Sri Lanka’s War Widows Are Clearing Its Land of Mines
Sri Lanka’s devastating civil war left an estimated 89,000 widows as their families’ sole breadwinners. But this need to keep going in the face of injury, displacement and loss has resulted in opportunities, including the land mine clearance that provides a livelihood to many.
Sanitizing the Psychedelic Revolution
A proposed corporate approach to psychedelics, which promotes a “risk-free” quick fix in a pill, leaves deeper questions unanswered. Will this new approach, unfolding in a very different context from that in which the psychedelics evolved, potentially cause more harm than good?
The Left-Wing Activists Who Want to Change American Politics
The Democratic Socialists of America hope to parlay the latest “Trump bump” into a national movement, and maybe even launch a viable alternative party. But the organization faces serious challenges — both ideological and practical — that may hinder its ability to capitalize on the moment, and possibly threaten its very existence.
India Takes Notice as Pakistan and Bangladesh Strengthen Ties
Pakistan and Bangladesh began strengthening ties following the ouster of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, after which she sought asylum in India. The thaw has included high-level meetings, the resumption of direct trade and eased visa restrictions — developments that have made India increasingly wary.
Understanding Somalia’s Destruction
In the 1960s Somalia was a democratic pacesetter in Africa, and by the 1990s it was a byword for chaos and destruction. Inadequate institutions, territorial disputes, Cold War dynamics and an increasingly authoritarian leader all played their part in the country’s decline.