Many cultures have ceremonies that mark the transition from boyhood to manhood. But not all include sleep deprivation, circumcision, and a golf hat.
Last week when I arrived in Reyhanli, a Turkish town on the border with Syria, I was met with an air of anxiety, anger and an unsettling chaotic calm. An hour earlier, two car bombs had exploded, resulting in the death of 51 people.
Islamist militants set off two suicide bombings in Niger Thursday. About 20 people were killed in addition to the bombers. And Friday, French special forces helped Niger’s military secure the military base, where they shot dead two militants who were still hiding in a dormitory.
Thomas Fessy
British fighter jets scrambled to intercept a passenger plane after reports of an incident on a flight from Pakistan. The plane was diverted and two passengers were arrested. But British police say the incident is not being treated as terrorism. Britain is on full alert two days after the brutal killing of a soldier on the streets of London, by men shouting Islamist slogans. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with the BBC’s Angus Crawford at the airport where the plane landed.
Angus Crawford
The two main suspects in the gruesome killing of British soldier Lee Rigby are Nigerian and at least one was raised by devout Christians. Michael Adebolajo, 28, converted to Islam and embraced a particular brand of extremism.
Usama Hasan
President Obama says the global fight against terrorism is no longer a “boundless war,” but a more precise conflict that will eventually come to an end. Anchor Marco Werman discusses what that means in the real world with Jessica Stern, an expert in American policy on terrorism.
Jessica Stern
Pakistanis have long complained about the US drone program that targets people in the country’s tribal area. And they’ve demanded that the US stop their activities. For them, the president’s pledge to “scale back” those strikes isn’t enough. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with reporter Fahad Desmukh in Pakistan.
Fahad Desmukh
A White House shift on drone policy might make a big difference for a nation like Yemen. Analyst Gregory Johnsen says he’s encouraged that a more selective use of drones will protect civilians in places like Yemen, while aiding US intelligence gathering efforts.
Gregory Johnsen