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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Donald Trump at the signing of the US-Australia Critical Minerals Agreement on October 20, 2025. From The White House . By Willa Mack ‘29 On October 20, 2025 , Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Donald Trump finished five months of negotiations and signed the U.S.-Australia Critical Minerals Agreement. Under this “ landmark…
A photograph showing a protester holding a sign which reads “Germany First!” (Christian Mang/Reuters). By Liam Hoffman ‘28 On January 29, 2025, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Germany’s center-right and now governing party, put forth what they call a “ five-point plan ” aimed at addressing immigration in the nation.This plan from Chancellor Friedrich Merz's party calls for policies like…
A photograph of Sanae Takaichi after she was elected as Japan’s new prime minister (Source: Philip Fong / AFP via Getty Images ) By Lily Noda ‘28 On October 4, Japanese politics reached a historic milestone when Sanae Takaichi became the first woman elected to lead the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the country’s ruling party. For a country ranking 118th out of 148 in the 2025 Global Gender Gap…
President Donald Trump, center, shakes hands with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, right, and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a trilateral signing ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Washington. ( AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein ) By Ian Rosenzweig ’29 In the time leading up to the 2024 United States Presidential Election, some observers…
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a joint press conference in Moscow, February 18, 2022. Sputnik/Sergey Guneev/Kremlin via REUTERS . By Abby Poprocki ‘28 In September 2025, Belarus unexpectedly released fifty-two political prisoners , including foreign nationals, marking the most significant effort by Minsk to thaw tensions with the West in years.…
India and Pakistan’s flags side-by-side, courtesy of Adobe Photos. By Isaac Bernstein ‘28 Earlier this month, on May 7th, the India-Pakistan conflict officially recommenced. Striking nine Pakistani targets, the Indian Air Force responded to what they referred to as the Pahalgam attack, a strike that they claimed was perpetrated by Pakistan. This Pahalgam attack resulted in the deaths of 25 Indians…
A monk walks past a damaged building in Mandalay, Myanmar, one of the hardest-hit cities from the earthquake. Sai Aung Mainsai Aung Main/AFP/Getty Images (Image from the Guardian ) Mai Kasemsawade ‘26 Caught in the throes of civil war since 2020, Sagaing, a region in Myanmar's Shan State, was shaken even further during the afternoon of March 28 by a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake. The…
NATO troops, flying the NATO and member countries’ flags, march in Lithuania. E. Ovčarenko via BNS . By Abby Poprocki ‘28 Bordering Russia on the Northeastern edge of Europe, the Baltic States—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—stand in a precarious position between East and West. Since gaining their independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, these three nations have strongly aligned themselves with…
A photograph of Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine with the seasonal cherry blossoms (Source: Yamanashi Tourism Organization ) By Lily Noda ’28 Cherry blossoms in Kyoto, the neon lights of Shibuya, the serene temples of Nara—these iconic sights have helped transform Japan into one of the world’s top travel destinations. In 2024, Japan welcomed a record-breaking 36.9 million international visitors, a 47.1%…
A photograph of African leaders applauding Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) after his speech at the opening ceremony of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing's Great Hall of the People on September 5, 2024 (Associated Press Photo). By Cheick Sy ‘28 In recent years, China has emerged as a dominant player in global development finance, with Africa standing at the forefront of its…
