Becoming Besties
NEED TO KNOW Becoming Besties KENYA Western influence on the African continent has been waning in recent years, with many countries moving […]
The Misery of Zugzwang
NEED TO KNOW The Misery of Zugzwang ARMENIA Since the end of the Cold War, Russia has protected the former Soviet republic […]
Rightward Ho
NEED TO KNOW Rightward Ho EUROPEAN UNION Expect right-wing parties to win big when 400 million voters in 27 countries elect new […]
Irreconcilable Differences
NEED TO KNOW Irreconcilable Differences BELGIUM A few years ago, Belgium famously had no elected government for more than 600 days, as […]
The Inheritance
NEED TO KNOW The Inheritance NAMIBIA The southwest African country of Namibia has long been isolated geographically and politically. A former German […]
Into the Fire
NEED TO KNOW Into the Fire MEXICO At least nine people died and around 50 more were injured when a stage collapsed […]
An Open Race
NEED TO KNOW An Open Race ICELAND A 700,000-year-old glacier called Snæfellsjökull almost appeared on Iceland’s presidential ballot for June 1. “It’s […]
A Long Way to Fall
NEED TO KNOW A Long Way to Fall SOUTH AFRICA Since the racist apartheid regime in South Africa ended 30 years ago, […]
Stopping the Hopping
NEED TO KNOW Stopping the Hopping VANUATU Voters in Vanuatu, an archipelago in the South Pacific, will decide on May 29 whether […]
Tears and Cheers
NEED TO KNOW Tears and Cheers IRAN The funeral for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died along with the Iranian foreign minister […]
Bills Coming Due
NEED TO KNOW Bills Coming Due WORLD Ghana is pressing the African Union (AU) to leverage the worldwide African diaspora to bolster […]
Hearing the People
NEED TO KNOW Hearing the People CHILE Chilean truckers staged protests in the mining region near the capital of Santiago recently. The […]
Shuffling the Deck
NEED TO KNOW Shuffling the Deck MIDDLE EAST Leaders meeting at the 33rd Arab Summit in Bahrain recently denounced “Israel’s obstruction of […]
The Fertility of Chaos
NEED TO KNOW The Fertility of Chaos SUDAN On June 15, 2023, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its Arab allied […]
Mixed Messages
NEED TO KNOW Mixed Messages SRI LANKA Sri Lanka has been grappling with political and economic instability since the end of its […]
An Eye on the Fence
NEED TO KNOW An Eye on the Fence DOMINICAN REPUBLIC When President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic assumed office in 2020, […]
Fronts and Faults
NEED TO KNOW Fronts and Faults MOLDOVA A few months ago, photos surfaced of Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko standing next to a […]
Silencing the Music
NEED TO KNOW Silencing the Music HONG KONG The chairwoman of Hong Kong’s weightlifting and powerlifting association mistakenly referred to “13 countries” […]
Naming and Shaming
NEED TO KNOW Naming and Shaming UGANDA Barred from staging street protests, Ugandans are leveraging social media to shine a light on […]
Drawing in Pencil
NEED TO KNOW Drawing in Pencil ISRAEL/ GAZA Rebuilding Gaza after Israel’s devastating military operations in the Palestinian territory since Oct. 7 […]
Proximity Politics
NEED TO KNOW Proximity Politics LITHUANIA Few countries have supported Ukraine’s fight against Russia more than Lithuania, a former Soviet republic on […]
Guns, Bombs and Morality
NEED TO KNOW Guns, Bombs and Morality IRAQ Iraq has regained a semblance of stability since the defeat of the Islamic State, […]
Wish You Weren’t Here
NEED TO KNOW Wish You Weren’t Here EUROPE International tourism is arguably the fundamental building block of globalization. Visiting a foreign country, […]