Author: Prishita Tahilramani

Amidst the growing tension between Warsaw and Kyiv in a dispute over grain exports, Poland’s Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki has announced that Poland will no longer supply weapons to Ukraine. Poland has been one of the staunch supporters of Ukraine since the Russian invasion last year. It is also one of the primary suppliers of weapons to Poland. Furthermore, Poland is a host to about one million Ukrainian refugees. According to this announcement, Poland will only carry out previously agreed arms deliveries to Ukraine. Mr. Morawiecki’s statement foreshadows the shift in the bilateral relations Poland shares with Ukraine. “I’d like…

Manipur, a state in north-east India with a population of around three million is engulfed by the fire; fire of ethnic conflict. The people of Manipur are dying yet their cries are falling on deaf ears. For their cries are met only with silence. Manipur has a history of ethnic rivalry that dates back to before the country became independent in 1947. Recently in Manipur, violence has erupted between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kuki community. Tension has been boiling between the two communities for some time now in the state that is driven by the Meitei-controlled state…

Fairy. A tiny, pretty, magical figure with a childish wisp with insect-like wings wearing a dress made of petals. Isn’t this how we have always imagined a fairy? Well, our perception of fairy has been influenced by Cicely Mary Barker, a British illustrator who created the Flower Fairies. The year 2024 marks 100 years since the publication of her first book of poems and pictures, Flower Fairies of the Spring. Its anniversary is currently being celebrated in an exhibition at the Lady Lever Gallery in Merseyside, U.K. The influence of Flower Fairies has been everlasting, they have never been out…

In 24 hours, China’s military has sent 103 warplanes toward Taiwan, making it a new daily record in recent history. This move of China has made Taiwan’s defense ministry call upon China and ask them to stop its “military harassment”.  A “recent high” of 103 Chinese military aircraft, including fighter planes, have been sighted over the sea since Sunday, according to the ministry. It has also informed it detected nine navy ships. These aircraft were spotted between 6 a.m. on Sunday and 6 a.m. on Monday, with the customary turn back before reaching Taiwan’s airspace.  Its depiction of Chinese activity…

Mr. Biden traveled to Hanoi to seal the accord that will put the once-enemies even closer than they have ever been more than 50 years after the last American soldier left Vietnam. The US has significantly improved relations with Vietnam through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. It is the result of Washington’s tenacious efforts over the previous two years to deepen its connections with Vietnam, which it sees as essential to containing China’s power in Asia. It is a significant achievement. The highest degree of diplomatic ties Vietnam has established is with Washington. China’s response to US-Vietnam ties: When asked about…

In Egypt, females are turning everyday bike riding into a social movement to raise awareness for gender equality in their country. This act of women of Egypt sends a powerful message of them “reclaiming public spaces” and by extension, their right to participate in everyday activities, like riding their bikes to work or for pleasure, equally with men. But what are ‘public spaces’ and what makes them an instrument for gender equality? Public spaces and their importance: In the “Indian Journal of Political Science,” Rinkoo Wadhera defines space as not only a geographical location but also a living environment that…

In the early 1970s, in a movie theatre in San Francisco’s Little Italy, a 22-year-old would live his dream at weekend’s midnights. He would walk up to the stage and sing. Dressed in high platform shoes, glamorous vintage clothes and accessories, and a glittering turban or pompadour wig, he would perform the early-to-mid 20th-century American torch songs and blues. Unlike the futuristic sounds that would later make him famous, his music was different at that time.  At the Palace Theatre in North Beach, San Francisco, Sylvester made his debut as a musician, accompanied by his buddy and pianist Peter Mintun. Eight…

Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, visited President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia four years ago in 2019. Both the men spent their two days meeting enjoying folk dances, feasting on borscht and reindeer dumplings, and toasting the burgeoning relationship between their two countries. The meeting held in 2019 was mere talks and diplomatic shows rather than action. However, Kim Jong-un will visit Mr. Putin for a second time this week and he has something that the Kremlin desperately needs; he has the ability to supply munitions that could help Russian forces against Ukraine.  Announced by both the government,…

In Vietnam, President Joe Biden concluded his first trip to Asia as president with a news conference marked by incoherent responses, uncomfortable jokes, and a plea for a nap. In the middle of Biden’s press conference on Sunday night as he was answering questions from the media, things suddenly changed. It was an odd moment, reminiscent of a speech at an awards ceremony that went on for far too long when the President was figuratively “played off” the stage by the sudden arrival of jazz music blasting from the loudspeaker as reported by the Hindustan Times “We discussed stability, the…

Jan Dvorkin was living his life happily until one day, his life was turned upside down. For seven years, Jan had raised and nurtured his adopted son in Moscow. One day in May, he is notified by the Russian authorities that his custody is being revoked. He was reported to the Russian authorities by a woman. His crime? He was a transgender, nonbinary person, married to a man. Being transgender and gay, made him an unfit parent. He could have avoided had he been closeted. Luckily, he could save his kid, who was deaf, from being orphaned and found another…