In The News

Obama's Pivot to Asia Is Working

Doyle McManus June 3, 2016
The Obama administration’s pivot to Asia, starting in 2011, has drawn both criticism and praise. Doyle McManus argues the pivot is working well. “Almost every country in the region is clamoring for a closer relationship with the United States,” he writes. “The United States does have one asymmetric advantage of its own: its ability to forge stronger alliances with China’s worried neighbors.” The...

For the US, Sailing Around the South China Sea Is Not Strategy

Harry J. Kazianis June 2, 2016
China is intent on dominating the entire South China Sea, including sections claimed by neighboring nations like the Philippines and Vietnam. The coercion has caught the United States off guard. Using tracking systems and military installations, “China has set the stage to turn areas around its near seas … into what some are calling a ‘no-man's land’ for US naval vessels and aircraft,”...

Migrants Feared Dead in Mediterranean Sinkings

Patrick Kingsley June 2, 2016
More than 13,000 people crossed the Mediterranean, leaving Libya for Italy during the third week of May. At least 800 have died with the sinking of three vessels, reports the UN refugee agency. “The full details of the disasters emerged slowly because of the chaotic nature of the situation,” reports Patrick Kingsley for the Guardian. “The disasters show that despite attempts to crackdown on...

Official Religious Orthodoxy Driving Malaysia to Extremes

The Asia Sentinel, June 2, 2016
Malaysia has been credited for moderation and quick response on any connected with the Islamic State or Al Qaeda, “Yet even some Islamic scholars are now accusing the government itself of fostering extremism through official actions,” notes the Asia Sentinel. Malaysia’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but Islam is the nation’s official religion. Salafist preachers dispatched and...

Pisa Tests to Include “Global Skills” and Cultural Awareness

Andreas Schleicher June 1, 2016
Cross-border transactions – knowing how to deal with people of other cultures in equitable, sustainable ways – contribute to prosperity and security. The Pisa tests from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development may add global skills to the tests in math, reading and science by 2018. Education can help “children develop a reliable compass, the navigation skills and the character...

Battle Lines Against American Tech Giants

Farhad Manjoo June 1, 2016
Technology, including smartphones controlled by US companies Apple and Google, allow instant global connections that thwart efforts in nations like France to protect film, music and other industries. Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft also develop tech products indispensable for businesses worldwide. The global reach of such companies is prompting local backlash and fragmentation. “European...

Nature’s Answer to Climate Risk

Maria Damanaki May 31, 2016
About half the world’s people live near coasts, and climate change is putting their livelihoods at risk. A risk assessment report from the World Economic Forum points to “failure to adapt to the effects of climate change as the single greatest risk, in terms of impact, to societies and economies around the world,” explains Maria Damanaki, global managing director for oceans at the Nature...