A woman looks at ribbons hanging from a military barbed wire fence calling for peace and reunification at the Imjingak peace park in the border city of Paju near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas

Planning for Korean Reunification

SEOUL – The long-simmering North Korean nuclear crisis has reached a near boiling point. Last month, the Hermit Kingdom launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting major US cities. The United Nations Security Council responded with a unanimous vote to impose new economic sanctions on the country – the most stringent yet – which would cut at least one third of its annual export revenue.

19 August 2017
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We Weep for You, Venezuela

BOGOTÁ – Until recently, Venezuela – the birthplace of the “Liberator” Simón Bolívar – was a free and rather wealthy country, boasting the world’s largest proven oil reserves and a marvelous people. It attracted millions of Colombian migrants seeking to escape the violence of the war against the guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

19 August 2017
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An Indian man walks over the parched bed of a reservoir on the outskirts of Chennai on 17 May 2017

Weathering the Violence of Climate Change

SANTA MONICA - With India experiencing its worst drought in 140 years, Indian farmers have taken to the streets. At a protest in Madhya Pradesh this summer, police opened fire on farmers demanding debt relief and better crop prices, killing five. In Tamil Nadu, angry growers have held similar protests, and lit candles in remembrance of those killed.

15 August 2017
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China’s “Double-Freeze” Con

CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA – North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un says the United States will pay a “thousand-fold for all the heinous crimes” it has committed against his country. US President Donald Trump warns that North Korea will experience “fire and fury like the world has never seen.” Kim threatens to fire four missiles at the US territory of Guam.

15 August 2017
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Can South Korea Save the Day?

CAMBRIDGE – As North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump’s war of words escalates, Independence Day celebrations – commemorating the Korean Peninsula’s 1945 liberation from Japanese colonial rule – are unfolding in both North and South Korea.

15 August 2017
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un delivering a statement in Pyongyang as regards to a speech made by the president of the United States of America at the United Nations General Assembly

A Dangerous Game of Chicken

SEOUL – So far, the war between US President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un over the latter’s nuclear program has been fought only in words.

15 August 2017
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro addresses the all-powerful pro-Maduro assembly which has been placed over the National Assembly and tasked with rewriting the constitution in Caracas on 10 August, 2017

The World's Duty to Venezuela

PARIS - Venezuela, which sits atop the world's largest proven oil reserves, was once one of Latin America's most prosperous countries. Though it was hardly a paragon of democracy, it did make strides toward building solid institutions.Then, in 1999, the former tank commander Hugo Chávez came to power.

11 August 2017
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Making “Women’s Work” Count

ISTANBUL – Over the next few months, the 12,000 employees based at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California will complete their move to an extravagant new campus. The “spaceship,” covering 2.8 million square feet, includes a two-story yoga studio, running paths, and even revolutionary pizza boxes that keep slices crisp. One thing it does not have, however, is daycare.When it comes to ignoring the importance of childcare for working parents, Apple is far from unique.

9 August 2017
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Asia’s Evolving Security Order

SINGAPORE – During his visit to Huế, Vietnam’s former royal capital, earlier this year, Japanese Emperor Akihito and his entourage were reminded of their country’s longstanding cultural connections with Vietnam. In the eighth century, Phat Triet, a Cham Buddhist monk from what is now central Vietnam, traveled to Japan, where he helped to popularize Cham music and dance, which was later incorporated into the Japanese imperial court’s gagaku performances.

7 August 2017
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The Noose Tightens

WASHINGTON, DC – Even with a new minder trying to bring some order to the White House, President Donald Trump remains in a heap of trouble. The recent installation of retired general John Kelly, formerly Trump’s Secretary for Homeland Security, as Chief of Staff, replacing the hapless Reince Priebus, has reduced some of the internal chaos and induced a bit more discipline in Trump’s behavior.

5 August 2017
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ASEAN at 50

SINGAPORE – We live in troubled times, with pessimism clouding even the most prosperous parts of the planet. Many are convinced that the international order is falling apart. Some fear that a clash of civilizations is imminent, if it has not already begun.Yet, amid the gloom, Southeast Asia offers an unexpected glimmer of hope. The region has made extraordinary progress in recent decades, achieving a level of peace and prosperity that was previously unimaginable.

2 August 2017
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Recovery is Not Resolution

CAMBRIDGE – Earlier this year, the consensus view among economists was that the United States would outstrip its advanced-economy rivals. The expected US growth spurt would be driven by the economic stimulus package described in President Donald Trump’s election campaign.

2 August 2017
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