Skyrocketing gas prices, the perceived encroaching threat of communism, the Iranian hostage crisis, and the Vietnam War had dealt serious blows to the country’s morale. Then twenty young Americans overcame all odds to beat the Soviets, the best team in the world, before going on to win gold in the Olympics… As Eruzione puts it, ‘For some people, it was a hockey game. But for a lot more people, it was far greater than a hockey game.’

On October 16, 2024 , the Italian government passed a cross-border surrogacy ban, criminalizing anyone who seeks to have a child through surrogate parents outside of the country. While officials have argued this prevents the exploitation of women, others have worried about the impact on LGBT families and their lack of options to legally start families.

For decades, the Guatemalan military has cooperated with foreign and domestic elites to stymie public efforts at combating racial and social inequalities. State repression is so embedded into the Guatemalan political system that corruption has been made contingent for the state to function. Nevertheless, various transitional justice initiatives which emerged at the end of the Civil War, such as the Equipulus I and II agreements and the REHMI and CEH reports, carried positive changes to the modern Guatemalan state.  The strategies used in this time can inform the Semilla party in its anti-corruption mission.

Russia’s reliance on Arctic resources is increasingly threatened by the rapid thawing of the permafrost, causing infrastructure collapse, the release of greenhouse gases, and increasing global temperatures. As climate change accelerates, Russia is facing mounting economic and geopolitical strain, compounded by shifting global markets and Western sanctions. With other Arctic nations expanding their presence in the region and Russia’s diminishing influence, the Kremlin must decide whether to adapt to the crisis or risk further economic and geopolitical decline.

On January 1, 2025, Russia cut off natural gas supply to Transnistria, a breakaway region of the Republic of Moldova. Russia hopes to strengthen its control in the region and inhibit Moldova from joining the European Union. The Russian decision to eliminate its supply of natural gas to Transnistria will influence the upcoming parliamentary elections, where Moldova and Transnistria will decide whether to retain the current pro-EU parliament.

Russian soldiers weaponize sexual violence to demoralize and inflict harm on the Ukrainian people during the Russo-Ukraine war.

While the rate of Cambodia’s growth may be uncertain, its rising geopolitical and economic presence within Southeast Asia cannot be downplayed, and its rising allegiance with China will likely mark it as the first of many countries to turn to China as a more reliable economic partner in the face of internal American turmoil.

Rising as a stable leader within the European Union, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has fostered close ties with both EU and foreign leaders. With President Trump’s return to the White House, Meloni hopes to form the transatlantic bridge between the EU and the U.S. Yet with recent negotiations between the U.S. and Russia excluding the EU and Ukraine, Meloni has tough decisions to make regarding her alliances.

On Dec. 3, 2024, chaos erupted in South Korea as President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, citing ‘anti-state’ threats. Within hours, the National Assembly overturned his decree, setting the stage for his impeachment and arrest. The crisis exposed deep political fractures but also reaffirmed the strength of South Korea’s democratic institutions. As the Constitutional Court weighs Yoon’s fate, the nation stands at a crossroads— between the threat of authoritarianism and the resilience of its democracy.

Skyrocketing gas prices, the perceived encroaching threat of communism, the Iranian hostage crisis, and the Vietnam War had dealt serious blows to the country’s morale. Then twenty young Americans overcame all odds to beat the Soviets, the best team in the world, before going on to win gold in the Olympics… As Eruzione puts it, ‘For some people, it was a hockey game. But for a lot more people, it was far greater than a hockey game.’

On October 16, 2024 , the Italian government passed a cross-border surrogacy ban, criminalizing anyone who seeks to have a child through surrogate parents outside of the country. While officials have argued this prevents the exploitation of women, others have worried about the impact on LGBT families and their lack of options to legally start families.

For decades, the Guatemalan military has cooperated with foreign and domestic elites to stymie public efforts at combating racial and social inequalities. State repression is so embedded into the Guatemalan political system that corruption has been made contingent for the state to function. Nevertheless, various transitional justice initiatives which emerged at the end of the Civil War, such as the Equipulus I and II agreements and the REHMI and CEH reports, carried positive changes to the modern Guatemalan state.  The strategies used in this time can inform the Semilla party in its anti-corruption mission.

Russia’s reliance on Arctic resources is increasingly threatened by the rapid thawing of the permafrost, causing infrastructure collapse, the release of greenhouse gases, and increasing global temperatures. As climate change accelerates, Russia is facing mounting economic and geopolitical strain, compounded by shifting global markets and Western sanctions. With other Arctic nations expanding their presence in the region and Russia’s diminishing influence, the Kremlin must decide whether to adapt to the crisis or risk further economic and geopolitical decline.

On January 1, 2025, Russia cut off natural gas supply to Transnistria, a breakaway region of the Republic of Moldova. Russia hopes to strengthen its control in the region and inhibit Moldova from joining the European Union. The Russian decision to eliminate its supply of natural gas to Transnistria will influence the upcoming parliamentary elections, where Moldova and Transnistria will decide whether to retain the current pro-EU parliament.

Russian soldiers weaponize sexual violence to demoralize and inflict harm on the Ukrainian people during the Russo-Ukraine war.

While the rate of Cambodia’s growth may be uncertain, its rising geopolitical and economic presence within Southeast Asia cannot be downplayed, and its rising allegiance with China will likely mark it as the first of many countries to turn to China as a more reliable economic partner in the face of internal American turmoil.

Rising as a stable leader within the European Union, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has fostered close ties with both EU and foreign leaders. With President Trump’s return to the White House, Meloni hopes to form the transatlantic bridge between the EU and the U.S. Yet with recent negotiations between the U.S. and Russia excluding the EU and Ukraine, Meloni has tough decisions to make regarding her alliances.

On Dec. 3, 2024, chaos erupted in South Korea as President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, citing ‘anti-state’ threats. Within hours, the National Assembly overturned his decree, setting the stage for his impeachment and arrest. The crisis exposed deep political fractures but also reaffirmed the strength of South Korea’s democratic institutions. As the Constitutional Court weighs Yoon’s fate, the nation stands at a crossroads— between the threat of authoritarianism and the resilience of its democracy.