“Homosexuality is still illegal in 66 countries across all continents except Western Europe, according to the Human Dignity Trust. After the Iraqi government proposed a new bill to criminalize homosexuality in August 2023, Human Rights Watch denounced their act as violating international human rights law. As a member of the Arab Charter on Human Rights, Iraq is responsible for providing its citizens the rights to "life, liberty, privacy, free expression and security of the person.”
Read More“Following the departure of the French troops, the Nigerien government will be burdened to provide itself with security. If Mali and Burkina Faso are examples of military regimes lacking Western support, prospects are not looking bright for the future of Niger’s security.“
Read More“Meloni’s remaking of Italy’s present by reimagining and valorizing the ghosts of the country’s fascist past paints a troubling picture for Italy’s future.”
Read More“The recent barrage of sportswashing criticism evokes familiar Western-centric bias by singling out Middle Eastern human rights atrocities, glossing over the human rights violations that America, Europe, and the global West have sponsored. There is a double standard for which atrocities are worth outspokenly denouncing and which are not. If us Americans are going to continue to condemn sportswashing, we ought to hold the West to the same level of scrutiny as the Middle East.”
Read More“The environmental tradeoffs are perhaps the most stark challenge facing Canadian mining.”
“Through this decision, along with the announcement that Russia may move strategic nuclear arms to Belarus, President Putin is trying to make it seem that this conflict could quickly turn nuclear. However, past precedent and current pressures on the Russian president make it unlikely that his nuclear weapon moves are more than political posturing.“
Read More“‘We beheaded Louis XVI, Macron we can start again!’ This was the chant repeated by protesters in Paris the day after French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne invoked a special constitutional power named Article 49.3, allowing a proposed pension reform to be pushed through without a parliamentary vote.”
Read More“The International Criminal Court has charged Vladimir Putin and Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova with war crimes due to their investigation finding ‘at least hundreds’ of Ukrainian children from orphanages and care homes were deported to Russia. The warrant holds effective and important implications on the prospects for the settlement of the Russia-Ukraine War.”
Read More“With Turkey and Syria being shocked by 3 large earthquakes and countless aftershocks all within the same month, there are many people who are in need. Millions are in need of help, countless innocent people are homeless, injured, or dead. Sending help is saving lives.“
Read MoreA potential Russian coup to prevent Moldova from joining the European Union carries serious concerns in the international community, including the possibility that Russia will invade Russian-speaking Transnistria as another “special military operation”, as they did with Crimea and Ukraine. Transnistria is increasingly a likely target for Russia to easily gain control of EU territory, given the soviet history of the breakaway state.
Read More“Earlier this month, the United States military shot down three unidentified flying objects. The arrival of these unidentified crafts follows the invasion of a Chinese spy balloon, which the United States shot down on February 4th. However, while the White House claims that the Chinese balloon was sent to conduct surveillance, it has not clearly identified the purpose of the other three objects.“
Read More“During a guest lecture at UNC Chapel Hill’s Stone Center held on February 16th, Alon Tal spoke assertively: ‘The Arab-Israeli conflict is over.’ A significant motivator behind the changing trends were the 2020 Abraham Accords.”
Read More“The crisis in Peru is a reflection of longstanding institutional instability and growing discontentment about social, political, and economic inequities.”
“Both countries have engaged in diplomatic finger-pointing surrounding one another’s defensive and economic commitments to Ukraine and Russia. Now, similar finger-pointing regarding the surveillance balloon threatens the two countries’ fragile relations.“
Read More“In recent years, museums have been questioned more and more about the provenance of their collections, and more calls have been made in support of the return of objects acquired during the colonial era or by military force to their countries of origin. Critics and community leaders are still seeking the return of numerous artifacts, most of which hold cultural or religious significance in the communities from which they were taken.”
Read More“The government of Burkina Faso has given French military forces one month to leave the country. This government, which was installed in a coup last October, has denounced the 2018 agreement which authorized the French presence in order to fight Islamist militant groups.”
“Now, many wonder what this will foretell about ongoing Scottish-UK tensions and the preponderance of calls for Scottish independence.”
“On January 25th 2023, UNC Chapel Hill hosted the Ambassador of Poland to the United States, his Excellency Marek Magierowski, who spoke on the Russia-Ukraine war. The mindset of Russian leadership, Poland’s role in the crisis, and the future of the war were topics of discussion for the Ambassador, who predicted an enduring conflict.“
Read More“Over the course of several months, Germany’s Leopard 2 tanks have long been requested by Ukraine to help in their fight against Russia, and only recently did Chancellor Olaf Scholz agree to this request. While Ukraine will finally be getting the tanks it needs for a counteroffensive, it is important to recognize the events that led up to Germany ultimately changing its mind, and the significance of the country doing so.”
Read More“Excerpt: On the 75th anniversary of Dr. Frank Porter Graham’s negotiation of the Renville Treaty, the Carolina Asia Center held a joint conference between The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) in Jakarta which discussed Indonesia’s past, present, and future on the world stage…Indonesia is rapidly gaining economic and political influence on the world stage via increasingly diverse foreign direct investment, Indonesia’s sway within ASEAN, and the desire to forge an independent Indonesian path.“
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