In The News

China’s Non-Peaceful Rise Already in Play?

Harry J. Kazianis September 8, 2016
China is not content with being second place in economic or military prowess, and a divisive election in the United States may open a window of opportunity for Chinese moves toward hegemony, especially in the South China Sea, suggests Harry Kazianis, director of Defense Studies for the Center of the National Interest in Washington. News reports claimed that Beijing had dispatched vessels near...

Flooding of Coast, Caused by Global Warming, Has Already Begun

Justin Gillis September 6, 2016
Rising waters threaten communities along the eastern and southern coasts of the United States even without storms as warned by climate researchers. “The inundation of the coast has begun,” reports Justin Gillis for the New York Times. “The sea has crept up to the point that a high tide and a brisk wind are all it takes to send water pouring into streets and homes. Federal scientists have...

Arms Race Threatened on India-China Border

Neeta Lal September 5, 2016
India has deployed supersonic cruise missiles to Arunachal in the northeast, and China promised counter-measures. India developed the missiles with Russia. “The deployment of the cruise missiles is the latest in what is starting to look like an arms race between the two countries, which have endured numerous standoffs along the Line of Actual Control in recent years despite joint goodwill...

Yemen: The War Canada Can’t Afford to Ignore

Elizabeth Renzetti August 29, 2016
Yemen, a country of 25 million, has become a focal point for a proxy war between rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia. Elizabeth Renzetti, in her Globe and Mail column, urges countries to reconsider supplying arms used in a brutal conflict resulting in thousands of civilian casualties. The median age in Yemen is under 19. A ceasefire ended in August, and Médecins Sans Frontières and many journalists are...

Tough Question in Climate Change: Who Gets Saved?

Christopher Flavelle August 29, 2016
Governments preparing for climate change already assess which communities can be saved and which cannot. Christopher Flavelle compares Newtok and other remote communities in Alaska with Isle de Jean Charles in Louisiana, all trying to escape rising waters. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development ran a National Disaster Resilience Competition intended to raise awareness about climate...

Japan, China, South Korea Urge North Korea to Stop Provocation

Kiyoshi Takenaka and Xiao Yu August 25, 2016
Soon after North Korea fired a submarine-launched missile, foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea united in urging North Korea to stop its provocations. “A North Korean submarine fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday that flew about 500 km (300 miles) towards Japan, a show of improving technological capability for the isolated country that has conducted a nuclear test and as series of...

Modi Throws Down Gauntlet to Pakistan and China

Harsh V. Pant August 25, 2016
India and Pakistan have battled over territory since winning independence in 1947. Efforts by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ease tensions over the past two years have hit a wall as terrorism backed by Pakistan continues in Kashmir. Meanwhile, Pakistan tightens relations with China. Efforts for peace came to a standstill after Pakistan hailed Burhan Wani – a rebel commander who fought...