The protests and riots happening across the length and breadth of America are challenging systemic racism and police brutality with an intensity not seen in recent times. There were protests after the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner and Trayvon Martin. There were riots after the shooting of Michael Brown and the beating of Rodney […] More
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, health-care systems around the world are left strained. The outbreak continues to throttle the efficiency of many health-care sectors, pushing some to the brink. While deficiencies within public health systems are exposed, other viral enemies have come to the fore — racism, bigotry and xenophobia. The spike in discrimination cases […] More
In a country rich in peculiarities, the Swiss city of Neuchâtel is a particular oddity. Today, Neuchâtel is the capital city of the eponymous canton, located in Romandy — the French-speaking region of Switzerland. This in itself is quite odd, given the fact that since the early 18th century, Neuchâtel belonged to Prussia. The city’s […] More
As the world continues to grapple with the implications of the COVID-19 crisis, including mass infection and death, a global economic downturn and the stigmatization of minority communities, the rush to reopen and “get back to work” weighs hard on world leaders. Along with vaccine development, contact tracing has been touted as a necessary tool […] More
In the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic and antiracist protests, US President Donald Trump, whom scholars and journalists alike are finally coming around to openly discuss as fascist, declared that the United States “will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.” Trump blamed the looting and destruction of property during the protests on a […] More
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is grappling with COVID-19, an unresolved war in Yemen and collapsed oil prices. At the same time, recurrent purges of opponents of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) are harming the country’s foreign investment climate. Within this context, the ambitious Vision 2030 initiative to transform Saudi economy and society is […] More
There seemed to be a lot more bright stars in the sky in recent weeks, even over Washington, DC. Then suddenly, as national “leaders” slept wrapped in a bubble of delusion while disease was taking its ghastly toll, a black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota, pleaded for another breath to the unyielding knee of a police […] More
Since 2017, the blockade of Qatar has continued to have a profound impact on the country. Transportation routes have been disrupted, supply chains have been altered, and family and friends remain separated. In response, the Gulf state has deployed various legal mechanisms to resolve the ongoing regional dispute and help reintroduce a sense of normalcy […] More
