World News for Students of English

13-10-2021 07:00

The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their effort to safeguard freedom of expression.

The committee said that freedom of expression was a precondition for democracy and lasting peace. Ressa and Muratov received the peace prize for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and in Russia. At the same time, they represented all journalists who stood for this idea in a world in which democracy and freedom of press is facing increasingly adverse conditions.

A Russian veteran reporter at Novaya Gazeta told the media that the award was a great encouragement for all Russian journalists, as they had been going through difficult times in the last few months. They were feeling that they were all approaching a tragic ending. He said that the award was important for the whole Russian independent journalist community.

Muratov said that he would have preferred that jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny was given the award instead.

Difficult words: safeguard (to protect from harm or damage), precondition (a condition that must be met before other things can happen), adverse (harmful or unfavorable).

You can watch the video news lower on this page.