Biden Extends Student Loan Relief For The Third Time
Despite having stated that the second period of loan payment relief, which was meant to end next February, would be the last for American university students, President Joe Biden recently announced that he will pause student loan repayments for a third time. This third relief period will last for a
Tears After The Rain: The Legacy Of The Gukurahundi Genocide In Zimbabwe
In 1983, Robert Mugabe, then Prime Minister and leader of ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front), launched the final phase of his plan to turn Zimbabwe into a one-party state. He sent the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade (called “Gukurahundi” in Shona) into Matabeleland to exterminate “dissidents.” What arguably
Colorado Trucker’s Life Sentence Highlights Injustices In U.S. Mandatory Minimum Sentencing
In December, 26-year-old commercial truck driver Rogel Aguilera-Mederos was sentenced to 110 years in prison for a 2019 runaway truck crash. While driving down Interstate 70 in Colorado, Aguilera-Mederos lost control of his brakes, speeding down the highway at 85 miles per hour until he finally crashed into stopped traffic,
Signatory Or Non-Signatory To The Refugee Convention: Refugee Protection Is A Global Responsibility
Since the inception of the Refugee Convention, by the United Nations, all countries have had the liberty to choose whether to be a signatory or not. This famous 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (and its 1967 Protocol) has been upheld as the fundamental documents which outline refugee
Violence In Chile Stemming From Indigenous Land Rights Has Increased In Recent Years, No Attempt For Negotiations
Members of the Mapuche Lavkenche Resistance group burned around 30 properties in southern Chile following a decades-long conflict between the government and Mapuche communities. The attack followed deliberations in Chile’s government to extend the state of emergency implemented due to increased reports of violence between Mapuche groups and the Chilean
Chinese Foreign Minister Warns of Confrontation Following New U.S. Trade Legislation
Following months of trade and investment restrictions, new legislation passed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday led to a claim by the Chinese foreign minister that China would take the necessary steps to protect its sovereignty and would not fear confrontation by the United States, according to a Reuters article.
Benin Bronzes To Be Repatriated: Will This Repair Relations?
After over a century, multiple cities have announced plans to repatriate bronze artifacts to Benin. These Benin bronzes, which currently reside in museums in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and many other countries, were historically used to honor Beninese ancestors and are representative of a rich culture and shared
Beijing Olympics Boycott: What It Says About China, The International Olympic Committee, And Human Rights
On December 7th, the United States announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing which begin on February 4th. Although the government will still support U.S. athletes who compete, no American politician will accompany them. The Chinese government has pledged “resolute countermeasures” and retaliation against the U.S,
Rethinking Bill 21: The Islamophobia Behind Quebec’s Secularism Law
Fatemah Anvari, a grade 3 schoolteacher in Chelsea, Quebec, was recently removed from her position at Chelsea Elementary School because she wears hijab. The decision to remove Anvari came as a result of Quebec’s secularism law, Bill 21, which passed in 2019. Bill 21 formally bans state employees from wearing
Israel Struck Syrian Chemical Weapons Facilities Over Two Years
In the past two years, Israel has struck chemical facilities in Syria twice to prevent the Syrian renewal of chemical weapon production, as the Washington Post reported last Monday. The report cited unidentified current and former U.S. intelligence officials, which was then confirmed by Reuters staff familiar with the operation.
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
How Foreign Aid Is Hurting Haiti, And How It Can Help
This week, a fuel truck explosion in the Haitian city of Cap-Haitien killed at least 75 people, another tragedy in a long, terrible year for the Caribbean island nation. In July, amid a brewing constitutional crisis, Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his home in an incident that remains
Civil War In Ethiopia And The Aid Crisis
November 3rd marked one year of Civil War in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government, supported by neighbouring Eritrea, has been fighting to quash the ethnic nationalist Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) since November 2020. The TPLF were in charge of Ethiopia for almost 30 years, from the overthrow of the previous
India Strikes Arms And Trade Deals With Russia, Risking U.S. Sanctions
On Monday, December 6th, Russia and India signed over two dozen deals across a variety of areas, including trade, technology, and energy. A total of 28 agreements were signed during the 21st India-Russia annual summit, where Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the nature of
Skanda’s Wrath: The Militarization Of Indian Society
Militarization and excessive nationalism are seeping into every layer of Indian society. Retired Air Marshals publish books lauding India’s soldiers while minimizing or ignoring their worst crimes. Sociologists like Sanjay Srivastava lament that jingoistic marketing campaigns for food and consumer goods, especially after India’s incursions into Pakistani-occupied Kashmir in 2016,
