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Europe

2021March 2021International NewsEuropeMiddle East
Mark Stachowski

Pope Francis Makes Historic Visit to Iraq

In early March, Pope Francis embarked on a four-day trip to Iraq, where he met with political and religious rulers to encourage better Christian-Muslim relations. According to the official Vatican itinerary, titled Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Francis to Iraq, the Pope arrived in Baghdad on March 5, where he was met by the Prime Minister and later that day visited the Iraqi President. He concluded his trip in Erbil, where he led mass in front of a large crowd. He preached words of encouragement to Christians living in Iraq, pointing to a better future in which they can restore the communities that were ravaged by ISIS militants years ago when they seized control of the region. 

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World2021February 2021International NewsEurope
Joshua Powanda

Putin Critic Detained Upon Arrival in Moscow

CNBC reports that Russian opposition leader and Putin critic, Alexei Navalny, has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison following his return to Russia in January. Navalny has been on a wanted list since 2014 for allegedly violating the terms of a suspended sentence. Upon his arrival at the airport in Moscow, Russian authorities arrested him before he could even get his passport stamped.

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Winter 2021 EditionAnalysisEurope
Mark Stachowski

The Power of Protest in France

A wave of riots and protests across France in late 2020 saw thousands of citizens take to the streets decrying a proposed security bill that would prohibit the filming of police officers if done for “malicious purposes”, states POLITICO. A second provision of the proposed bill allows for the use of drones to film citizens’ public activities and for police officers’ body cameras to be live-streamed by authorities. This has caused much concern within France, with citizens and lawmakers alike calling the law an invasion of privacy and personal liberties. Protests and riots have allowed the issue to gain traction across France as more citizens hit the streets to voice their opinions.

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Winter 2021 EditionAnalysisEurope
Timothy Georgetti

The Past Remains: Obstacles to the De-Nazification of Germany

Over 75 years after the start of the Nuremberg Trials, the series of military tribunals through which Nazis were punished for their war crimes, the German people are still struggling to reconcile their country’s Nazi past. Germany is continuing its de-Nazification efforts, attempting to not only remove all remaining vestiges of the Nazi regime from public life but also educate and fortify new generations against future atrocities.

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2021February 2021International NewsAfricaEurope
Jasmine Ortega

Shell Ordered to Compensate Nigerian Farmers Over Oil Spill

A Dutch court has held the Nigerian subsidiary of the British-Dutch multinational Royal Dutch Shell liable for several oil spills in the Nigerian Niger Delta in 2006 and 2007, The New York Times reports. This case, which concludes a 13 year-long legal battle between four Nigerian farmers and the company, will likely be a catalyst for more successful environmental cases against multinational oil firms.

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