On October 30th, five individuals lost their lives.
This all started when the civilians of eastern Democratic Republic of
Congo started a protest, demanding that President Joseph Kabila should
depart from office this year. The delay for the presidents departure
has erupted new violence throughout the area. During this protest four
civilians were killed, one of the individuals was struck by a stray
bullet. In addition to the four civilian deaths, a police officer was
beaten to death and many others were injured. This article relates to
what we learned in class because it supports one of the five myths of
Africa. The myth that Africa is violent is supported by this article
because it shows the violence that individuals had to go to, beating a
man to dead, just to feel as if they are being heard.

Colleen's Middle East News

“Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina.” The New York Times, uploaded by Luca Locatelli, Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/video/magazine/100000004853683/pilgrimage-to-mecca-and-medina.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.

The video, "Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina" is a visual and audio representation of what Mecca looks like, why it is such a significant place, and what individuals come here to do. The video shows documentation and what happened during a more recent trip to Mecca. Mecca and Medina are most well known because they are Islam holy cities and only Islams are allowed here. Here many individuals gather to pray and worship. The Saudi Broadcasting Cooperation broadcast 24 hours a day, providing a layer of security and the opportunity for people homebound to know what is occurring here. The Kaaba is the holiest sight that houses special materials for the Islams. The Kaaba is the physical representation of the house of god and pilgrims circle this building seven times to symbolize unity and harmony. Individuals also visit here to see Mount Safa Malls near the Kaaba typically close shops during the time of prayer. This audio and visual representation relates to class because in class we learned that Mecca is the holy city that all Islams must travel to once in their love. We also learned that whenever they pray, not matter location, you must face the Kaaba. 

Emma's Africa News

"Burundi Pulls Out Of ICC." BBC, 27 Oct. 2017, www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/

    p05l783j. Accessed 5 Nov. 2017.

This audio clip is about how Burundi has officially left the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ambassador believes that they couldn’t continue to be part of an organization or system that was undermining their safety and security. Burundi is the first African country to leave the ICC. Also, many African countries believe the ICC unfairly targets African political actors for prosecution. The president of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, criticizes the court of abusing human rushes and being inhumane. Other countries in Africa also share the same beliefs and this could lead to a chain reaction and cause others to also drop out of the International Criminal Court very soon. South Africa,Gambia, Zimbabwe and Uganda also were African countries that were going to withdraw, but Burundi is the only one that went through with the withdrawal from the ICC. This audio clip relates to our Africa unit because it discusses a Sub-Saharan African country and their political standpoint and views.

Monem's Foundation News

Cimons, Marlene. "Women in Developing Nations Often Get Less Eye Care than Men."
     The Washington Post, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2017,
     www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/
     women-in-developing-nations-often-get-less-eye-care-than-men/2017/10/13/
     cca2f90c-a7b3-11e7-850e-2bdd1236be5d_story.html?utm_term=.c9e21414f46a.
     Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.

This article, "Women in Developing Nations Often Get Less Eye Care than Men," covers the topic of gender equity in the eye care field of developing nations. According to the article, women in developing nations often suffer from eye disease, but more often so than their developed nation counterparts. It is said that if there was gender equity in the eye care field, there would be a 6:4 ratio on women to men getting cataract surgery. However, in most developing countries it is the reverse, where there is a 6:4 ratio of men to women getting cataract surgery. An example of the disproportional eye issues can be seen in the infection rate of Trachoma. Trachoma, a bacterial infection that leads to blindness, can be found in developing countries where 90% of its victims are women. According to a study done by Courtright, women have a 40% higher risk of blindness than men have. This relates back to studies in the foundations unit of the studies of developed and developing nations. As can be seen in the case of eye care, developing nations have much progress to be made on the health care standpoint.

Thomas' Africa News

"Fighting Erupts in Congo's Eastern City of Bukavu." Al Jazeera, 6 Nov. 2017,
     www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/
     fighting-erupts-congo-eastern-city-bukavu-171105125611219.html. Accessed 6
     Nov. 2017. 

This article explains the violence erupting in Africa. Gunfire and explosions emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Security in the DRC has declined since the end of last year, this is one factor of why violence has been breaking out much more often and how it has escalated to the violence Bukavu. This relates to our Africa unit
because it explains the violence in Africa and the fact that the African governments have trouble controlling their citizens.

Monem's Middle East News

"Why Israel Needs a Palestinian State." The Economist, 26 May 2017, p. 11.

This article, "Why Israel Needs a Palestinian State," covers the current state of affairs between Israel and Palestinians as Palestinians fight both literally and politically for a state. After coming out on top following the Six Days War, Israel became the controller of the Holy Sites of Jerusalem. However, with this came an everlasting feud of control for that territory against its previous inhabitants, the Palestinians. President Donald Trump comes into play to today's politics on the matter. He made promises to the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to bring a US Embassy to Jerusalem, but also could hold off to create a second Embassy in Jerusalem for the Palestinians, which would force Israel to recognize them as a state. This article ties into our learning of the development of the Jewish State of Israel after World War II, by showing the current day state of a feud between the Israelis and Palestinians that has been going on since. Furthermore, it also ties to the significance of recognizing a nation, because without recognition a country isn't a country in the eyes of the global community, as with the case of Palestine.

Emma's Foundations News

"Assessing Chinese Imperialism." The Washington Times, 19 Sept. 2017,

    www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/sep/19/chinese-imperialism-must-be-checked/.

    Accessed 5 Nov. 2017.

This article discusses and assesses China’s “One Belt, One Road” Initiative and how China will use it in the future. It is a strategy started by President Xi Jinping and it is mostly aimed towards an economic endeavor. The OBOR is simply China buying billions of dollars of infrastructure along the Silk Road; linking them with Europe. It is considered to be the largest economic and military initiative of the modern era. It is driven by rather aggressive patriotism and is unpredictable. This strategy could be a threat to the United States' interests as the US is questioning it's involvement in several trade regimes. The economic enterprise is said to have some suggestions of imperialism because China seems to be on a mission to slowly take over Europe and the Silk Road. This article relates and ties together information from our Foundations Unit because it discusses an example of possible future imperialism with China and their One Belt, One Road strategy.

Thomas' Middle East News

"Spokeswoman Defends Progress in Saudi Arabia." CNN, 30 Sept. 2017, www.cnn.com/
     2017/09/27/middleeast/saudi-women-still-cant-do-this/index.html. Accessed 6
     Nov. 2017.


Saudi Arabia women are now able to drive. In this video a spokeswoman of Saudi Arabia explains the progress of women's rights there. The spokeswoman talks about the misconception of women's rights in Saudi Arabia, as we learned in class. All in all women in Saudi Arabia are slowly gaining more rights. The spokeswoman emphasizes that the Saudi society has been evolving and leading up to the allowance of women to drive.

Monem's Africa News

Stacke, Sarah. "Two Sisters Different Lives in Post-apartheid Manenberg, South
     Africa." The Washington Post, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2017,
     www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2017/10/09/manenberg/
     ?utm_term=.27c6c6e30061. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.

This article is about two sisters living in a Suburb of Cape Town surviving through post-apartheid South Africa. They live in the town of Manenberg, which is shown by South African media to be a hub for crime and gang violence. The end of the Apartheid regime hasn't brought any fruits to the town of Manenberg. The older of the two sisters, Naomi, 31, lived on the streets of an affluent Cape Town neighborhood to escape the predictability of her home in Manenberg. This is where the author first met her. She has spent time experimenting with drugs, alcohol, and sex while living on the streets. Naomi introduced the author to the rest of her family. The younger sister, Debby, 28, is a single mother of three. She unlike her sister, has a job and works 50 hours a week to support her family. She works at a restaurant about an hour away from their home in Manenberg and when she isn't home, her mother looks after her kids until she returns. The story of these two sisters ties to our learning of Apartheid in South Africa. South Africa had been free of Apartheid for nearly 25 years, and their town is just as crime ridden and unsafe as it was before the fall of Apartheid. This article builds on the historical context we learned about with the fall of apartheid and also shows how corruption in South Africa's democracy is hindering change in taking down crime in cities like Manenberg.

Thomas' Europe news

"A Tsar Is Born." The Economist, Oct.-Nov. 2017, pp. 23-25.


This article explains how the tsar Vladimir Putin has effected modern day Russia. The author talks about how the people of Russia view Putin, 80% of the population sees him as corrupt and self-serving. Also, this article tells about the effect of other nations on Putin. For example, during the protests in Ukraine in 2013, Putin saw opportunity to expand territory. This made Putin more pleasing to the public. Although Russia has been functioning efficiently with Putin, looking in the future when Putin leaves office it could lead to a major crisis. This relates to the Europe unit as we learned about the corruption and importance of leaders in Italy.

Monem's Europe News

"Catalan President's Message to Europe." BBC, 22 Oct. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/av/
     world-europe-41711763/catalan-president-s-message-to-europe. Accessed 6
     Nov. 2017.

This video, by the president of Catalonia, was a plea to the rest of Europe to recognize Catalonia as an independent nation by drawing connections in values to other Europeans. Catalonia is/was a province of Spain of which has been fighting for its independence from Spain. Catalonia identifies more as an independent region, because of their various culture differences, such as a different language. According to Catalonia, they are independent of Spain, but Spain's central government, in Madrid, has been doing everything possible to deny their exit. For Spain, it would be the equivalent of the United States losing the state of New York, it would have severe effects on the economy. This video, beside taking place in Europe, also related to the topic of recognizing a nation as a nation that we learned in class. As discussed in class, if no one recognizes a country as a country, then nothing can be done with that country in terms of global connections and trade. As simple as it may sound, the Catalan President was appealing to Europe's government's to recognize Catalonia as an independent nation so they can sever their ties with Spain and the Spanish government. For the Spanish government, it would be in their best interest that this video is ignored and no other country recognizes Catalonia as a country. 

Savannah's Europe News

"Murder at the Vatican." History Today, Oct. 2017, pp. 56-67.

“Murder at the Vatican” describes the alleged poisoning of the pope by five cardinals, and the speculation about whether the allegations or true or the cardinals were framed. Some think that the pope unfairly took advantage of his attempted murderer. The pope became ill not long after the Medici family fell. This spurred accusations of the cardinals because they supposedly had the motive that they resented losing the Medici family. One of these cardinals, Alfonso Petrucci, was strangled in his cell as execution. The other cardinals were not executed because their families were able to convince the prison not to. Although Petrucci confessed, the confession was only a result of torture and there is evidence to show that his words were spun a certain way to depict his guiltiness. This magazine excerpt relates to what we learned in class because we learned about the rise and fall of the Medici and how much power they had because of their banking business. We also learned about the power of the pope, which is definitely shown in this article through his demonstration of judicial power. Along with this, the article shows how historians have trouble in cases like this where there is no hard evidence to show if a person was guilty or not, and they can only make speculations about what truly happened. This is more evidence to show that history can be based on a person’s interpretation, which we learned about in class.

Savannah's Middle East News

"The Balfour Declaration." History.com, A+E Networks, 2009, www.history.com/

    this-day-in-history/the-balfour-declaration?scrlybrkr=98fb3c9e. Accessed 6

    Nov. 2017.

This article is about the Balfour Declaration, written on November 2, 1917, expressing Britain’s support for a British homeland to be set up in Palestine. Originally, Britain’s support of Zionism originated from their concerns about the First World War and where it was heading. The fate of their ally, Russia, was uncertain and American troops were not arriving anytime soon. The Prime Minister David Lloyd George decided to publicly support the Jewish movement of Zionism, in hopes of gaining Jewish support. He knew that the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine would help accomplish this goal. The Balfour Declaration, ensuring this establishment of a Jewish home, also had influences on post war events. This article about the Balfour Declaration relates to what we learned in class because we learned this same information, just not as in depth as this article goes. This article is also important because it was published on November 2nd, 2017, which would be the 100 year anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. This shows how much history has changed over time and helps us recognize the dates of certain events and build a timeline of world history.

Emma's Middle East News

"IS 'executed' 741 civilians during Mosul battle - UN." BBC, 2 Nov. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41851283. Accessed 5 Nov. 2017.

The article "IS Executed 741 Civilians During Mosul Battle" discusses the fact that there were 741 civilians who were killed by Islamic State militants during the war for Mosul. The most severe part of this battle spanned from November of 2016 to July of 2017. During this battle, there were mass abductions of civilians trying to flee from Mosul and the killings are described as “execution-style”. Not only were 741 civilians killed in this way, there were an additional 461 civilians who died due to “Air Strikes” and the Iraqi Military. In total, 2,521 civilians were killed in this event. The International Community is being called on to make sure that those responsible for the killings and abuse of human rights are held accountable. Iraq is also being urged to take the jurisdiction of the ICC. This article relates to our Middle Eastern studies in class because it discusses a war taking place in the Middle East, specifically Mosul, and the on goings in that location.

Savannah's Foundations News

"Survival of the Prettiest." The New York Times [New York City], 18 S4ept. 2017.

    The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/books/review/

    evolution-of-beauty-richard-prum-charles-darwin.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2017.

Darwin is known for his theory about natural selection, but he also has a lesser known theory called the “The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relationship to Sex.” This theory is mainly about organisms choosing mates that aren’t the fittest, but are attractive and aesthetically pleasing. Darwin came up with this theory because he realized that natural selection does not account for the decorations seen in animals, such as the bright faces of monkeys and elaborate feathers of male birds. With this theory, Darwin focused more on the idea of animals going to the prettiest mate rather than the strongest one. Many biologists rejected this theory because it threatened the high status that natural selection had. Scientists did not want to believe that an idea such as choices based on beauty could not drive evolution. Therefore, Darwin’s theory about sexual selection never got nearly as much recognition as his natural selection theory. This source relates to what we learned in class about Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection. The information included builds on what we already learned by giving a second, lesser known theory that is just as important and vital to our understanding of the foundations of history.

Savannah's Africa News

"South African President's Opposition Grows." CNN, Cable News Network, 7 Aug.

    2017, edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2017/08/07/

    mckenzie-south-africa-zuma-no-confidence-vote-pkg.cnn. Accessed 5 Nov.

    2017.

This video, “South African President’s Opposition Grows” is about the people of Africa rising up against president Zuma and his corrupt ways. Supporters of ANC, or the African National Congress, the party founded after Nelson Mandela to unite Africans against white minority rule, believe that Zuma should step down “for the good of the country.” The president has used public money towards his home, did not uphold his oath of office, and has been involved in many other scandals. He faces more than 700 accounts of alleged corruption, although he has maintained denial of the allegations. The people are responding to this through sustained protests. They believe that he has lost the interests of South Africa through corruption, and that they need a new president that will focus on the needs of the people rather than just politics. This news story relates to class learning because during the Africa unit, we learned about Nelson Mandela and the ANC. Through current events, we can learn how the ANC is still active and involved in events in Africa today, and how the ideals of Nelson Mandela are being used to inspire Africans to rise up against a president who is not focusing on their needs as he should be.

Joshua’s Europe News

Berman, Sheri. "The Death of the European Left." New York Times, 2 Oct. 2017, p. A25(L). Global Issues in Context.

The article “The Death of the European Left” describes the declination of European democratic social parties. Democratic parties were essential in rebuilding democracy in Western Europe after 1945, and remain essential to the continent even today. Democratic parties differ from liberals and conservatives by supporting a social safety net to buffer markers worst effects. The reason for the loss of voters for this party is because democratic parties ideas don’t appeal to voters looking for viable policy and a progressive view for the future. This relates to class because it describes political issues in Europe.

Joshua’s Middle East News

What Is the Middle East?” The New York Times, vol. 150, no. 4, 30 Oct. 2017, pp. 25-26.

The article “What Is the Middle East?” describes a variety of current events occurring in middle eastern countries. First, in Syria, the article describes how almost 500,000 individuals have been killed in their civil war. Next, President Hassan Rouhani was re elected in Iran. Lastly, the article describes how ISIS has begun to gain a foothold in Afghanistan and the Philippines. This article relates to class since it describes current events located in many countries we discussed.

Joshua’s African News

"Kenyan Authorities Indefinitely Delay Voting In Some Opposition Counties." Weekend Edition Saturday, 28 Oct. 2017. Global Issues in Context.

The article “Kenyan Authorities Indefinitely Delay Voting In Some Opposition Countries” describes how Kenyan officials have postponed presidential elections in some parts of the country. Security concerns were the main factors that influenced this delay. However, violence has sprung up in response to the elections. Protests against the elections have also continued through Kenya. This has resulted in citizens battling police, which can result in violent outcomes. This article relates to class because it describes political issues in one of the countries we discussed in class.

Joshua’s Foundations News

"Western imperialism distorted inter-cultures, inter-ethnic harmony: Rabbani." Balochistan Times [Baluchistan Province, Pakistan], 17 Oct. 2017. Global Issues in Context.


The article “Western imperialism distorted inter- cultures, inner-ethnic harmony: Rabbani” describes how western imperialists stereotype inter-cultures. Western imperialists often describe these cultures as barbarians. This however, is not true considering that these stereotypes are results of war and violence. This war and violence has resulted from lack of communication between people’s different cultures. To break away from these stereotypes, these cultures must learn to communicate. Once they learn to communicate, only then will they resolve their issues. This article relates to class because it describes stereotypes, and how they are broken down.

Daniel's Africa News

"AfriOne Is Creating Nigeria's First Smartphone." CNN, Cable News Network, 27
     Oct. 2017, www.cnn.com/videos/world/2017/10/27/
     marketplace-africa-afrione-is-creating-nigerias-first-smartphone-a.cnn.
     Accessed 5 Nov. 2017.




A company called AfriOne is creating a smartphone that is created in Nigeria. They take people in two build these phones with many different cultural and work backgrounds. They teach new workers the technology as they go along, making Africans even more aware of technology. Today, registering a business in Nigeria is way quicker than what it was before, now taking only 48 hours. The government of Nigeria has been supportive of this business and has given them all of the clearances they need to make their technology. Connecting to what we learned in class, Africa is actually innovating new technology all of the time and actually isn't backwards in Technology.

Aquinnah's Europe News

"Murder at the Vatican." History Today, Oct. 2017, pp. 56-67.

The article, "Murder at the Vatican" describes the plot and reason behind the attempted murder of Pope Leo X, by the Pope's Cardinals. Pope Leo X was a member of the Medici family, a powerful banking family during the Italian Renaissance. There is a theory that Pope Leo X took advantage of this accused attempted murder. Earlier, Pope Leo X had plans for his younger brother to take over Rome. However, Leo's brother died, which spurred the ending of the Medici dynasty in Italy because soon after, Leo fell ill. Not long after Leo became ill, the five Cardinals were accused of poisoning the Pope. Supposed motives of this attempted murder was the financial stance of the Medici family. There was evidence that the Medici family was losing money at the time, due to them selling many lucrative church offices. Despite the money conspiracies of Pope Leo and the Cardinal's motives, one of the Cardinals accused for the attempted murder of Pope Leo X was Cardinal Petrucci, who came from Pope Leo's enemy town, Siena, was executed. The other Cardinals had family members convince the prison to refrain from executing them. This attempted murder was one of the striking mysteries of the time period. This article relates to our class because we learned about how powerful the Medici family was in Florence during the Italian Renaissance. We learned in class how Italy was divided into the states of Papal, Naples, Florence, Venice, and Milan, which was also mentioned in the article. Last, the same time period this occurred, Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation, which was also mentioned in this article. 

Aquinnah's Middle East News

Halbfinger, David M. "Balfour Declaration of Support for Jewish Homeland Still
     Divisive at 100." The New York Times, New York Times Company, 2 Nov. 2017,
     www.nytimes.com/2017/11/02/world/middleeast/
     balfour-declaration-israel.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FIsrael&action=clic
     k&contentCollection=world®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&content
     Placement=1&pgtype=collection. Accessed 4 Nov. 2017.

The article, "Balfour Declaration of Support for Jewish Homeland Still Divisive at 100" is about  the continued controversy between Palestine and Israel due to the Declaration, even 100 years after it was created. There were many Palestinian protestors on the 100 year anniversary of the Declaration, proving that this declaration still remains controversial. The Balfour Declaration was the foundation of the creation of Israel, but did not give the Palestinians national or political rights. Palestinians refer to the declaration as that it "virtually buried the existence of the Palestinian people." Although the Balfour Declaration was not the cornerstone for the creation of Israel, it was, however, a deciding factor during the process of creating the country. Many argue that Palestine should have compromises with the Zionists instead of forbidding the immigration of Jewish people entirely. To continue, the declaration has not only spurred tensions between Israel and Palestine, but also some Sephardic Jews see the declaration as pointless and only spreading anger, since some enjoyed the close connections with the Arab people. Some feel that the declaration should be rewritten to give Palestinians a say and a home. The controversy of the Balfour Declaration is related to our class because we spent a large amount of time discussing the conflicts between Israel and Palestine, which the declaration was a huge factor in. Also, this article mentions how the Declaration did not become relevant until the Ottoman Empire was divided by the League of Nations, which we were also informed about. 

Aquinnah's Africa News

Mohamed, Hussein. "In Mogadishu, Truck Bomb and Gunmen Kill at Least 23 in Hotel
     Attack." The New York Times, New York Times Company, 28 Oct. 2017,
     www.nytimes.com/2017/10/28/world/africa/
     somalia-mogadishu-truck-bombing.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fafrica
     &action=click&contentCollection=africa®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=l
     atest&contentPlacement=13&pgtype=sectionfront. Accessed 4 Nov. 2017.

The article, "In Mogadishu, Truck Bomb and Gunmen Kill at Least 23 in Hotel Attack" is about the bombing outside of the Nasa-Hablod hotel and the killing of a minimum of 23 citizens. Along with the 23 people killed, there were also at least 30 others who were injured in the attack. A Mogadishu government minister and 30 other residents were able to escape safely from the hotel. Somali lawmaker, Abdinasir Garane, a police commander, and minister Madoobe Nuunow were some killed. This truck attack comes two weeks after another bomb planted in a truck killed 358 people in Mogadishu. This is the work of the Al Qaeda group, the Shabab, who admitted to the attack on the internet. This group has been losing their territory in Somalia in ten last couple of years. This article relates to our Africa unit in class because it proves one of the five myths of Africa true, that Africa is violent. Our lesson on the continent revolved around the fact that there were five stereotypes about Africa, and whether or not they were true. This piece is an example of how Africa is violent. Also, the group Al-Shabab, a terrorist group in Somalia, was mentioned multiple times in class and on our unit test on Africa. 

Aquinnah's Foundations News

"The First Human (Evolution Documentary)|Timeline." Youtube, uploaded by
     Timeline, 16 Aug. 2017, m.youtube.com/
     watch?v=vJybfmbrOCE&scrlybrkr=77267d74. Accessed 4 Nov. 2017.

The video, "The First Human (Evolution Documentary) is mainly about the discovery of the Orrorin Genesis, which was known as the one of the missing links between current humans and primates. In Kenya in the year 2000, archaeologists discovered human teeth in a stream. Two weeks later, they had discovered more bones which Japanese scientists dated back to 6 million years ago. They called this millennium man Orrorin Genesis. Earlier, Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy) was found, which was considered the missing link between modern homo sapiens and our ancestors. Orrorin was considered an even bigger discovery than that. After the date of Orrorin was found, scientists needed to prove that it was a human ancestor. The way they did that was by looking at the knee, which helped prove if Orrorin was a bipedal animal, which is a distinguishing factor in homo sapiens. They found a thicker bone on the underside of the neck, proving that Orrorin was indeed a bipedal animal. Because Orrorin walked on two feet, it had the advantages of natural instability, agility, and access to their hands at anytime, which allowed this species to prosper and continue to grow for 6 million years. This video was related to our class because we learned about the big eras, and the life of this species was one of the earlier eras. Also, we learned about the significance of Lucy in class, and Orrorin is similar in that the discovery of both skeletons changed the course of history for mankind.