™ NewsademicThe informative easy to read introduction.com to world news October 17, 2013 American English edition Issue Number 208 In this issue US Special Forces operations Migrant boats in Mediterranean President reelected in Azer- baijan General Giap dies Golden rice and vitamin A Ada Lovelace Day Jungle wildlife in Suriname Ibrahim Prize - no winner Hajj pilgrimage Jellyfish solution? Cyclone strikes Orissa World Solar Challenge Nuclear fusion breakthrough The OPCW’s director general speaking after his organization had been awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize Two prizes for Malala APEC Bali summit CHEMICAL WEAPONS WATCHDOG WINS PEACE PRIZE Ancient women artists? Water outside Solar System This year’s winner of the Nobel Peace best known for inventing dynamite. No- Naming New Zealand’s Prize was announced on October 11. bel became a very wealthy businessman. islands The prize was awarded to the Organi- Before he died he arranged for some of The Feds’ new boss sation for the Prohibition of Chemical his fortune to pay for the prizes that were Glossary Crossword and Weapons (OPCW). Currently several named after him. Wordsearch Puzzle teams of OPCW officials, or inspec- At the time of Nobel’s death the same tors, are working in Syria. Their job king ruled Norway and Sweden. This is to record and destroy all of Syria’s explains why both countries have a part LEVEL UP! chemical weapons. in awarding the prizes. A committee, or Each year the Nobel Peace Prize is group, of academics from Sweden, choos- Use given to the person or organization that es the winners of the prizes for medicine, is thought to have made the greatest literature, chemistry and physics. A group contribution to world peace. Other im- of five people, selected by Norway’s par- ONLINE EXTRA portant Nobel prizes are awarded around liament, awards the Peace Prize. the same time. These are given to people It is not unusual for the Peace Prize Newsademic.com who are judged to have made the great- to be given to an organization and not a est contributions to medicine, literature, person. The OPCW is an example. Past chemistry and physics. winners have included the Red Cross The first Nobel Prizes were awarded and the United Nations (U.N.) peace- in 1901. They were the idea of a Swed- keeping forces. Last year’s Peace Prize ish chemist called Alfred Nobel (1833 – went to the European Union (EU). At TO JOIN VISIT WWW.NEWSADEMIC.COM 1896). As well as the Nobel Prizes he is the time most people admitted to being – October 17, 2013 Newsademic.com™ American English edition page 2 surprised by this choice. The group destroy them. Although the CWC Over the last two years many coun- that makes the award explained that was signed in 1993 it did not start, tries have declared that they want the the EU had helped to keep the peace or come into force, until 1997. This rebels to win. These nations include in Europe since 1945, or after the was when the OPCW was set up. the U.S., Britain, France and several end of the Second World War. The OPCW is what’s known as Arab countries, such as Qatar and The OPCW was set up in 1997. an intergovernmental organization Saudi Arabia. Its headquarters are in The Hague, (IGO). This means that the money Until last month Syria was one a city in the Netherlands. A director needed to run it comes from the of the few countries that had not general leads the organization, which countries that signed the CWC. signed the CWC. Even though it had has about 500 members of staff. The These are called CWC members. never admitted it, Syria was known current director general is Ahmet Therefore, even though the OPCW to have stores of chemical weapons. Üzümcü, who is from Turkey. works closely with the United Na- The rebels have been claiming Certain types of chemicals were tions (U.N.) it is not part of it. that the Syrian army has used chemi- first used as weapons during the First One of the OPCW’s jobs is to cal weapons several times. The larg- World War (1914 – 1918). Yet in the make sure that all CWC members est chemical weapon attack happened 1920s an international treaty was that have stores of chemical weap- two months ago, in a place called signed that banned all chemical weap- ons have destroyed them. Members Ghouta. This is a part of the city of on attacks. Today, both making and also have to close any factories used Damascus. Some say that it killed using chemical weapons is unlawful. to make these weapons. Historically, 1,400 people, including many wom- the two biggest holders of chemical en and children. The U.N. arranged weapons have been the U.S. and Rus- for OPCW inspectors to go to Syria sia. A recent OPCW report says that, to carry out some tests. Later, the since 1997, the U.S. has destroyed OPCW confirmed that a type of poi- 90% of its chemical weapons. In sonous gas had been used in Ghouta. Russia the figure is 70%. Both coun- Soon afterwards the leaders of tries should have gotten rid of all of the U.S. and France threatened to them by the end of this year. Russian launch airstrikes at Syrian army bas- officials have said that this will now es. This, they said, would be a pun- OPCW’s headquarters in The Hague be done by 2015. ishment for using chemical weap- Modern chemical weapons in- Because the OPCW carries out ons. Eventually, an agreement, or clude highly poisonous, or toxic, inspections in other countries it is deal, was organized by Russia and nerve gases. These are very danger- often called “the chemical weapons the U.S. Syria said that it would sign ous and can quickly kill many thou- watchdog”. The word watchdog is the CWC. It also let OPCW moni- sands of people. The weapons can used to describe a person or organi- tors into Syria so they could destroy be put inside artillery shells or rock- zation that reports and stops others its chemical weapon supplies. Most ets. They can also be dropped from from doing something unlawful. people believe that President al- planes and fitted to both short- and Recently, the OPCW has been in Assad agreed to this to stop the U.S. long-range missiles. Chemical weap- the news. This is because of its work and France attacking his country. ons are often described as Weapons in Syria. Fighting in Syria broke out Many people think that the OP- of Mass Destruction (WMD). about two and a half years ago. On CW’s job in Syria will be very dif- In 1993, most countries in the one side is the Syrian army. It sup- ficult. This is because it will have to world agreed to a new chemi- ports the country’s president, Bashir work while there is fighting in many cal weapons treaty. It is called al-Assad, and his government. On parts of the country. the Chemical Weapons Conven- the other side are several groups After hearing the news that his or- tion (CWC). This treaty says that that dislike Mr. al-Assad. These ganization had won the Peace Prize making, storing and using chemi- opposition groups are often called Mr. Üzümcü made a short speech. cal weapons is illegal. Further- the “rebels”. He said that the award “would en- more, any country that already had Traditionally, Russia has always courage his staff to help rid the stores of chemical weapons had to supported Syria and its government. world of all chemical weapons”. – October 17, 2013 Newsademic.com™ American English edition page 3 SPECIAL FORCES RAIDS It’s thought that American agents believe that people should follow have been searching for Mr. al-Liby very strict Islamic laws. Al-Shabaab On October 5, two groups of spe- for 15 years. In the past a reward of has admitted that it organized the re- cially trained American troops car- $5 million was offered to anyone cent terrorist attack on the shopping ried out secret operations. One took who helped to catch him. mall in Kenya. place in Libya and the other in So- Mr. al-Liby was outside his house During the night, after landing malia. Later, American officials said when he was captured. He had just from boats, the American team at- that one man had been captured in returned from morning prayers at a tacked a house near the beach. How- Tripoli, the capital of Libya. Yet nearby mosque and was parking his ever, many armed men were near the they admitted that the operation in car. Suddenly several other cars ar- building. Fierce fighting broke out. Somalia had been unsuccessful. rived. Men with their faces covered, The American forces then decided pointed guns at Mr. al-Liby and to withdraw. forced him into one of their cars. It Military officials in the U.S. de- then sped off. clared that the two Special Forces’ Many think that Mr. al-Liby was raids were unconnected. It was, they secretly flown by helicopter to an said, a coincidence that they hap- American warship in the Mediter- pened on the same day. ranean Sea. The men who captured Mr. al-Liby belonged to a group called Delta Force. Soldiers trained MEDITERRANEAN MIGRANT BOATS Memorial in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, to for these types of secret operations those killed in the embassy bomb attack in 1998 are known as Special Forces.