This week, last year: 9th – 15th October

Bob Dylan sings The Times They Are A-Changin' at the White House in 2010. Photo: The White House / Wikimedia Commons

Our news highlights from 12 months past, for your weekly dose of Slow Journalism perspective…

Sun 9th October 2016
Ethiopia declares a state of emergency following months of anti-government protests. Much of the unrest stems from tension between the Oromos, the country’s largest ethnic group, and the government.

Nearly 900 people are killed as Hurricane Matthew ravages Haiti. Tens of thousands are left homeless in the strongest storm to hit the Caribbean in a decade.

Mon 10th October 2016
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan lodges an appeal for German police to reopen an investigation into a comedian. A satirical poem about Erdogan which Jan Böhmermann recited on German TV in March 2016 prompted the president to file a criminal complaint, but prosecutors in Mainz dropped the case citing a lack of evidence.

Tue 11th October 2016
“Society is 
facing the new unknown” – Klaus Schwab, World Economic Forum chairman, gives an address on humanity’s automated future.

We’ve been following the development of AI closely for a while. See a preview of our survey of state-of-the-art androids in DG #27, and read our robotic investigations from 2016 and 2014 

The US is ranked 32nd on a world gender-equality index, below Kazakhstan and Algeria. The report, compiled by Save the Children, is based on factors such as teen pregnancy rates and female representation in government.

Which countries ranked as the best (and worst) places to live in 2016? Find out with our definitive infographic

Wed 12th October 2016
The US bombs Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen 
for the first time, in response to an attack 
on an American warship. The Pentagon says it targeted three radar 
sites controlled by the Iranian-backed rebels.

Thu 13th October 2016
US singer-songwriter 
Bob Dylan is named as the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand dies after 70 years on the throne. Bhumibol, 88, was the world’s longest- reigning monarch and a unifying figure in Thailand. Prime minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha announces 
a year of mourning.

Fri 14th October 2016
“She belongs to my kitchen” – Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari criticises his wife, Aisha Buhari, after she tells the BBC that she might not support her husband in elections if he fails to reform his government.

Sat 15th October 2016
WikiLeaks releases an additional 800 emails hacked from the account of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta. They include transcripts of private speeches delivered to Goldman Sachs before the primaries, but lack any damning revelations of wrongdoing.

At least 55 people are killed in terror incidents in Baghdad. A suicide bomber targets a Shi’ite religious gathering and gunmen carry out attacks on a police checkpoint and a Sunni paramilitary leader. Isis claims responsibility.

Posted on Wednesday, October 11th, 2017 - Categories: Extras, The week that was.