Most Popular

Context: Recognizing Jerusalem as Capital of Israel

December 5, 2017
Protests erupted throughout the Muslim world in response to Donald Trump’s announcement on US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. “Over the course of a seven-decade alliance with the United States, Saudi Arabia has consistently emphasized one foreign-policy goal – resolution of the...

Trump’s National Security Strategy: We Will Compete

January 2, 2018
As mandated by the Congress, the Trump administration has unveiled its National Security Strategy, and promises to advance US influence in the world and put “America First.” The strategy released in mid-December reaffirms longstanding US perspectives, but also describes a dark and hyper-competitive...

Online Terrorists Prey on the Vulnerable

March 5, 2008
Terrorists rely on state-of-the-art techniques from the advertising industry to attract suicide bombers. Rather than broadcast, or use one big message to attract a huge audience, the extremists “narrowcast,” targeting small groups with specific messages that exploit their vulnerabilities. The...

A Muslim Woman, a Story of Sex

June 22, 2005
The Almond, the first novel of North African writer Nedjma, has attracted media and critical attention ever since its publication in France last year. The novel is a study of sex – a topic very much off-limits to authors in traditional Arab societies, let alone the women who live within the...

Publish and Perish in Hong Kong

January 28, 2016
The odd disappearance of five staff members of a Hong Kong book publisher raises questions about China’s commitment to the “one country, two systems” arrangement with Hong Kong. One man was taken from Thailand, another from Hong Kong and three detained in China. Two are foreign nationals, and no...

China Discovers World Expo Is No Olympics

August 17, 2010
After the dazzling 2008 Olympics, China had hoped to draw attention once again with the World Expo, exceeding previous World’s Fair records with visiting nations, exhibitions and attendance. But even before the Expo, Shanghai and many other cities around the globe already carry significant...

India’s Agriculture on the Brink

March 27, 2013
Sound food policy should be a priority for India, on track for the world’s largest population by 2025. India has also achieved status as a major food exporter with rice, wheat and buffalo beef. Indian policies emphasize minimum support prices for farmers and subsidized crops for the poor, but...

Do Saudi Arabia, Russia Target US Shale Industry?

March 19, 2020
COVID-19’s wave of infections has numbed the global economy, stopping transport and face-to-face trade in Asia, Europe and the Americas. This pandemic, combined with OPEC and non-OPEC nations failing to reach agreement on oil-production limits, has created a massive oil glut. OPEC and a group of...
More..