Things are heating up in Libya.
The leader there, Moammar Gadhafi, does not want to step down. However, the people have had enough of his terrifying reign and want him to go.
At first, the Libyan people took to the streets in a peaceful protest.
However, Gadhafi banned the protests. When the people did not stop, he attacked them using the Libyan military. This shows how bad the situation has become – the leader of a country has started attacking his own people.
The UN, or United Nations, is a group of nations (including Canada, the United States, Britain and many other countries) that meets to discuss world events and promote world peace.
The UN is upset about the situation in Libya.
Together, the countries – acting as the United Nations – have decided they can no longer stand by and watch as an evil dictator attacks his own people.
They have told Gadhafi that the world does not agree with what he is doing.
They also created a “no-fly” zone around Libya. That means that no planes are allowed to fly over Libya, including Libyan planes. They did it so Gadhafi’s military would not be able to fly over the country and attack people.
The United Nations has also launched attacks against Gadhafi’s army. The Libyan people are very relieved that the UN is supporting them.
Of course, Gadhafi is very angry because he thinks the world is telling him how to run his own country.
Note: This is a story that is changing from day to day. You may want to follow it in your local newspaper because it is also quite an important story since it involves many countries and their actions against a dictator.
Related Links
The Wikipedia page explaining what the United Nations is, which countries are included in the UN, and its aims.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Writing/Discussion Prompt
The United Nations is a group of countries that work together to advance peace in the world, and to help countries solve problems. As the article explains, Gadhafi is angry because he believes the UN is trying to tell him what to do.
Do you think the UN should have the right to get involved in another country’s problems? When is it okay for them to do this, and when is it not?
Can you think of any other current situations in the world that the United Nations could help with? What could they do to help?
Reading Prompt
This article includes many challenging words, such as reign, protests, and dictator.
Underline any words that you find difficult and look up these words in a dictionary or using the Internet. You can also use the “Dictionary” feature on the TKN website, located in the right-hand side of each page. After you read the definition of the words, make up your own sentences using these words.
Primary
Predict the meaning of and quickly solve unfamiliar words (OME, Reading: 3.2)
Junior
Predict the meaning of and quickly solve unfamiliar words (OME, Reading: 3.2)
Grammar Feature: Homophones
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. In the article, the word reign means to rule. The word rain sounds the same, but it refers to water that falls from the sky.
Another example of a homophone is: piece and peace.
Can you think of any other examples?
