In The News

From the Unipolar Moment to a Multiplex World

Amitav Acharya July 3, 2014
The speed of communications, travel and globalization in general has transformed international relations. World order is no longer unipolar or multipolar; it is more like a multiplex theater than a chessboard, argues Amitav Acharya, in an article based on his new book, “The End of American World Order.” The professor of international relations at American University in Washington writes: “A...

Protesters Turn Back Busloads of Immigrants in California

Ricardo Cano July 2, 2014
An ugly welcome was waiting for detained immigrants as about 100 protesters, waving US flags, blocked three buses from entering a California processing center, reports Ricardo Cano for the Desert Sun. The United States confronts a humanitarian and immigration crisis as thousands of unaccompanied children from Central America cross the border, crowding detention centers and straining government...

South China Sea Dispute Reaches United Nations

Lauren Butowsky June 30, 2014
Both China and Vietnam have filed appeals with the United Nations over territorial claims to the Paracel Islands after China placed huge drilling rig in the area. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea gives countries exclusive economic use 200 miles offshore and the Chinese rig is 120 nautical miles away from Vietnam. The Chinese government claims control over the islets after a military...

China Backs Argentina's Position on Falkland Islands

Fiona Govan June 27, 2014
China has proposed a short-term solution of “dialogue” for the territorial fight between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falkland Islands, or the Malvinas as they are known in Spanish. Britain refuses to discuss the matter with Argentina. “In a referendum held in March 2012, 99.8 per cent of the islanders voted in favour of remaining a British Oversees territory,” reports the Telegraph...

The Palestinian National Reconciliation: Regional and International Implications

Fadi Elhusseini June 26, 2014
After seven years, fragmented Palestine has come together to form a unity government that has implications for the entire Middle East. Unrest and conflict throughout the Middle East prompted compromise, suggests Fadi Elhusseini in the Middle East Monitor. “Developments in Syria and its repercussions in Lebanon have also prompted the Palestinian factions to reconsider their domestic policies.” He...

Implications of Modi’s Victory for Indo-Sri Lanka Relations

Rajiv Kumar June 25, 2014
The decisive win of Narendra Modi as prime minister of India and a hands-on approach to foreign policy may prove a boon to India’s neighbors, suggests economist Rajiv Kumar in Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror. India showed little interest in the affairs of the surrounding nations in the past, Kumar contends. Strong factions within the country and conflicting interests prevented a solid, unified approach...

As Conflict Grows in Middle East, US-Saudi Gulf Widens

Fahad Nazer June 24, 2014
The 2003 invasion of Iraq and the Arab Spring events have reconfigured the Middle East in fundamental ways. Civil war in Syria spills into Iraq, extremism spreads in northern Africa, and brakes are applied to fledgling democracy in Egypt. The United States and Saudi Arabia, longtime allies, are divided over how to handle unfolding disaster, argues Fahad Nazer: Saudi Arabia, preferring stability...