A plaque on a restroom wall reads “Women Friendly Seoul.” This seemingly assuring phrase turns out to be a lie after a young woman is murdered at the Sindang subway station. The once blank wall below the plaque is now flooded with numerous messages on post-it notes from members of the South Korean community voicing their sorrow, fright, and anger.
Like many other schools, Ruamrudee International School has a wide variety of clubs, and for each of them, a team of executives who work hard to direct it. Many challenges come with having a leadership position, and many of you may be unsure about having one. Gavin from EducatoryX and our very own Editor-in-Chief of The Union International (currently independently-run), Pear, have answered some questions relating to their experience in leading a club.
Qandeel Baloch was a 26-year-old Pakistani celebrity. Dubbed “the Kim Kardashian of Pakistan,” she was an activist for women's rights in the Middle East, challenging Pakistan's patriarchal norms and the government for their inequalities and corruption (Alam). Qandeel Baloch inspired thousands of young girls to advocate for themselves in Pakistan. With over thirty-six thousand followers on Twitter, she was a beloved but also a controversial figure, and her controversy led to her death. After her name reached large media companies, people began to wonder who Qandeel Baloch and her family were. On March 29th, 2016, her real name was revealed as Fouzia Azeem, and according to CNN, her family began to receive backlash for “not controlling” (Saifi, et al). Eighteen days later, on April 16, 2016, Qandeel Baloch was found strangled to death by her youngest brother, Khan Baloch. Her brother willingly admitted to the murder saying Quandeel Baloch had brought “shame” and “dishonor” to the family name (Sadiq). Her brother, later on, said he did not regret killing his sister, claiming it was his responsibility to hold his family accountable and make sure the family name was not tarnished. Khan Baloch was given life in prison for his crimes. However, three years later, he was acquitted of all charges due to a loophole in the Pakistani legal system (Sadiq). This is only one of the thousands of cases in Pakistan where victims of “honor” killings were failed by the justice system and their own government.
On October 6th, 2022, a daycare was attacked in Uthai Sawan, Nong Bua LamPhu province, Thailand, by former police officer Panya Khamrab. As a result, 37 people died and many more were injured, most of whom were children.
Russian President Vladimir Putin survived an assassination attempt on the 15th of September, 2022. This event came approximately a week after a group of politicians in Russia demanded Putin’s resignation from the presidency, due to the military’s loss in Ukraine. The attempted assassination occurred when Putin was traveling in his limousine and the front left wheel was hit with a loud ‘bang’. Putin was unharmed and a number of arrests have been made. Taking all of this into account, it got me thinking: How was the whole concept of assassination brought into the world? And more importantly, Who is the culprit for creating a culture of fear that one may perish from the purposeful actions of others? Let us dive into the different methods of assassination throughout history.
On the 14th of September, 2022, Mahsa Amini - an Iranian woman of Kurdish ethnicity, was arrested by the Guidance Patrol of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the charges of wearing an “improper hijab.” As an Islamic theocracy, Iran had previously implemented a mandatory dress code for women in 1979, according to Ruhollah Khomeini’s interpretation of Islamic law. Additionally, Khomeini further decreed that women would no longer be allowed to enter the workplace or any government office unveiled, as they would be seen as “naked.”
Putin’s recent annexation of the four Ukrainian territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, which make up roughly 15-20% of Ukrainian territory, has sparked...
After Roe vs Wade got overturned by the American Supreme Court in June 2022, all countries around the world have been pushed to look thoroughly at their legal situation concerning abortion rights. It was particularly the case in Italy, when the right coalition, who was running for and most likely to win the upcoming elections on 25th September 2022, was known to have controversial— to say the least— opinions on the topic.
Effective October 26th, new regulations allowing abortions up to 20 weeks stipulate an authorized medical practitioner's approval. This change elaborates on the amendment passed on February 7, 2021, which legalized terminating pregnancy within 12 weeks — the first trimester. Mothers who have been checked for health risks and obtained medical endorsement can now have the procedure done at hospitals or clinics. Some appreciate the stretch in freedom; some argue abortions be allowed at any point of the pregnancy period.
In today’s society, mental health has become an acknowledged issue among adults. Several forms of mental issues have been discovered and treatments have been...
