Middle East Leaders Meet to Counter Trump on Gaza
NEED TO KNOW Middle East Leaders Meet to Counter Trump on Gaza MIDDLE EAST After US President Donald Trump said he wanted […]
Growing Protests Threaten Slovakia’s Pro-Russian Leader
NEED TO KNOW Growing Protests Threaten Slovakia’s Pro-Russian Leader SLOVAKIA Almost 18 months ago, former Prime Minister Robert Fico and his leftist […]
A Country, a Business
NEED TO KNOW A Country, a Business TAJIKISTAN Starting on March 2, Tajik voters will go to the polls to choose their […]
Chinese Roulette
NEED TO KNOW Chinese Roulette COOK ISLANDS Earlier this month, Mark Brown, the leader of the quasi-independent Cook Islands, flew to China […]
Out of One, Many
NEED TO KNOW Out of One, Many SUDAN Late last month, Sudan’s army (SAF) entered the central Sudanese city of Wad Medani […]
Friend in Need … a Friend Indeed
NEED TO KNOW Friend in Need … a Friend Indeed GUATEMALA Two years ago, a little-known former Guatemalan diplomat in a crowded […]
No Way But Down
NEED TO KNOW No Way But Down UKRAINE In what feels like another life, Anton Yaremchuk was a cinematographer making movies. But […]
Angst and Ballots
NEED TO KNOW Angst and Ballots GERMANY For the past two years, German television has been featuring a comedy/drama TV series called […]
Stability Über Alles
NEED TO KNOW Stability Über Alles URUGUAY Last fall, when Uruguayans were asked in a referendum whether they would like to retire […]
BRICS By BRICS
NEED TO KNOW BRICS By BRICS WORLD More than 20 years ago, an investment banker at Goldman Sachs created a catchy slogan […]
Going South
NEED TO KNOW Going South THAILAND On Jan. 14, two police officers were driving on a rural road in southern Thailand when a […]
The Land and the Fury
NEED TO KNOW The Land and the Fury SOUTH AFRICA In 1652, the Dutch arrived on the shores of modern-day South Africa, […]
Dreams of Destiny
NEED TO KNOW Dreams of Destiny TURKEY Late last year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey needs breathing room. “Turkey […]
Carrots, Sticks, and Dignity
NEED TO KNOW Carrots, Sticks, and Dignity SOUTH/ CENTRAL AMERICA When US President Donald Trump sent a plane of deported Colombians back […]
The Declaration of Dependence
NEED TO KNOW The Declaration of Dependence ABKHAZIA/ GEORGIA In November, opposition-led protesters in Abkhazia stormed and occupied parliament, the president’s office, […]
The Hermit’s Rumspringa
NEED TO KNOW The Hermit’s Rumspringa NORTH KOREA When Russian President Vladimir Putin received help last year fighting his war in Ukraine […]
The Contagion
NEED TO KNOW The Contagion SOMALIA On Feb. 1, US President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes targeting Islamic State (IS) jihadists in […]
Bridging a Divide
NEED TO KNOW Bridging a Divide KOSOVO A bridge over the Ibar River divides the Kosovan city of Mitrovica between the north […]
The Morning After
NEED TO KNOW The Morning After SYRIA A busy traffic circle in central Damascus lures Syrians celebrating the ouster of their former […]
Here, Again
NEED TO KNOW Here, Again DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO For years, the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have set their sights on capturing […]
A Clenched Fist
NEED TO KNOW A Clenched Fist ECUADOR When Daniel Noboa took over the presidency of Ecuador in November 2023, there was hope […]
A Dueling Paralysis
NEED TO KNOW A Dueling Paralysis TAIWAN Just before Christmas, Taiwanese lawmakers duked it out on the legislature’s floor, in what was […]
Pyrrhic Victory
NEED TO KNOW Pyrrhic Victory PAKISTAN Last fall, Pakistan’s parliament passed a constitutional amendment that stripped the top court of some of […]
Terror Inc.
NEED TO KNOW Terror Inc. YEMEN When the ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19 between Israel and Hamas, the Houthi rebels in […]