On a High Wire
NEED TO KNOW On a High Wire INDONESIA Indonesian President Joko Widodo – known as Jokowi – is urging the world’s rich […]
Fait Accompli
NEED TO KNOW Fait Accompli UZBEKISTAN When voters in Uzbekistan head to the polls to elect a new president on Oct. 24, […]
Revolution Redux
NEED TO KNOW Revolution Redux TUNISIA Tunisian Najla Bouden Ramadhane recently became the Arab world’s first female prime minister. That’s a historic […]
Life and Death
NEED TO KNOW Life and Death COLOMBIA Suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Martha Sepúlveda opted to die. She scheduled the procedure […]
Of Flyovers and Squid
NEED TO KNOW Of Flyovers and Squid TAIWAN Chinese President Xi Jinping recently called for the peaceful unification of his country with […]
Tiny Enclave, Loud Roar
NEED TO KNOW Tiny Enclave, Loud Roar SAN MARINO One of the smallest countries in the world – its population is around […]
A Working Democracy
NEED TO KNOW A Working Democracy CAPE VERDE The people of Cape Verde work hard to improve their country. Some have formed […]
Pop Goes the Bubble
NEED TO KNOW Pop Goes the Bubble CHINA China’s real estate bubble is bursting. As Reuters explained, Evergrande has acquired $300 billion […]
Box Opened
NEED TO KNOW Box Opened WORLD Svetlana Krivonogikh grew up working odd jobs in St. Petersburg, Russia. Today, however, she lives in […]
Going Nowhere Fast
NEED TO KNOW Going Nowhere Fast SOUTH SUDAN Recent fighting over cattle rustling, kidnappings and revenge killings has claimed scores of lives […]
The Iberian Model
NEED TO KNOW The Iberian Model SPAIN Spain has decided to give third doses of coronavirus vaccines to seniors and others who […]
Cold Shoulders
NEED TO KNOW Cold Shoulders IRAQ Still stabilizing after years of occupation and civil war following the US-led invasion in 2003, Iraq […]
Dissonance and Dreadlocks
NEED TO KNOW Dissonance and Dreadlocks CZECH REPUBLIC The dreadlock-sporting leader of the Pirate Party in the Czech Republic, former software engineer […]
Me, too!
NEED TO KNOW Me, too! AFGHANISTAN Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar recently told Western leaders that he and his forces will treat […]
Hostage Diplomacy
NEED TO KNOW Hostage Diplomacy CANADA Recently a plane from China carrying Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor arrived in Calgary. At […]
Death of a Salesman
NEED TO KNOW Death of a Salesman PERU Peru will cremate the remains of Abimael Guzmán, the founder of the Shining Path […]
Baby Steps
NEED TO KNOW Baby Steps QATAR For the first time in history, Qatari voters will go to the polls to pick two-thirds […]
When Faith is All That’s Left
NEED TO KNOW When Faith is All That’s Left VENEZUELA As public services crumble in their authoritarian, socialist country, desperate Venezuelans are […]
The Unwelcome
NEED TO KNOW The Unwelcome GREECE Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is vowing to “break and smash” the smuggling networks that are […]
Move Over, Ivory
NEED TO KNOW Move Over, Ivory SOUTH AFRICA South Africa extradited a South Korean citizen to the US last year for trafficking […]
Divided We Stand
NEED TO KNOW Divided We Stand LIBYA Libya has remained divided since the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi following an uprising a […]
Succession
NEED TO KNOW GERMANY Succession When German Chancellor Angela Merkel steps down from office after parliamentary elections on Sunday, she will leave […]
The Absolute
NEED TO KNOW ESWATINI The Absolute In southern Eswatini – a small, landlocked country bordering Mozambique and South Africa formerly known as […]
Not Yet Convinced
NEED TO KNOW POLAND Not Yet Convinced Around half of the people in Poland are fully vaccinated. The other half are leery […]