The Global Peace Index 2016 was recently published by the think tank Institute for Economics and Peace, revealing the safest and most dangerous countries in the world.
The 10th annual edition of the report, which was released on June 8, ranked 163 countries based on their levels of peace and presented the findings on a colour-coded interactive map.
Every nation was issued a peace score out of 5 (the lower the score, the higher the level of peace), determined by analysis of 23 factors under three categories: the level of safety and security in society, domestic and international conflict, and militarisation.
Iceland claims the coveted title of the world's safest country. With a score of 1.192, the European nation ranks highly for its lack of domestic and international conflict as well as the calm state of its society.
Another Nordic country, Denmark, takes second place with a score of 1,246, while Austria is the third-safest place in the world, with a score of 1.278.
Of the 11 nations deemed to have a "very high" level of peace by the GPI, eight are in Europe, while Japan (named the 9th safest), Canada (8th), and New Zealand (4th) also make an appearance. Though, neither the UK (in 47th place) or US (103rd) make the cut.
Here are the 11 safest countries on Earth, along with their respective peace scores:
11. Finland - 1.429
10. Slovenia - 1.408
9. Japan - 1.395
8. Canada - 1.388
7. Switzerland - 1.37
6. Czech Republic - 1.36
5. Portugal - 1.356
4. New Zealand - 1.287
3. Austria - 1.278
2. Denmark - 1.246
1. Iceland - 1.192
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Terror attacks receive five times more media coverage if perpetrator is Muslim, study finds
Terror attacks carried out by Muslims receive more than five times as much media coverage as those carried out by non-Muslims in the United States, according to an academic study.
Analysis of coverage of all terrorist attacks in the US between 2011 and 2015 found there was a 449 per cent increase in media attention when the perpetrator was Muslim.
Muslims committed just 12.4 per cent of attacks during the period studied but received 41.4 per cent of news coverage, the survey found.
US faces a new wave of homegrown political violence and terrorism
The authors said the finding suggests the media is making people disproportionately fearful of Muslim terrorists.
Scientists studied US newspaper coverage of every terrorist attack on American soil and counted up the total number of articles dedicated to each attack.
They found that the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which was carried out by two Muslim attackers and killed three people, received almost 20 per cent of all coverage relating to US terror attacks in the five-year period.
In contrast, reporting of a 2012 massacre at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin that left six people dead and was carried out by Wade Michael Page – a white man, constituted just 3.8 per cent of coverage.
A mass shooting by Dylann Roof, who is also white, at an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, killed nine people but received only 7.4 per cent of media coverage, while a 2014 attack by Frazier Glenn Miller on a Kansas synagogue left three dead but accounted for just 3.3 per cent of reports.
Analysis of coverage of all terrorist attacks in the US between 2011 and 2015 found there was a 449 per cent increase in media attention when the perpetrator was Muslim.
Muslims committed just 12.4 per cent of attacks during the period studied but received 41.4 per cent of news coverage, the survey found.
US faces a new wave of homegrown political violence and terrorism
The authors said the finding suggests the media is making people disproportionately fearful of Muslim terrorists.
Scientists studied US newspaper coverage of every terrorist attack on American soil and counted up the total number of articles dedicated to each attack.
They found that the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which was carried out by two Muslim attackers and killed three people, received almost 20 per cent of all coverage relating to US terror attacks in the five-year period.
In contrast, reporting of a 2012 massacre at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin that left six people dead and was carried out by Wade Michael Page – a white man, constituted just 3.8 per cent of coverage.
A mass shooting by Dylann Roof, who is also white, at an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, killed nine people but received only 7.4 per cent of media coverage, while a 2014 attack by Frazier Glenn Miller on a Kansas synagogue left three dead but accounted for just 3.3 per cent of reports.
All of the above attacks are considered to meet widely-used definitions of terrorism, according to researchers at Georgia State University.
The authors said their finding debunked Donald Trump’s suggestion, made in February, that the media is not reporting terrorist attacks carried out by Muslims.
“When President Trump asserted that the media does not cover some terrorist attacks enough, it turns out that he was correct,” they wrote. “However, his assertion that attacks by Muslim perpetrators received less coverage is unsubstantiated.
“Regardless of other factors, attacks perpetrated by Muslims receive a disproportionate amount of media coverage. In the present data, Muslims perpetrated 12.4 per cent of the attacks yet received 41.4 per cent of the news coverage.
“By covering terrorist attacks by Muslims dramatically more than other incidents, media frame this type of event as more prevalent. Based on these findings, it is no wonder that Americans are so fearful of radical Islamic terrorism. Reality shows, however, that these fears are misplaced.”
The authors said their finding debunked Donald Trump’s suggestion, made in February, that the media is not reporting terrorist attacks carried out by Muslims.
“When President Trump asserted that the media does not cover some terrorist attacks enough, it turns out that he was correct,” they wrote. “However, his assertion that attacks by Muslim perpetrators received less coverage is unsubstantiated.
“Regardless of other factors, attacks perpetrated by Muslims receive a disproportionate amount of media coverage. In the present data, Muslims perpetrated 12.4 per cent of the attacks yet received 41.4 per cent of the news coverage.
“By covering terrorist attacks by Muslims dramatically more than other incidents, media frame this type of event as more prevalent. Based on these findings, it is no wonder that Americans are so fearful of radical Islamic terrorism. Reality shows, however, that these fears are misplaced.”
Saudi Arabia 'top of the list' in funding extremism in Britain
Saudi Arabia is "undoubtedly at the top of the list" when it comes to funding Islamist extremism in Britain, it has been claimed.
The Henry Jackson Society said a clear and growing link can be drawn between overseas money, which mainly comes from Saudi Arabia, and the recent wave of attacks in the UK and Europe.
But Saudi Arabia's UK embassy has labelled the claim "categorically false".
Tom Wilson, who wrote the right-leaning Henry Jackson Society's report, said: "While entities from across the Gulf and Iran have been guilty of advancing extremism, those in Saudi Arabia are undoubtedly at the top of the list.
"Research indicates that some Saudi individuals and foundations have been apparently heavily involved in exporting an illiberal, bigoted Wahhabi ideology."
The think-tank has called for a public inquiry into the issue.
The kingdom's 60-year campaign to export Wahhabism, a strict interpretation of Islam, has led to support for mosques and Islamic institutions that appear to have links to extremism, the organisation said.
It found there have been "numerous" cases of Britons who have joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria whose radicalisation is thought to be linked to foreign-funded institutions and preachers.
The Henry Jackson Society said foreign funding for British extremism comes mainly from governments and state-backed foundations in the Gulf, along with Iran.
Mr Wilson added: "There is a clear and growing link between foreign funding of Islamist extremism and the violent terrorism we have witnessed across the UK and Europe.
"The key now is to get ahead of the issue and find out the full extent of what has been going on. A public inquiry would go some way to informing the debate."
Prime Minister Theresa May, who visited Saudi Arabia earlier this year, has faced accusations she is "kowtowing" to the kingdom by "suppressing" a report into the funding of extremist groups in the UK.
An inquiry was ordered by her predecessor David Cameron in 2015, but reports have suggested the findings may never be published because of the sensitivity of the information regarding Saudi Arabia.
Labour MP Dan Jarvis said the report "sheds light on what are extremely worrying links between Saudi Arabia and the funding of extremism here in the UK" and called on the Government to release the inquiry's report.
A Government spokesman said: "Defeating the evil ideology of Islamist extremism is one of the greatest challenges of our time.
"The Commission for Counter-Extremism, which the PM announced earlier this year, will have a key role to play in this fight.
"We are determined to cut off the funding which fuels the evils of extremism and terrorism, and will work closely with international partners to tackle this shared global threat, including at the upcoming G20 summit."
The Saudi embassy said the kingdom "has not and does not support or fund any group that has direct or indirect links to any terrorist organisation".
It said in a statement: "Accusations that blame the Kingdom for radicalising a small number of individuals are baseless and lack credible evidence. Terrorist ideology knows no nationality, language or borders.
"All charitable donations to educational and religious establishments by the Saudi state are made to registered charities in the UK.
"Saudi charities are prohibited from transferring money abroad and cannot operate abroad except through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre or the Saudi Red Crescent, which is a semi-government entity.
"Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of fighting the spread of extremism and terrorism at home and abroad."
The Henry Jackson Society said a clear and growing link can be drawn between overseas money, which mainly comes from Saudi Arabia, and the recent wave of attacks in the UK and Europe.
But Saudi Arabia's UK embassy has labelled the claim "categorically false".
Tom Wilson, who wrote the right-leaning Henry Jackson Society's report, said: "While entities from across the Gulf and Iran have been guilty of advancing extremism, those in Saudi Arabia are undoubtedly at the top of the list.
"Research indicates that some Saudi individuals and foundations have been apparently heavily involved in exporting an illiberal, bigoted Wahhabi ideology."
The think-tank has called for a public inquiry into the issue.
The kingdom's 60-year campaign to export Wahhabism, a strict interpretation of Islam, has led to support for mosques and Islamic institutions that appear to have links to extremism, the organisation said.
It found there have been "numerous" cases of Britons who have joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria whose radicalisation is thought to be linked to foreign-funded institutions and preachers.
The Henry Jackson Society said foreign funding for British extremism comes mainly from governments and state-backed foundations in the Gulf, along with Iran.
Mr Wilson added: "There is a clear and growing link between foreign funding of Islamist extremism and the violent terrorism we have witnessed across the UK and Europe.
"The key now is to get ahead of the issue and find out the full extent of what has been going on. A public inquiry would go some way to informing the debate."
Prime Minister Theresa May, who visited Saudi Arabia earlier this year, has faced accusations she is "kowtowing" to the kingdom by "suppressing" a report into the funding of extremist groups in the UK.
An inquiry was ordered by her predecessor David Cameron in 2015, but reports have suggested the findings may never be published because of the sensitivity of the information regarding Saudi Arabia.
Labour MP Dan Jarvis said the report "sheds light on what are extremely worrying links between Saudi Arabia and the funding of extremism here in the UK" and called on the Government to release the inquiry's report.
A Government spokesman said: "Defeating the evil ideology of Islamist extremism is one of the greatest challenges of our time.
"The Commission for Counter-Extremism, which the PM announced earlier this year, will have a key role to play in this fight.
"We are determined to cut off the funding which fuels the evils of extremism and terrorism, and will work closely with international partners to tackle this shared global threat, including at the upcoming G20 summit."
The Saudi embassy said the kingdom "has not and does not support or fund any group that has direct or indirect links to any terrorist organisation".
It said in a statement: "Accusations that blame the Kingdom for radicalising a small number of individuals are baseless and lack credible evidence. Terrorist ideology knows no nationality, language or borders.
"All charitable donations to educational and religious establishments by the Saudi state are made to registered charities in the UK.
"Saudi charities are prohibited from transferring money abroad and cannot operate abroad except through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre or the Saudi Red Crescent, which is a semi-government entity.
"Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of fighting the spread of extremism and terrorism at home and abroad."
Angela Merkel attacks Donald Trump's foreign policy stance ahead of G20 showdown
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy, criticising his administration for adapting a “winners and losers” view of the world rather than focusing on cooperation.
Ms Merkel – who no longer considers the US a friend based on her political party’s campaign material – is set to meet with Mr Trump later this week at a summit in Germany with 20 global leaders. But in the days ahead of their trip to Hamburg, the German Chancellor has set herself up for potential clashes with the US President over climate change and free trade.
Mr Trump has been widely criticised for his anti-globalisation policies that are focused on cementing his “America First” doctrine, such as his withdrawal of the US from the Paris climate change agreement. Meanwhile, his supporters have praised what they see as his commitment to protecting US jobs.
Donald Trump lashes out at China over North Korea trade
“As G20 president, it is my job to work on possibilities for agreement and not to contribute to a situation where a lack of communication prevails,” Ms Merkel told Die Zeit weekly.
Ms Merkel – who no longer considers the US a friend based on her political party’s campaign material – is set to meet with Mr Trump later this week at a summit in Germany with 20 global leaders. But in the days ahead of their trip to Hamburg, the German Chancellor has set herself up for potential clashes with the US President over climate change and free trade.
Mr Trump has been widely criticised for his anti-globalisation policies that are focused on cementing his “America First” doctrine, such as his withdrawal of the US from the Paris climate change agreement. Meanwhile, his supporters have praised what they see as his commitment to protecting US jobs.
Donald Trump lashes out at China over North Korea trade
“As G20 president, it is my job to work on possibilities for agreement and not to contribute to a situation where a lack of communication prevails,” Ms Merkel told Die Zeit weekly.
However, she added that differences should not be pushed under the table.
“While we are looking at the possibilities of cooperation to benefit everyone, globalisation is seen by the American administration more as a process that is not about a win-win situation but about winners and losers,” she said.
She added that comments from one of Mr Trump’s security advisers about how the world is an arena, not a global community, contradicted her views.
Germany wants everyone to benefit from economic progress rather than only a few, she said.
Europe must pool its energy, she said, adding that ideas of an economic government for the euro zone and of a European finance minister, put forward by new French President Emmanuel Macron, were “two important thoughts”.
“While we are looking at the possibilities of cooperation to benefit everyone, globalisation is seen by the American administration more as a process that is not about a win-win situation but about winners and losers,” she said.
She added that comments from one of Mr Trump’s security advisers about how the world is an arena, not a global community, contradicted her views.
Germany wants everyone to benefit from economic progress rather than only a few, she said.
Europe must pool its energy, she said, adding that ideas of an economic government for the euro zone and of a European finance minister, put forward by new French President Emmanuel Macron, were “two important thoughts”.
North Korea long-range missile test: Trump slams China
President Donald Trump has hit out at China following North Korea's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The US leader has been attempting to get Beijing to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear programme.
But he pointed to a big rise in trade between China and North Korea as evidence that America should not rely on Beijing.
Mr Trump tweeted: "Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!"
The missile test was a "new escalation of threat" to the world, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson has warned.
Image:Kim Jong Un celebrates the launch with military officers
Calling for Pyongyang's "provocative" test to be discussed by the UN Security Council, Mr Tillerson said the White House intends to "enact stronger measures to hold DPRK accountable".
The secretary of state added that the US "will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea" and said President Trump and his national security team are "continuing to assess the situation".
The missile launch occurred just hours before US Independence Day celebrations and days before G20 leaders were due to discuss steps to rein in North Korea's weapons programme.
In response, US and South Korean soldiers fired "deep strike" precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters.
Military officials said the launches were a show of force to demonstrate US-South Korean solidarity.
:: The North Korea dilemma: Trump's five options
Image:The missile reached an altitude of 2,802km and flew 933km, North Korea claimed
Analysts said North Korea's "landmark" Hwasong-14 missile, which was launched from North Pyongan Province, could reach Alaska.
North Korea said the ICBM reached an altitude of 2,802km (1,740 miles) and flew 933km (580 miles) for about 40 minutes before landing in the Sea of Japan.
Japan's data appeared to back up these claims, with the defence ministry claiming the altitude "greatly exceeded" 2,500km (1,550 miles).
According to North Korean state media, the missile is capable of carrying a "large, heavy nuclear warhead" that can withstand re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
The US leader has been attempting to get Beijing to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear programme.
But he pointed to a big rise in trade between China and North Korea as evidence that America should not rely on Beijing.
Mr Trump tweeted: "Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!"
The missile test was a "new escalation of threat" to the world, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson has warned.
Image:Kim Jong Un celebrates the launch with military officersCalling for Pyongyang's "provocative" test to be discussed by the UN Security Council, Mr Tillerson said the White House intends to "enact stronger measures to hold DPRK accountable".
The secretary of state added that the US "will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea" and said President Trump and his national security team are "continuing to assess the situation".
The missile launch occurred just hours before US Independence Day celebrations and days before G20 leaders were due to discuss steps to rein in North Korea's weapons programme.
In response, US and South Korean soldiers fired "deep strike" precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters.
Military officials said the launches were a show of force to demonstrate US-South Korean solidarity.
:: The North Korea dilemma: Trump's five options
Image:The missile reached an altitude of 2,802km and flew 933km, North Korea claimedAnalysts said North Korea's "landmark" Hwasong-14 missile, which was launched from North Pyongan Province, could reach Alaska.
North Korea said the ICBM reached an altitude of 2,802km (1,740 miles) and flew 933km (580 miles) for about 40 minutes before landing in the Sea of Japan.
Japan's data appeared to back up these claims, with the defence ministry claiming the altitude "greatly exceeded" 2,500km (1,550 miles).
According to North Korean state media, the missile is capable of carrying a "large, heavy nuclear warhead" that can withstand re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
David Cameron calls austerity opponents 'selfish'
David Cameron has dramatically deepened the Cabinet split on public sector wages by claiming those who want to lift the 1% pay cap are "selfish".
The former Prime Minister, who with George Osborne was the architect of the policy, controversially re-ignited the row among top Tories in a speech in the Far East.
Opponents condemned him for opposing pay rises for groups like nurses and firefighters when - it is claimed - he is now earning up to £100,000 for making speeches abroad.
His remarks, coming just hours before this week's Prime Minister's Questions, will almost certainly also be exploited by the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in his weekly Commons clash with Theresa May.
Speaking at an Asia Leadership Conference in Seoul, South Korea, Mr Cameron said: "The opponents of so-called austerity couch their arguments in a way that make them sound generous and compassionate.
"They seek to paint the supporters of sound finances as selfish, or uncaring. The exact reverse is true.
"Giving up on sound finances isn't being generous, it's being selfish: spending money today that you may need tomorrow."
:: Cabinet ministers pile pressure on Theresa May to ease austerity
His attack was no doubt aimed at Cabinet Brexiteers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, who have led calls to scrap the public sector cap, and was immediately condemned by the Conservatives' political opponents.
Mr Cameron's comments also reveal the extent of his bitterness at what his allies regard as their treachery in opposing him in last year's EU referendum, which prompted his immediate resignation as PM after he was defeated.
Earlier this week Mr Osborne published a cartoon in the London Evening Standard, which he now edits, showing the Foreign Secretary jumping on an anti-austerity bandwagon being pulled by Mr Corbyn.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell led the backlash against the former PM, declaring: "Only David Cameron would say that hard working people seeing their living standards fall back and their pay suppressed is good for them.
"It just further shows how out of touch he was then, and still remains today.
"The austerity measures such as the public sector pay cuts that he brought in, which Theresa May has continued, were meant to divide communities and undermine working people.
The former Prime Minister, who with George Osborne was the architect of the policy, controversially re-ignited the row among top Tories in a speech in the Far East.
Opponents condemned him for opposing pay rises for groups like nurses and firefighters when - it is claimed - he is now earning up to £100,000 for making speeches abroad.
His remarks, coming just hours before this week's Prime Minister's Questions, will almost certainly also be exploited by the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in his weekly Commons clash with Theresa May.
Speaking at an Asia Leadership Conference in Seoul, South Korea, Mr Cameron said: "The opponents of so-called austerity couch their arguments in a way that make them sound generous and compassionate.
"They seek to paint the supporters of sound finances as selfish, or uncaring. The exact reverse is true.
"Giving up on sound finances isn't being generous, it's being selfish: spending money today that you may need tomorrow."
:: Cabinet ministers pile pressure on Theresa May to ease austerity
His attack was no doubt aimed at Cabinet Brexiteers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, who have led calls to scrap the public sector cap, and was immediately condemned by the Conservatives' political opponents.
Mr Cameron's comments also reveal the extent of his bitterness at what his allies regard as their treachery in opposing him in last year's EU referendum, which prompted his immediate resignation as PM after he was defeated.
Earlier this week Mr Osborne published a cartoon in the London Evening Standard, which he now edits, showing the Foreign Secretary jumping on an anti-austerity bandwagon being pulled by Mr Corbyn.
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell led the backlash against the former PM, declaring: "Only David Cameron would say that hard working people seeing their living standards fall back and their pay suppressed is good for them.
"It just further shows how out of touch he was then, and still remains today.
"The austerity measures such as the public sector pay cuts that he brought in, which Theresa May has continued, were meant to divide communities and undermine working people.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
North Korea claims first intercontinental ballistic missile launch
North Korea claims to have successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) - contradicting US and South Korean officials who earlier said it was an intermediate-range missile.
The latest in a series of test-firings appears to be the secretive state's longest-range ballistic missile launch to date - and comes as America prepared to mark its independence day.
US weapons analysts said the missile was capable of reaching Alaska, as US President Donald Trump urged China to "end this nonsense once and for all".
In January, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un boasted the country was in the final stages of preparing to test launch its first ICBM - a further step towards his declared goal of a nuclear weapons system capable of hitting the US mainland.
"It won't happen," Mr Trump vowed at the time.
If Tuesday's launch is confirmed as an ICBM, it would be considered a game-changer by countries looking to check North Korea's attempts to build a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the United States.
The "landmark" Hwasong-14 missile launch from Pyongyang's North Phyongan province was overseen by Mr Kim, state TV said.
A female broadcaster proclaimed the North "a strong nuclear power state" which had "a very powerful ICBM that can strike any place in the world".
It reached an altitude of 2,802km (1,740 miles) and flew 933km (580 miles) for about 40 minutes before landing in the Sea of Japan in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said: "We assume it a medium long-range ballistic missile. But we still plan to devise necessary measures assuming it may have been an ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile).
"If it is ICBM, we will need to come up with the corresponding measures."
The latest in a series of test-firings appears to be the secretive state's longest-range ballistic missile launch to date - and comes as America prepared to mark its independence day.
US weapons analysts said the missile was capable of reaching Alaska, as US President Donald Trump urged China to "end this nonsense once and for all".
In January, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un boasted the country was in the final stages of preparing to test launch its first ICBM - a further step towards his declared goal of a nuclear weapons system capable of hitting the US mainland.
"It won't happen," Mr Trump vowed at the time.
If Tuesday's launch is confirmed as an ICBM, it would be considered a game-changer by countries looking to check North Korea's attempts to build a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the United States.
The "landmark" Hwasong-14 missile launch from Pyongyang's North Phyongan province was overseen by Mr Kim, state TV said.
A female broadcaster proclaimed the North "a strong nuclear power state" which had "a very powerful ICBM that can strike any place in the world".
It reached an altitude of 2,802km (1,740 miles) and flew 933km (580 miles) for about 40 minutes before landing in the Sea of Japan in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said: "We assume it a medium long-range ballistic missile. But we still plan to devise necessary measures assuming it may have been an ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile).
"If it is ICBM, we will need to come up with the corresponding measures."
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