In The News

China to Build Naval Hub in Djibouti

Jeremy Page and Gordon Lubold November 30, 2015
Djibouti, a former French colony, is a small economy that borders Yemen and Somalia, now described as stable. China is building its first naval installation in the former French economy, which will join “a U.S. military base that supports counterterrorism operations in the Horn of Africa and antipiracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden,” report Jeremy Page and Gordon Lubold for the Wall Street Journal...

How the One-Child Policy Changed China

Aileen Clarke November 30, 2015
Before China imposed its one-child policy, Mao Zedong banned contraception and encouraged reproduction. “China’s food supply was strained and the government reversed the campaign against contraceptives,” writes Aileen Clarke for National Geographic. “From 1959 to 1961, the Great Chinese Famine killed an estimated 15 to 30 million people.” The country backtracked. The one-child policy eventually...

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...

ISIS Rampage: A Threat to Cultural Heritage That Belongs to All

James Cuno November 26, 2015
The self-proclaimed Islamic State is ruthless in imposing its version of Islam on others. The rigid beliefs cannot withstand the joys of the modern world or a cultural heritage and ancient history that is a connecting force for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. ISIS contends the world is borderless and belongs to Allah – and claim their leaders alone interpret Allah’s wishes. “This complicates the...

Why Would Turkey Shoot Down a Russian Plane?

Greg Myre November 25, 2015
Turkey warned and then shot down a Russian fighter plane over its territory, and Russia has announced plans to send anti-aircraft missiles to the region. Both nations are intervening in the Syrian civil war, an escalating conflict that has dislocated millions. Russia supports the Assad regime; Turkey, a NATO member, opposes the dictator. The “episode illustrates why it's so hard to get all...

Why a Climate Change Deal Is the Best Hope for Peace

Jason Box and Naomi Klein November 25, 2015
A deal on climate change is a global priority after the terrorist attacks in Paris, argue climatologist Jason Box and author Naomi Klein. Their essay for the New Yorker points out that severe drought instigated a mass migration within Syria from rural areas to cities, contributing to discontent. Conflict in the Middle East should inspire “an urgent push to lower emissions as rapidly and deeply as...