Jan. 6 Saudi Arabia: In an effort to protect women’s rights, a new law effective as of Jan. 6 will allow women to be informed by Saudi courts of their…
Deconstructing “the Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax”
The issue of Eskimo vocabulary and its numerous words for snow, known as “the Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax,” has become something of an urban legend and remains hotly contested by…
Redefining ‘Refugee’
While climate change continues to damage parts of the world, those displaced as a consequence do not meet the legal requirements to qualify for refugee status. In response to a…
China-Canada: Huawei detention fallout
China detained two Canadians on Dec. 10 in what appears to be retaliation for the detention of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications giant. Canada has…
Behind the Holiday Season
Sales during the holiday season were the highest in six years as reported by Reuters, with a rise of 5.1 percent amounting over $850 billion. According to Marketplace, 90 percent…
This Week Around the World: Dec. 30–Jan. 6
Dec. 30–Jan. 4 Bangladesh: Almost 100 million Bangladeshis voted in the country’s parliamentary elections despite widespread voter suppression conducted during the campaign. Al Jazeera reported the previous ruling party—the Awami…
Tsunami in the Sunda Strait
Indonesia is a large archipelago in the Ring of Fire with 127 active volcanoes, so it is not uncommon for the island nation to have frequent earthquakes and tsunamis. Since…
WTF is happening with Brexit?
With the possibility of a No-deal Brexit looming, calls for a second referendum have gained momentum, and Members of Parliament on both sides support a second referendum dubbed the “People’s…
Yellow vests reveal crisis in France
Thousands of yellow vest demonstrators—named for the high-visibility jackets worn—have descended into the streets of France for the sixth consecutive week to protest planned tax increases on gas amid rising…
This Week Around the World: Dec. 16-23:
Dec. 15–17 Somalia: After conducting a total of six air strikes between Dec. 15 and 16, the United States military confirmed Dec. 17 its Africa Command—or Africom—alongside Somali Armed Forces…
Africa: 60 years post-independence
In the 19th century, European powers competed for land on the African continent in what is known as the Scramble for Africa, with France colonizing a large portion and retaining…