Uma Miskinyar Introduction The power vacuum left by the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has reshaped  Central Asia’s balance of power in ways that pose  significant challenges to U.S. national security, causing a tumultuous disruption to the West. The rise  of militant Islamist groups has exponentially grown  along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, resulting  in hundreds of civilian casualties, posing the question: does the resurgence of Al-Qaeda mean anything to America? The

Chloe Bradley Introduction On May 7th, 2021, the United States faced  a significant cyberattack carried out by a Russian nationalist group known as DarkSide. The Colonial Pipeline spans over 5,000 miles and serves as the largest oil pipeline in the US. The 2021 attack shut down  the pipeline for 5 days, causing extreme gas shortages, especially along the U.S eastern coast, and a surge in gas prices. This incident may have occurred on U.S soil, but it demonstrates the present

Edited by Mary Wahn, Grey Cohen, John Gooden, Ethan Joyce, Bianca Orfila-Molinet, Meera Srinivasan Asia and the Pacific Written by Jesse Vu Taiwan Announces an Unusual Visit From Fiji’s UN Ambassador On November 5th, Taiwan’s presidential office announced  a visit from Filipo Tarakinikini, Fiji’s permanent representative to the United Nations, of which Taiwan is not a member state. This visit is highly unusual as Fiji is an important ally of China in the Pacific and officiall

Edited by Mary Wahn, Grey Cohen, John Gooden, Ethan Joyce, Bianca Orfila-Molinet Asia and the Pacific Written by Jesse Vu Japan Elects Ultra-Conservative and First Woman to the Office of Prime Minister On Tuesday, October 21st, Japan made  history and elected the first-ever woman prime minister. Having cleared a majority of votes in both the Lower and Upper Houses, Sanae Takaichi is now the prime minister of Japan.  As the new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, a staunch conserv

Edited by Mary Wahn, Grey Cohen, John Gooden, Ethan Joyce, Bianca Orfila-Molinet, Meera Srinivasan Asia and the Pacific Written by Jesse Vu Taiwan's President Vows Defense Spending as China Increases Threats During an address to the nation on Taiwan National Day, President Lai stood  strong against China's recent  threats and announced a new air defense system known as the “T-Dome”. In the same address, President Lai called on China to withhold the use of force to seize Taiwa

Athena Leskovics Introduction Rwanda is no stranger to controversy. The country has been stained with criticism and pain since its genocide in 1994. Rwanda has since tried to rebuild, with President Paul Kagame pushing a stance of “ unity and reconciliation .” Kagame has held power since 2000, but while his government was credited with bringing stability back to the country after the atrocious genocide, many human rights groups continue to voice criticism. Many believe Kagame

Kaiya Davis Introduction East Asia is  undergoing a significant demographic change, with declining birth rates and longer life expectancies reshaping populations in the region. The changes are  resulting in smaller workforces and a higher dependency ratio, which lead to greater pressure on social and economic systems. The Dependency Ratio  is a demographic measure that compares the nonworking population of the elderly, children, or disabled to the working-age population, indi

Edited by Mary Wahn, Grey Cohen, John Wilson, Ethan Joyce, Bianca Orfila-Molinet Asia and the Pacific Written by Jesse Vu Australia and Papua New Guinea Sign a Mutual Security Defense Treaty  For the first time in over 70 years, Australia formalized  a mutual security pact with its nearest neighbor and former colony, Papua New Guinea. Other than the ANZUS treaty, which Australia signed with the U.S and New Zealand in 1951, this security agreement marks a rare occasion as it i

Edited by Mary Wahn, Grey Cohen, John Wilson, Ethan Joyce, Bianca Orfila-Molinet Asia and the Pacific Written by Jesse Vu South Korean...

Edited by Mary Wahn, Grey Cohen, John Wilson, Ethan Joyce Asia and the Pacific Written by Jesse Vu Xi Jinping Becomes the First Chinese...