In The News

USA Today: Pressure on Pakistan Is Test of New US Strategy to End War in Afghanistan

Jim Michaels January 5, 2018
The war in Afghanistan has been fought for more than 16 years by three US presidential administrations. The Trump administration is trying a new strategy that involves less reliance on neighboring Pakistan, and the United States has announced suspension of security assistance and military aid to that country. The administration also added Pakistan to a watch list of countries that violate...

Caixin: China’s Ban on Plastic Waste Imports to Choke World?

Yang Rui January 4, 2018
Discarded plastic for recycling is a major export for many nations. China was the largest importer of such waste, but that ends with a ban imposed on such imports as of 1 January. Yang Rui reports for Caixin: China “imported 7.3 million metric tons (8 tons) of plastic waste in 2016 mainly from Europe, Japan and the United States, worth billions of dollars. The country’s hunger for plastic has...

CNET: Details on Big Chip Flaws Spectre and Meltdown

Laura Hautala January 4, 2018
Silicon processing chips are reported to have security flaws known as Spectre and Meltdown that could expose computer to hacking attacks. Skilled hackers could view passwords, encryption keys and other secret data on those chips. “To make computer processes run faster, a chip will essentially guess what information the computer needs to perform its next function,” explains Laura Hautala for CNET...

The Times of Israel: Trump’s Mideast Policy – Diplomatic Darwinism

Raphael Ahren January 3, 2018
Showing no reticence on commenting about volatile regions or upending longstanding US policies, President Donald Trump started the year relaying a string of opinions over Twitter. “In under 100 words, he questioned America’s longstanding financial support for the Palestinian Authority, contradicted his own position on Jerusalem, and indicated that Israel would have to ‘pay’ in future peace...

Wired: Big Brother Meets Big Data as China Rates Citizens

Rachel Botsman January 3, 2018
Trust is in the eye the beholder, and the friend who speaks the truth is better than the one who tells others what they want to hear. China is developing a Social Credit System to evaluate citizens and assign trust scores, explains Rachel Botsam. An excerpt from her book was published by Wired. Of course, the system has many critics who compare the system to George Orwell’s novel 1984. “For now,...

The Times of India: Virulent Symptoms of Global Inequality Need Concerted Global Response

Nayan Chanda January 2, 2018
The uncertainty of a topsy-turvy world has many implications for global security and the global economy. Turkey is backing away from the United States and working with Russia on Syria; Saudi Arabia has turned on neighbor Qatar; Australia, wondering about US dependability, works with China; Russia supported a social media campaign that influenced the US presidential election; and in the United...

Reuters: What Has Brought Iranian Protesters to the Streets?

Bozorgmehr Sharafedin January 1, 2018
Tens of thousands of people in Iran are protesting the government’s economic policies with at least 12 deaths reported. The protests lack centralized leadership and in general demand greater government focus on domestic issues rather than costly interventions in Syria, Yemen or Iraq. “Iranians vented their anger over a sharp increase in prices of basic items like eggs, and a government proposal...