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March 20212021International NewsAsia
Keshav Agiwal

Historic Transgender Islamic School Opens in Pakistan

A young transgender woman opened the first transgender-only madrasa in Islamabad, Pakistan. A madrasa is an Islamic religious school where students can pray, learn the teachings of the Qur’an, and discuss other Islamic subjects. Rani Khan, the founder of the school, explained to Reuters that in a dream, her transgender friend who passed away was in a great state of agony, begging her to do something for the transgender community. The dream changed her life and inspired her to use her life savings towards creating this two-room school.

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March 20212021International NewsAsia
Kiara McGaughey

India Threatens to Deport Rohingya Refugees to Myanmar

Authorities in Jammu detained over 200 Rohingya refugees in early March and are threatening to deport them to Myanmar, the state from which they are fleeing. India claims that the refugees are considered “illegal immigrants” and explains they are in the process of deporting the detainees back to their home country, despite the continued severe violence against Rohingya Muslims in the region.

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March 20212021International NewsAmericas
Ariel Go Jr

Violence Erupts in Mexico on International Women’s Day

Thousands of women took to the streets in Mexico City -some carrying their children and others bats and hammers- to protest the rising violence against women in Mexico, on March 8 which marked the International Women’s Day. The march was stimulated by public outrage over  the actions of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, commonly known as AMLO, who many see as out of touch. Lopez Obrador was heavily criticized for his continuous support of the candidate for governor of Guerrero, Felix Salgado Macedonio, who had been accused of rape on two occasions.

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March 20212021International NewsAmericas
Hamzah Khan

Supreme Court Overturns Conviction of Former Brazilian President 

In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court of Brazil overturned the corruption conviction of former two-term President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula), according to BBC News. The conviction was related to the massive anti-corruption investigation known as “Operation Car Wash” that exposed the largest corruption scandal in Latin America. The Supreme Court, however, ruled that Lula’s conviction was invalid because the court he was tried in lacked jurisdiction.

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March 20212021International NewsEurope
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.

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March 20212021International 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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