At least 50 dead in Orlando shooting (World)

ORLANDO, Fla.

CNN reports that as many as 50 people are dead, and at least 50 more are injured, after a mass shooting in an Orlando nightclub.

According to CBS News, the shooting took place early Sunday morning at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

ABC News reports that the suspected gunman is 29-year-old St. Lucie resident, Omar Mateen, also deceased.

Associated Press ranks it as the deadliest mass shooting in U.S history.

According to CNN, the investigation of the shooting, and the alleged shooter, is still very much underway. CBS News reports the suspect allegedly made an allegiance to ISIS prior to the incident.

ABC News reports President Obama called the incident “an act of terror” when addressed the nation Sunday, June 12.

Reasoning:

This was the selection for top world story of the week because even though it is still a fairly new story, it is incredibly relevant to everyone’s daily lives. It’s a very newsworthy story based on timeliness, and the number of people it impacts, as well as future events. The story comes in a string of mass shootings, and will undoubtedly have an impact on this election year. As well as the possible ramifications the story has based off of the alleged shooters’ possible connections to foreign terror groups. Also, there are several upcoming high profile events that will certainly be on high alert following this incident. It has become instantly an infamous story because of the record-breaking death toll. There will be many follow up stories, and continuous updates as victims are identified, and motives are determined. Everyone will want to know. Even though it happened on American soil, I classify it as a world news story because it will surely impact people all over the world in many ways.

Muhammad Ali Dies at 74 (World)

LOUISVILLE, Ky.

            The three-time world heavyweight champion, and the 20^th century icon, Muhammad Ali, has died at the age of 74.

            “The Greatest” died on Friday, June 3^rd at a Phoenix-area hospital. The New York Times reports he died from complications of Parkinson’s disease and septic shock.

            CBS News reports Ali was world renowned for his athletic capabilities and unorthodox boxing style yet was a polarizing figure outside of the ring.

            According to The New York Times, throughout the 1960s and 70s, Ali gained widespread attention for his social, political, and religious beliefs. Conservative establishments saw him as a threat, whereas liberals saw noble cause in his statements.

Several notable accounts include his refusal to be drafted into the Vietnam War, the changing of his “slave name”, Cassius Clay, and his conversion from Christianity to Islam. All of which were very controversial actions, according to The Times.

An Olympic gold medalist, Ali was banished from the boxing ring at the height of his career for his anti-war activism. The New York Times reports this cost him millions of dollars.

Ali became a popular figurehead for Parkinson’s disease, of which he lived with for over 30 years, according to CBS News.   

The New York Daily News reports his body will be laid to rest in his hometown Louisville, Kentucky.

Reasoning:

There was such worldwide coverage of Mr. Ali’s death this week. This is why I chose this story as the top world story of the week. It’s a newsworthy story on its head because a very famous person, with very a very ubiquitous name and phrase has died. For every national newscast I watched, it was the top story. It’s also newsworthy because his death rehashes a lot of what he historically stood for, much of which was controversial. A lot of us only know Ali as the “saint-like” trembling man who lit the Olympic torch in 1996. I think a lot of us are not fully aware of what a significant and controversial figure he was in the twentieth century, worldwide. So it was those factors that make this the top world story of this week.  

70 Years Later, President Obama visits Hiroshima (World) - UPDATED

JAPAN

            
           On Friday, May 28, President Barack Obama became the first U.S. president to visit the Japanese city of Hiroshima since the atomic bomb was dropped 70 years prior.

            Walter Mondale, Former Vice President and U.S. ambassador to Japan, called Obama's visit, "one of the biggest events in modern Japanese history" in an interview with NBC News.

            In Japan, the President spoke to reporters about the 1945 bombing calling it an "inflection point in modern history" and "something that all of us have had to deal with in some way or another."(NBC News). 

            The Daily Mail reports President Obama is officially in Japan for the 42nd G7 summit. However, his visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is what is making headlines. Those in favor call it an act of diplomacy and empathy, whereas critics refer to it as an "apology" tour.

            According to Two Way National Public Radio News, President Obama delivered a speech and signed the guestbook at the Memorial Park. He was photographed hugging a survivor of the nuclear blast.

            The worlds' first nuclear attack killed around 140,000 people in Hiroshima, helping to end World War II. The decision to drop the bomb remains a controversial topic to this day.

Reasoning:

            President Obama's visit to Hiroshima is my selection for this week's top world news story. The visit itself is a historic moment, thus making the visit all the more newsworthy. As well as the fact that it is still to this day a heated topic for many people, and the President's actions while in Japan will be heavily scrutinized even more considering the sordid history. Also so much of his presence was expressing complex emotions about the past and what occurred with dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The visit also became a political talking point about whether or not the President is practicing diplomacy or if he is apologizing and/or appeasing the Japanese people.