Iraq crisis: Mosul air strike ‘kills dozens’
BBC
At least 30 people have been killed in an air strike in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, reports say. Sources told the BBC the target was a prison used as a base by fighters from the Islamic State (IS) a jihadist group that seized Mosul in June.
U.S. general killed in Afghanistan was key figure in training effort
Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Patricia Sullivan / Washington Post
The U.S. general who was shot and killed in an apparent insider attack in Kabul on Tuesday had served in the American military for more than three decades and was a key player in the current U.S. effort to stand up Afghan security forces.
The American Elite Embraces a New Africa at D.C. Summit
Eleanor Clift / Daily Beast
Ebola and Boko Haram may be grabbing headlines, but at the first U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington this week, the focus was on the continent’s economic promise.
Russian gang hacks 1.2 billion usernames and passwords
BBC
A Russian group has hacked 1.2 billion usernames and passwords belonging to more than 500 million email addresses, according to Hold Security – a US firm specializing in discovering breaches. Hold Security described the hack as the “largest data breach known to date”.
Risk of Russian military deployment in Ukraine has risen, says Polish PM
Alec Luhn / Guardian
The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, has said that the possibility of Russia deploying military forces in Ukraine has risen, as western officials said Moscow has begun a new troop buildup on its border.
Anson Chan, former ‘Iron Lady’ of Hong Kong, now fights for democratic rights
William Wan / Washington Post
Anson Chan earned respect serving as Hong Kong’s second-highest official when the British were in charge. And when the colony was handed back to China in 1997, Beijing enlisted Chan to help with that transition.
The ISIS Online Campaign Luring Western Girls to Jihad
Jamie Dettmer / Daily Beast
Some of the European women already in the ranks of the Islamic State are trying to lure their ‘sisters’ to the marriage beds of the caliphate’s holy warriors. And in the process this “caliphate” that now occupies large swathes of Syria and Iraq is showing, once again, that it’s almost as shred with social media as it is ruthless on the battlefield.
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Tara Soneshine: Ebola – A public Diplomacy Opportunity
Maggie Feldman-Piltch
In a recent op-ed on Globalist.com, former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs and ASP Consensus Member Tara Soneshine re-framed the ongoing Ebola crisis as a challenge and an opportunity for diplomacy.
Secretary Kerry Speaks on Food Security
Maggie Feldman-Piltch
Secretary Kerry spoke as this morning’s Working Session on Resilience and Food Security in a Changing Climate at the Africa Summit, a panel moderated by USAID Administrator Raj Shah and John Podesta, former chief of staff to President Clinton and a current senior advisor to President Obama.
President Obama Announces $14 billion in Private Sector Commitments to Africa
Maggie Feldman-Piltch
White House officials say President Obama will announce a $14 billion commitment by U.S. businesses to invest in Africa, with a focus on construction, banking, IT, and energy industries. According to Eric Brander of POLITICO, the deals are the centerpiece of the U.S.-Africa Business Forum and the Summit in general.
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