GZERO VIDEO: Why US faces challenges in dealing with Iran

NEW YORK (GZERO MEDIA) – Mr Karim Sadjadpour, one of the world’s foremost Iran experts and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discusses the rise of democracy in Iran.

He tells American foreign policy expert Ian Bremmer that the regime is “willing to kill en masse” to stay in power, and discusses the challenges the US administration faces in dealing with Iran.

This video is made available to The Straits Times under a partnership with GZERO Media, a subsidiary of the Eurasia Group.

West Jerusalem residents accuse police of neglecting Arab towns

A convoy hundreds of vehicles long has made its way to Jerusalem in the latest protest by Palestinian-Israeli citizens against violent crime.

A convoy hundreds of vehicles long has made its way from northern Israel to Jerusalem in the latest protest by Palestinian-Israeli citizens against violent crime.

The protesters accuse Israeli police of neglecting Arab towns and villages.

Al Jazeera’s Harry Fawcett reports from West Jerusalem.

Barack Obama Calls Out Woke Culture And Twitter Outrage: ‘That’s Not Activism’

Former President Barack Obama says “compromise” shouldn’t be frowned upon and described Twitter outrage as “not activism.” 

Speaking at the Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago on Tuesday, the former president called on Americans to abandon ideological purity tests in politics. 

“This idea of purity, and you’re never compromised, and you’re always politically woke and all that stuff. You should get over that quickly,” he said. “The world is messy. There are ambiguities. People who do really good stuff have flaws.” 

Obama also called out what he perceived as a “danger” among younger people.

“There is this sense sometimes of ‘the way of me making change is to be as judgmental as possible about other people, and that’s enough,’” he said, then offered an example: 

“Like if I tweet or hashtag about how you didn’t do something right or used the wrong verb. Then, I can sit back and feel pretty good about myself because, ‘Man, you see how woke I was? I called you out.’ I’m gonna get on TV. Watch my show. Watch ‘Grown-ish.’ Y’know, that’s not activism. That’s not bringing about change. If all you’re doing is casting stones, you’re probably not going to get that far.”

L'Oreal shares surge on encouraging China momentum

Shares in cosmetics maker L'Orealrose more than 6% early on Wednesday, a day after reporting its biggest quarterly jump in sales in more than a decade buoyed by demand from Asia.

The maker of Lancome cosmetics defied fears of a slowdown in mainland China by beating revenue forecasts by a wide margin in an encouraging sign for peers selling high-end skincare products, such as Clinique owner Estee Lauder.

"Growth in luxury (cosmetics) was fantastic," analysts at Bernstein said in a note on L'Oreal.

The French firm did highlight weak spots, however, including in the United States, where make-up sales are slowing.

Swedish activist declines prize: climate doesn’t need awards

Teen activist Greta Thunberg, who has inspired millions across the world to stage protests urging leaders to tackle global warming, has declined an environmental prize, saying “the climate movement does not need any more prizes.”

Two fellow climate activists spoke on Thunberg’s behalf Tuesday evening at an award ceremony in Stockholm for the regional inter-parliamentary Nordic Council’s prizes by reading a statement saying it was “an honor.” Thunberg, who is 16, is currently in California.

But Sofia and Isabella Axelsson quoted Thunberg as saying, “what we need is for our rulers and politicians to listen to the research.”

Thunberg, who had been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, had declined another award in November 2018 because many of the finalists had to fly to Stockholm for the ceremony.

Get ready for a December general election

We discuss how the major parties stack up ahead of a general election in December, and ask what it could mean for Brexit.

:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

Plus, details emerge from the first report from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and the search intensifies for a missing British backpacker in Cambodia.

Gunman kills 2 after trying to attack German synagogue

Police take one person into custody while local media reports the attacker has a far-right background.

Two people have been killed after a gunman opened fire outside a synagogue in Germany.

Worshippers were marking Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

A suspect is in police custody.

The attack has raised concerns about the rise of far-right and neo-Nazi sentiment in Germany.

Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons reports from Halle, Germany.

Automatic Data Processing Maintains FY20 Outlook – Quick Facts

While reporting financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2020 on Wednesday, Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) maintained its earnings and revenue growth guidance for the full-year 2020.

For fiscal 2020, ADP continues to project earnings per share to grow in a range of 14 to 16 percent and adjusted earnings per share to grow in a range of 12 to 14 percent on revenue growth between 6 and 7 percent.

On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report earnings of $6.16 per share on revenue growth of 6.4 percent to $15.08 billion for the year. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items.