In The News

The Credit Bubble, the Bears and the Central Bankers

Gillian Tett October 2, 2015
Emerging markets are following the pattern of developed economies with stagnant growth. Attempts to stimulate economies may lead to another credit bubble, notes Gillian Tett, adding that “the way that financial flows operate today in, say, Shanghai is almost as mysterious for investors as subprime mortgages were in California a decade ago, and just as dangerously contagious.” Between 2004 and...

Carter Says Russian Airstrikes in Syria Didn't Target ISIS

Richard Sisk October 1, 2015
Efforts by major powers and advanced militaries to control extremism have faltered before – Russia in Afghanistan in the 1980s, the United States after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Americans and Russians alike resent high-cost interventions that result in horrific casualty counts and demonstrate little progress. Some critics would prefer that the international onlookers choose sides and pass out...

Pakistan Keen to Keep Ties with Iran and Saudi Arabia

Debalina Ghoshal October 1, 2015
Diplomacy in Asia is complicated by religious conflict and sets of regional rivalries including Iran and Saudi Arabia, along with Pakistan and India. A deal on Iran’s nuclear program negotiated by the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, could test strategic relations in Asia and trigger a series of recalculations. In particular, strengthening Indian-Iranian ties could fray...

How Much Damage Can the US Office of Personnel Management Hackers Do With Millions of Fingerprints?

Dustin Volz September 30, 2015
Hackers stole personal data for 21 million government workers stored by the US Office of Personnel Management, including more than 5 million sets of fingerprints, according to most recent reports. Industries and governments increasingly rely on fingerprint technology for securing access to computers or laboratories or other structures, and the theft disrupts expansion plans. “Part of the worry,...

NASA’s Discovery: Why Finding Water on Mars Matters

Prakash Chandra September 30, 2015
Science, literature and art stir the imagination and, in turn, innovation. Water still flows on Mars with seasonal patterns, reports the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration: “Nasa’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter identified waterlogged salt molecules in the long ‘streaks’ seen flowing downhill on Mars,” reports Prakash Chandra for the Hindustan Times. “The presence of so much water (...

Obama, Putin Need Steady Nerves and Stout Hearts in Syria

M.K. Bhadrakumar September 30, 2015
Conflict, extremism and a refugee crisis in the Middle East, spurred by autocratic governance and glaring inequalities, challenge the international community. Leaders of the United States, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia are committed to removing the scourge of Islamic State terrorists, but do not agree on a role for the Assad regime: Russia and Iran support the dictator and functioning...

Xi-Obama Summit: Bridging the Trust Deficit in US-China Ties?

Robert A. Manning September 29, 2015
China and the United States disagree on many issues – including claims for the South China Sea, intellectual property protections, open access to the internet and free speech. Leaders of the world’s two largest economies also have reason to cooperate on global initiatives. Xi Jinping, China’s president and general secretary of the Communist Party, visited the United States, meeting US President...