In The News

Migrants' Bodies Pulled From Mediterranean

Ahmed Elumami and Marton Dunai August 31, 2015
Europe lacks coherent policies on the refugee crisis as thousands flee conflict in the Middle East and poverty in Africa. The desperate pay smugglers for transportation. The report from Reuters suggests that at least 2,500 died since January, but the numbers are likely much higher with more than 10 million displaced people in Syria and Iraq alone. “As bodies pile up, so does criticism of Europe...

Europe’s New Economic Divide

Chris Miller August 27, 2015
Europe still wrestles over how to resolve the debt crisis in Greece. The managing director of the International Monetary Fund warned this month that Greece’s debt remains unsustainable, and she urged the country’s European partners to prepare to provide significant relief. “Few voters anywhere in Europe are excited about bailing out Greece’s government,” writes Chris Miller, associate director of...

China’s Delusions of Regional Hegemony

Philip Bowring August 26, 2015
Rivalries in Asia could prevent the continent’s rise. Governments are nervous that cooperation with a rival extends too much control. Concern runs high about China’s power, and many “wonder if President Xi Jinping’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ infrastructure plan is driven more by China’s strategic ambitions than commercial logic,” writes journalist Philip Bowring for the Financial Times. Asians may...

Tension Highlights North Korea’s Limitations

Shim Jae Hoon August 25, 2015
North Korea is among the world’s most isolated nations. Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, the regime lashes out at South Korea, thriving just across the border. The most recent provocation: a landmine attack that wounded two South Korean border guards. Seoul responded by switching on loudspeakers along the 255-kilometer demarcation line, after their silence for more than a decade. Despite...

New Delhi’s Soft Power Push

Harsh V. Pant August 20, 2015
Harvard University’s Joseph Nye identified a centuries-old concept, “soft power,” in the late 1980s: the ability of countries to attract admiration and followers through culture and values rather than coercion, military or “hard power.” Countries want to be liked, increasingly investing in soft power. Portland, a communications and public relations firm, studied 50 nations and ranked the top 30...

Myanmar Ousts Rising Political Star

Bertil Lintner August 18, 2015
The West celebrated the promise of democratic reforms for Myanmar after a new government was installed in 2011. The military signaled its desire to restore relations with the West, ending crippling sanctions while reducing excessive reliance on neighboring China. Observers in the West had pointed to the speaker of the Lower House of Myanmar’s bicameral parliament as a “bridge” linking Myanmar’s...

War Actually Is an Alternative to Iran Deal

Philip Gordon August 14, 2015
The Obama administration, along with other nations, negotiated an agreement with Iran on halting its nuclear research program for a limited time and allowing inspections. Opponents urge rejection, suggesting a better agreement can be reached, with Iran capitulating to broader US demands. The opponents scoff at US President Barack Obama’s conclusion that the alternative is more war in the Middle...