Bulgaria and Romania are the newest partial members of the Schengen Area, the border-free travel zone guaranteeing free movement of goods, people, and capital, which is now comprised of 29 members. Despite the veto from Austria, which enforces the new Schengen status in Bulgaria and Romania to remain unchanged for land borders, their accession is significant for both countries, aiding efforts to install ties to the European Union (EU).
Read MoreLocal Turkish elections are unfolding and recent news shows that the future of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and current President Tayyip Erdoğan is uncertain. According to Brookings, Erdoğan’s early vows for Türkiye were to bring forth democratic reform but after almost decades of leadership the government has devolved into being “authoritarian and dysfunctional.”
Read MoreThe governments of Argentina and Colombia have found themselves working to restore a friendly relationship in the wake of a dispute that started in late March of this year. According to a March 31 joint statement from both countries, “The respective governments have taken concrete steps to overcome any differences and strengthen this relationship.”
Read MoreLeading up to his State of the Union address on March 7th, President Biden faced immense pressure to respond to a vast array of issues and political pressures. On both the domestic and international front, serious questions have arisen and continue to persist regarding his capacity, and the capacity of the U.S. government, to respond to a multitude of crises around the world. It therefore came as no surprise that foreign policy, an area of politics oft-ignored in the leadup to presidential elections, became a focal point of his speech.
Read MoreEffective as of March 7, 2024 the Kingdom of Sweden has officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, becoming the 23rd member state to do so. The Swedish entry into NATO has been a gradual process encompassing the change in national diplomatic policy regarding military alliances as well as the shifting popular domestic sentiments which placed their country in neutrality, apart from the conflicts seen in the rest of Europe.
Read MoreOn Monday, March 4, 2024, France made history by becoming the first nation to guarantee abortion as a constitutional right. Lawmakers in France passed this revolutionary amendment with a 780-72 vote. According to the BBC, The Palace of Versailles erupted in a standing ovation following the announcement of the results. President Emmanuel Macron described the move as ‘French pride’ that had sent a ‘universal message.’
Read MoreYemen has been identified as the most impoverished Arab nation, as the country grapples with one of the most severe humanitarian crises in history. This crisis stems from a prolonged civil war that began in 2014 and has resulted in the Houthi militant group maintaining control over the region. With the recent escalation of the War in Gaza, the future of the region’s security and continued peace in Yemen hangs in uncertainty.
Read MoreJimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, Haiti’s most prominent gang leader and former police officer, has reportedly filled the power vacuum left behind by Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s resignation. Henry took power in 2021 without an election following the assassination of then-Prime Minister Jovenel Moise, but CNN reports that Haiti has not held elections since.
Read MoreJuan Orlando Hernández, a former 2-term president of Honduras, has been indicted on drug-trafficking and firearm charges and was extradited to the United States for trial. Hernández has been accused of conspiring with infamous drug lords such as Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel also known as El Chapo, to import copious amounts of cocaine into the U.S and of possessing destructive firearms.
Read MoreOn Friday, March 22, multiple assailants opened fire in a concert hall at Crocus City Hall, just outside Moscow, killing more than 60 people and injuring over 100 more as of Saturday morning, according to The Associated Press.
Read More