The sound of a bullet goes out my door and walks up my street. It buys from the corner store and heads where friends meet. A protester dressed as the Statue of Liberty plays dead in the street during a demonstration against gun violence, San Francisco, California, 24...
The fire at Notre-Dame cathedral moved citizens in France. But an outpouring of donations to fund its reconstruction has stirred controversy. Notre-Dame Cathedral burns, 15 April 2019 (EPA-EFE/Ian Langsdon) I was meeting my parents at a restaurant near the...
Mocked and belittled as an Asian-American, I was desperate to fit in with my peers. With time and age, I have learned to straddle the two cultures. Workers make mooncakes, Taipei, Taiwan, 17 September, 2004 (AP Photo/Wally Santana) One morning I boarded the bus to go...
By Jonathan Thatcher After the world’s largest ever democratic election in a single day last week, Indonesia’s 20-year-old democracy is looking reassuringly predictable. There was even an indignant post-election sulk by the losing candidate, who claimed, as he did...
Many Westerners hold misconceptions about Middle Eastern women. They are not powerless, and Islam is compatible with women’s rights. Candidates wave during a rally ahead of parliamentary elections in Jordan, 2 September 2016. (EPA/Jamal Nasrallah) This is the...
A Jordanian youth reflects on the tangible and intangible objects, the memories and values that he carries with him each day. A pupil’s backpack. (EPA/Pablo Gianinazzi) I carry my black Hawaii Y5 phone. It’s not the newest technology, but it satisfies me. I...
By Ben Barber Algeria is boiling over as millions march to end six decades of military and strongman rule. But how will it end? The protests ousted longtime President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, but street protests continue, ignited by opposition to the military naming...
Mother Africa, tell me, why so much suffering? Dry your tears, for your children will assert themselves and affirm your diversity. South Africans listen to President Cyril Ramaphosa during an election rally in Johannesburg, South Africa, 11 April 2019 (EPA-EFE/Kim...
Thailand holds the world record for military coups. Landmark elections in March seems sure to yield yet more instability in the Southeast Asian nation. A Thai woman casts her vote during the general election on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, 24 March 2019...
Jordan has long been a peaceful center in a tumultuous region. But the Syrian crisis has forced it to revisit a thorny social problem: child marriages. This article is the first of a six-part series on women’s rights in the Middle East. Winner of first prize in our...