Author: npnuk

What's happening with Belarus' "Slipper Uprising"?  After claiming independence from the Soviet Union nearly three decades ago, landlocked Belarus established a constitution and elected Alexander Lukashenko (who has been in power since that time). Within two years, he altered the Constitution, giving himself leeway to make unilateral decisions independent from other government bodies (hence why he is often referred to as "Europe's last dictator”). Globally, Lukashenko is likened to Vladimir Putin, and infamous for silencing the media, threatening opposition, and toying with election results. He also commented that ice hockey could be a solution to COVID-19 (more on that later).Lukashenko was recently up for reelection (again) - and leading up to those elections, b...

The English Teacher vs. Europe’s Last Dictator Imagine this.You are a stay-at-home mother. You are under 40 years old. You have two children, one of whom has special needs. You love teaching but gave up your career to care for your family. Your spouse works as a writer, and often critiques the oppressive government you live under. Then, one day, security services from said government ransack your home, claim to find $900,000 in cash, accuse your spouse of being a foreign agent, and arrest him. You are left to care for your 10-year-old son and five-year-old daughter alone. You receive death threats and flee to a neighbouring country. Your spouse is still imprisoned.Meanwhile, a fire boils is within you - a fire for justice, equality, and a future of freedom for you...

Beirut’s blast that tore through the capital on the 4th August continues to unearth the Lebanese government’s fragility during a crisis. Four weeks later and here’s what we know:  Two blasts erupted in the capital. The second and more powerful blast was allegedly caused by unsafely stored Ammonium Nitrate (widely used in fertilizers and mining explosives, although it is not explosive on its own).Safe storage of chemicals like Ammonium Nitrate has been debated for years, especially since 2014. Follow the timeline of events that led to the explosion here and visual impact here.At least 181 people are confirmed dead, 6,000 injured, and 300,000 left homelessThe international community continues to pour millions of pounds of humanitarian aid into Beirut - list of donations here. &n...

Image: Chadwick Boseman/Twitter Rest in Power “I’m absolutely devastated. This is beyond heartbreaking.  Chadwick was special. A true original. He was a deeply committed and constantly curious artist. He had so much amazing work still left to create. I’m endlessly grateful for our friendship. Rest in power, King” - Chris Evans  “Our hearts are broken and our thoughts are with Chadwick Boseman’s family. Your legacy will live on forever. Rest In Peace.” - Marvel studios  Tributes have poured in since we woke up to the tragic news that Chadwick Boseman passed away from a private four-year battle with Colon Cancer. Why Boseman kept his diagnosis out of the public eye is unknown, but what is certain is that he did not let his illness detract from deliveri...

Breaking News - The Beirut Blast On Tuesday 4th August a devastating explosion hit Lebanon in its capital city of Beirut. The shockwaves were so powerful that they could be felt over 100 miles away in Cyrpus.  One week later and here’s what we know so far:  Two blasts erupted in the capital. The second and more powerful blast was allegedly caused by unsafely stored Ammonium Nitrate (widely used in fertilizers and mining explosives, although it is not explosive on its own). Safe storage of chemicals like Ammonium Nitrate has been debated for years, especially since 2014. Follow the timeline of events that led to the explosion here and visual impact here. Over 150 people are confirmed dead and the death toll continues to rise as hospitals which would normally be on fi...