In The News

Tunisia Remains Arab Spring’s Lone Success Story

Chris Miller February 5, 2015
The wave of protests that swept through the Middle East in 2011, known as the Arab Spring, rocked governments and ended a handful of dictatorships. Citizens of those countries anticipated a new era in the region’s politics amid the power of activism. “All of the revolts of 2011, except for Tunisia’s, have ended in tragedy,” notes Chris Miller, PhD candidate at Yale University and research...

Earth's Dashboard Is Flashing Red – Are Enough People Listening?

Dennis Dimick February 4, 2015
The year 2014 was the warmest on record, and evidence that human activity contributes to climate change is overwhelming. A Pew Research Center survey suggests only half of Americans accept evidence that carbon trapped in the atmosphere is putting the planet under stress, writes Dennis Dimick for National Geographic: “We are burning record levels of coal, oil, and natural gas to fuel modern...

A Tipping Point for Japan’s Foreign Policy

David Pilling February 2, 2015
The Islamic State has posted a video showing the execution of journalist Kenji Goto, a fate shared by other foreign captives after governments refused to pay ransoms that would strengthen the extremist group. Many Japanese had hoped that the journalist might be included in a prisoner exchange negotiated by Jordan; the Islamic State limited its promise to sparing a captured Jordanian pilot’s life...

How US Policy Responses Are Helping, Hurting and Can Be Improved

Cristina Eguizábal, Karise M. Curtis, Matthew C. Ingram, Aaron Korthuis, Eric L. Olson and Nicholas Phillips January 30, 2015
The unprecedented number of migrants fleeing Central America’s so-called Northern Triangle – El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras – highlights regional challenges: unparalleled levels of organized crime, gang violence, and corruption – problems all fueling and being fueled by lack of economic opportunity. The public generally assumes that drug trafficking is behind the violence, but rampant...

As Yemen’s Government Falls, So May a US Strategy for Fighting Terror

Mark Thompson January 22, 2015
Any US effort to form ties in the Middle East is fraught with risk. The latest example is Yemen, whose president is a US ally in its efforts to subdue Islamic extremism. “Shiite Houthi rebels attacked the home of Yemen’s president as they rushed into the presidential palace in Sana’a, the Yemeni capital,” reported Mark Thompson for Time magazine. “Government officials said a coup against...

China and Japan Mending Frail Relationship One Step at a Time

Kristine Kwok January 21, 2015
Negotiating the politics of a shared history of war and territorial disputes is less easy than managing trade. China and Japan are each other’s second largest trade partner . Despite nationalistic fervor and intense mistrust in both nations, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met briefly in November during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, preceded by...

Charlie Hebdo Attack Spurs EU Anti-Terror Projects

January 20, 2015
The European Union seeks to partner with Muslim-majority nations on security and boost their Arabic language skills after the attacks in Paris. The plans – in response to attacks on newspaper offices and a Kosher grocery, both in Paris, leaving 17 dead – were announced after talks by 28 EU foreign ministers. Protest rallies condemning Charlie Hebdo cartoons were held in Chechnya, Palestine and...