A Difficult Friendship
NEED TO KNOW A Difficult Friendship SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Arabia recently told American officials that Iran was planning an attack on the […]
The Empire Strikes Back
NEED TO KNOW The Empire Strikes Back UNITED KINGDOM Until 1947, the UK lorded over the Indian subcontinent, stealing its wealth and […]
The Fifth Estate
NEED TO KNOW The Fifth Estate SOUTH KOREA More than 90 percent of smartphone users in South Korea use the Kakao suite […]
Beaten, Not Broken
NEED TO KNOW Beaten, Not Broken UKRAINE Mercenaries from the Russian military contracting firm the Wagner Group held their ground around the […]
A Furry Election
NEED TO KNOW A Furry Election DENMARK In November 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic was still raging, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen […]
Back Again
NEED TO KNOW Back Again ISRAEL When Israeli voters cast their ballots for parliament on Nov. 1, they will arguably be making […]
Blood and Soil
NEED TO KNOW Blood and Soil TANZANIA The Tanzanian government describes the transfer of ethnic Maasai people from their traditional homelands as […]
Heroes and Villains
NEED TO KNOW Heroes and Villains NORWAY Norwegian authorities recently detained a Russian carrying two drones, photos and videos as he tried […]
Turning to the World
NEED TO KNOW Turning to the World ALGERIA Algeria’s authoritarian rulers have a mixed relationship with globalization. After winning independence from France […]
Soft Upper Lip
NEED TO KNOW Soft Upper Lip UNITED KINGDOM On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Liz Truss declared that she was not a quitter. […]
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
NEED TO KNOW R-E-S-P-E-C-T CENTRAL ASIA/ RUSSIA Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are clashing on their border. Kazakhstan is poised for a “color revolution”. […]
The Boogeyman
NEED TO KNOW The Boogeyman SLOVENIA In April, Slovenian voters tapped Robert Golob, leader of the Freedom Movement party, to replace as […]
The Quiet Bienvenue
NEED TO KNOW The Quiet Bienvenue CANADA Politicians in Quebec usually use secession from the federal union of Canada as a wedge […]
All Aboard
NEED TO KNOW All Aboard MIDDLE EAST /NORTH AFRICA France’s national railroad company, SNCF, hoped to build a high-speed train in California […]
A Moment to Exhale
NEED TO KNOW A Moment to Exhale GUINEA Djenabou Bah was nine years old in 2009 when she attended a protest against […]
With Friends Like These
NEED TO KNOW With Friends Like These RUSSIA/ CAUCASUS Armenians have a unique perspective on Russian power. On the farthest-most edge of […]
Redefining the Mainstream
Editor’s Note: Dear readers, due to a technical issue, we were unable to deliver the newsletter at our normally scheduled time. We […]
Try, Try Again
NEED TO KNOW Try, Try Again BURKINA FASO Protesters took to the streets of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, recently to […]
No Joy in Mudville
NEED TO KNOW No Joy in Mudville BRAZIL Supporters of left-wing Brazilian politician and former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, or […]
Pushing and Pulling
NEED TO KNOW Pushing and Pulling NORTH KOREA North Korea recently fired an intercontinental ballistic missile over Japan, one of five such […]
Great Russia
NEED TO KNOW Great Russia RUSSIA/ UKRAINE When Ukrainian forces recently retook the city of Lyman from Russian occupiers, resident Elena Kharkovska […]
The Alpine Tremors
NEED TO KNOW The Alpine Tremors AUSTRIA The president of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, recently suffered a concussion after falling while […]
The Kingdom and the Chaos
NEED TO KNOW The Kingdom and the Chaos LESOTHO Born in Shanghai in China, Zhenyu Shao moved to Lesotho 25 years ago […]
Little Islands, Big Games
NEED TO KNOW Little Islands, Big Games SOLOMON ISLANDS Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands distributed almost $2.5 million to […]