Author: Willow Newcomb

Alleged Use of Russian Chemical Warfare in Mariupol

As the war in Ukraine intensifies, Russian troops are shifting their focus to the country’s east. Parallel to this pivot, Ukrainian troops issued their first allegation of Russian chemical warfare in a Telegram post on Monday. Three fighters reported that Russian forces had released “A poisonous substance of unknown origin”

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Ukrainian National Unity Day Amid Crescendoing Tension With Russia

Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, declared Wednesday, February 16th – the same day rumored to be the possible initiation of a Russian invasion – to be a day of Ukrainian National Unity. On Monday, Zelenskiy signed a decree of relevance calling for “flags to be raised on houses and buildings in

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Concerns Grow As Captive Chinese-Australian Journalist’s Health Deteriorates

Australian government officials and human rights groups are concerned about the deteriorating health of Yang Hengjun, a high-profile journalist, blogger, and author. Three years ago, the Chinese-born Australian national was arrested in a port city slightly northwest of Hong Kong; his health has been swiftly declining as he awaits the verdict

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Climate Activism in Germany: New Extremes

German climate activists are going to great lengths to urge their government to implement new environmental legislation. In their most recent protest, fifteen climate activists glued themselves to the asphalt of one of Berlin’s main highways – some protestors adhered not only their clothes but also their skin to make

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Qatari Oil and Diplomatic Mediation Amid Russia-Ukraine Tension

Conversations in Washington With over 175,000 troops amassed along the Ukrainian border, international concern is mounting over the threat of a Russian incursion. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin denies claims that he is planning an invasion, western powers are collaborating with NATO to bolster the region’s preparedness. In doing so,

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Five Syrian Soldiers Killed, 20 Injured By Islamic State

On January 3, five Syrian soldiers were killed and 20 were injured in a rocket attack while aboard a military transport bus. Syrian state media reported that fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), followed the attack with artillery shelling. The attack

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B.B.C. Journalist Designated “Foreign Agent” Leaves Russia For British Exile

After Russian authorities placed him under “unprecedented surveillance,” a reputable investigative journalist for the B.B.C. announced that he has left Russia for “exile” in Britain. The journalist, Andrei Zakharov, announced his evacuation from Moscow in a video recorded in London on December 27th. The entities concerned have given limited response

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Rising International Concern After Hong Kong Election

There is rising international concern about the state of democracy in Hong Kong after the recent legislative elections that took place on Sunday, December 19th. Statistics from The Washington Post indicate that this election achieved the lowest turnout since the handover to China in 1997, with only 30.2 percent of

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Entropy In The Horn: United Nations Human Rights Session On Ethiopia

At the request of the European Union, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) hosted a special session to discuss the crisis in Ethiopia. According to UN News, the delegates gathered virtually on Friday, December 17 with the support of the required one-third of the forum’s 47 member states and

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UN Envoy Urges the US to Lift Sanctions Against Zimbabwe

Last week, Alena Douhan, a United Nations special envoy on unilateral coercive measures, urged the US to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe. Douhan suggested that the sanctions have amplified the ongoing economic and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe, challenging many aspects of their society. AP News reports that after her two-week investigation,

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