How Hungary’s higher education overhaul became a model for US conservatives

Universities in the US face the possibility of federal funding cuts if they don’t comply with White House demands to walk back initiatives the Trump administration deems biased. Internationally, the use of federal funding to force change in higher education settings is nothing new. The Trump administration might be learning from Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán.

5 years after George Floyd, did the global reckoning spark any real change?

Conflict & Justice

Uber partners with Chinese firm to launch robotaxis in Middle East

Transportation

After Assad’s fall, a revered Shia shrine in Syria faces a new era of uncertainty

Syria

Out of Eden Walk: An eerie walk through Japanese ghost towns

Out of Eden Walk

Spain’s new eviction law may not keep squatters out

Development

The goal of the law, nicknamed the Evictions Express, is to allow property owners with illegal tenants to get them out within 15 days. But the law relies on a court system that’s currently overwhelmed, with cases that are delayed for months or even years. Meanwhile, housing prices continue to rise, making it harder for people to pay rent.

Photos: Syrian photographer documents loss and rebirth in the country following the fall of Assad  

Alaa Hassan’s project, “Vital Signs,” shows a country in transition.

How the Russian economy is faring as new sanctions hit 

Conflict & Justice

After delaying an earlier ultimatum, the European Union has passed a new sanctions package against Russia. The sanctions come as a result of Russia rejecting plans for a 30-day ceasefire that the US, the UK, and Ukraine signed off on, bringing negotiations to a standstill. What is the potential impact of further sanctions, given the current state of the Russian economy?

Hot nights are worsening India’s heat crisis. But low-tech solutions show some promise.

Summer is in full swing in India, and many cities are experiencing scorching heat, fueled in part by climate change. And in India’s bustling cities, as the sun sets and the worst of the day’s heat subsides, a sinister threat emerges: high nighttime temperatures. But some low-tech solutions may help address the problem. 

For this photographer, the fall of Assad means a rediscovery of his home country

Syria

Alaa Hassan was 25 years old when the uprisings against Bashar al-Assad began in Syria. He was part of the movement that grew quickly against the former president, and turned into a civil war. In 2013, facing mandatory military conscription and the death of some of his closest friends at the hands of security forces, Hassan decided to leave the country. It wasn’t until last December, when the Assad government fell, that he was able to return. Now, he has a new mission: to document both the loss and the rebirth of his country.

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