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 […]
Blame and Responsibility
NEED TO KNOW EL SALVADOR Blame and Responsibility The new president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, took an extraordinary step recently. Upon […]
Bromance Politics
NEED TO KNOW NORTH KOREA Bromance Politics US President Donald Trump’s brief encounter with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the Demilitarized […]
Wanted: Trust
NEED TO KNOW ALGERIA Wanted: Trust Trust us, say Algerian military leaders. Military brass in the North African country recently made public […]
In the Hot Seat
NEED TO KNOW GEORGIA In the Hot Seat Business is bad in Georgia’s tourism industry. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently banned flights […]
De Tocqueville’s Moment
NEED TO KNOW ETHIOPIA De Tocqueville’s Moment Ethiopians recently mourned the death of Gen. Seare Mekonnen. They might also have shed a […]