Author: Taja Hirata-Epstein

Nuclear Talks Between United States And North Korea

A summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un fell apart this Wednesday, once again resulting in no agreement over North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.  Both leaders face political pressure to maintain a hardline stance and have refused to budge in negotiations. While Trump remains optimistic about talks going forward, he

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Demonstrations in Chemnitz, Germany Stroke Fears of Violent Nationalism

Eighteen people were injured this past Saturday following violent clashes between far-Right protestors and counter-protestors in Chemnitz, Germany. Around 4,500 members of the Alternative for Germany Party (AFP) and the anti-Islam Pegida took part in a march after two immigrants were arrested in relation to the murder of a German

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Can Mnangagwa Save Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa was inaugurated this past Sunday after the country’s Supreme Court threw out legal challenges to his election win. Mnangagwa previously served as vice president to Robert Mugabe and following a coup d’etat last November, was appointed acting president. While many hope he can usher in a

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Bangladeshi Student Protests Continue Amidst Violent Retaliation

Thousands of high school students took to the streets in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka after a boy and girl were hit by a speeding bus early last week. The demonstrators are calling for justice and better road safety measures, including stronger government regulations on drivers. Despite the peaceful nature of the

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Iran Threatens America With The “Mother Of All Wars”

On Sunday, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani warned the United States against pursuing policies hostile to his country, saying that war with Iran would be “the mother of all wars.” Relations between the two countries took a nosedive this May when President Trump withdrew the U.S. from a 2015 deal over

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2018 World Cup Reveals Flaws In FIFA’s Human Rights Policies

Millions of eyes are now on Russia, which is in the midst of a human rights crisis, as the FIFA World Cup moves into the semi-finals. FIFA has implemented new policies to promote these rights in host countries like Russia, but the continuation of violent, oppressive practices signals fatal gaps

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Turkish President’s Reelection Bodes Poorly For Human Rights

Turkey’s current President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was re-elected this past Sunday, with state media announcing that he received an “absolute majority of all valid votes.” Erdogan’s party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), also had a sweeping electoral win and will hold the majority of seats in the parliament. Under

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Hope For An End To Deadly Protests In Nicaragua

Last Friday, the Nicaraguan government agreed to allow an international investigation into fatal protests that occurred in mid-April. The protests, initially opposing social security reform, sparked national unrest when pro-government groups used excessive force against protesters. Subsequent civic demonstrations also faced violent retaliation, with the Center for Human Rights reporting

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Ethiopia’s Acceptance Of 2000 Peace Accord May Bring Peace To Eritrea

The governing party of Ethiopia announced last Tuesday that it would “fully accept and implement” the 2000 Algiers Peace Accord with Eritrea. The agreement was initially brokered following the 1998-2000 war over border disputes. Ethiopia’s decision to comply with the terms of the accord as well as its acceptance of

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