Kosovo elected reformist lawyer Vjosa Osmani as its new president in early April. President Osmani will serve alongside Prime Minister Albin Kurti as part of the ruling Vetëvendosje party, a reformist social-democratic organization. However, Kosovo is currently facing several challenges, ranging from a public health crisis to unresolved disputes with
In President Joe Biden’s most recent address, he noted that every day, three hundred and sixteen American citizens are shot, and of those, one hundred and six die. Biden pleaded with the American people and called for change while enacting an executive order, which bypassed Congress to bolster background checks,
Bulgaria held its parliamentary elections on Sunday, April 4th, just days after its daily COVID-19 infection rate reached a record high since the start of the pandemic. Early election results indicate a loosening grip on power for incumbent Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, whose conservative GERB party has dominated Bulgarian politics
Activist Miraziz Bazarov is currently in the hospital after he was attacked outside of his home on March 28th, 2021. Bazarov is a known blogger who often speaks out against the Uzbek government and advocates for the decriminalization of homophobic laws. Along with his advocacy work, Bazarov also organizes weekly
A member of the Ukrainian forces was killed by shelling from Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine’s Donbas region on April 8th. According to the Ukrainian military, there have been five deaths in the eastern border region in the last week. Reports of renewed front-line clashes and the mobilization of troops on
A small town in Florida came close to tragedy as a giant wastewater pond nearly collapsed. The town was evacuated. However, this incident is bound to occur again, as the United States has more than 21,000 facilities that handle toxic waste, and over 2,500 of them are located in zones
According to Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Decree no. 117/2021, Ukraine has committed to putting all options on the table to taking back control over the Russian annexed Crimea region. Signed on March 24, President Zelensky has committed the country to pursue strategies that Ukrinform reports “will prepare and
Sporadic violence and rioting continue in Northern Ireland amid rising tensions over Brexit and the Irish Sea border. Following disturbances over the Easter weekend, gangs of youths continued to gather around interface areas in Belfast on Wednesday and Thursday. Disruption was also seen in and around other parts of Belfast
The conflict in Cameroon is increasingly escalating in a dangerous manner. Cameroon, a country in Central Africa, experiences politically motivated conflict driving devastating effects on families. Cameroon is an official bilingual-speaking country, with French and English as official languages. Throughout the recent months, the latest conflict with the political-driven war
Walter Biot, an Italian Navy Captain, was arrested on Tuesday, March 30th, upon divulging 181 classified documents on a flash drive concerning Italy and NATO’s security and ongoings with a Russian embassy diplomat. The 56-year-old has worked in the Defence Ministry’s Press Office and is currently a Frigate Captain and
After more than one hundred former high-ranking personnel in the Turkish navy signed a statement in defense of the Montreux Convention, ten retired admirals were detained by Turkish leadership on April 5. The Montreux Convention is a 1936 agreement implemented by Turkey about security, stability, and conditional freedom of passage
Yemen’s humanitarian crisis rages on, wreaking havoc on the most vulnerable. It has been reported on March 20th, by UNICEF’s representative to Yemen, Phillipe Duamelle, that 8 children have been killed and 33 have been wounded, as violent altercations between the Houthi rebels and Saudi-led military have continued to escalate
Following a statement released by G7 Foreign Ministers on April 2nd, Eritrean troops have begun withdrawing from Tigray, Ethiopia. These troops were providing military support to the Ethiopian government but have been accused of carrying out massacres and human rights abuses in the country. Until last month, both the Ethiopian
Nearly five months ago, conflict erupted in northern Ethiopia. A media blackout had all but smothered any information coming out of the country, with calls for a ceasefire falling on deaf years in late November of last year. While the U.S. calls for a ceasefire were once again ignored last
Nepal’s air quality is becoming highly hazardous. Its capital, Kathmandu, is situated in such a way that most of its pollution lingers over time. The local government has recorded an increase in air pollution and is starting to worry about long-term consequences for its citizens’ health. According to the Air
The National People’s Congress, China’s highest legislative body, has unanimously approved a bill of radical changes to Hong Kong’s political system aimed at suppressing pro-democracy opposition. The bill, which passed on March 30th, drastically reduces the number of directly elected representatives in the legislature and gives national security bodies new
According to preliminary reports from the ground, heavy flooding has affected upwards of 10,000 people and killed at least 21 in Timor-Leste, reports UN News. The majority of the affected people live in the capital Dili and parts of the city remained underwater for days afterward. The flooding struck on
Chinese officials on March 29 warned foreign brands to remain apolitical after the firms raised concerns about the sourcing of cotton in the far-western autonomous region of Xinjiang where Uyghur Muslims have suffered forced labour and detention. This comes amid a broader condemnation by Chinese authorities, claiming that the United
As Bengal goes to the polls, identity politics shaped by undemocratic mobilization have transformed the electoral venture into an unhealthy battleground. When the Congress was marginalized in the aftermath of the turbulent 70’s, the Left Front dominated West Bengal’s political ambience until the Trinamool Congress (T.M.C.) emerged in 2011, ending
Within the United Nations, peacekeeping is one of the most effective tools for promoting and maintaining international peace and security. However, U.N. peacekeeping faces numerous challenges to effective implementation, undermining its ability to deliver on its mandates and contribute to long-term, sustainable peace. Of these challenges, the direct participation of
