Perspectives

Behind the Headlines The True Story of the Flutterwave Scandal
In the fast-paced world of fintech, Flutterwave had emerged as a shining star, revolutionizing digital payments across Africa. However, the company's ascent was marred by a scandal that sent shockwaves through the industry. This article delves into the true story behind the Flutterwave scandal, unraveling the events that led to its eruption and exploring the aftermath.
By jasperbro2 years ago in History
A Canadian in the Netherlands
Mark thought he knew what to expect when he first moved to the Netherlands from his quiet, polite hometown in Canada. He had gone through each and every guidebook and article online. However, nothing could have prepared him for the vibrant and occasionally perplexing culture in which he was about to become immersed.
By Mike Taylor2 years ago in History
The Real Origin of Cleopatra Queen of Egypt
Cleopatra, one of ancient history’s greatest rulers, is the embodiment of global fury that has been building up over the past few months, with the debate turning viral and being widely discussed in mainstream media. The recent case that six scholars filed against Netflix for distorting the life of Cleopatra is one of the standout moments of the media war. To approach this thorny debate effectively we will analyze the persona of Cleopatra and briefly sketch her life from the very beginnings to better arm you with unassailable weapon: The Truth.
By Amine Oubih2 years ago in History
Insane Rule That Allows British Spies To Commit Murder
The sun descending into a far-flung and barren spot in Syria is casting long shadows across the decaying city and the dusty streets. This now-forgotten corner of the Middle East is where a high-stakes show is happening with the CIA and the British MI6 in charge of the orchestra. Both organizations have merged their resources for several months and are decided to break the terrorist plan of colossal scale. After scouring the globe for the perpetrators, the MI6 operatives have finally cornered their quarry: four youths, blazing with their ideals, ready to give up their lives for the sake of their beliefs. The organization is founded and headed by a seasoned and calculating figure who strives to completely destroy the UK.
By Amine Oubih2 years ago in History
Exploring the Emotions and Mysteries of Pompeii's Tragic End
Introduction: Pompeii, an ancient Roman city buried under volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, holds a unique place in history. Unlike other archaeological sites, Pompeii offers us a glimpse into the human element of a catastrophic event. The preserved remains of its inhabitants reveal their emotions and actions during their final moments, making it a source of fascination for people worldwide.
By justin johnston2 years ago in History
Abbasid Caliphate
The Abbasid Caliphate: A Brilliant Period of Islamic Civilisation ### The Introduction of a Line The Abbasid Caliphate, established in 750 CE, denoted a critical change in Islamic history. Arising out of the shadows of the Umayyad administration, the Abbasids were relatives of Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib, from whom they inferred their name. This genealogy furnished them with a feeling of authenticity that reverberated profoundly with numerous Muslims, especially the individuals who felt minimized under Umayyad rule.
By MD Nurussafa2 years ago in History
What If Stalin and Hitler Joined Forces During WWII
Thus, in this alternate reality, when Nazis Germany started to create a Germany's new empire by occupying Britain, the Soviet Union, quickly reacting to that, decided to attack Germany. Nevertheless, the United States was waiting on the sideline and getting prepared for the war that was deriving and would drag them inadvertently into the same conflict. This storytelling covers an imaginary storyline which can be referred to as a Devil’s Alliance between Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin who coincidentally find themselves in a position to agree with each other solely on the ground of cold logic of realpolitik than any ideological alignment.
By Amine Oubih2 years ago in History
The Man Who Created the Deadliest Weapon in History
The successful detonation of the first nuclear explosion in the history of humankind, changed the course of history, ushering in the age of the atomic era. Observing the blast, J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, recalled words from the ancient Hindu text, the Bhagavad Gita: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds. " Was Oppenheimer talking about himself or someone else? Was he a merchant of death or a noble scientist working to end the recurrence of such wars?Was he a loyal American nationalist or a covert friend to the future enemies?The response lays in understanding his life.
By Amine Oubih2 years ago in History
Why US Military Gave Full Honors to Fallen Kamikaze Attackers
On April 11 four years ago, the American aircraft carrier USS Missouri and its escorts were attacked by 16 kamikaze pilots flying Japanese airplanes. Among these conquering heroes were the young men like P. O. 2nd Class Setsuo Ishino whose profiles were imprinted on the faces of the American sailors for many years to follow. This could only be described as a rather small happening under the completely war-like days of the second world war that will, however, spark more than many decades of debate and discussion about sacrificing and honor in the United States of America and this is proof of how powerful and complicated they are.
By Amine Oubih2 years ago in History
What Happened Immediately After Hitler Died
It is 1955, the Central Intelligence Agency's agent is shivering with excitement. He is taking a photo of it. Josef spots a sweat gliding down from Adolf’s mouth as his head contemplates the name Adolf Schüttelmayor and the date “1954. ” The next to him is Phillip Citroen, the former Germán SS soldier, who asserts the picture was taken in Argentina and depicts the absent Karl Hitler. Could this be true?
By Amine Oubih2 years ago in History
Behind South China Sea dispute. Content Warning.
Let’s talk about the fight over the South China Sea. It’s rich in oil and gas, there are loads of fish and the shipping lanes are some of the busiest in the world. China wants control of it. But other countries say they have rights to it too. And the Americans — well they have trade routes through there worth hundreds of billions of dollars. So what’s behind China’s claim over these waters? Why won’t it share? And could it all lead to war? China has been a land-based power for millennia so it’s never had much of a navy so it’s never had much of a navy until now. Today China wants to be a naval force across two oceans the Indian and the Pacific. That’s to make sure it can trade with the rest of the world and get enough oil and gas to drive its economy. And to do that Beijing wants to control the South China Sea. But there’s a lot of competition. Taiwan, for one, claims many of the same rights that China does. Then there’s Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei they want to protect their turf whether it’s rights to islands, seabed oil or fishing grounds. Indonesia’s in there too. And the Americans want to protect those valuable shipping lanes. So no shortage of players. The question is how is this all going to be resolved? And then there’s the third option which involves pushing some kind of compromise between China and its neighbours. Countries like Taiwan and others that are members of ASEAN have tried. But no one expects that to go anywhere anytime soon because China knows what it wants. And it’s been working towards that for a long time. We’re talking about China’s nine-dash line. Back in 1929 the Chinese took a bunch of old British sailing charts and told cartographers to draw China’s borders. One of them drew nine dashes around the entire South China Sea. And as far as the Chinese were concerned that was that. So then in 2013, China added a tenth line to take in Taiwan. So then in 2013, China added a tenth line to take in Taiwan. Its appetite seems to be growing. It’s easy enough to understand why China wants control when you look at the numbers. Around 40% of the world’s liquefied natural gas passes through the South China Sea — from the Gulf through the Indian Ocean and onto places like China. The amount of trade that sails through there is worth $3 trillion a year — one-third of the world's total. So there’s an expression in Latin that goes: If you want peace prepare for war. Now China has no immediate interest in war but it wants to ensure its access to the South China Sea if it comes to that. In the west, the main shipping lane from the Indian Ocean narrows to just 3 km. And it’s surrounded by American allies. In the east, there’s Taiwan which has tonnes of American weapons and could block China from getting to the Pacific. So to help stake its territorial claim China has planted its flag on contested islands that are in those waterways. In the Paracels China’s built a bunch of outposts while in the Spratlys it’s added over 13 sq km of reclaimed land since 2013 and turned them into military bases. It may be unacceptable to the Americans but neither the Obama nor the Trump administrations are seen to have accomplished much.The US’ main way of asserting navigational rights and freedoms is by having its navy sail through the South China Sea. It also conducts military exercises in the region sometimes with warships from France, Japan and Australia in the Bay of Bengal. In July things got a bit hairy. The Chinese and Americans both held naval exercises in the South China Sea. The US sailed in with two aircraft carrier strike groups. And the Chinese accused the Americans of escalating things. Before the US elections, the Trump team gave it one last shot — with mixed results. What everyone’s been trying to do is get China to obey the law — namely the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The law establishes what are called exclusive economic zones. These extend 200 nautical miles out from a country’s coastline regardless of whether it’s the mainland or an island. And China signed up to that law. So the Philippines did the only thing it could. It took China to court. One of the big issues was fishing rights. In 2013 the Philippines argued that China had no right to the Scarborough Shoal. It filed a case against the Chinese with an international tribunal at The Hague. Judges ended up siding with the Philippines. Remember China’s territorial claim based on that nine-dash line? Well in 2016 the court concluded that it’s invalid. Since the 1990s ASEAN that association of South Asian countries has tried to cobble together a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea. The idea was to control China’s ambitions. China hadn’t shown much interest in a code back then. But after losing the case with the Philippines the Chinese started to push for one. However, some in ASEAN questioned their motives. There’s another problem. Not everyone in ASEAN is eager to offend a country as powerful as China. Vietnam has repeatedly butted heads with China over their competing claims. This year’s ASEAN summit was hosted by Vietnam and a lot of it by video because of the pandemic. But the social distancing wasn’t expected to help delegates reach any agreements on the South China Sea. The problem with the South China Sea is that it’s vast and the stakes are high. There are a lot of heavily armed countries defending their interests there. And China’s coastguard as well as Chinese militia using fishing boats often cause confrontations on the open sea. Many analysts worry about all of that provoking a military response from someone. But strangely enough the whole dispute also sort of just bubbles away under the radar. The Chinese see the South China Sea as essential to their survival. The thing is it’s important to everyone there. That’s why this whole dispute isn’t going away. But China’s been around for thousands of years. If anyone is good at playing the long game, it’s China. As with all our Start Here episodes, this primer is to get us started. But there’s a lot more information out there to help us understand what’s going on in the South China Sea. As always subscribe wherever you’re watching this video and I’ll see you next week.
By IF Media2 years ago in History
Labor Day
Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States.[1][2][3]
By MD Ashik2 years ago in History