by Luna Radonjanin “Have you never seen a beach… or a desert?” is the immediate response of anyone who hears the phrase “global sand shortage” for the first time. As the phrase suggests, the world is severely lacking a key raw material: sand. A BBC article reporting on the crisis…

by Amrita Anand The UAE has a strong background in providing mental health services and actively participating in making accessible spaces for people of determination. While the acceptance of neurodiverse individuals has been in the works across various nations, accommodations for them in the public have been difficult, although the…

By Amal Surmawala Fig. 1. “Nagar Brahmin Women,” William Johnson Photographs of Western India, Vol. 1. Costumes and Characters DeGolyer Library, SMU http://tinyurl.com/ofnuwnm Two women stand at the centre of the photograph, their bodies draped in elaborate saris, tilted towards each other, though their eyes do not meet. Their eyes…

by Tala Sihabi International athletic competitions carry on one shoulder the ability to bring people together to celebrate the thrill and beauty of sport. The other shoulder carries the consequence: its value as an avenue to target when inflicting pressure on the pockets of a state and the popularity of…

by Rhiane Kall “The most effective threat is one that never has to be implemented” — Thomas Schelling. On March 24, the North Korean media released a “Hollywood-style” video of their first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launch this year: the Hwasong-17, with a potential range of 9,320 miles. After having declared…

by Luna Radonjanin When it comes to war, images of destruction and casualties are first to come up, but citizens around the world also feel the effects in other ways that impact their daily lives. On the 24th of February this year, Russia invaded Ukraine with bombardments, and so began…

by Amrita Anand Internet etiquette has changed rapidly in the past decade, especially during the pandemic. My early childhood was filled with warnings not to give away personal information online and to avoid social media until I was of a certain age — rules I followed reluctantly that I now…

by Joanna Kumendong Interpreting Southeast Asian Politics in Raya and the Last Dragon Raya and the Last Dragon, a Disney film released in the Spring of 2021, promised to be a fantastical journey that represents various cultures of Southeast Asia. The film follows the heroine Raya, as she strives to…

by Amal Surmawala Shockwaves rippled throughout Pakistan as news broke of a man shooting and killing his 7-day-old daughter in Mianwali district, Punjab, in early March. Infuriated by the birth of his newborn daughter Jannat (meaning ‘heaven’ in Urdu), Shahzaib Khan shot the infant four times and fled shortly afterwards…