Breaking the militants' hold

October 14, 2014 - Daily News Briefing

Countering the Islamic State will require a more united, vigorous effort.

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French economist Jean Tirole won the Nobel prize for economics Monday for research on market power and regulation that has helped policy-makers understand how to deal with industries dominated by a few companies. Calling Tirole "one of the most influential economists of our time," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said he has made contributions in a range of research areas, especially in clarifying "how to understand and regulate industries with a few powerful firms."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon chastised Israel over the issue of Jewish settlements and challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show leadership and make compromises for peace. The uncharacteristically harsh language by Ban came during a visit to Jerusalem, where the UN chief denounced Israel's latest construction move as a "clear violation of international law." Ban was referring to an announcement by the Jerusalem municipality's two weeks ago, which said it had approved plans for the construction of some 2,500 homes in east Jerusalem.

Catholic bishops are showing unprecedented openness to gay people, divorced couples, and even contraceptives. Midway through a two-week Vatican synod to discuss family issues, Catholic bishops released a document summarizing the closed-door debate so far. No decisions were announced, but the tone was one of almost-revolutionary acceptance, rather than condemnation, with the aim of guiding Catholics toward the ideal of a lasting marriage. Among other eyebrow-raising statements, bishops said LGBTQ Catholics have gifts to offer the church and should be accepted and that there are "positive" aspects to a couple living together without being married.

Oklahoma is seeking to delay three upcoming executions, including two set for next month. The attorney general says the state needs more time to obtain drugs and train staff on new protocols put in place after an execution went awry in April. One of the three death-row inmates, Charles Warner, was originally scheduled to die on April 29, the same night as the botched execution of Clayton Lockett. Warner's new execution date is Nov. 13, but Pruitt says Oklahoma will not be prepared to carry out the execution until 2015.

Hundreds of protesters converged in the pouring rain on the Ferguson, Missouri, police department on Monday as they launched another day of demonstrations over the August killing by police of an unarmed black teenager. Some protesters attempted to block a door to the police headquarters and faced off with law enforcement officers wearing riot gear. Amid the tense standoff, some protesters sang the song "We Shall Overcome," an anthem of the civil rights movement. Police arrested a handful of protesters outside the police headquarters including activist, author, and academic Cornel West.

Evo Morales coasted to victory in Bolivia's presidential elections, winning an unprecedented third term as voters rewarded the former coca grower for delivering economic and political stability in what has traditionally been one of South America's most ungovernable nations. Morales, a native Aymara Indian, received 60 percent of the vote, while the next runner-up in the five-way race, cement magnate Samuel Doria Medina, received 25 percent of the vote, according to exit polls.

Israeli police raided a Jerusalem holy site to thwart an attack by Palestinian rioters, say officials. Police say they found firebombs and rocks at the scene and chased the demonstrators toward the Al-Aqsa mosque, where they barricaded themselves inside. The hilltop compound is revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, where the two biblical Jewish Temples stood. It is sacred to Muslims, who refer to it as the Haram as-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, marking the place where they believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

“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.

“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.

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