by Ben Barber | 2 Apr 2025 | Decoder Replay, History, Politics, United States
Donald Trump commands some 200,000 U.S. troops in more than 125 military bases in 149 countries. Why are they there in the first place? U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth salutes U.S. troops at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Philippines, 28 March 2025. (AP...
by Ben Barber | 9 Apr 2021 | Asia, Decoders, Politics
The U.S. wants to end its longest war and withdraw from Afghanistan—called by some the graveyard of empires. But a May 1 deadline looks uncertain. U.S. military carry the casket of a soldier killed in Afghanistan, Dover, Delaware, 12 June 2017. (EPA-EFE/SCOTT SERIO)...
by Ben Barber | 8 Feb 2021 | Asia, Health and Wellness
Sprawling and populous, India presents unique healthcare challenges. Its vast COVID-19 vaccination program offers an example to even rich nations. A hospital staff member receives a COVID-19 vaccine in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, 16 January 2021. (AP Photo/...
by Ben Barber | 27 Aug 2020 | Health and Wellness
Many Americans say they will not get inoculated if a vaccine against COVID-19 is discovered. Such distrust in science is nothing new. Russian scientists are working on a new vaccine, as shown in this photo taken in Moscow, 6 August 2020. (Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr/...
by Ben Barber | 19 Jun 2020 | China, Decoders, Economy
It’s one of world’s biggest infrastructure projects ever. Here’s how China plans to rebuild the ancient Silk Road — and how it could reshape the globe. Flush with cash from its exports of everything from electronics to furniture to Europe, the...