Natalie Sherman – The Diplomatic Envoy

March 24, 2021March 23, 2021 Natalie Sherman

German Politician Resigns Over Mask Corruption

In Germany, corruption allegations are threatening the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) as well as its sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) ahead of elections in multiple German states. The CDU is the party of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has been in power for 15 years. However, this scandal is coming just months before she planned to step down in September. BBC News notes that with Merkel leaving office, strong CDU leadership is needed if the party is to pick up the torch from the chancellor.

World 2021 February 2021 International News Asia

February 23, 2021 Natalie Sherman

Indian Farmer Protests Draw International Scrutiny

Farmers in India began protesting the new farming regulations instituted under the Modi government in early November. Protests escalated in both size and scale in the months that followed, culminating in violent confrontations with police at Red Fort in New Delhi on January 26. Reuters reports that the protests continued February 5, with thousands of farmers across India blocking off roads with their tractors, tents, and boulders.

November 2020 Opinion 2020

November 17, 2020January 22, 2021 Natalie Sherman

Protecting Journalists is Important Now More than Ever

In the words of UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, “telling the truth comes at a price.” In just the first nine months of this year, 39 journalists were killed. This number is low in comparison to the rest of the last decade, but journalists still face threats and violence despite their special status.

October 2020 International News Asia 2020

October 21, 2020January 18, 2022 Natalie Sherman

Kyrgyzstan elections: Prime Minister Quits After Protests Erupt All Over the Country

Kyrgyzstan, a small Central Asian country with a population of 6.3 million people, is currently in a state of emergency. Following the results of the parliamentary elections on October 4, protests broke out in the country and resulted in a recall of the votes on October 6, CNN reports

September 2020 Focus Domestic Government Surveillance 2020

September 25, 2020January 22, 2021 Natalie Sherman

Focus on Domestic Government Surveillance: Russia

The System of Operative Search Measures, or SORM, was once used by the Soviet Union to monitor phone calls. Now it is being used in Russia to track geolocation and IP addresses. The program was resurrected by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in 1995 to surveil online activity and has grown in scope as the internet became an ever greater essential of day-to-day life.

Analysis

August 28, 2020November 11, 2021 Natalie Sherman

Winds of Change: 28 Years of Post-Soviet Independence

As of 2020, many Central Asian and Eastern European states are still led by demagogues and united by the common threads of conflict, cronyism, and dubious elections.

April 2020 Global International News 2020

April 22, 2020 Natalie Sherman

COVID-19 and Emergency Ethics: A New Dimension of Medical and Political Response

As the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic increases at an alarming rate, the hypothetical shortages of ventilators and hospital beds are now a haunting reality.

March 2020 International News 2020 Middle East

March 16, 2020March 15, 2020 Natalie Sherman

ISIL Attack in Kabul Kills 32 Amidst Taliban-US Deal

On March 6th, a mourning ceremony in Kabul was attacked by supposed ISIL militants.

February 2020 Focus 2020 Modern Piracy

February 18, 2020January 22, 2021 Natalie Sherman

Focus on Modern Piracy: Singapore Straits

Southeast Asia, despite common misconceptions, is actually the world’s most active piracy zone. The UN declared the waters of Southeast Asia to be “the most dangerous in the world.”

October 2019 International News 2019 Asia

January 14, 2020 Natalie Sherman

Further Complications in Xinjiang Province

The Chinese Communist Party continues to exert its influence on the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and ethnic minorities within its borders.