Saudi Arabia has recently been experiencing an emerging arts and culture boom. The state has become a hub for both national and international artists, particularly for youth. However, some critics speculate that this new funding and celebration of the arts is a strategy to distract from other potentially unpopular legislation.
Read MoreThe Sudanese military coup of 2021 reverberates far beyond the crisis-stricken nation, reshaping the regional landscape. Prompting swift responses from neighboring Egypt and Ethiopia, the coup has sparked an intricate web of security concerns and strategic considerations.
Read MoreA war is being waged against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has imprisoned and exiled approximately 15 percent of the total Nicaraguan clergy. Among these are figures such as Bishop Rolando José Álvarez, who was recently released from detainment on January 14, 2024. Ortega claims that the Catholic Church is part of a conspiracy backed by the U.S. to overthrow his regime. Such allegations have been derived from protests against Ortega’s government in 2018, along with having historical roots in the Nicaraguan Civil War.
Read MoreTensions flare as Rwanda is accused of backing an armed opposition group, based in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Read MoreThe year 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of Sergei Parajanov’s birth. A reflection of Parajanov’s contributions and impact present a discussion about Ukrainian nationalism and identity in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Read MoreIn Guatemala, the January 2024 inauguration of new president Bernardo Arévalo was tense due to the months-long efforts to prevent it from ever happening. Led not by the military, but by the bureaucracy, the coup d’etat that Guatemala avoided highlights how the nature of undemocratic practices is gradually morphing in Latin America.
Read MoreIn late 2023, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev called early presidential elections for February 2024, a year earlier than the end of his term. However, given that Azerbaijan is an extremely authoritarian state with staged elections, many have wondered why Aliyev would want to hold the vote a year early, especially since he would likely rig the elections regardless if they were to be held in 2024 or 2025.
Read MoreThere are approximately 200 million cases of the parasitic disease, malaria, reported worldwide per year, 90 percent of which occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. Beyond its direct health consequences, malaria perpetuates structural inequities, affecting vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant women. The economic toll, estimated at $12 billion annually, exacerbates existing challenges, specifically in the agriculture sector. Despite global efforts, the persistent societal effects require continued intervention to address the far-reaching implications of malaria worldwide.
Read MoreAfrican societies are suffering from the impact of climate change. This environmental issue is affecting women at a greater rate than the men who exist in the same society. This article delves into the socioeconomic role women have and continue to serve in African societies and how climate change directly impacts their daily endeavors.
Read MoreThe first time the ancient protective Lamassu statue in Khorsabad was uncovered, its head was chopped into pieces and stolen by looters. Then it was reburied for its safety and preservation during an ISIS rampage. Archaeologists now unearth it for the second time and finally reveal it to the world.
Read More“Turn Indignation Into Political Change”- the title of a Spanish anti-government manifesto published in 2014 by a group of college professors and media personalities. In it, these outsiders challenge the legitimacy of the country’s two-party regime and call for the creation of something new: Podemos. This subversive platform would work to protect the welfare state and push for housing decommodification, female liberation, and several other progressive initiatives.
Read MoreA battle is brewing in Germany. After decades of stagnating wages and worsening inequality, German workers are being mobilized under a new goal; the three day weekend. The IG Metall steel union, over two million members strong, is demanding a shortened work week for all German metalworkers. This effort could mark the beginning of a new era for organized labor throughout Europe and beyond.
Read MoreIn September 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping formally announced the Belt and Road Initiative, a sprawling infrastructure investment program intended to connect the world over land, air, and sea. A decade later, nearly every African nation has signed on, leading to a variety of results within the continent, ranging from shiny development projects to saddles of debt.
Read MoreThe maritime domain is crucial to global trade and development, illustrated by Africa’s Gulf of Guinea. The Gulf of Guinea is home to a wealth of natural resources, but economic growth in the region is hindered by the threat of piracy. The importance of renewed regional and international cooperation against maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea is highlighted by recent upticks in piracy operations.
Read MoreAs global warming progresses and exacerbates existing gender inequalities, it has become increasingly clear that the climate crisis is not “gender neutral.” Environmental disasters disproportionately impact women. Integrating a gendered perspective in the conduction of environmental policy, specifically in the case of the EU, is critical to comprehensively assisting vulnerable populations and mitigating the ongoing crisis.
Read MoreFollowing the end of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for the foreseeable future, disagreements on negotiation formats, border demarcation and delimitation, and the opening of trade routes, propagate tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Read MoreThe European Union (EU) has been at the forefront of innovative AI legislation. The EU began to address the gap in legal regulatory structures for AI beginning in 2019 with the European Commission’s outline for AI in Europe which resulted in the publication of an ethics guideline for trustworthy AI.
Read MoreIn September 2023, Sierra Leone finds itself plunged into darkness as a dire electricity crisis grips the nation. The power cuts in its capital city, Freetown, are primarily a result of the country's mounting debt to the Turkish hydro-power company, Karpowership. The inability to pay for electricity has exposed deeper issues, including government corruption and financial mismanagement, eroding public trust and national pride. These outages have severely disrupted daily life, affecting crucial services like healthcare, education, and construction. The culture of corruption and lack of transparency within Sierra Leone's leadership is at the heart of this crisis, hindering the nation's progress and leaving its citizens in the dark.
Read MoreIndonesia made a deal with China to create an Eco City with a giant Chinese-owned glass factory at the center, but the deal has garnered criticism from residents who are being forced to leave their homes.
Read MoreBrazil’s Supreme Court has recently opened up a vote to decriminalize abortion, and a multitude of factors may influence the outcome.
Read More
