By Suha Abrahim Earlier this week the US and Mexico reached a deal to pause tariffs. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to send troops to combat drug trafficking while Trump promised to “prevent the trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico”. With only two legal gun stores in Mexico, cartel violence has continued to rise over... Continue Reading →
Clash Between President and Vice President Leads to Impeachment in the Philippines
By Lauren Ho Amidst growing conflict and corruption claims, the Philippine vice president and daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Sara Duterte, has been voted to be impeached by the Philippines’ parliament. What began in 2022 as what seemed to be a unified presidential campaign by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with Duterte running as the vice-presidential... Continue Reading →
With No End in Sight, Myanmar’s Junta Extends State of Emergency
By Lauren Ho On January 31, 2025 the Myanmar military, or the junta, extended its state of emergency amidst its continued state of conflict. The conflict began in 2021 when Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar national leader was arrested by his military. A state of emergency was promptly declared and catapulted the nation into... Continue Reading →
New Maritime Laws Frustrate China
By Lexi Dean The Philippine president signed two laws this past Friday reaffirming the country’s maritime claims and resource extraction rights in the South China Sea. Amidst China’s growing aggression in the regional, especially towards the Philippines this past year, this marks a crucial moment of emphasizing international rules-based order and law. During a nationally... Continue Reading →
Turkey Reacts to Trump’s Electoral Victory
By Julian Fischer-Lhamon Türkiye reacted relatively positively to President-elect Trump’s second electoral victory; markets rallied and President Erdogan invited Trump to visit the country and claimed to hope for a relationship reset. Cool relations between Washington and Ankara have persisted since the Trump administration when in 2018, the wrongful arrest of the American pastor Andrew... Continue Reading →
German Governing Coalition in Turmoil
By Connor Foster Economic tensions in Germany have come to a head this week as Chancellor Olaf Scholz has fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner. The break occurred over differing ideas about how to stimulate Germany’s struggling economy. This move has been particularly damaging to the governing coalition because Lindner is also the head of one... Continue Reading →
Flood Fury: Government Failures and Late Warnings
By Connor Foster This past week Spain experienced a devastating flood in the region of Valencia, resulting in over 200 deaths, with search parties still looking to find victims. The severe damage this flood inflicted in the Valencia region was largely due to the late timing of public warnings. The flood waters rose quickly, leaving... Continue Reading →
Tensions Escalate in Middle East: U.S. Reinforces Military in Region Supporting Allies
By Abigail N. BeDard The Pentagon recently announced its plans to deploy B-52 bombers, fighter jets, refueling aircraft and Navy destroyers to the Middle East in a press release on Friday. The decision comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln and the three Navy destroyers in its strike group are scheduled to leave the region in... Continue Reading →
Rising Violence in Haiti and Deportations From the Dominican Republic
By Jose Aguilar Last month, the Dominican Republic started its own version of “mass deportations” of Haitian migrants. The president, Luis Abinader, said that the goal is to deport 10,000 Haitian migrants a week. This undermines the reality of the country’s economy; sectors like agriculture, construction, and tourism rely on Haitian workers. The government's approach... Continue Reading →
New Sanctions on Myanmar’s Military
By Lexi Dean In 2021 the Myanmar army seized power from the civilian-elected government leading to widespread protests and increasing conflict calling for a return to democracy. This began escalating violence between the military and armed guerilla groups made up from the country’s ethnic minorities. The takeover also sparked the beginning of what is known... Continue Reading →