Germany’s culture war over animal welfare 

Germany’s dachshund clubs say a new animal protection law could effectively outlaw their beloved sausage dog, whose long body and short legs can cause painful spine problems. Farmers are outraged with proposals in the law for how they should raise their livestock. Now, a culture war is brewing in Germany’s cities and hinterlands, with dachshunds, cows and their humans as unlikely standard-bearers. 

University students across the globe protest the Israel-Hamas war 

Pro-Palestinian protests at universities in the US are showing no signs of slowing down. But they aren’t limited to the United States. At The University of Sydney, in Sydney, Australia, students have set up a temporary encampment modeled on US ones. And students at other universities around the world are following suit. 

In front of a floor-to-ceiling glass door in the living room of Najannguac Dalgård Christensen, necklaces with amulets carved out of bone and seal claws dangle from a coat hanger.

Healing old wounds: The revival of Greenlandic Inuit tattoos in Denmark

Greenland’s Indigenous peoples once wore bold face tattoos that carried deep spiritual and cultural significance. But during the centuries of Denmark’s colonial rule, the Inuit tradition of getting face and hand tattoos disappeared. One Inuk tattoo artist is now reviving a piece of Inuit heritage for community members living in Denmark.

rubble pile

The environmental cost of war in Ukraine

Nearly a year and a half into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, its impact has been felt most acutely in lost lives, flattened cities and destroyed infrastructure. But the environmental damage from combat has also contaminated Ukraine’s soil, water and air, at a cost the government is estimating to be $56 billion. This impact is likely to be one of the longest-lasting legacies of the war, persisting for decades after the fighting stops.

man showing picture

Palestinians celebrate a new generation of West Bank militants 

Israelis see the Lions’ Den group as terrorists, blaming it for a rise in shooting attacks. But in Nablus, many Palestinians hail these men as brave fighters standing up to the Israeli occupation.

Sad looking children at a cafeteria table

Finding Ukraine’s stolen children and bringing perpetrators to justice: lessons from Argentina

Hundreds of children were stolen from their parents during the dictatorship in Argentina, but over the years, some have been reunited with their families.

a girl in a classroom

‘We are erased’: The fight to reopen girls secondary schools in Afghanistan continues

This past week, girls in the province of Paktia in eastern Afghanistan went to the streets to protest. The Taliban had reopened their schools but ordered them shut again. Girls’ education in Afghanistan has become a sensitive topic since the Taliban came to power last year. They have closed down nearly all secondary schools for girls in the country.

busy market

West African countries adopt new strategies to encourage COVID-19 vaccination  

​​​​​​​For much of the pandemic, West African countries have lacked the vaccines needed to protect their populations against COVID-19. Now, supply in the region has finally caught up with demand for the vaccine. Still, too few people are vaccinated.

woman walking through courtroom hallway

WNBA star Brittney Griner was sentenced to 9 years in prison in Russia. How likely is a prisoner swap?

In Moscow on Thursday, WNBA star Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison on drug charges. Griner was detained at the airport in Moscow in February, after security found vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage. Last month, Griner pleaded guilty to possessing the drugs, but said she packed them by mistake.

The Saint Sophia Cathedra as seen from a surrounding wall tower in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 26, 2022.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens a cultural heritage the two countries share, including Saint Sophia Cathedral

Saint Sophia Cathedral was built under the reign of Grand Prince Yaroslav, whose father, Volodymyr, converted the region to Christianity.


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