Sean Williams
The Rise and Fall of the Filipino Pool Craze
Today you can find pool halls in Manila's restaurants, its schools, and even its slums. But the country's biggest stars are nowhere to be seen.
The Glue-Sniffing Street Kids of Somaliland
No matter how prosperous Somaliland might become, it's doubtful that any of that good fortune will trickle down to Hargeisa's homeless children—young outcasts living on their own who are at best ignored and at worst abused and treated like vermin.
How Albanian Lives Are Wrecked by Cycles of Vengeance
Gjakmarrja, the tradition of blood feuds, has been a part of Albanian culture since the 15th century, when a set of laws called the Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini held that a murder victim’s family could avenge his death by killing a male member of the...
How a Hungarian Mayor Saved His Small Town from Environmental Catastrophe
On Toldi Tamás's first day as mayor of Devecser, Hungary, he woke up to a deluge of polluted red mud rapidly flowing through the streets, sweeping away buildings and severely burning the townspeople. The next year would be tough.
Odessa's Muslims Fear Violence as Ukraine Falls Apart
Whichever side they take, Odessans are gearing for conflict and the city's Muslims may be in for a tougher time than most.
Tensions Are High in the Tiny Repressed Region of Transnistria
There's speculation that it could be the next Crimea, another victim of Putin's sudden desire to put the Soviet Union back together.
On the Ground in Transnistria, the Tiny Oppressive State That Wants to Join Russia
Western pundits have described the autonomous region of Moldova as the "next Crimea," but is Russia really about to invade?