From Zimbabwe

One of Zimbabwe’s best known and most studied lions, Cecil, was killed by a trophy hunter, later revealed to be an American dentist. This has since sparked outrage and debate over the trophy hunting of endangered species. Cecil was being studied by Oxford University since 1999.

From Cameroon

A new study has come out that suggests that Pygmies, a population of people living in East and West Africa, did not develop the way it was previously thought that they did. A population of Pygmies in Cameroon was studied, and it was determined that East and West Pygmies have different growth patterns, which is something that was not previously considered. This data provides new information as to how people around the world evolved to have similar and different statures, and how these developments are beneficial to survival in that region.

From the US

Beneath a church in Jamestown, Virginia, the first colonial settlement in the United States, the bodies of some of the founders of this settlement were found. Although the skeletons were not well-preserved, they were able to be identified as an explorer, a nobleman, a soldier, and a chaplain. Archeologists have been working on excavating the graves since 2013.

From Iran

Although many may not see Iran as a very progressive country, Nina Ansary, an Iranian scholar, recently released a book called “Jewels of Allah: The Untold Story of Women in Iran” that hopes to highlight Iran’s burgeoning feminist movement, as well as feminist idols of the past. Women like Shahla Sherkat (pictured), who founded a magazine that provided coverage of women’s rights in Iran that mainstream media ignored, are highlighted, showing the Western world a different image of Iranian women.

From Jordan

Lara Abdallat, former beauty pageant winner, has left her pageantry days behind her to work as a hacktivist with Ghost Security, an international counterterrorism group, fighting the Islamic State with technology. Since many believe the Islamic State is using the Darknet and Deepweb to recruit and conduct business, Abdallat and Ghost Security are playing a vital role in freeing the world from the threat of terrorist groups.

Maria is a 20-year-old student at New York University majoring in neural science and minoring in chemistry and child and adolescent mental studies. Although she has lived in the United States her whole life, Maria’s family is from Croatia, and she speaks both English and Croatian fluently.

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