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News-Decoder takes a strategic step into Africa
News-Decoder has sealed a partnership with the African News Agency that deepens our ties to that vital continent and marks a milestone in our growth.
Cheng Ho Gardens: China’s subtle land-grab (Part III)
Where can future leaders who resemble Idi Amin or Baby Doc retire when their time has run out? Cheng Ho Gardens is their safe haven in the South China Sea.
What do U.S. sanctions mean for Russia and the West?
New U.S. sanctions on Russia might look like just another diplomatic move following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. But they could have dire consequences.
To veil or not to veil? A dilemma for Muslims in France, US
France takes a stricter stance towards the Islamic veil than the U.S. Yet despite legal protections, Muslim women still face discrimination in the U.S.
Cheng Ho Gardens: China’s subtle land-grab (Part II)
On an island in the South China Sea, I learned of China’s plans to build an eco-friendly holiday destination — a land-grab without a shot being fired.
Can Emmanuel Macron restore France’s grandeur?
President Emmanuel Macron wants to restore France’s grandeur. But will the gestures of his first two months in power lead to concrete results?
Cheng Ho Gardens: China’s subtle land-grab (Part I)
I wanted to understand China’s interventions in the South China Sea — and ended up with a scary scoop, in an ethical pickle, on a disputed tropical island.
Europe’s cyber swat team spotlights fake news
Taking up arms against fake news, a team of experts in Europe’s capital is highlighting fake news peddled by pro-Kremlin news outlets.
Letter from Italy: A country strangled by red tape
Suffocating bureaucracy, mountainous debt and political instability keep Italy stuck in the past, with little hope for innovative reforms.
Why do we talk money when we talk climate change?
Have you ever noticed how people frame the debate about climate change in terms of dollars, jobs and the economy? We risk ignoring a key victim — nature.
The United States: So rich, and yet so poor
The United States is the richest nation in the world with many millions of poor. I’m baffled more has not been done to spread this extraordinary wealth.
Glimpses of Vietnam: Generosity and Beauty
A trip to Vietnam reveals a nation still divided more than four decades after the end of its civil war. But it also beams with humanity and joy.
Pickup duty: A glimpse into life in South Texas
Pickup duty at a school in South Texas, a stone’s throw from the Rio Grande River, is a window into the world of my students and their families.
Guns in the United States: How bad is it?
I grew up in Europe and study in the United States. I ask myself: Just how serious is the U.S. problem with guns compared to other countries?
The rise and fall of cinema in Kabul
The movie industry in Afghanistan has a tumultuous history. Today, Afghan cinema and film-making are at an all-time low, with little hope of a revival.
Blockade of Qatar: Gulf residents feel the pinch
A blockade by Saudi Arabia and allies of Qatar is hitting residents of the Gulf in their daily lives amid expectations that the row will rumble on.
Why Saudi Arabia-Qatar tensions are so important
The region is energy-rich, torn by conflict and at the center of a struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. All reasons why the blockade of Qatar matters.
Here are the issues I plan to tackle this summer
We asked readers what topics I should write about while interning at News-Decoder this summer. Here are the issues — and proof we listen to readers.
Electric cars: the revolution is at hand
Electric cars are starting to challenge petrol-powered vehicles and could revolutionize our entire way of getting around while curbing climate change.
Immigration and the challenge of identity
Immigration is a fact of life in our globalized world. But how can newcomers maintain their cultural identities in an era of Trump and Brexit?
Why I urged British voters to abstain
I urged British voters to stay away from the polls this month. Why? Because the state lacks moral legitimacy. I do not preach violence but urge abstention.
News-Decoder intern tackles big issues at key moment
Tania Bagan is starting an internship at News-Decoder as we open a new chapter in our development. What do you think she should write about?
Advocacy demands passion. The rewards can be big.
There are jobs for young people in advocacy, they don’t necessarily pay well, but the personal satisfaction can be enormous, a senior rights activist says.
Trump and the climate deal — punch and counter-punch
U.S. President Trump said he was pulling the U.S. from the Paris climate deal to save U.S. jobs. But does he really want to rewrite the global order?
Qatar “Crisis” – Diplomatic Sleight of Hand Aimed at Iran
Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies have punished Qatar. The real target is not the small, gas-rich emirate but the regional powerhouse that is Iran.
Elections in Britain: Why you should not vote
Vote! That’s what students in Britain are being told on election day. But here’s an alternative view: Abstain and withhold your approval of a flawed system.
Afghanistan: Growing up in a never-ending war
Wednesday felt like any other day. I was at my office desk when I heard a huge blast. Another deadly bombing in a never-ending war that saps all hope.
Peace — a dream word for blood-stained Afghanistan
Deadly bombings have become routine in Afghanistan. Life goes on, no matter how hard. But we are tired, and we dream of peace.
London students reflect: “It could have been me.”
Two students in London share their feelings following an attack by militants who killed seven people in Britain’s capital. “It could have been me.”
How I lived my day in Kabul, amid death and destruction
It was a pleasant, sunny morning. I was enjoying the breeze from the window beside my desk. I felt a quake and then the horrific sound of an explosion.
Is the U.S. shooting itself in the foot with climate exit?
Donald Trump may have done more damage to the U.S. than to global efforts to stave off climate disaster by pulling America out of the Paris Climate Accord.
Two years on, News-Decoder looks to the future
News-Decoder was born two years ago. But instead of looking back, we’re focused on expanding our work as we build a global community of young learners.
Girls’ rights advocate urges youth to “make a difference”
Individuals can make a difference. That was the message that Sean Maguire, who works to promote girls’ rights, had for students in a News-Decoder webinar.
News-Decoder webinars: Tackling the big issues
Immigration, Syria, climate change, fake news, human rights. News-Decoder has examined each of these issues in webinars, linking experts with students.
Politics today: Finding hope in troubled times
How could France elect a centrist president and shun populism after Brexit and Trump? Circumstances were unique, but youth must not abandon political hope.
Support News-Decoder. Make a recurring donation.
News-Decoder survives thanks to the generosity of its supporters. If you have not made a donation, please consider paying a modest monthly subscription.
In Brazil, populism takes root in corruption
The presidential candidacy of an outspoken populist in Brazil is a sign that Latin America’s biggest nation is still struggling with corruption and poverty.
Japan’s Okinawa rediscovers its roots in fusion cooking
Japan’s Okinawa is rediscovering its roots. But the renaissance doesn’t ignore foreign influences, and in the kitchen, there’s a revival of hybrid cooking.
Resetting records clock amidst drug scandals
A proposal to scrap world track and field records set before 2005 has divided the athletics community and exposed the sport’s vexing doping problem.
France has rejected fear. But danger lurks
France has rejected fear-based politics in its presidential election. But the fight does not stop with the election of Emmanuel Macron. Danger still lurks.
I’m relieved France refused to succumb to fear
I was convinced France would follow America’s lead and elect Marine Le Pen. But the French refused to succumb to fear and instead chose hope.
I rediscovered hope with the election in France
I feared France would go the way of the U.S. and elect a populist president. Instead, French voters rejected bigotry and hatred — and restored my hope.
France’s Macron: Finally, hope wins the day
By electing Emmanuel Macron president, France has rejected the pessimism pervading liberal democracies. Because choosing Macron meant choosing hope.
France’s Macron: Europe is relieved, for now
Emmanuel Macron as French president proves that embracing Europe and globalization need not be a political death wish. But he must deliver.
Black Fly: Moody, joyful, pulsing music from Vermont
“Deep in the wilderness of Vermont sits a house. Inside that house is a bedroom, and inside that bedroom works the mysterious Black Fly.”
Spain is under pressure from inside and out
As the world frets about Brexit and Donald Trump, few countries are facing the future more nervously than Spain and its minority government.
North Korea: Genuine reasons for global anxiety
North Korea is the world’s most dangerous flash point. If the U.S. faces an existential threat, will Donald Trump reach for military options?
While Africa grows, Congo’s torment endures
Many African countries have cast off the painful legacy of colonialism. But Congo remains mired in horror, violence, corruption and misgovernment.
Here are three lessons from France’s first round
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen may not win France’s presidential election. But her party keeps making gains while traditional ruling groups lick their wounds.
Why I’m anxious after France’s “historic” first round
I voted for the first time in French elections this week. I felt pride and responsibility — and anxiety over the possibility that Marine Le Pen could win.