G20 Summit: Success or Failure?
Last week, Donald Trump met with other world leaders at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. Here, btw takes a look at the history of the summit and how this year’s summit stacked up against past G20 conferences. What Is the G20 Summit? The 2017 G20 Summit in Hamburg was the twelfth meeting of the […]
Happy 150th Birthday Canada!
Last weekend, our neighbor to the north turned 150, celebrating with huge parades and festivals all over the country. Here, btw takes a brief look at the history of Canada. Origins Like the United States, Canada was once populated by tribes of Aboriginal people who were eventually displaced by European explorers. In 1534, French explorer […]
Crisis in the Middle East
In what is seen as a crisis in the Middle East, the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, has organized a blockade of Qatar, one of its member nations. Here, we take a look at the chain of events leading up to the blockade, and its potential impact on the United States and the rest of […]
British Election Upset
On June 8, the United Kingdom held a general election, with surprising results. Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party lost 12 seats in the UK’s Parliament, which means they also lost their majority. The Labour Party, on the other hand, gained nearly 30 seats. So what does this mean for Britain, especially with Brexit looming? […]
What is the Paris Climate Accord?
On June 1, President Trump announced that the United States was withdrawing from the historic Paris Climate Accord. Here, we take a look at what the Paris Accord is, how it differs from other, past environmental treaties, and what impact Trump’s decision will have. What is the Paris Accord? The Paris Climate Accord (otherwise known as […]
Understanding the Hajj
Every year, devout Muslims who are able undertake the pilgrimage to the Islamic faith’s holiest city–Mekkah in Saudi Arabia. As one of the cornerstones of Islam, every Muslim is expected to fulfilll this journey at least once in their lifetime. The pilgrimage is known as hajj. This year’s hajj began this past weekend. It is expected that approximately two million […]
Turmoil in Turkey
On July 15, there was an attempt to forcibly remove Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erodgan from power. This action is called a coup d’etat. While detailed motives of the perpetrators are not yet fully known, the nation of Turkey has a long history of military coups. This latest attempt ultimately failed and left 250 people […]
Brexit: What Does It All Mean?
Last week, the people of the United Kingdom went to the polls and voted 52% to 48% in favor of leaving the European Union. It is being called Brexit (for British Exit). The news is causing quite a stir around the world, as leaders and experts gather to determine what comes next. This week, we […]
Explaining the Panama Papers
Earlier this month, confidential files from a law firm called Mossack Fonseca were made public. The documents, collectively called “the Panama Papers,” were leaked by an anonymous source to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), who shared them with various news organizations. This week, btw breaks down the basics, offers a comparison of other […]
UN Climate Change Conference
Over the years, btw has brought you stories about Climate Control—what it is, what it does, and measures proposed to slow its effect. Last week, around 25,000 representatives from nearly 200 countries came together in Paris for talks aimed at creating a legally-binding agreement to reduce carbon emissions globally. Key Issues From November 30 to […]