Politics

Breaking News Politics

Where Is Moammar Gadhafi?

The leader of Libya has fled his country and is in hiding.

No one knows where he is, but many people are looking for him.

Earlier this year, the people of Libya demanded that Colonel Gadhafi step down as leader of the country because, since the 1960s, he has used bullying and violence to make the people do what he wanted.

The United Nations International Criminal Court has charged him with “crimes against humanity.”

A war broke out in Libya between the people who support Gadhafi and the people who want him out – the “rebels.”

The war continues to this day, although the rebels have taken over most of the country including Tripoli, the capital city, and they are creating a government of their own.

Gadhafi and his supporters are not giving up.

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Japan Gets A New Prime Minister

Japan has a new prime minister.

In August, Naoto Kan stepped down as the country’s prime minister.

He said he had failed the country by not doing a good job of helping Japan recover after it was rocked by an earthquake last March.

On March 11, the fifth most powerful earthquake in history took place in the sea off the coast of Japan. It caused a tsunami, or giant sea wave.

Waves up to 10 metres high flooded the coast of Japan, causing massive damage to many homes and to a nearby nuclear energy plant.

In addition to the problems caused by these natural disasters, Japan also has the largest debt of any country in the world.

Debt is the money the country owes to other countries and to banks.

Jack Layton chalk condolences at City Hall; Image: Greg Robinson
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Jack Layton Honoured With Chalk Messages

It began with one message of remembrance written in chalk on a wall outside Toronto’s City Hall.

And then another. And then another. Now nearly every inch of the sidewalk and walls in the square is covered, all with a similar message: We will miss you, Jack.

It is one way that people are mourning and remembering one of Canada’s most beloved political leaders, who died on Aug. 22.

Jack Layton was the leader of the NDP (New Democratic Party), Canada’s Official Opposition party in government.

Layton’s death is affecting many people across the country—even people who didn’t agree with his political point-of-view.

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Canada’s Troops Coming Home From Afghanistan

Since 2005, Canadian troops have been fighting in Afghanistan against terrorists.

Now, Canadian soldiers are ending their mission in Afghanistan.

Troops will start coming home in July, with some staying on for another three years or so—not to fight, but to train the army and police in Afghanistan so they can take care of their own people.

Canadian soldiers were first sent to Afghanistan in 2001. Their duties were not to fight.

They were to make sure Canada would be safe from terrorists, to show Canadian leadership around the world, and to help Afghanistan rebuild.

News Politics Technology

Prime Minister Didn’t Choke On Hash Browns – Or Anything

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was the victim of a practical joke, or “hoax,” on Tuesday.

Someone broke into the website of the Conservative party. (Harper is the leader of the Conservatives.) They posted a fake article about him.

The article said Harper had been rushed to hospital after he had choked on some hash browns at breakfast.

It said that his wife, Laureen, called 911 because the Prime Minister couldn’t breathe and that he was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Toronto.

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Saudi Woman Protests Ban On Women Driving

A woman in Saudi Arabia was arrested last Saturday because she put a video on YouTube video of herself driving a car.

She was eventually released.

Manal al-Sharif was protesting the rule in her country that only men can drive. She was filmed by another woman writer who supports women’s rights.

In Saudi Arabia it isn’t clear whether it’s illegal for a woman to drive, or simply a traditional or religious custom. But Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world to ban women drivers. Many people in the country would like to see women driving but it must be approved by the King first.

Because there are strict rules that prohibit men and women from being around each other in public, women cannot take public transport like buses. So they must rely on male relative or chauffeurs to drive them anywhere they need to go.

Politics

Youngest-Ever Canadian MP Elected To Parliament

Nineteen-year-old Pierre-Luc Dusseault has a summer job. But he won’t be working at McDonald’s or as a lifeguard, like many kids his age. Instead, he’ll be in Canada’s House of Commons in Ottawa, earning more than $100,000 a year.

The first-year university student ran as the local Member of Parliament for his area (or riding) of Sherbrooke, Que., during the recent federal election–and he won.

He now has a seat in the House of Commons, along with 307 other MPs. However, Dusseault stands out because he is officially the youngest Canadian MP ever, at the age of 19 years (and 11 months).

Dusseault is a member of the NDP (New Democrat Party) and was the co-founder and president of the NDP association at his university. It comes as no surprise to his parents that he landed his amazing new job, since he was always interested in politics and was studying political science in university.

Breaking News News Politics

Who Was Osama Bin Laden?

Two weeks ago, US President Barack Obama went on television to make an historic announcement. He said that US troops had killed Osama bin Laden, the man responsible for the terrible events on Sept. 11, 2001 (known as 9/11).

On Sept. 11, thousands of Americans and 24 Canadians died in terrorist attacks.

For many Americans and other people around the world, bin Laden’s death gave them a sense that justice had been done. On that day, hundreds of people went to “Ground Zero” in New York, where the World Trade Center towers had been destroyed, and cheered because bin Laden was no more.

bin Laden’s history

Osama Bin Mohammed bin Awad Laden was born in Saudi Arabia in 1957. He was the son of a very rich man and inherited a lot of money from his family.

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Conservative Majority Government, Stephen Harper Prime Minister, NDP Official Opposition

The Conservatives were re-elected yesterday. They won a majority government. As the leader of the Conservatives, Stephen Harper will remain Canada’s Prime Minister.

For the first time in history, the NDP came in second and is the “official opposition.”

The Bloc Quebecois had historic losses, falling from 50 seats in Parliament to just 4. It was also an historic election for The Green Party, which won its first seat.

Across the country on Monday, Canadians voted for a Member of Parliament (MP) in their area, or riding. Having an MP in Parliament is known as having a “seat” in Parliament. The MPs who get elected work in the House of Commons in Ottawa to represent the people who live in their riding.

Breaking News Politics

Osama Bin Laden Killed By US Forces

The “most wanted” man in the world is dead.

Osama bin Laden was responsible for many terrorism attacks including three in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. That event is commonly referred to as 9/11 (pronounced “nine-eleven.”)

The US President says 9/11 was, “the worst attack on the American people in our history.”

The United States military has been looking for bin Laden for nearly 10 years. Last night, the US president, Barack Obama, went on television to announce that they had killed bin Laden where he was hiding in Pakistan.