Stories about International Relations from January, 2016
Coldplay's New Video Featuring Beyonce Faces Backlash for Alleged Stereotyping of Indian Culture
"Beyonce's video is a problem because it's reductive, and uses India as a prop for capitalist gain. A land and culture she has no right to."
Did a Text Message Lead to the Arrest of This Recently Released Iranian-American Prisoner?
Another prisoner released in the swaps, Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, appears to have been arrested to due to mass surveillance by Iranian authorities. His SMS messages were surveilled.
Defiant, Disappointed, and Mourning—Burkina Faso Remembers Victims of the January Attacks
Burkinabés are making a vow to resist, now and always, all forms of extremism and violence.
On Criticising Charlie Hebdo on Facebook, and the Perils of Selective Freedom of Speech
Did Facebook remove Efe Levent's post because he used the term "cracker"?
British-Iranian Journalist Tweets Her Experience Being Denied Boarding on a Flight to the US
"My fully #British daughter can't attend her #American cousin's bday cos her mum was born in #Iran," wrote Rana Rahimpour, explaining how new restrictions prevented her from boarding the flight.
How a Weapons Trafficking Case Brought Puerto Rico's Political Status Before the US Supreme Court
The US attorney general's position on Puerto Rico's status has probably turned the issue into fodder for the upcoming election season.
Russian Blogger Shipilov Granted Political Asylum in Ukraine
Dmitry Shipilov, a Russian journalist and blogger sentenced to community service for insulting the governor of Kemerovo region on his blog, has been granted political asylum in Ukraine.
Implementation Day in Iran: Nuclear Diplomacy Leads to Prisoner Releases and Sanctions Relief
An overview of "Implementation Day" for the lifting of nuclear related sanctions against Iran.
Let's Not Forget There Are Still Political Prisoners in Iran
“If this release signals Iran’s desire for international reconciliation, so too it must move forward with national reconciliation.”
The Conflict in the Middle East Is Not Between Sunnis and Shias and Doesn't ‘Date Back Millennia’
"Has the region been sectarianized? Yes. Are the differences real? Yes. Is the current war posturing an ancient theological dispute? No," tweets Iyad El-Baghdadi about the so-called Sunni-Shia rift.
Indians and Pakistanis Hope to Take Their Countries From Rivals to Friends
"India and Pakistan are sister nations.. We have so much in common.. A united India-Pakistan will be better for everyone :)"
A China-Financed Economic Corridor Brings Promise and Discord to Pakistan
Can Pakistan's regions and political parties come to a consensus over who should benefit most from the mega-project? That seems unlikely for the moment.
Russian Hackers Behind Attack on Ukraine's Power Grid, Researchers Claim
US cybersecurity experts claim the December cyber-attack that led to a temporary outage of the power grid in western Ukraine is the work of Russian hacker collective the Sandworm Team.
Japan and South Korea's Historic ‘Comfort Women’ Deal Angers Surviving Victims
The Imperial Japanese Army forced women from across Asia forced into sexual slavery during WWII. The surviving victims and some right-wing Japanese politicians weren't on board with this agreement.
Chinese Netizens Want Their Government to Take a Hard Line on North Korea's Nuclear Testing
"The heavenly kingdom is still protecting this thug. We should be ashamed that the heavenly kingdom is still protecting this thug"
Pakistanis Weigh In on Saudi Arabia and Iran's Diplomatic Break-Up
"In the Iran vs Saudi debate we should side with New Zealand. Be as far away from it as possible."
Social Media Users Get Creative in Response to Ukrainian President's Fake Magazine Cover
When Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko decided to tweet a doctored cover of The Economist magazine with his face replacing Putin's, he got some image editing help from social media users.
As US Steps Up Deportations, Advocates Push for Refugee Status for Central Americans
"It doesn't matter if you are documented. You have rights in this country."
ISIS is Alive and Well in Pakistan Despite Persistent Government Denials
As the world was gearing up to celebrate New Year, news broke in Pakistan that twenty people from Lahore, including women and children, had travelled to Syria to join ISIS.
