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Saudi Arabia eyes a future without oil
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is reshaping its economy in a world of low petroleum prices amid an unprecedented generational change.
World of senseless violence, selfless good
Will I become used to the senseless violence, the hatred and the terror I see in the world?
Behind bars and vote? Britain split
Should prisoners be allowed to vote? Britain may be out of step with the rest of Europe, but it still balks at allowing those behind bars to cast a ballot.
Faces of Syria’s refugees
Suddenly, the numbers I had read about had names, faces and stories. Once again, I understood that no one, including Syria’s refugees, runs voluntarily away from home.
Jordan expands — and disturbs
Jordan’s capital is expanding and growing. But at what price for nature and our sense of beauty?
Young Americans sour on capitalism
Young Americans are falling out of love with capitalism, according to a new poll that shows many have little faith in politics.
Wanting to leave but nowhere to go
An American student visits the Middle East’s biggest refugee camp for Syrians in Jordan and discovers a restless and generous people.
Debt, healthcare costs drive youth to Bernie
Worries over student loan debt and healthcare costs are driving millennials to call for change — and to back Bernie Sanders for the U.S. presidency.
Frantic boat people on a Greek shore
Boat people fleeing war, oppression and poverty wash up on a Greek island after braving a dangerous sea crossing from Turkey. John Cottrell reports from Lesvos.
Terror attacks and the rise of nationalism
Terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels have fanned fear and hatred. That’s what the terrorists want. We must not give in.
Hiroshima buildings preserve A-bomb legacy
As Hiroshima survivors age and die, the city’s desire to preserve architectural memories of the atomic bomb grows stronger.
Castonzo, Turinksy win News-Decoder contest
Danielle Castonzo of Indiana University and Ivy Turinsky of School Year Abroad France have won News-Decoder’s writing contest.
Eight ways to build a global community
Here are some simple steps to help us build News-Decoder’s global community. They’re for free!
Watch out for anti-Islam language
Beware misconceptions about Islam that can mar Western accounts of society and politics in Muslim-majority nations, an expert tells News-Decoder.
Why I signed the anti-Trump letter
James Clad joined more than 120 Republican foreign policy experts in denouncing Donald Trump. Here’s why it was such an extraordinary rebuke.
Here comes Emma Bapt, our new intern
Get ready to hear from Emma Bapt, News-Decoder’s intern. The university student has listed topics we should examine and proposed new initiatives.
Crossing the Atlantic for Bernie Sanders
Flore and Clément left their native France to campaign for Bernie Sanders. Their account offers a glimpse of why the Vermont senator is attracting strong support among young voters.
Genocide conviction puts focus on global justice
The conviction of former Bosnian leader Radovan Karadžić for genocide has brought into sharp focus fledgling international efforts to prosecute crimes against humanity.
Watch out Americans. Cricket is coming.
It’s quintessentially English. But Americans are about to see a jazzed-up version of cricket, and TV companies are rubbing their hands.
Fighting erupts between ex-Soviet states in Caucasus
A frozen conflict between two former Soviet states, Azerbaijan and Armenia, flared up unexpectedly last week in the Caucasus. The potential for a major clash remains high.
A rising China is not a threat to the world
China is not necessarily a threat to the rest of the world and has done more to reduce poverty within its borders than any country in history.
Veteran journalist named News-Decoder editor
Veteran journalist Robert Holloway, formerly with Agence France-Presse, has joined News-Decoder as editor, bringing vast experience and a worldly perspective to our not-for-profit venture.
Hope in an age of mounting fear
Are you depressed by doomsday forecasts that see our planet and species hurtling irreversibly towards disaster? A French documentary film offers hope in an age of fear.
Uganda’s corruption comes home to roost
For decades, corruption has prevented basic services from reaching some of the world’s poorest people in Uganda. Now, grassroots efforts have sprouted up to fight graft and boost accountability.
Meet News-Decoder’s student ambassadors
They are in the vanguard of the next generation of leaders around the world. Meet News-Decoder’s student ambassadors.
88—A Good Number for a Virtuoso Pianist
One of the world’s greatest concert pianists, Byron Janis, celebrates his 88th birthday today. His son recalls growing up with his father.
The UN’s sex problem keeps getting worse
The United Nations is meant to promote peace and security. But allegations of sexual abuses in its system beg the question of whether the organization is up to the task.
Low oil prices: Good news & bad news
Oil prices have plunged, and there’s no sign of a lasting rebound. That’s great news for many consumers but disastrous for oil-producing nations, many of them in emerging markets.
Time to reflect, again
Extremist attacks like today’s in Brussels are cause for concern, but they force us to reflect on how to protect our values. And how to co-exist with fellow humans, also scared.
Saudi-led war wreaks havoc in Yemen
A year-old Saudi-led war against rebels in Yemen has backfired, empowering al Qaeda and Islamic State. Yemen’s people are paying the price, and the world mostly looks away.
Syria: We need to restore human rights
Five years after the start of Syria’s civil war, basic human rights are in tatters. The international community needs to secure respect for global norms that have been honored in the breach.
Millennials: Facing an uncertain future
Young adults around the world face an alarming set of challenges: debt, joblessness, globalization and rising house prices.
Walls of conflict and controversy
There are walls, fences, trenches and berms. In Iraq, Israel, Morocco, China and elsewhere. They are admissions of the breakdown of diplomacy and destined to fail.
Opening doors for children with disabilities
Children with disabilities are less likely to go to school than other children. Tunisia has made progress, but the story of a nearsighted boy illustrates the challenges to building an inclusive society.
Trump, in tune with global economic angst
Whatever his takeover of the Republican party says about U.S. politics, Donald Trump is capitalizing on anxiety over changes in the global economy.
Fighting inequality in India
Nolwazi Mjwara is a South African woman who recently worked at an NGO in India that fosters community unity, empowers women and combats caste inequities.
Trump and Berlusconi, cut from the same cloth
Strange hair, billions in fortune and a magical ability to climb the polls despite statements that would sink other politicians. Long before Donald Trump terrified the U.S. establishment, Silvio Berlusconi was doing it in Italy.
What the truce in Syria means to Russia
Russia has emerged as a kingpin in Syria’s civil war, but Vladimir Putin has not yet won what he wants — diplomatic parity with the United States.
U.S. should look before it leaps in Libya
As the United States mulls military intervention in Libya, it should consider how it helped destabilize the country.
Have Castro and Chávez met their match in Trump?
Latin American demagogues such as Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez have made careers with invective and outlandish accusations. Have they met their match in Donald Trump?
Cold at home despite falling energy prices
“To heat or to eat.” That’s the choice that millions in energy poverty face despite falling oil and gas prices.
Youth unemployment spurs Greek emigration
Record unemployment has forced many young Greeks to leave their country, but the decision to uproot is not an easy one to take.
Many failures in Syria but no time to give up
There have been many failures in Syria, and youth need to find solutions to future conflicts, two women helping refugees tell a News-Decoder panel.
Ebola exposes flaws in public health policies
The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa illustrated a fundamental flaw in public health policies.
Curious campaign highlights divisions in the U.S.
The most bizarre U.S. presidential election in generations underscores the country’s political and social divisions.
Let’s look at conflict with different eyes
Mainstream media depicts conflict as a violent struggle between good and bad. A Danish professor suggests a different way of thinking about conflict.
Greece: Art under austerity
In Greece, art, like the country’s economy, is in suffering from austerity. The question is whether it is going to evolve or hit the skids.
U.S. politics after Antonin Scalia
The death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has greatly raised the stakes in the presidential and congressional elections.
Notes from the race for the U.S. presidency
Plugging for Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire primary, I glimpsed the passion behind U.S. politics and the dynamics of the race for the presidency.
What are the prospects for peace in Syria?
Fighting rages in Syria despite international efforts to impose a ceasefire and advance a peace plan. How remote are the prospects for peace in Syria?