Through the Past, Darkly
NEED TO KNOW Through the Past, Darkly LIBYA Muammar Gaddafi was a brutal dictator who ruled Libya for four decades. After rebels […]
The Propulsion of Desperation
NEED TO KNOW The Propulsion of Desperation SIERRA LEONE When Alhaji Siraj Bah’s adopted family perished along with more than 1,400 people […]
Woke, à la Française
NEED TO KNOW Woke, à la Française FRANCE In the United States, the term “woke” generally means understanding and acknowledging the historical […]
Just Business
NEED TO KNOW Just Business UNITED ARAB EMIRATES The United Arab Emirates recently made Sunday a day off, putting the Persian Gulf […]
Olympic-sized Snubs
NEED TO KNOW Olympic-sized Snubs CHINA When President Jimmy Carter ordered an American boycott of the 1980 winter Olympics in Moscow, he […]
A Global Addiction
NEED TO KNOW A Global Addiction WORLD At the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow last month, more than 40 […]
Tits, Tats, Tragedies
NEED TO KNOW Tits, Tats, Tragedies UNITED KINGDOM / FRANCE British novelist and Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah, who was born in Zanzibar […]
Moving On
NEED TO KNOW Moving On SYRIA Syrian President Bashar Assad’s friends and relatives are making billions selling an illegal amphetamine called captagon […]
Epsilon, Kappa, Pi
NEED TO KNOW Epsilon, Kappa, Pi WORLD The experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) believe the speedy infection rate and unknown […]
Pig in the Poke
NEED TO KNOW Pig in the Poke HONG KONG A wild boar infestation in Hong Kong provided fodder for a political cartoonist […]
Mining Discontent
NEED TO KNOW Mining Discontent SERBIA Lithium is a crucial component in the batteries that power electric vehicles. But many Serbs don’t […]
King of the Sinking Mountain
NEED TO KNOW King of the Sinking Mountain TURKEY President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s nearly 20 years’ long quest to dominate Turkish politics – […]
Blame Game
NEED TO KNOW Blame Game WORLD If only those incompetent, disease-ridden Africans had worked harder to combat the spread of Covid-19, the […]
Farmers or Bust
Editor’s Note: Dear readers, a technical problem caused a delay in the delivery of today’s newsletter. We apologize for the inconvenience. NEED […]
The Politics of Atonement
NEED TO KNOW The Politics of Atonement THE GAMBIA In 2017, after ruling the Gambia for 22 years, former dictator Yahya Jammeh […]
Promoting Parenthood
NEED TO KNOW Promoting Parenthood WORLD Most wealthy countries offer nationwide paid parental leave. Estonia, for example, mandates 82 weeks for new […]
Standing Tall
NEED TO KNOW Standing Tall BARBADOS It’s often forgotten that Queen Elizabeth is the head of state of many former British colonies […]
Auf Wiedersehen, Mutti
NEED TO KNOW Auf Wiedersehen, Mutti GERMANY Acting German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently warned her fellow Christian Democrats that the fourth wave […]
Stacking Decks
Editor’s Note: Due to technical issues, we are unable to post the quiz this week. The quiz will resume next week. We […]
Red Halo
NEED TO KNOW Red Halo CHINA If communists practiced canonization, Chinese President Xi Jinping would be a candidate for sainthood. The honchos […]
Punching Above Its Weight
NEED TO KNOW Punching Above Its Weight ERITREA The US government recently imposed sanctions on Eritrea’s sole political party and military forces […]
When Heroes Fall
NEED TO KNOW When Heroes Fall GEORGIA The European Court of Human Rights recently demanded that the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia safeguard […]