How Java’s controversial female ruler grew into the job Paul Spencer Sochaczewski taps his vast knowledge of Southeast Asia in this, his third short story for News-Decoder. Last year, Sochaczewski entertained us with alluring yarns about the South China Sea and...
By Muna Matouq New feminist movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp may be shaking up the Western world, but in other countries, women still live without the legal protection the West takes for granted. Jordan is a prime example of this, with one of the worst rankings in...
These photos were submitted by students participating in News-Decoder’s twice-yearly Reporting and Writing Contest. You can see the winning entries among Student Posts. *** By Yatong Shi (Westover School) In my photo report “Censorship,” I explore...
A century ago, Azerbaijan declared independence, becoming the first democratic state in the Muslim world. First meeting of the parliament of the Azerbaijan Democractic Republic, 7 December 1918 (Wikimedia Commons) One century ago today, a small colony of the Russian...
I returned from the Vietnam War in 1968 and helped lead the anti-war movement that exploded in Chicago. Looking back, I wonder what we learned. Chicago police officers try to disperse demonstrators during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, 29 August 1968....
More than just a game, sport reflected wrenching changes in the 1960s — racial tension, the U.S. antiwar movement, women’s rights, decolonialization. This article is part of a series by our correspondents and guest writers reflecting on the 1960s — a...
“Free love” of the 1960s fueled the sexual revolution, which liberated many women but failed to end violence and inequality. #MeToo is a needed next stage. The author and her sister at a march in 1979 in favor of abortion rights(photo by Roy Cuckow ) This...
By Nelson Graves “Our graduates will shape a changing world.” So proclaims Miss Porter’s School, a News-Decoder founding member located in the United States. And so, too, will Sewon Lim go on to shape the world after she finishes her last year of...
I was in Spain for International Women’s Day. It was unbelievable to see so many people fighting for the same things that I fight for in America. (Photos by Peyton Spolansky) I had not expected more than a few dozen people to participate in International...
The author before tackling the Beijing velodrome. (Photo courtesy of Deborah Charles) I’m not an Olympic athlete. But for half an hour in Beijing, I got to act like one. I was in China’s capital to cover the 2008 Olympics. An avid cyclist, I had lots of...