by Bernd Debusmann | 5 Dec 2019 | Decoders, Politics
Nations defend themselves with armed forces. But the military alone cannot solve today’s crises. Diplomats and “soft power” are needed. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, right, arrives to testify in Congress, Washington, DC, 15...
by Claire Wang | 28 Nov 2019 | Contest winners, Economy, Europe, France, Politics, School Year Abroad, Student Posts, Youth Voices
I thought yellow vest protesters in France were a uniform group of angry radicals. But I talked to citizens and discovered it’s much more complicated. A newspaper stand burned down by protesters in France (photo by Claire Wang) This piece tied for first prize in...
by Tom Heneghan | 5 Nov 2019 | Europe, History, Politics
Ever wonder what journalists think when they cover a major event? Tom Heneghan was there when the Berlin Wall fell — a true turning point in history. East Berlin Mayor Erhard Krack (with microphone) and West Berlin Mayor Walter Momper speak to a crowd gathered...
by Ben Barber | 27 Sep 2019 | Americas, Asia, Economy, Middle East, Nationalism
When the Cold War ended, many thought international relations had entered a new era. Now, resurgent nationalism is fanning old animosities. Indian Hindu nationalists at a training camp in Ahmadabad, India, 1 June 2019 (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) After the collapse of the...
by Julian Nundy | 24 Sep 2019 | Europe, Politics, Ukraine
Ukraine and Russia have swapped prisoners, to the chagrin of investigators exploring the downing of a passenger jet. But will the swap promote peace? Ukrainians protest against the release of Volodymyr Tsemakh, a possible witness to the downing of the MH17 Malaysia...
by Colin McIntyre | 7 Aug 2019 | Europe, Nationalism, Spain
The UK will leave Europe no matter what, says new British PM Boris Johnson. But his hard-line Brexit stance is exposing cracks within the UK itself. A Stop Brexit campaigner protests in London, 1 August 2019 (EPA-EFE/Andy Rain) Can the United Kingdom leave the...
by Miki Yang | 1 Aug 2019 | Africa, Miss Porter's School, Nationalism, Student Posts
Secessionist Biafra lost a war that divided Nigeria. But songs aimed at motivating troops in a lost cause have given the Igbo group a lasting heritage. Biafran army volunteers train with rifle-sized sticks, Owerri, Nigeria, 1 August 1968 (AP Photo/Kurt Strumpf) Songs...
by Charles Aldinger | 17 Jun 2019 | History, Politics, World
The U.S. has pulled out of a major arms control treaty amid tensions between Washington and Moscow. Weapons treaties are out of favor — but they matter. When U.S and Russian warships nearly collided in the Philippine Sea recently, the world received a stark...
by David Schlesinger | 7 Jun 2019 | Asia, China, Nationalism, Personal Reflections
It’s been 30 years since China’s army crushed protests in Tiananmen Square. Can Beijing come to terms with its past without remembering? A man tries to pull a Chinese soldier away from his comrades as citizens confront troops heading to Tiananmen Square,...
by Deborah Charles | 28 May 2019 | Decoders, Government, United States
U.S. President Donald Trump calls it the “I-word”. It has lawmakers in Washington in a quandry. So what is impeachment and how does it work? Depiction of the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson in 1868 (Harper’s Weekly, Wikimedia Commons)...