In The News

Submarine Sanctuary: Why China Is Determined to Establish Dominance Over South China Sea

Nayan Chanda September 29, 2016
China is expanding reefs and rocks in the South China Sea and installing military equipment. “Establishing dominance of the semi-closed South China Sea is but the first essential step in achieving China’s blue water ambitions, which Washington is unlikely to support,” explains Nayan Chanda, founding editor of YaleGlobal Online, in his column for Times of India. He adds that Beijing expects other...

US Presidential Debate Stirs Worries in Asia

September 27, 2016
The outcome of the US presidential election could shift global fortunes, and the first debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump revealed sharp contrasts. “Mr. Trump has drawn attention for challenges to the Asia security and trade architecture that has girded U.S. alliances with Australia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines for decades and more recently acted as a hedge against China’s...

The Growing Gap Between Town and Country

Ronald Brownstein September 26, 2016
The industrialized world is experiencing a growing divide between “diverse global cities” and the rural “places that feel left behind,” according to Ronald Brownstein of the Atlantic. Sadiq Khan, mayor of London and the first Muslim mayor of a major Western city, pointed this out during a visit to Chicago. Alongside Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Khan celebrated immigrants and increased opportunity...

US Cities Reconsider LED Streetlights After AMA Warning

Alyssa Navarro September 26, 2016
LED lights have captured a greater share of the global market each year as Europe, the United States, India and China enact policies encouraging energy conservation. The light-emitting diode, invented in the early 1960s, sends an electric current through a semiconductor device. LEDs are about seven times more energy efficient than conventional lights and last 25 times longer, while cutting energy...

North-South Divide in Nigeria Is Hiding a Humanitarian Crisis

Emmanuel Akinwotu September 21, 2016
Boko Haram has terrorized northeastern Nigeria for seven years, leaving almost 2 million people displaced and many communities impoverished. The country of 180 million is ethnically diverse. The humanitarian crisis that also stretches into Chad, Niger and Cameroon has prompted outrage around the globe. The crisis is less urgent for journalists and government leaders of Nigeria, largely based in...

Question Mark Over TPP

Nayan Chanda September 14, 2016
The outlook for the Tans-Pacific Partnership appears bleak with only a few months remaining for the Obama administration. Trade has been vilified in the US presidential campaign. “Given the lofty rhetoric and expectations surrounding the 12-nation trade pact, its increasingly perilous path to fruition is already causing damage to US standing in Asia and opening the door further for China’s...

Brexit Vote Revives Dream of EU Army

Jonathan Marcus September 9, 2016
The United Kingdom spends more on defense than any other country in Europe, including Russia, reports Global Firepower. As the United Kingdom prepares to leave the European Union, the regional bloc considers defense development. “The UK – by far the most capable European military player, along with France – has always been a brake on such an idea, fearing unnecessary duplication with Nato,”...