Journalist Maria Ressa emphasised the importance of facts in journalism, after winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Speaking to the website she co-founded, Rappler, she said :”When you don’t have facts, you don’t have truth, you don’t have trust”. Ms Ressa was one of two winners of this year’s prize, for using her platform to “expose…

Afghanistan’s government still hopes a political settlement with the Taliban might be possible, the country’s ambassador to the US, Adela Raz has said. She told BBC World News that the government of Afghanistan and its people were ready for a political settlement. “There is no deal yet but we are not giving up hope, we…

Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, says there has been some “positive” contact with the Taliban. He told BBC World News the UNHCR had been dealing with the Taliban at both provincial and ground level. “I remember the interactions 25 years ago. If I compare those interactions with those that are happening…

There can be lots of psychological reasons to enjoy fiction that is fearful, the writer Stephen King has said. “A lot of people enjoy horror stories because it allows them to express their anxieties in ways that don’t have anything to do with the real world,” he told BBC Hardtalk. But fiction that address subjects…

Overview of the Earthquake A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck Southern California early this morning, causing widespread damage and panic across the region. The epicenter of the quake was located near the city of Los Angeles, with tremors felt as far away as San Diego, Las Vegas, and even parts of Arizona….