There has long been a positive correlation between employer support and productivity in the workplace. In response to this, Employment New Zealand reports that New Zealand’s parliament recently passed legislation that provides a mandated, three-day paid time off policy to women and spouses who have experienced a miscarriage during their pregnancy..
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The Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia is one with its own rich and distinct culture, customs, and language developed over thousands of years. Catalonian separatist movements have strengthened their presence and reignited the debate of whether there should be an autonomous Catalan state.
Read MoreThe United States announced that it has resumed indirect negotiations with Iran over its nuclear weapons program. While Reuters reports that the first week of talks in Vienna, Austria closed on a positive note, there is still much work to be done to establish a peaceful consensus.
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Among global separatist movements, the Kurds stand as the largest nation without an independent state and make up the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East, according to BBC News. There is an estimated population of 30 million Kurds scattered across the mountainous regions within the borders of Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. The Kurds often say that they have “no friends but the mountains.” The Economist also reports that “internal division has been one of their worst enemies.”
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The United States announced that it has resumed indirect negotiations with Iran over its nuclear weapons program. While Reuters reports that the first week of talks in Vienna, Austria closed on a positive note, there is still much work to be done to establish a peaceful consensus.
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Myanmar’s military crackdown on protestors is sending shock waves throughout the Asian nation. The UN Special Envoy for Myanmar urged the UN Security Council to consider “potential significant action” in Myanmar to prevent the country from falling into a civil war. The organization also called for a complete reversal of the February 1 military coup and the restoration of the country’s democratically elected government. CNN reports that at least 550 people have been killed by Myanmar’s military in the aftermath of the coup.
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On April 2, the United States lifted the sanctions and a travel ban on Fatou Bensouda, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to The Guardian.
Read MoreThe Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to escalate, with a new buildup of Russian troops and military hardware on the shared border of the two countries. Strains began Russo-Ukrainian relations after President Vladimir Putin annexed and seized control of Crimea in 2014, increasing Russian military presence in the area.
Read MoreClaims of sedition have caused a rift in the Jordanian royal family this past week, as multiple high-ranking officials were arrested in a rare semblance of instability within the levant kingdom. However, according to Al Jazeera, on April 7, Jordanian King Abdullah II addressed the situation, stating the ‘sedition’ which caused him ‘pain and anger’ has been dealt with.
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Beijing has increased its naval presence in the South China Sea, fueling regional tensions. The islands of the South China Sea have been disputed between China and other Southeast Asian states since Vietnam’s 2009 reclamation of occupied islands due to overlapping claims of sovereignty.
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