A reform movement stirs

February 06, 2015 - Daily News Briefing

Revulsion over the actions of the Islamic State has prompted calls throughout the Middle East for purging Islamic discourse of extremism.

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Jordanian fighter jets have carried out new air strikes, the military said Thursday, a day after the country's king vowed to wage a "harsh" war against Islamic State militants who control parts of neighboring Syria and Iraq. The army statement did not say which country was targeted. Jordan is part of a US-led military coalition that has bombed IS targets in both countries since last fall, but until now Jordanian warplanes are only known to have carried out raids in Syria.

President Obama on Thursday condemned those who seek to use religion as a rationale for carrying out violence around the world. "No god condones terror," he said at the National Prayer Breakfast. He singled out the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, calling the militants a "death cult," as well as those responsible for last month's attacks in Paris and deadly assault on a school in Pakistan. Obama also offered a special welcome to a "good friend," the Dalai Lama, seated at a table in front of the dais among the audience of 3,600.

Health insurer Anthem said hackers infiltrated its computer network and gained access to a host of personal information for customers and employees, including CEO Joseph Swedish. The nation's second-largest health insurer said it was contacting customers affected by the "very sophisticated" cyberattack and was working to figure out how many people were affected. The company said information the hackers gained access to included names, birthdates, email address, employment details, Social Security numbers, incomes and street addresses of people who are currently covered or have had coverage in the past.

From the start of the flight in Taiwan's capital, survivor Huang Jin-sun suspected trouble. "There was some sound next to me. It did not feel right shortly after takeoff. The engine did not feel right," the 72-year-old man told ETTV television Thursday from his hospital bed. Huang was one of 15 people who survived when the TransAsia Airways turbojet carrying 58 people crashed Wednesday into a river minutes after taking off in Taipei. At least 32 people died and 11 are still missing.

Amy Pascal will step down as co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment and head of the film studio, nearly three months after a massive hack hit the company and revealed embarrassing emails. Pascal came under fire for racist remarks about President Obama's presumed choice in movies. She apologized for "insensitive and inappropriate” comments in her emails that she called “not an accurate reflection of who I am.” Pascal also faced criticism for green-lighting the film that may have inspired the hacking to begin with: "The Interview," which starred Seth Rogen and James Franco as bumbling journalists tasked with killing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Baghdad's decade-old curfew will end on Saturday and four neighborhoods will be "demilitarized," Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Thursday, as he tries to normalize the capital. Some form of curfew has been in place since the US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003, hindering commercial and civilian movement. The midnight to 5 a.m. curfew has been in place for more than seven years.

“The object of the Monitor is to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.” – Mary Baker Eddy

The Daily News Briefing is published Monday through Friday by The Christian Science Publishing Society in Boston, Massachusetts.

To send a comment to the Editor, email editor@csmonitor.com.

“The object of the Monitor is to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.” – Mary Baker Eddy

The Daily News Briefing is published Monday through Friday by The Christian Science Publishing Society in Boston, Massachusetts.

To send a comment to the Editor, email editor@csmonitor.com.

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