Umbrellas and Eggs
NEED TO KNOW HONG KONG Umbrellas and Eggs Protesters shut down Hong Kong’s commuter rail system in late July. They blocked trains […]
Passing the Buck
NEED TO KNOW GUATEMALA Passing the Buck Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, whose term ends in January, is leaving behind a crisis for […]
Waiting for Godot
NEED TO KNOW NIGERIA Waiting for Godot Armed men on motorbikes attacked a funeral procession in northeastern Nigeria recently, killing at least […]
Strange Brews
NEED TO KNOW RUSSIA Strange Brews Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny recently came down with a bizarre sickness. His face and eyes […]
Being Heard
NEED TO KNOW PUERTO RICO Being Heard Puerto Rico was recently described as the world’s oldest colony. Now it’s the latest place […]
From the Rubble
NEED TO KNOW SYRIA From the Rubble The Syrian Civil War was hard on Aleppo. “In the Old City’s labyrinthine markets, where […]
Revisionist Politics
NEED TO KNOW POLAND Revisionist Politics Founded by freedom fighter, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former president of Poland, Lech Walesa, Solidarity […]
Lights Out
NEED TO KNOW ARGENTINA Lights Out A blackout struck Argentina in early June. Almost 50 million people in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay lost […]
No Help, Please
NEED TO KNOW INDIA No Help, Please Prosecutors in India recently ordered a local legal aid and human rights organization to shut […]
A Golden Union
NEED TO KNOW AFRICA A Golden Union Africa’s 1.3 billion people live and work in a $3.4 trillion economy, compared with China’s […]
Careful What You Wish For
NEED TO KNOW MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA Careful What You Wish For A power-sharing agreement recently enacted between the Sudanese military […]
Begging for Peace
NEED TO KNOW AFGHANISTAN Begging for Peace Taliban fighters recently attacked the Afghan Ministry of Defense, sparking an eight-hour gun battle that […]
Bound Together
NEED TO KNOW MEXICO Bound Together Mexican officials recently sold luxury houses, including one with an escape tunnel, in an auction of […]
On the Crossroads
NEED TO KNOW ESTONIA On the Crossroads The far-right Conservative People’s Party in the tiny Baltic republic of Estonia has long espoused […]
A Killer Loose
NEED TO KNOW UGANDA & CONGO A Killer Loose At Ihandiro primary school in western Uganda, teachers have been stressing a different […]
Radio Free Sudan
NEED TO KNOW SUDAN Radio Free Sudan Capital FM is going silent in Khartoum. The pop music radio station was part of […]
Paradise, Lost
NEED TO KNOW DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Paradise, Lost Four Americans died in the Dominican Republic last year, according to CBS News. At least […]
What You See…
NEED TO KNOW SAUDI ARABIA What You See… Saudi Arabia is selling permanent residency status for $213,000. A one-year residency option costs […]
Same Old Song
NEED TO KNOW GERMANY Same Old Song Bodo Ramelow, premier of the eastern German state of Thuringia, wants his country to adopt […]
Islands in the Stream
NEED TO KNOW INDONESIA Islands in the Stream When the longtime dictator of Indonesia, Suharto, lost power in 1998 after three decades […]
Money, Money, Money
NEED TO KNOW ZIMBABWE Money, Money, Money Zimbabwean businesses are operating at night when they’re more likely to have electricity. Over the […]
Frenzy and Fatigue
NEED TO KNOW UNITED KINGDOM Frenzy and Fatigue Members of the Conservative Party are voting to decide who next becomes prime minister […]
Across the South China Sea
NEED TO KNOW TAIWAN Across the South China Sea The Taiwanese are closely watching Hong Kong as pro-democracy activists and Chinese security […]
What Money Can’t Buy
NEED TO KNOW ISRAEL AND PALESTINE What Money Can’t Buy US President Donald Trump is “very fond” of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud […]