The News Hub

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Stories of the week: 18th September 2015

Europe’s unidentifiables: how the refugee crisis created a new group of people

How is Europe to cater for the needs of hundreds of thousands more people who look to it for help?

Maria-Christina Doulami in International | Migrant Crisis

The home nations at the 2015 Rugby World Cup - England

How have England fared in previous tournaments, and how will they perform in the opening game of the 2015 tournament against Fiji? Sean Richardson in Other Sport | Rugby World Cup 2015

The seven wonders of Cambodia

Cambodia is underrated, but don't let that stop you from booking your next trip there. Imaan Jooma in Travel

Inside Pakistan’s ‘water mafia’

As the region suffers under a widespread drought, underground cartels have an illegal stranglehold on nature’s most precious resource. Erin Wright in International

The bank is broke: Can we get British men to donate sperm?

With a campaign to coax the precious fluids from a reticent public afoot, we undress the British man to offer a possible communication strategy. Roddy Louther in Lifestyle

Australian cricket heading in a bold new direction

After an unsuccessful Ashes tour resulting in the departure of some of Australian cricket's most experienced players, a new era begins. Anthony Geppa in Cricket

Dirty dairy farming: the unreported cruelty

Australia commit to ending routine induced abortions in dairy cows. Jane Flowers in International

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 28th August 2015

Female backpackers in Australia face sexual coercion in exchange for visa sign-offs

Working in rural and isolated locations is putting more and more backpackers at risk. L.A. Cooper in International | Gender equality

How a lack of penis is killing the Dutch porn industry

In the supposedly uninhibited and sexually liberated Netherlands, porn studios are finding it unusually difficult to recruit male talent. Graham Dockery in Arts & Culture

EXCLUSIVE: Marina Litvinenko on the inquiry into her husband's death

After months and months of disclosing proofs, examining facts and hearing witnesses, the Litvinenko Inquiry has finally found closure. What are the outcomes for Marina, Sacha's widow? Tchernookova Alice in International

Hayne’s NFL dream threatens to destroy the NRL

As the Hayne Plane begins to take flight in America, the NRL should be wary of their young talent being poached. Callum McGregor in American Sport

The Force Awakens: Who is Finn in the new Star Wars film?

Anaylsis of what we know thus far about John Boyega's character. Jeff Bricker in Film & TV

Rising tension between Faroe Islands and anti-whaling Sea Shepherd

Sea Shepherd's Bob Barker vessel, with 21 activists on board, has been refused entry to the Faroe Islands by Danish authorities protecting whaling. Tracy Brighten in Environment

Transphobic Caitlyn Jenner Halloween costume sparks online outrage

The offensive outfit has been widely criticised online and a petition has been made on Change.org to take the costume off the shelves. Libby Masters in Fashion & Beauty | Gender equality

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 21st August 2015

The booming business of marijuana

As retail revenues approach $4.1 billion, hundreds of startups are popping up in the legal marijuana market. But this is not a risk-free business. Ana Rita Guerra in Business

Ashley Madison and moral vengeance on the Net

The Internet is still young, and we, the users, are on a steep learning curve. Matthew Hynds in Relationships

Top 10 things to do in Tehran

With sanctions being lifted more people will be heading to Tehran. Here are some of the top 10 things to see and do. Simon Proudman in Travel

Esports – the growing industry of competitive gaming

The recent International Dota 2 2015 Championships broke all records for prize money and viewing figures for esports. Where does it go from here? Simon Hahn in Other Sport

Kiran Gandhi runs London Marathon without tampon

A woman has run 26.2 miles 'free' for women's rights. Jill Carr in Media

I left Paris for a bowl of soup

No one ever leaves Paris willingly, or so the saying goes. And definitely not for Marseilles, but I had to have its famous Bouillabaisse. Was it worth the journey? Roddy Louther in Travel

Amid the photo ops, India-Pakistan’s quiet war

Talking but not negotiating: the way things are on the sub-continent. Rashmee Roshan Lall in International

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 7th August 2015

The mining industry is set to go galactic

An American company has taken the first steps towards mining asteroids in space. Erin Smith in Science

Study suggests that 70% of women are attracted to people outside of their relationship

What does mild attraction mean for relationships and could it actually be beneficial? Laura Sexton in Relationships

Ashes 2015: What makes a good cricket pitch?

The series has struggled to produce an even contest between bat and ball so far. Barclay Ballard in Cricket | Ashes 2015

Amnesty International draft policy on prostitution causes controversy

Anti-prostitution groups and celebrities present strong opposition to proposed plan.

Grace Ballenger in International

What marriage equality means when you’re Catholic and gay

Religion plays a huge part in people's reluctance to accept homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Alan Miranda, 22, tells us about his experience being both Catholic and gay.

Ana Rita Guerra in LGBT

Is Rafael Nadal on the road back to the top?

The King of Clay has had a tough year on the courts. This week he returned to action in Hamburg. Simon Hahn in Tennis

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 31st July 2015

Why yet again, the "truce" in Yemen is merely a farce

On Saturday 25 July, the Saudis announced a five-day-truce to allow aid agencies into Yemen - but once again, their hopes were betrayed. Helene Aecherli in International

'I Am Cait': Caitlyn Jenner's televised transformation is worth your time

I hear you, Kardashian haters, but if there ever was a reality show worth watching, this is the one. Also, spoilers! Ana Rita Guerra in LGBT

Why are we treating Mo Farah and Chris Froome as 'guilty until proven innocent'?

Sport's new motto questions the integrity of its stars, simply because they're successful. Ken Collier in Other Sport

What it's really like to be a teenage cancer patient

Here's what I learnt during my illness, and what I want to share with all those recently diagnosed. Ellie Philpotts in Lifestyle

Fighting violence against women with bikinis and racist smears

The social media storm over a fight in a French park shines a light on some uncomfortable truths about Western attitudes to Muslim women.

Clare Bowden in International | Gender equality

Who would Arsenal buy with £200 million?

Lord Harris' comments that Wenger 'can buy whoever he wants' have sparked transfer speculation. Jeorge Bird in Football

Faroe Islands pilot whale massacre ‘a natural way of life’

The anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd estimates that 250 pilot whales were killed last week as the whaling hunt entered the peak period. Is it time for tradition to be buried with the whale bones littering the seabed?

Tracy Brighten in Environment

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 24th July 2015

Kenyan pastors warn Obama to leave "the gay talk" in America

Obama has been told to avoid discussing gay rights during his trip to Nairobi for a global economic summit. Libby Masters in LGBT

A man who doesn't speak French wins French Scrabble world championship

New Zealander Nigel Richards has won the French-language edition of the championship by memorizing words from a dictionary. Pavle Popovic in General

Latin American indigenous communities compete in the ‘other’ Copa América

Not everyone was on board with the alternative tournament. "This is an outrageous sham," one group wrote. Gabriela Garcia Calderon in Football

The 8 best boozing experiences in Europe

Here are 8 nights you'll never remember. Natasha Price in Travel

Refugees not welcome: Slovakia’s desperate battle against the EU immigration quota

How dangerous is ignorance and misinformation for the Slovak public?

Ivana Matejova in International

The first-ever NBA game in Africa is now official

History will be made in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 1, when Team Africa will face Team World in the first-ever NBA game in the continent, with the league announcing the rosters on Thursday. Yiannis Bouranis in Basketball

Why was Harper Lee's 'Go Set A Watchman' the most anticipated novel of all time?

What caused Lee's latest novel to light such a fire in the imaginations of readers and critics?

Richard Michael Malpass in Arts & Culture

[thenewshub]

The News Hub appoints UK media veteran Graham Lovelace as senior advisor

The News Hub, a start-up open journalism platform, has appointed Graham Lovelace as a senior advisor.

Graham has more than 30 years’ experience in print, broadcast and interactive media as a journalist, editor, consultant and entrepreneur. Graham pioneered award-winning and commercially successful interactive television and online news services in the 1990s as editorial director at Teletext Limited. He was also a founding director of the Daily Mail Group’s online arm, Associated New Media. Before Teletext, Graham worked as a journalist at the BBC, Visnews, BSB News, ITN, Channel Four, The Press Association and Pearson regional newspapers.

Graham founded media advisory company Lovelacemedia in 1999 and sold the business to The Press Association in 2004. Since then he’s been a future-facing media consultant providing advice, content and events for a broad range of media clients, and advisor to start-ups including SecondSync, the social TV analytics provider acquired by Twitter in 2014, and Social Asset Management (SAM), the social media curation platform for news organisations.

Graham will advise The News Hub on editorial development and marketing strategies.

William Stolerman, founder of The News Hub, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Graham. His track record speaks for itself and we look forward to him helping us take The News Hub to the next level.”

Graham said: "I'm hugely impressed with the progress that Will and the team have made as they build The News Hub to become a global platform for independent journalism. It's an exciting proposition for a new generation of content creators as well as brands seeking to reach target audiences. That makes The News Hub a potentially disruptive business at a time of massive change in the news industry."

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 27th March 2015

Coverage of Germanwings crash has put depression back decades

The media's irresponsible reporting on mental health is leading to a dangerous stigma attached to depression.

by Tomas Shore (International / Germanwings crash)

'I don't sleep with the girls', says a Human Resources manager of a Prague brothel

His liberal-minded mother once came to look where he works.

by Lubomir Sedlak (Bizarre)

How likely is another Russian Revolution?

Could recent protests in the capital signal great unrest and a radical desire for change in the puzzling east?

by James Pearce (Politics)

Real Madrid: Their loyalty is to trophies, not people

Is Bale destined to return to the Premier League? Is Ancelotti heading for the door? Most importantly - why?

by Alex McCarthy (Football)

Californian lawyer proposes execution bill for gays

Matt McLaughlin's 'Sodomy Suppression Act' proposes summary execution for sodomists.

by Graham Smeaton (US Politics)

8 Netflix TV shows with strong female leads

Featuring community college students, lawyers, clones and mole women, these are shows to binge-watch.

by Jessica Metliss (Film & TV)

New president Ashraf Ghani seeks new friendship with Pakistan and Iran, leaving ordinary Afghans baffled

Afghanistan seeks a new narrative with regional partners - is it convincing?

by Sanjay Kumar (Politics)

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 13th March 2015

Department of Justice report forces Ferguson Chief of Police to resign

Will the exits of senior officials begin to heal history of grievances between the black community and city authorities?

by Aisha Abdi (US Politics)

Liberty through lipstick: the relationship between femininity and feminism

Why an interest in beauty has enhanced my feminist beliefs.

by Jessica Metliss (Beauty / Gender equality)

Are Real Madrid fans the worst in football?

Has there ever been a more entitled set of supporters than those at the Santiago Bernabéu?

by Barclay Ballard (Football)

Kenya police officer arrested with 600 kilograms of poached rhino horns

Kenya is set to begin microchipping all remaining rhinos in the country to prevent further poaching.

by Taroon Hira (Environment)

Clarkson's Top Gear martyrdom could mean surge for UKIP

The party's fan base adores the controversial presenter.

by normanblood (UK Politics)

A rain cloud of bad luck for Formula One

What does the 2015 season have to offer fans?

by Laura Sexton (Formula 1)

Collecting vinyl: what's it all about?

Why pay more for something you can't put in your pocket?

by Brian Wilson (Music)

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 6th March 2015

ISIS: How to move forward

Is it time for our political powers to address tensions within our Muslim community?

by Faye De Silva (UK Politics)

How the hip hop industry shamelessly exploits and abandons its artists

While record labels are happy to embrace the bad boy image to sell albums, if real trouble strikes they're nowhere to be seen.

by Samantha Daly (Music)

Football's biggest deception: 'Should he have gone down?'

Injury feigning, theatrical diving and excessive simulation: mindless stupidity or ruthless intellect?

by Andy Waters (Football)

10 lessons all adults could learn from children's books

Exploring the deeper meaning in your favourite childhood stories.

by Lauren Riley (Arts & Culture)

Indian Government makes yoga tax free

Prime Minister believes practice can bring business benefits, change lifestyles, and "connect India with the rest of the world".

by Surya (International)

5 reasons Ireland must be awarded Test status

Consistently mixing it with the best in white ball cricket, it's time they were given a chance with the red ball.

by Fred Humphries (Cricket / Cricket World Cup)

What Chicago's secret interrogation facility means for the mayoral runoff

Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emmanuel should  set up an investigation into what has come to light about Homan Square.

by Dan Hamilton (US Politics)

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 27th February 2015

Why would three Muslim girls leave East London to join a civil war over 3,000 miles away?

As the schoolgirls reach Syria, the media and public opinion get in a twist about their motives.

by Felix Denton (General)

What it's like to be in your thirties and caring for a mother who has Dementia

The day I realised my mum and I could no longer have a coherent conversation, everything changed.

by Dawn Vance (Lifestyle)

Internecine wars at Rangers show no signs of abating

As a high-stakes deadline looms at Ibrox, the club once again faces an existential threat.

by Lynton Guest (Football)

The whites won't go down the mines

It's been 20 years since Apartheid officially ended, but there are still racial tensions in the Rainbow Nation.

by Joe Thorpe (International)

Punishment is not the answer to health problems

Cutting benefits for those suffering from obesity, alcohol or drug problems is not the solution to poor health.

by Anusha Seneviratne (Health & Fitness)

Why 'The Fight of the Century' had to happen

For years, Mayweather and Pacquiao have avoided each other. Now, neither fighter can afford to duck out of the biggest fight of the century.

by Luke Dunn (Other Sport)

The Impending Recapture of Mosul, Capital of ISIS

Up to 25,000 Iraqi troops and Kurdish military forces are preparing to retake Mosul before the first anniversary of the city’s capture by ISIS in June.

by Fatemeh Teimoorzadeh (International)

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 20th February 2015

Telegraph strikes back at Peter Oborne

'We will take no lectures about journalism from the likes of the BBC, the Guardian or the Times.'

by Liz Gerard (Media)

Selena Gomez Topless In V Magazine

Gomez's nude photoshoot reveals far more than we should be comfortable with.

by Richard Michael Malpass (Celebrities / Gender Equality)

The Champions League is wide open in 2015

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea: eight teams could realistically win Europe's premier competition but who will be celebrating in Berlin?

by Charlie Lemay (Football)

Fifty Shades of Grey: the biggest cinema experience I've ever had

Women went wild - cooing, giggling, roaring, arguing. And the film's critics have got it wrong too...

by Rory Pitt (Film & TV)

Did Alberto Nisman have a case?

His claims against Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner have unleashed a protest movement some call a "coup d’état in the making".

by Adriano Mérola Marotta (International)

Ireland are a force to be reckoned with

After Ireland's 4 wicket win over West Indies at the Cricket World Cup, they could go on to capture yet more scalps.

by Matt Dawson (Cricket / Cricket World Cup)

[thenewshub]

We have increased the fees we pay for content

We’re growing fast and are delighted to announce our second increase in fees since launching in August 2014.

We now pay US$50/£30 for every piece of content that’s in the top 10% of each category, every month.

For instance, if one of your posts is in the top 10% of the Politics category for March, you’ll earn US$50/£30. But, if five of your posts are in the top 10% of the Politics category for March, you’ll earn US$250/£150.

We’ll continue to pay a US$150 bonus to our top contributors each month, which is paid in addition to any fees paid for individual articles.

We’ll keep increasing our fees until we can offer the best rates in the business.

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 13th February 2015

Valentine's Day: a brief history of commercial cringe

Like an STI suffered by the whole of society, Valentine's Day is unavoidable. But where did it come from?

by Erin Carrington (Relationships)

Why the news reporting on the Chapel Hill shootings would look very different if the victims were white

America's inconsistent response to the killing of three young Muslims.

by Alexandra Huemer (International)

Concussion mismanagement is still a problem in sport

George North's suspected concussion shows us that elite sport still has a long way to go to manage concussion properly.

by Tomas Shore (Rugby Union)

British Jewry reacts to rise in anti-semitism

Anti-semitism has often been described as “the longest hatred” - and it seems to be having no problem living up to that description.

by Jonathan Romain (General)

4 ways women are still objectified more than men

Apparently, there's a little confusion.

by Lauren Sharkey (Lifestyle)

Bangladesh's reckless cops

Extrajudicial killings and disappearances carried out by Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies continue unabated.

by Arafat Kabir (International)

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 6th February 2015

God gears up for 2016

Christians in, everyone else out and atheists sent to 'heathen zones' as US politicians' obsession with religion rolls on.

by Chris Lockie (US Politics)

Abattoir probe outlines fundamental problems at core of meat industry, not halal

A new undercover investigation has caused national outrage.

by Luke Steele (Food & Drink)

Harry Redknapp is not like Marmite

Will it ever be possible to make a balanced judgement on the career of one of English football's most colourful characters?

by Martin Cloake (Football)

The many faces of Taylor Swift

A deconstruction of the carefully calculated image she built her empire on, and what would happen if she were to lose it.

by Vickye Fisher (Music)

What can we learn from SYRIZA's first days in government?

The Cabinet of SYRIZA leader and PM Alexis Tsipras was sworn in on January 27th, and they've already taken some bold steps.

by Stephen Angus Peter Junor (Politics)

England's injury list grows as 6 Nations approaches

What path will England take through the wounded?

by Graham Smeaton (Rugby Union)

[thenewshub]

Stories of the week: 30th January 2015

Clergy volunteer service as target practice instead of black mugshots

Controversy rages after North Miami Beach police use 'decades old' mugshots for target practice.

by Graham Smeaton (General)

Secular Society

We live in a Britain divided between mosque and state.

by Aqib Shaikh (UK Politics)

Period drama

Opening the floodgates for menstruation in the media.

by Candy (Lifestyle)

The world owes Lance Armstrong nothing

Lance Armstrong believes he has 'done his time' as a pariah. This belief could not be further from the truth.

by Tomas Shore (Cycling)

South Africa in the grip of xenophobic violence

As parts of the country burns, a senior Cabinet Minister's recent comments only serve to make matters worse.

by Kameel Premhid (International)

The right words, the right time

It took fourteen years to get a book deal. Here's why I'm glad.

by Sara Barnard (Arts & Culture)

[thenewshub]

Refer a friend: you earn what they earn

We're always looking for new contributors (writers, photographers and videographers), and we'd like your help finding them - which is why we have a referral scheme. If you introduce a new contributor who posts on The News Hub, you'll earn whatever they earn for for the first three months they’re active on the site. Let's say you know an amazing photographer in Bhutan called Jimmy. He posts a few times with striking images covering national news events over the next three months, earning US$300. We'll also pay you US$300 for the introduction. Simple as that. We're looking for anyone with a story to tell, from a passionate fashion blogger to an amateur photographer in Yemen. If you know someone who might be suitable, please tell them to apply here (make sure they mention that you referred them), or you can introduce them yourself via [email protected].  New contributors and referrers will be asked for payment details when they qualify for payment. Let us know if you have any questions.