The World Briefly

February 07, 2024

The Gravity of Futility

Haiti

Hundreds of people protested across Haiti this week demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, because of the years-long political and economic crises that have led to a devastating security situation, the Associated Press reported. Banks, schools and government buildings closed across the Caribbean island,...

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The World Briefly

February 07, 2024

No Way Out

Thailand

Thailand’s state prosecutors said on Tuesday they were reopening an investigation into former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s alleged violation of a strict royal insult law, just weeks before he was expected to be released after serving a sentence for corruption, the Associated Press reported. Thaksin was...

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The World Briefly

February 07, 2024

Defiance On Trial

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The trial of the president of Bosnia’s Serb-majority region began this week, a case involving a major dispute between the Bosnian Serb leader and the international envoy overseeing the country’s peace agreements, Radio Free Europe reported. Milorad Dodik, president of the Republika Srpska, is accused of...

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The World Briefly

February 06, 2024

Staying Put

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s ruling party secured a super-majority in parliament after winning by-elections on Saturday, enabling them to modify the constitution and extend the president’s rule, amid allegations from the opposition of fraud and political maneuvers, Agence France-Presse reported. The ZANU-PF party won all the by-elections held in...

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The World Briefly

February 06, 2024

Small Is Beautiful

France

Parisians on Sunday voted to greatly increase parking fees for SUVs, a move intended to force the large, heavy vehicles out of the city center and help the 2024 Olympic host city become more green, the Associated Press reported. In a mini-referendum, 54 percent supported the...

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The World Briefly

February 06, 2024

Tearing One’s Hair Cut

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico last week launched a public debate on a proposed law to explicitly ban discrimination against hairstyles such as Afros and cornrows, causing tense discussions on the racially diverse island, a US territory, the Associated Press reported. More than half of the 3.2 million Puerto...

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The World Briefly

February 05, 2024

Peace In Deed

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland marked a historic moment over the weekend as Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill became the first Irish nationalist to hold the post of first minister in a region created by partition in 1921 as a bastion of pro-British unionism, the Financial Times reported. O’Neill was...

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The World Briefly

February 05, 2024

Bleeding Over

Middle East

A United States-led coalition launched a series of strikes on Iranian forces and Tehran-backed militias in Iraq, Syria and Yemen over the weekend, as tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Wall Street...

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The World Briefly

February 05, 2024

The Growing Tarnish

Senegal

Senegalese President Macky Sall indefinitely postponed the country’s elections scheduled for Feb. 25 over the weekend, a decision that raised serious questions about the state of democracy in one of West Africa’s most stable nations, the Washington Post reported. On Saturday, the president said the delay...

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The World Briefly

February 02, 2024

En Garde

Finland

Hundreds of thousands of workers in Finland went on strike to protest proposed labor law reforms, which they say would negatively affect low-wage earners and tilt the balance of power toward employers in salary negotiations, Euronews reported Thursday. Strikes took place in a number of cities...

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The World Briefly

February 02, 2024

The Long Goodbye

Tuvalu

Tuvalu’s pro-Taiwan leader lost his seat in last week’s parliamentary election, which was closely monitored by Taiwan, China, and the United States as it raises questions over the foreign policy of one of Taipei’s last Pacific allies, Reuters reported. A dozen nations recognize Taiwan instead of...

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The World Briefly

February 02, 2024

Disrupting Order

Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s Supreme Court of Justice ruled this month to eliminate the requirement of using a father’s surname before a mother’s on identification documents, a practice common in Spanish-speaking nations, the Associated Press reported. The ruling follows a request for clarification from the country’s elections board...

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The World Briefly

February 01, 2024

Crackdown 2.0

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is set to introduce a new national security law that would broaden what constitutes sedition and align it more closely with mainland China’s regulations, prompting questions about how the new restrictions will impact the semi-autonomous city’s status as a global financial hub, the...

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The World Briefly

February 01, 2024

No Cake, Please

France

French police arrested protesting farmers Wednesday as convoys of tractors approached Paris and other cities across France, part of continuing demonstrations over rising costs, bureaucracy and foreign competition impacting the agricultural sector, France 24 reported. Authorities arrested 18 people for “obstructing traffic” near Rungis, a key...

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The World Briefly

February 01, 2024

The Right to Tradition

Mexico

A Mexican court granted a temporary injunction against bullfighting in Mexico City, less than a week after the activity resumed in the capital following a ruling by the country's top court, the latest twist in an ongoing legal battle between fans of the sport and...

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The World Briefly

January 31, 2024

The Best Defense …

GazaIsrael

Israeli ministers and lawmakers attended a conference this week that called for the reestablishment of Israeli settlements and the relocation of the Palestinian population from the Gaza Strip, igniting condemnation and concerns from Israel’s international allies amid its ongoing war with Hamas, the Times of...

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The World Briefly

January 31, 2024

Unlocking Power

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland’s largest British unionist party agreed to end a long-running boycott that left the region without a power-sharing government for two years and raised fears about stability in the once-restive territory, the Associated Press reported. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Jeffrey Donaldson announced Tuesday that...

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The World Briefly

January 31, 2024

Not Yet Crushed

Pakistan

Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were jailed for 14 years on Wednesday on charges of corruption, the second sentence handed to the former prime minister in two days, the BBC reported. A court had already sentenced the cricket star-turned-politician to 10 years in prison...

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The World Briefly

January 30, 2024

Slamming the Door

West Africa

Three military-led countries, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, decided this week to withdraw from the powerful Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), following sanctions from the bloc and allegations of foreign influence, Al Jazeera reported. In a joint statement on Sunday, the three governments said...

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The World Briefly

January 30, 2024

The Street Effect

Germany

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on Sunday narrowly lost a widely watched local election that it was predicted to win, following weeks of protests triggered by the party’s alleged involvement in a mass deportation scheme, the Guardian reported. In a runoff vote in the...

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