Between 2006 and 2024, over 1,200 journalists were killed, with UNESCO reporting that 85% of these cases remain unresolved. Journalism, once hailed as a pillar of democracy, has now become a perilous profession. This culture of impunity reflects systemic failures at the national and international levels to protect journalists and hold perpetrators accountable. The result […]
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On the Precipice: Southeast Asia Faces Trump 2.0’s Geopolitical Shake-Up
As Americans grapple with the aftermath of the November 2024 presidential elections, Southeast Asia stands at the critical nexus of its fallout, confronting a new and uncertain geopolitical reality. As Donald Trump returns to the White House, it marks a pivotal moment for the region. Trump’s “America First” policies, characterized by heightened protectionism, volatile diplomacy, […]
South Africa’s Gold Mining Industry and its Conscription for Death
Over the past century, South Africa’s gold mining industry has amassed immense wealth and global recognition, fueling the nation’s economy. . Yet, beneath the glittering surface lies a grim reality: a legacy of chronic illness, poverty, and death. The gold mining industry is built on the systematic exploitation of indigenous laborers from neighboring countries, shaped […]
Can Crypto Crack the Dollar?
The U.S. dollar has long been a pillar of stability in the international order. Is that about to change? The Bretton Woods Agreements in 1944 established the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. It was selected for the strength of the U.S. economy, its reliability, and the American ability to protect foreign owners of U.S. […]
Echoes of Silence: How Aynaghor Exposes South Asia’s Hidden Repression
For the first time in half a decade, Michael Chakma saw the sun. He had escaped, but he could barely remember where to go or who to call. Five years prior, Chakma was abducted by Bangladeshi intelligence, and from that day on, he was subjected to torture, stuck in the darkness, and only able to […]
Echoes of the Earth: A Battle for Sacred Lands
The coast of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, near the Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve, is a picture of calm. Clouds rest on the horizon, and gentle waves turn the sand into a reflection of the blue sky. But this serenity faces a threat—one driven by the demands of a warming climate and an economy rooted in fossil […]
In a World With GoodRx & Cost Plus Drugs, Why Prescription Drug Prices Still Suck
Prescription drug prices are one of the biggest financial burdens for Americans and a major point of political contention. The soaring prices of lifesaving medications force many Americans to ration supply, skip dosages, switch to less effective alternatives, or stop their treatment entirely. Although companies like GoodRx, Cost Plus Drugs, Amazon Pharmacy, and others provide […]
The Craft of Political Horror
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Us (2019) as well as minor spoilers for Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and The Purge: Election Year (2016). You would be pressed to find a Bay Area resident who’s never made their way down to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on a sunny day. The glittering ocean, […]
Drone Warfare is Eroding the Right to Life
Technology has made war feel as remote as a video game: armed drones hover above like silent arbiters of life and death, striking targets with the press of a button. These “precision” machines, initially confined to distant battlefields, are now used in routine counter-terrorism operations and even domestic policing. But who really pays the price […]
ASEAN Navigates Techno-Geopolitics of AI in U.S.-China Showdown
As artificial intelligence (AI) cements itself as a cornerstone of global power, Southeast Asia finds itself at the center of a complex and high-stakes rivalry between the United States and China. Established in 1967 amid Cold War tensions, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was designed to foster regional stability and cooperation, helping its […]