The Global Current

Currently, India’s Supreme Court has been holding hearings for historic cases regarding the legalization of same-sex marriage and other rights for LGBTQ+ citizens. These petitions are actively opposed by India’s ruling government and religious authorities. The approval of these petitions could set a new precedent for LGBTQ+ rights in Southeast Asia, and we discuss the potential ramifications for b...

Global Current Associate Producer, Eric Bunce, Interviews Daniel Perell, a representative for the Baha'i International Community's UN office, about his experience in the United Nations and as a diplomat. Special thank you to Daniel Perell for making time to speak to us about his experience as a diplomat and his career at the United Nations! This episode was brought to you thanks to Executive Direc...

Allies and American security officials were caught off-guard earlier this month when a large collection of classified American intelligence files were leaked online by a 21-year old member of the Air National Guard. This comes at a pivotal moment in the Russo-Ukrainian War as we discuss how consequential this leak can be. The analysts for this episode are Eric Bunce and Emmett Bikales. The News Br...

Amritpal Singh, a well-known Sikh separatist, has attracted much attention recently to the growing Khalistan movement within the Punjab state of India. This growing movement has massively increased tension in the nation, sparking violent protests. We unpack this episode with Analysts Juliana Mori and Christian LaFond, the news briefer for this episode is Trisha Baillon.  This episode was brought t...

Iran and Saudi Arabia announced a deal to restore relations between their two nations earlier this month, in a process that was mediated by the People’s Republic of China. We unpack the episode with Analysts George Slowey and  Christian Lafond. Our New Briefer for this episode is Juliana Mori. This episode was brought to you thanks to Executive Producer - Jasmine De Leon, Associate Producers - Eri...

Amidst all the ongoing conflict throughout the world, it is important to remember the long-term effects of warfare as the United States passes the twentieth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. We unpack this story with Analysts Kieran Besancon and Liam Brucker-Casey. Our News Briefer is for this episode is Mikayla Salib. This episode was brought to you thanks to Executive Producer - Jasmi...

Tensions remain high between Russia and the United States since Russia's decision to suspend its last nuclear arms treaty with the United States. Combined with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, fears of a new nuclear arms race have started to grow. We unpack this episode with Analysts Emmett Bikales and Joshua Axton. Our News Briefer for this episode is Christian Lafond. This episode was brought to...

A reported Chinese spy balloon was caught flying over the continental United States in early February leading to the cancellation of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s upcoming trip to China. China has maintained that it was a simple weather surveillance balloon veered off course but the event has remained in the public eye. We unpack this show with Analysts Kieran Besancon and Aya Gusemalseed....

In early February, two earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, causing widespread structural damage and tens of thousands deaths. Combined together, these two earthquakes are the deadliest seismic event in the history of modern Turkey. We unpack this story with Analysts Joseph Brennan and Aaron Im. Our News Briefer for this episode is Trish Salib. This episode was brought to you thanks to Executive P...

Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, visited Seton Hall University on February 1st. In the Catholic Church, an Apostolic Nuncio is an ambassador for the Pope that serves the Holy See as a sort of diplomat. Archbishop Pierre has previously served as the apostolic nuncio to Mexico, Uganda, and Haiti before being appointed the position of apostolic nuncio to the Un...

Dozens of people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack in a security compound in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. Join The Global Current with Analysts Madeline Field and Shayne Simmons. The News Briefer for the episode is Dovid Holtzman. This episode was brought to you thanks to Executive Producer - Jasmine De Leon, Associate Producers - Hamzah Khan and Eric Bunce, Host - Drew Sta...

Global Current Executive Director, Jasmine De Leon, interviews Bunmi Akinnusotu, the Deputy Director of the Rangel Fellowship at Howard University, about her illustrious career in foreign policy and her advice for young professionals.  Ms. Akinnusotu was the a Special Assistant at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Chief of Staff at Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, and has worked...

Ambassador Csaba Kőrösi, the president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, visited Seton Hall University on Janurary 26th, 2023. As the presiding officer of the UN’s main policymaking forum, Kőrösi continues the assembly’s work promoting global recovery from the pandemic, addressing climate change and striving to meet the 17 U.N. development goals for 2030. Today we will co...

There have been at least 48 deaths in Peru since early December when protests broke out when the Peruvian Congress removed President Pedro Castillo on Dec. 7. Castillo was arrested and is being held in pre-trial detention, facing rebellion charges after he tried to illegally dissolve the legislature to avoid a planned impeachment vote. Clashes with security forces have led to the worst outbreak of...

Francesca Regalado, a 2017 graduate of Seton Hall’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations, serves as the Bangkok Correspondent for Nikkei Asia, a Japan-based financial newspaper. She is a former Economics Reporter for Yomiuri Shumbun. Annie Hebel, our veteran analyst, guest hosted this special interview. This episode was brought to you thanks to Executive Director- Jasmine De Leon, Assoc...

Global Current Executive Director, Jasmine De Leon, interviews Dr. Glodel Mezilas about Global South and the Russia-Ukrainian War. Dr. Mezilas, a professor and adjunct director of the Diplomatic School of the Haitian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has served in the Haitian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and authored nine books about the country. De Leon and Dr. Mezilas explore Global South perspectives...

Kieran Besancon, veteran analyst and guest host, interviews Professor Maxim Matusevich about the Russia-Ukrainian War. Dr. Matusevich is a Professor and Director for the Russian and East European Studies Program at Seton Hall University. They take a deep dive on the war, such as Russia's "brain drain", the use of rhetoric, and the political framing of the conflict.  This episode was brought to you...

Following the announcement that the Vatican has announced a preliminary inquiry following Cardinal Ricard’s admission to sexually abusing a 14-year old girl during his time as a priest, the whole of the French Catholic Church has been rocked with scandals of global implications. Pope Francis has taken steps to address the church’s history with clerical abuse but it is clear much work and investiga...

The most widely viewed and followed single sporting event in the world has arrived in the form of the 2022 World Cup hosted by the small oil-rich Middle Eastern nation of Qatar. However, despite the passion for the event, this year’s World Cup has been mired in corruption, scandals, political intrigue, and accusation of the use of slave labor which has further damaged the reputation of football’s...

The Israeli President is set to give former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the mandate to form a new Israeli government after consultations with representatives from all parties in the 25th Israeli parliament (Knesset). Israel’s longest serving prime minister is then expected to form the most right-wing Israeli government in its history as tensions build in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem...

After weeks of political maneuvering and preparation, Xi Jinping was confirmed as president of China for a precedent-breaking third term after installing loyalists and picking off political rivals. This move has cemented on possibly the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong with no end in sight to his tenure as President. Join The Global Current as we unpack what this means for China and t...

Over a month ago, Turkey President Erdogan shook the NATO alliance as tensions build between the  NATO allies Greece and Turkey over maritime claims and island militarization in the Aegean Sea. Many issues have divided the two nations but Turkey has been particularly concerned about Greece’s militarization of its Aegean islands which they consider a violation of prior treaties. How did we get here...

Recently, this month United States President Joe Biden warned that the world could face nuclear Armageddon if his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, were to use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine. Putin, on the other hand, has made implicit threats of using nuclear weapons to protect his newly “annexed” territories as Ukrainian counter-offensives mount up their pressure. All this tension has l...

Brazil recently held the first round of their heated presidential elections earlier this month as political rivals former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula, took 48%. In comparison, current president Jair Bolsonaro took 43% of the vote forcing the two into a runoff to decide the next president on October 30th. With two diametrically opposed candidates and the current pres...

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, was detained in Tehran by morality police for allegedly not covering her hair properly. Her death in custody on September 16th, three days of confinement, has provoked an unprecedented wave of protests across Iran against the Islamic regime and the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. From continuous street protests across the country, clashes be...