The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is an interim deal between Iran and the UN Security Council's permanent members (P5+1), namely China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America plus Germany, that requires Iran to lessen its uranium deposits and centrifuges. The agreement includes the assurance of lifting nuclear-related economic sanctions on Iran which will allow economic and social development in Iran and its neighboring countries. 

Prior to the agreement, Iran was isolated from international banking systems because its revenues from oil and other products were severely affected by its nuclear-related sanctions. The country’s economy was crippled by the UN Security Council sanctions as well as the economic and financial embargoes imposed on Iran's banks, insurance, investment, petrochemical, oil, gas, and automobile industries by the United States and the European Union. 

Because of these sanctions, the GDP of Iran significantly decreased which led to the increase in the prices of basic commodities and the loss of employment for many Iranians. However, through the new nuclear deal, it is predicted that Iran’s GDP may increase by up to 10 percent in the next few years which will snowball into creating better living conditions and opportunities for Iran and its citizens.

In terms of international relations, if Iran is able to live up to its end of the deal, then foreign investors may bring back their trust and confidence in the country. This would pave the way for more investments and business deals that will once again be advantageous to Iran’s economy. Also, without the sanctions, Iran will be more capable of funding its oil production. This would bring Iran back as a major player in the oil market as it is expected to produce 5 percent of the international daily output of oil.

The benefits of the JCPOA are also believed to affect other countries positively. The increased oil production of Iran will increase the supply in the market and lower retail prices for consumers. Moreover, with business flourishing in Iran, neighboring countries in the Middle East will also get international attention which may lead to a more positive international view of the Middle East as a whole.

People, especially Iranians, have high hopes for the JCPOA. Experts also think that if this deal proves to be successful in the future, it can be used as a framework for other countries that still have high nuclear deposits like North Korea.

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., more popularly known as Muhammad Ali, was one of the most iconic sports figures of his generation. The name Muhammad means “the one worthy of praise” while Ali is a name of an important figure in Shia view, a branch of Islam. People also call Muhammad Ali “the greatest,” “the people’s champion,” and “the Louisville lip.” 

He was a professional boxer whose influence extends beyond the ring. He first became interested in boxing when a police officer witnessed him get angered by a thief who was stealing his bicycle.He wanted to beat up the thief, but the police officer told him he needed to learn how to box first. 

Ali’s boxing style is characterized by his superior hand speed, excellent reflexes, jabs from unpredictable angles, strong footwork, and constant movement around the ring. As an amateur boxer, Ali’s boxing career took off in 1954. He bagged six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, two national Golden Gloves titles, and an Amateur Athletic Union national title. In 1960, he won the Light Weight gold medal in the Summer Olympics held in Rome. As a professional boxer, his career began to flourish in 1960 when he won the match against a professional boxer named Tunney Hunsaker. 

The boxing era during Ali’s time is often called the golden age of heavyweight boxing during which he defeated all top heavyweights. He was a three-time heavyweight champion. He received numerousacclamations from major sports magazines. He was also an International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee. On top of all these, a street was also named after him—the Muhammad Ali Boulevard in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Outside the ring, Ali was famous for his defiant stance against the Vietnam War. He cited that war is against the teachings of Quran. For this reason, he refused to serve in the army. His defiance to step forward during his induction into the Armed Forces in 1967 led to his arrest and his loss of his boxing license and title. Knowing what were at stake, Ali’s resistance became an inspiration to many African Americans including Martin Luther King, Jr.

On June 3, 2016, the world was saddened by the death of the great fighter Muhammad Ali. People from around the world mourned his death. American presidents, celebrities, other known American personalities, his Muslim brothers and sisters, and his fans paid their respects to the fallen American icon.

Permanent sterilization is one kind of contraception that involves surgical or other invasive procedures that would prevent individuals from having children. This procedure is available for men and women. For men, the procedure is called a vasectomy – a permanent form of contraception wherein the vas deferens aresevered or tied to prevent sperm cells from moving. For women, it is called tubal ligation – a procedure wherein the fallopian tubes are clamped, tied, or cut to prevent eggs from reaching the uterus for fertilization.

This kind of contraception is not widely accepted by society because of identified pros and cons. It is even surrounded by controversy because some people consider it immoral and unacceptable. They have identified several points that explain why they are against permanent sterilization. Some of them are as follows:

First of all, permanent sterilization completely takes away the body’s ability to reproduce. It can be irreversible, so there can be no way for people to change their minds when the procedure is done. It is such a big commitment that one should not decide to undertake in his or her lifetime.

Second, it is an invasive procedure that destroys a part of the body that is functioning properly. It is irrational and immoral to remove a perfectly functional body part just to prevent it from continuing to perform its purpose. 

Third, it affects people’s self-esteem and confidence because the procedure takes away something that physically defines masculinity and femininity. Being sterile may pose risks of depression and other undesirable psychological problems in the long run.

On the other hand, supporters of permanent sterilization rebut the statements mentioned by opponents by identifying some of its positive points and advantages. For these supporters, permanent sterilization is moral, acceptable, and even recommended.

First, choosing to undergo permanent sterilization is a decision made by an individual. It is a contraceptive method chosen from many other options, so that decision should be respected. Besides, people will always have different preferences and inclinations.

Second, permanent sterilization is a one-time procedure that requires minimal time and effort. It is a procedure that has to be done in one day, and its effectiveness is guaranteed to last a lifetime. It is a smart and practical choice to make, especially for those who are sure that they no longer want to have children.

Lastly, permanent sterilization makes people more secured and comfortable because they won’t be worried about unexpected pregnancies. Compared to other forms of contraception, permanent sterilization is the most effective one.

Lastly, marriage provides security and empowers couples. A relationship that is recognized by the law guarantees a lot of benefits. For instance, a partner can make decisions on behalf of the other partner on issues including health care and finances. On the contrary, single people who do not have significant others do not have anyone to depend on in times of dire need.

The Academy Awards has been around since 1929 when it was first held in a private dinner function with 270 attendees. Since then, it has had its moments of glamor and controversy. Amidst the glamorand excitement that surrounds the atmosphere on every Academy Awards night, it has seemed like there is always a catch. Every awards night has become a night where the media watch out for the announcement of the winners, their acceptance speeches, and yes, even the best and the worst dressed celebrities. 

There were rare instances when nominees opted to boycott the event. Some even refused to accept their awards due to various reasons such as discrimination and bias. This 2016, the most recent blow that the Oscars has suffered is the accusation of lack of diversity which is nothing new. Around the time that the nominees were released, African-American actress Jada Pinkett Smith was one of the first celebrities to take note that no African-Americans were nominated this 2016. She further criticized the lack of diversity in the acting category. This year’s event was given an alternative title, “#OscarsSoWhite.” 

Adding more insult to injury, African-American comedian Chris Rock hosted the awards night and confronted the diversity issue head on, promising that he would not shy away from the issue. Before the awards night, people were already on the edge of their seats, anxious to witness how Chris Rock would handle the longstanding issue of lack of diversity in the Academy nominations. He started the night with a feisty monologue that would forever be remembered. 

He mentioned some thought-provoking sentiments by asking rhetorical questions, while still managing to keep the audience entertained by his use of humorous metaphors in between. He also criticized other celebrities who asked him to boycott the event. However, he also made it clear that he understood why actresses like Jada boycotted the awards night. Over the years, he added, African-Americans had other more important protests than not getting nominated for an Oscar. 

In the end, he capped his monologue on a serious note that what African-Americans really want is to get more acting opportunities. His stand became clearer in his sentiment that Leonardo DiCaprio gets a great part every year, while African-American actors do not. However, some netizens criticized Chris Rock for only speaking in behalf of African-Americans while other races were not nominated as well. Nevertheless, many people thought that what he did was brave and brilliant.

I believe the current generation does not know the songs of Craig David, Lisa Loeb, and Alanis Morisette. There is also a big possibility that they would not recognize the titles, “No Scrubs” and “4 Seasons of Loneliness.” These are names of famous singers and songs of the 90s that prove that music of the 90s is better than the mainstream music of today. I strongly believe that 90s music is better than today’s music because of different reasons.

First of all, the 90s is the peak of contemporary RnB (rhythm and blues), a genre of music that is filled with profound lyrics and upbeat rhythms. It seems like a lot of thought was put into the creation of each 90s song, unlike many famous songs today that have senseless and repetitive lyrics. A good example is the difference between the old and new songs of Beyoncé. When she was still a part of the group Destiny’s Child, they released the songs, “Say My Name,” “Survivor,” and “Cater 2 U.” I find these songs inspiring, relevant, and cool. As a solo artist, Beyoncé recently released the songs “Drunk in Love” and “7/11.” I think both of these songs have incomprehensible lyrics and very genericbeats. 

Second, 90s musicians seem to be more skillful and passionate about their craft as opposed to the artists of today. Take Stevie Wonder as an example. He is an exemplary musician who, despite being visually challenged, was still able to create quality songs. He became famous because of his amazing talents, unlike many artists today who are products of reality TV shows who sing using auto-tune devices.

There are a lot more reasons that prove that music of the 90s is better than the music of today. I think I will have this stance even if I wasn’t a child who grew up with 90s music. I do not take the side of 90s music as a 90s fanatic or a music enthusiast. I prefer music of the 90s over the music of today because I am a person who enjoys intellectual products of the entertainment industry. The music of the 90s is meaningful, classy, and heartfelt—qualities that the music of today does not possess.

Acting is a craft where people portray a character or tell a story by speaking, singing, and moving. It has two major kinds: stage acting and on-screen acting.

Stage acting includes the performances done by actors and actresses in front of a live audience as in musicals and stage plays. On-screen acting performances, on the other hand, are those that involve the use of cameras and other multimedia equipment during production. In this kind of acting, the performances maybe pre-recorded and edited before audiences can watch them in movie theaters or on their personal electronic devices.

Aside from the difference in the way audiences can view them, stage acting and on-screen acting still have other distinctdissimilarities.

One is the timeframe provided for each kind of acting. For stage acting, performers are often given ample time to rehearse for the role they are playing. They also have enough opportunities to bond with other cast members and the production crew. They are allowed to become very familiar with their roles and the people they work with before their actual performances. For on-screen acting, actors or actresses are often given very limited rehearsal time for a role or a scene. They may also move from one location to another, depending on what will best suit the storyline of their production. This means that on-screen performers also spend time on travelling and preparing for the next scene.

Another difference is the script used by performers in each kind of acting. For stage acting, actors and actresses may use materials that are made by renowned writers and playwrights like William Shakespeare and Wole Soyinka. Even though audiences come and watch a play for the first time, they may know what to expect in a production because they may have already come across the story sometime in the past.

In the case of on-screen acting, scripts for each film are produced for the first time. The performances of actors and actresses in a film or TV show cannot be compared with past performances because they may be totally different from one another. Enthusiasts say that on-screen performers have more liberty in acting than stage performers do because of the scripts being used.

There are still a lot of differences between these two kinds of acting. Each kind of acting has its own styles, special features, and challenges, but both of them fall under the same umbrella of the entertainment industry. Whichever is deemed more superior among the two would depend on the people’s tastes and preferences.

For the sixth time this year, Angela Merkel is named the World’s Most Powerful Woman by Forbes, an American business magazine that features articles on finance, industry, investment, and marketing topics. 

Before entering politics, Angela Merkel was a research scientist. Besides being a politician, she also has a doctorate in physical chemistry. Since 2005, she has been the Chancellor of Germany which, in German politics, is the counterpart of a prime minister. 

She is known for her economic and political accomplishments as a leader of the European Union. According to Forbes, the European Union still remains standing today because of her leadership. She guided Germany through a tough time of recession. Forbes also stated that Merkel’s latest decision to open Germany’s borders to over one million immigrants from Syria and other Muslim countries may be her boldest act. She is often compared to the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, also known as “The Iron Lady” because of their striking similarities, one of which is having a science degree. 

Second to the World’s Most Powerful Woman is none other than the famous Hillary Clinton of the United States. Forbes said that she could likely be the next World’s Most Powerful Woman if she wins the American presidency this November. 

Hillary Clinton has a long background in politics. She is possibly the most talked about female political figure in the United States with over a hundred books and scholarly works written about her. Many people refer to her as a “polarizing figure.” She was once the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. She was also the First Lady of Arkansas for twelve years. From 2001 to 2009, she was the junior U.S. Senator representing New York. 

Since early 2003, Hillary Clinton had been preparing for a potential candidacy for presidency. Her latest position was the 67th U.S. Secretary of State from 2009-2013. If she becomes the next U.S. President, she would be the first First Lady to become the President of the United States. Recently, the media considered her the presumptive nominee for earning enough pledged delegates and supportive superdelegates from several states. She is the first female presidential nominee of a major American political party.

Without or without the title of the World’s Most Powerful Woman, these political figures are a celebration of the fact that women’s roles continue to evolve and break away from patriarchal societies and societal norms. Clinton, Merkel, and other women out there have proven that politics is not exclusive to men. Most importantly, they open doors to a world where women become more and more empowered to lead people and make a change in the world.

New York City is the home of some of the world’s wealthiest people.In fact, it could rank as the 15th largest economy in the world, if it were an independent nation. However, poverty is also an ongoing problem in New York, as it is in any other state or nation. New York is a classic representation of a society that is divided by the rich and the poor. Nevertheless, New York can be considered a model society where the rich and the poor work together to eradicate poverty. 

The United Nations and participating nations are aware that the signing ceremony is just the beginning of a big battle against climate change. They say that achieving their ultimate goal may be quite an endeavor, but collective measures need to be done as quickly as possible for the sake of the Earth and mankind.