In The News

A Strange American Election

Nayan Chanda October 10, 2016
The outcome of the US presidential race will influence world policies and markets, and the debates and many news reports command a global audience. Donald Trump, businessman and television celebrity, is running against Hillary Clinton, former US secretary of state and US senator. “Thanks to the unprecedented rise of an ignorant, blowhard reality TV star as one of the contestants, the world’s...

Why You Should Care About Yahoo Secretly Scanning Emails

Amelia Tait October 10, 2016
Many computer users shrugged upon hearing reports that Yahoo had developed software for the US government to scan users’ incoming emails. Yahoo’s security staff did not even know about the program. Anyone who relies on a computer should care about all data breaches, argues Amelia Tait for the New Statesman. Other tech companies could be secretly offering similar services. Former employees exposed...

Saudi Arabia and Terrorism Today

Daniel L. Byman October 7, 2016
US Congress overturned President Barack Obama’s veto of a bill that allows the families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia. Daniel L. Byman, a researcher at the Brookings Institution, provides historical background on Saudi Arabia’s complicated relationship to terrorism. He describes Saudi Arabia as a “vital counterterrorism partner” that has made progress in fighting terrorism and notes that...

Chinese Billionaire Makes Aggressive Moves in Hollywood

Ryan Faughnder and David Pierson October 5, 2016
The Dalian Wanda Group could be intent on learning the arts of soft power. After the Chinese conglomerate purchased a Hollywood production company and a large movie theater chain for a combined $6 billion, 16 members of US Congress urged the comptroller general to consider if new standards should be applied to similar foreign acquisitions. The September 15 letter raises the possibility of Chinese...

Asians Concerned by Extreme Comments of US Presidential Campaign

Satu Limaye and Robert Sutter October 4, 2016
US presidential candidates are promising new directions on trade relations with Asia. Varying levels of concern have emerged in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, suggests “America’s 2016 Election Debate on Asia Policy and Asian Reactions,” a report prepared by Robert Sutter and Satu Limaye for the East-West Center. The center promotes good relations and understanding between the United States...

Analysis: How the Colombian Peace Deal Fell Apart

Alan Gomez October 3, 2016
After years of civil war, amid sentiments that Colombian leaders failed in addressing rural concerns, a rebel movement emerged in 1964. “People around the world were stunned when Colombians voted down a peace deal that could have ended a 52-year battle between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC,” reports Alan Gomez for USA Today. “The main reservation...

Study: Decline of Traditional Media Feeds Polarization

Ricardo Gandour October 3, 2016
Most citizens have access to more community information than ever before, especially online. But the struggle of traditional news outlets, especially the community newspaper with declining budgets and staff members, contributes to fewer informed voters. “[P]eople today are exposed to news mixed with gossip, opinion, hot takes, and branded content, from a variety of sources but often through a...