After the Paris attacks, politicians are combative. But what if Islamic State’s goal was an escalation of conflict and Western boots on the ground? French President François Hollande declared the attacks in Paris an “act of war.” Angela Merkel...
It’s an age-old tactic, but experts say terrorist attacks have recently grown in breadth and intensity. Most recent attacks have occurred in five countries. Flowers at the scene of a shooting in Sousse, Tunisia, 27 June 2015. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) (We...
By Alistair Lyon Islamic State has claimed the coordinated attacks by gunmen and suicide bombers on bars, restaurants and a concert hall that killed at least 127 people in Paris, the bloodiest assault in Europe since the Madrid train bombings in 2002. French President...
The Pew Research Center, a U.S. think tank, has produced a report on attitudes around the world toward climate change. It is an extraordinarily detailed compilation of data, presented in Pew style — user friendly — and well timed, coming just ahead of the...
It grew out of the Cold War. Now the NATO alliance faces fresh challenges as Russia flexes its muscles in Eastern Europe and Syria. U.S. President Harry Truman speaks at the signing of NATO treaty in Washington, 4 April 1949 (AP Photo) This article is part of a...
The world’s population will double this century, with most growth in Africa. But many nations are ageing quickly and face a new population challenge. Tourists in China, 2011. (AP Photo) This article is part of a News-Decoder series of “decoders” that...
(Video by Léa Surugue) By Léa Surugue Last April, a fishing boat carrying 800 people capsized off the shores of Italy. Only 27 survived. It was one of the worst human tragedies in the Mediterranean, ever. I had always wanted to cover the stories of people who left...
By Jane Macartney President Xi Jinping is arguably the most powerful Chinese leader since Chairman Mao and certainly the first to foster a similar personality cult. He must have relished burnishing his image last week by riding through London with the Queen in a...
Five News-Decoder correspondents look at the VW scandal and what it means for carmakers, Germany, climate change talks — and trade-in value. Former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn, who resigned last month, in a 2008 photo. (EPA/Marijan Murat) We asked five News-Decoder...
Recently we published an article on the Rugby World Cup, and a hungry reader asked for more information. We listen to our readers — here’s chapter and verse on one of the world’s major sporting events. For more “decoders” explaining big...