Author: Ashley Park

Italy’s Chinese Prostitution Problem

Since World War II, Chinese have migrated to Italy, and in more recent decades, migrated in larger waves. Italy hosts about 300,000 Chinese nationals, the largest diaspora community in the European Union. Many come to Prato, Italy’s textile capital near Florence, since there is a large established Chinese textile community.

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Iran Denounces Proposed Gulf EuroFleet

On Sunday, Iran denounced the British-led proposed ‘EuroFleet’ as “provocative” and “hostile”. The proposal outlined a plan to have European-led naval ships escort tankers in the Gulf amid soaring tensions over the seizure of ships. More specifically, this proposal is a direct response to Iran’s seizure of a U.K. vessel

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Kyoto Animation Studio Fire Shocks Japan

On Thursday morning in one of Japan’s worst mass casualty incidents since World War II, a 41-year-old man poured petrol over the Kyoto Animation Studio screaming, “Die!” before igniting it. 33 people were killed and 36 more were injured by the time the fire was doused. The horrific attack shocked

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Trade War Between Japan And South Korea

Japan moved to tighten controls on exports of hi-tech materials to South Korea this month, a move that has caught Seoul off guard. These materials are vital to the production of smartphones and other technologies, and South Korean tech giants, such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and LG Display, are likely to be

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The Intersection Of Buddhism And Nationalism

Throughout the last century, Buddhism has cultivated a peaceful image of meditation and pacifism. Buddhist temples and gardens filled with swirling incense evokes feelings of peace and zen throughout the world. However, Buddhism, like many other religions around the world, does not have a monopoly on peace. In Sri Lanka

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Crisis In Australia’s Offshore Detention Centers

On June 26 2019, President of the United States Donald Trump tweeted, “These flyers depict Australia’s policy on Illegal Immigration. Much can be learned!” along with pictures of flyers distributed by the Australian government. The flyers had foreboding statements such as “You will not make Australia home”, “You won’t be

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Turkey: Istanbul Set For Rerun Of Mayoral Vote

Nearly three weeks after the mayoral election in Istanbul, Turkey, Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate Ekrem Imamoglu was declared the mayor of Istanbul. The CHP is the main opposition party to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK), which is lead by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu’s victory broke

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Nizar Zakka Set To Return Home After Being Held In Iran

Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese IT expert with permanent United States residency, was released from Iranian custody on June 11, 2019. Zakka was arrested in Tehran in 2015 after being convicted for espionage on behalf of the U.S. government, charges he denies. The Iranian courts sentenced Zakka to 10 years of

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Child Marriages Worsen In Nepal

Unicef lists child marriages as a “violation of human rights, but is all too common”. In many parts of the world, the fight against child marriages is winning, but these same strides are not being taken in Nepal. The global rate of child marriages has dropped, in part to a decrease

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Argentina Activists Introduce Bill To Legalize Abortion

In the past week, legislation that seeks to allow “women or other identities with the ability to gestate” to have access to safe and legal abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy was introduced to the National Congress of Argentina. This new legislation seeks to decriminalize pregnancy termination and

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Exit Polls Show India’s Modi-Led Coalition Likely To Win Majority

The country of India– the world’s largest democracy– headed to the polls to vote in their general election last week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling alliance with the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is projected to win a majority in parliament, exit polls show. A party needs to win 272

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