Tags: Activism

On March 8th, International Women’s Day, the UN called once more on the Taliban to lift their restrictive bans on women’s rights.  The Taliban also shared a message on March 8th without acknowledging the day’s significance on social media platform X. Chief spokesman of the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, shared on his official account that “the dignity, honor, and legal rights of women were a priority for the Islamic emirate," the term describing the Taliban’s government.

If the declaration is accepted by Turkey, it could put an end to a decades-long regional conflict that is estimated to have taken at least 40,000 lives. The PKK executive committee affirmed that “in order to pave the way for the implementation of leader Apo’s call for peace and democratic society, we are declaring a ceasefire effective today.” This article will explore the historical background of the conflict between the PKK and Turkey alongside the possible outcomes of this ceasefire declaration. 

Olaf Scholz was dumped out of his role as German Chancellor unceremoniously as his center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) lost 86 seats in a contest that proved catastrophic for parties on the left of the political spectrum. Most notably, perhaps, the election saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) take second place, winning 20.8% of the overall vote—twice as good as their result in 2021—gaining 69 seats for a total of 152

Since beginning his second term a month ago, U.S. President Donald J. Trump has announced, imposed, and floated a raft of trade policies that have threatened previously strong relationships with countries allied to the United States, economically and otherwise. Chief among these fairly unprecedented—but not particularly unexpected—measures was the announcement of “a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% additional tariff on imports from China," with “a lower 10% tariff” on imports of Canadian energy resources.

On January 20, President Trump announced an executive order to freeze US foreign aid for 90 days. The order to halt most USAID operations is devastating for millions of people who rely upon the donor and the thousands of employees forced on leave and at risk of losing their jobs permanently. 

On February 6, Argentinians discovered the Sarandi canal in a Buenos Aires suburb had turned bright red. Citizens immediately woke up concerned with the strong odors in the air, realizing a hazardous waste incinerator was throwing its pollutants into the air— smoke and grey gases. Following this, locals proceeded to check out the canal, and once they did, they found the water was colored in the Sarandi Canal, which flows to the Río de la Plata. Citizens commented, “It looked like a river of blood.”

The 2025 Belarusian presidential election wasn’t just rigged, it was a performance. A performance in which Lukashenko plays the role of a “democratically elected leader” while the Belarusian people are denied real choice. With no free press, no independent judiciary, and no genuine opposition, Belarus is not a democracy—it is an authoritarian regime propped up by fear and Russian support. But authoritarian rule is not eternal. The Belarusian people have shown before that they are willing to fight for change. The question is: when will their next opportunity come? And when it does, will Lukashenko still be there to crush it, or will history finally catch up with him?

On the afternoon of 19 January, the popular social media platform TikTok services in the United States were restored after a brief ban that ended up lasting all of 14 hours. The ban, which went into effect around 10:30 PM EST on the night of 18 January, was reversed just over half a day later, nearly 24 hours before Trump’s inauguration. While Trump himself went on a crusade against TikTok during his first term, he warmed to the platform’s continuation during his most recent presidential campaign, arguing that a ban of the app would empower one of its arch-rivals, Facebook, which he called at the time an “enemy of the people”, a frequent theme of Trumpian attacks.

On January 10, 2025, after over a decade in a detention center in Thailand, Uyghur detainees were asked to sign “voluntary return” documents, signaling a potential impending deportation. UN experts urge Thai authorities to halt the possible deportation of the 48 Uyghur men back to China. The experts claim that if deported, these men face a significant risk of “torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”. 

On Friday, January 24, the Trump administration fired over a dozen federal watchdogs (also known as inspectors general) from a multitude of US Government agencies. As many as 17 inspectors general at agencies including the Department of State, Defence and Transportation were terminated immediately through email from the White House contrary to federal law which requires 30 days’ notice to Congress to remove a watchdog. Individuals at the Department of Homeland Security and Justice were not part of this mass removal as the Washington Post, which was first to report on the dismissals said most people affected were appointees from Trump’s 2017-2021 term. In light of this sudden move by the Trump Administration which has only been in office for a week, this article will explore the role of independent inspectors and what these drastic changes will entail.