In The News

The World Reacts to Candidate’s Proposed Ban on Muslims Entering US

Annie Gowen December 8, 2015
The leading Republican candidate for US president handed the Islamic State terrorists a new recruiting message by proposing a ban on Muslims entering the United States. Other candidates, both Democrats and Republicans, swiftly condemned the proposal as “unhinged” and “unconstitutional.” The billionaire, a former reality television star known for extemporaneous and shocking comments, called for “a...

Laser Beams Aimed at Aircraft at Atsugi Base

December 7, 2015
Laser pointers, a tool for business, are being used as a weapon. Pilots have filed reports about laser lights targeting their plans while flying over Europe, Japan and the United States. The light can flood cockpits, causing distraction and momentary vision problems. “Laserlike beams, possibly from pointers, have targeted U.S. military and Maritime Self-Defense Force aircraft at least 70 times...

San Bernardino Redefines Obama's Remaining Time in Office

Susan Page December 7, 2015
US President Barack Obama entered office charged with ending war in Iraq. His final year in office will center on defeating Islamic State extremists that have emerged amid power vacuums in the same region, in the wake of civil war leaving 200,000 dead in Syria and millions displaced. The new push on terrorism comes as the Islamic State uses social media to incite sympathizers in launching attacks...

The Globalization of America’s Colleges

Laura McKenna November 27, 2015
The number of international students attending US colleges approached 1 million for the 2014-15 academic year. Such students represent 5 percent of the college population. Top states are California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, and Illinois. Colleges with more than 11 percent international students include New York University, University of Southern California, Columbia University, Arizona...

Iran Unveils Western Art Largely Unseen Since 1979

Kia Makarechi November 26, 2015
An exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art features works by some of the great names in modern art. The works were acquired by Farah Diba Pahlavi, whose husband was deposed as Iran’s leader in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Works by Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock serve as context for a collection by Farideh Lashai, an Iranian artist who died in 2013, explains Kia Makarechi for Vanity...

Shutting Out Refugees Puts the US on Wrong Side

November 17, 2015
Governors throughout the United States offer panicked proposals after the terrorist attacks in Paris that killed more than 125. Most of the attackers were French citizens; one carried a passport, suggesting he had entered Europe as a refugee. Some governors reject a US federal government plan to accept thousands of refugees fleeing the civil war in Syria. Fear is natural, explains an editorial in...

The US and Russia Face to Face as Ice Curtain Melts

Humphrey Hawksley November 5, 2015
The US defense budget for 2014 is more than double that of Russia and China’s combined. Measuring naval strength is trickier as comparisons of hulls or personnel matter less than surveillance and sophisticated weaponry and vessels like ice-cutters. As climate change melts sea ice, countries eye the Arctic for natural resources and trade routes, reassessing naval positions. Journalist Humphrey...