In The News

Nature’s Answer to Climate Risk

Maria Damanaki May 31, 2016
About half the world’s people live near coasts, and climate change is putting their livelihoods at risk. A risk assessment report from the World Economic Forum points to “failure to adapt to the effects of climate change as the single greatest risk, in terms of impact, to societies and economies around the world,” explains Maria Damanaki, global managing director for oceans at the Nature...

6 X-Factor Risks Keeping Fund Managers, Investors Up at Night

Marcus Padley May 27, 2016
Global fund managers responding to a monthly Bank of America Merrill Lynch survey identify and rank risks that could cause an abrupt and abnormal drop in global markets. Britain’s possible exit from the European Union tops the list for May. Second, an ongoing concern is the risk of devaluation and defaults in China. Another ongoing concern is quantitative failure, “that trillions of dollars...

An Alternative to Boycotts or Divestment for Israel

Ian Shapiro and Nicholas Strong May 26, 2016
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault invited international leaders to Paris on May 30 to make plans for reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Peace and economic security go hand in hand. Israel is thriving despite boycotts by some European countries while the economic outlook is dismal for Gaza and the West Bank. “There is little evidence that boycotting Israel will have a...

With Eye on China, Obama Strengthens Ties With Vietnam

Murray Hiebert May 24, 2016
The United States and Vietnam are rapidly building a partnership based on trade and security agreements. US President Obama visited Vietnam on his way to the G7 meeting in Japan. During the visit, Obama lifted a ban on the sale of weapons to the country of 90 million and Vietnam will welcome US Peace Corps volunteers who teach English. Vietnam values the relationship more for trade than security...

In Historic Move, US Lifts Embargo on Arms Sales to Vietnam

David Nakamura May 23, 2016
US President Barack Obama’s visit to Vietnam, and lifting an arms embargo, underscores growing cooperation between the two countries that were at war just over four decades ago. David Nakamura reports for the Washington Post: “Obama said the latest step ‘was not based on China or any other considerations. It was based on our desire to complete what has been a lengthy process of moving towards...

US Targets Spying Threat on Campus With Proposed Research Clampdown

Julia Edwards May 23, 2016
The US State Department has proposed barring international students from research projects and classes involving “information seen as vital to national security,” reports Julia Edwards for Reuters. “The new rule, which largely applies to company-sponsored research, threatens to shrink the pool of research opportunities available for US colleges, which have grown strongly in popularity among high-...

The Great Wall of Sand

Jonathan Fenby May 20, 2016
The United States challenges China’s broad claims to the South China Sea and the buildup of small islands claimed by other nations. Each country dispatches military vessels to the area, and exchanges between crews could be cast as friendly or taunting. “The friendly conversation obscured a chilling fact: that these were crews of ships from two nations which, in some scenarios, are heading for an...