14 year old dies during childbirth; UN condemns child marriages in Zimbabwe
“What you see today, a young girl forced to marry, get pregnant and [die], is not an aberration. It is part of the same continuum. Female persons are not seen as fully human, with individual rights, choice, rights to control our own bodies,” Zimbabwean feminist activist and the international head of Action Aid International, Everjoice Win, declared on Twitter on Aug. 6 in response to the widespread practice of child marriages in Zimbabwe.
Demanding democracy, civil disobedience breaks out in Sudan
UN becomes involved in Ethiopian civil war
Language Resource Center hosts World Teas and Candies Event to celebrate Halloween
Princess Mako of Japan officially marries, loses royal status
International students respond to new winter housing policy
Afghan alums weigh in on their country’s future
Hindu students celebrate nine-day festival of Navratri
International students share experiences getting second COVID-19 vaccine
Global COVID-19 Counter: US and UK have highest positivity rates; vaccination rate rises around globe
By Sophie Soloway ’23
Global Editor
As of Oct. 26, 2021, there have been 244,342,963 total COVID-19 cases across the world, as reported by the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. This has resulted in 4,960,582 COVID-19 related deaths. 6,848,740,981 vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.
The United States leads these total positive cases with a reported 45,572,94945,450,123. The U.S. also has the highest number of recorded fatalities of all reporting countries.
Johns Hopkins reports that the United Kingdom holds the second-highest rate of positive COVID-19 testing within the previous 28-day cycle, with 1,113,163 positive tests reported. Turkey follows the United Kingdom, with 812,780 positive cases reported within the same period. Turkey has a total of 7,879,438 cases and 69,344 total fatalities.
CNN has an ongoing tracker on their website, which ranks nations based on their number of positive COVID-19 cases. Russia currently sits at the fifth position on that list. According to The Moscow Times, Russia has recently seen a distinct increase in positive COVID-19 cases. The country reached its record number of cases on Oct. 25, with 37,930 new cases and 1,069 deaths.
Restrictions on outings and vaccination mandates have been imposed regionally, rather than nationally, with Russian President Vladimir Putin again advising local governments to impose legislation on Oct. 25th.
Amid these record-setting transmission rates, The New York Times reported that 5049.9 percent of the global population has received at least one dose of the vaccine. The United Arab Emirates leads this statistic, with 98 percent of its eligible population having already received their first vaccination dose. As eligible adult vaccination rates rise, researchers across countries continue to investigate solutions for child vaccination.
International students reflect on dining hall offerings
Social Democrats achieve narrow win in German parliamentary elections
China aims to limit abortions to reverse population decline
Trudeau claims reelection victory
Russian parliamentary elections show growing dissatisfaction with United Russia party
The US lifts travel ban on international travelers
International students face challenges when returning to campus
As Mount Holyoke College welcomed its students back on campus for an in-person semester, returning international students shared their experiences traveling back to campus. Some explained how traveling in the time of COVID-19 can be difficult with regards to getting vaccinated, testing, flying and moving in.
Assault and murder of Indian woman shines a light on country’s structural inequalities
Content warning: The following piece discusses the sexual abuse and murder of women and of a minor. It also includes brief mentions of suicide.
“How much longer can we look away! Women’s rights are human rights,” Indian journalist Faye D’Souza declared on Instagram. “Enough is enough.” D’Souza’s post referred to a series of cases in the news surrounding sexual violence against Indian women.
AUKUS, new US, UK and Australia security agreement, angers rivals as well as allies
The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have announced a tripartite security agreement on Sept. 15. The deal, titled AUKUS, a combination of the three nations’ abbreviated initials, is meant to challenge China’s increasing claims over territory in the Pacific, reported The New York Times.