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Vietnam – Globalized Party-State

March 14, 2019
Vietnam emerged as a winner, benefiting from global media attention after a second summit between the leaders of North Korea and the United States ended in failure. “Vietnam has clawed its way toward more capitalism and a market system despite communist rule,” writes author Börje Ljunggren, former...

Saudi Arabia's Succession Plan Roils Middle East

June 29, 2017
Saudi Arabia – along with Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt – abruptly broke off diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, then followed that up with an ultimatum and a 10-day deadline to respond. The first of 13 unreasonable demands targets Iran, Saudi Arabia’s key rival in the region by urging Qatar to...

China’s Challenge to a US-Led World Order

March 26, 2019
The United States and the Soviet Union, convinced that their ideologies were incompatible, engaged in a Cold War during the latter part of the 20th century. Some suggest similar hostility emerges between the United States and a fast-rising China. “Chinese leaders repeatedly stress that China...

Gambling Dilemma: Rappler

August 28, 2019
The global gambling industry is worth about $500 billion, with online gaming on the rise. China has asked the Philippines to shut down its online gambling sites that target mainland Chinese players. The Philippines president is expected to support the POGOs – operations that hire Chinese speakers...

China to Hong Kong: You Can Vote, We Select the Candidates

September 11, 2014
After Beijing’s promise of universal suffrage for the 2017 election, Hong Kong, which was handed over to China by the British colonial ruler in 1997, had anticipated more democracy. But China dashed such hopes by announcing plans to pre-approve candidates for the election of a chief executive,...

Impossible Task: Sorting Economic and Political Refugees

October 19, 2017
As the globe’s population swells – from about 2 billion people a century ago to more than 7 billion today – migration numbers are on the rise, too, from 173 million in 2000 to about 250 million today. “International law and definitions have not kept pace,” argues Will Hickey, author and associate...

Environmental Contamination in Romania

July 31, 2018
The old saying “What goes around comes around” has applications for industrial waste. Companies may evade responsibility, but the consequences of contamination caused by waste linger for society. Raluca Besliu describes how a chemical plant in Turda, Romania, transformed over the course of the 20th...

India's Role in Climate Change

December 17, 2015
Global leaders attending COP21 in Paris have pledged to reduce carbon emissions – and now must follow through, convincing citizens and businesses at home to support tough policies that curb fossil-fuel production. The national commitments are voluntary. “After initially resisting Western pressure,...
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