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A fresh face and new era for Canada
Canada’s new prime minister has promised a stepped-up fight against climate change and a more welcoming hand to refugees from Syria.
A yellow paste and Burmese identity
A yellowish paste colors faces and links generations in fast-changing Myanmar. Irena Grizelj shares photos of the Burmese “thanaka” tradition.
Guns in America’s election campaign
Guns have become an issue in U.S. presidential politics and the Democrats’ front runner is picking a fight with a tough opponent — the gun lobby.
Diego and three memorable people
“What explains cultural differences? Why do they exist? This is where it started.”
Will a climate agreement in Paris be good enough?
Hopes for an agreement at a global climate summit in Paris are rising. But will it be enough to stave off disaster?
Trust & health: victims in the VW scandal
Five News-Decoder correspondents look at the VW scandal and what it means for carmakers, Germany, climate change talks — and trade-in value.
Djenab: Helping girls get an education
“I’ve been blessed with amazing teachers and a supportive environment. I want to do all that I can to help make that a reality for more colored girls.”
Kabuki, comb-overs and tweets
Our correspondents look at a U.S. presidential campaign that has global implications but has many scratching their heads — and checking their tweets.
Where your moral compass wavers
Conventional wisdom can be comforting, but it can also be an easy way out. We want to challenge moral assumptions.
What to make of Russia’s involvement in Syria
Russia has launched air strikes in Syria, raising the stakes in its Arab ally’s fight against rebels. Four News-Decoder correspondents explain why.
Why Syria is so important
Syria is entering its eighth year of armed conflict — a war that has major implications for world security and puts Russia and the U.S. on opposing sides.
Othmane: Roots in Morocco, breathing European air
Born in Morocco and living in France, Othmane Mechatte has “a multiple, intricate identity.”
Your chance to change an ancient rite
Our article on female genital cutting has attracted global interest. Now’s your chance to propose an alternative to this age-old rite.
A Syrian’s view: her nation’s future at risk
Lamis Aljasem has worked with young Syrian refugee children. “The next generation of Syrians is either going to be poorly educated or brainwashed.”
All you need to know about rugby
The Rugby World Cup is well underway. Scratching your head about the sport? This Q&A is for you.
In Uganda, ending female genital cutting
Young girls in an ethnic group in Uganda have undergone genital cutting for generations. An NGO is working to end the practice and empower girls.
Diana: “I’m an immigrant kid.”
“I am interested in exploring the economic and political roots of migration — the why.”
Chile and Pinochet’s lingering legacy
Chile has one of Latin America’s strongest economies, but many struggle to get by in a system shaped by its disgraced dictator, Augusto Pinochet.
Schengen, and European unity, under threat
Waves of migrants overwhelming European countries are raising questions over one of the continent’s bedrock achievements, the Schengen Area.
Sruthi: Curious in what makes people tick
“Coming from India, you’re always questioning why some things work in other countries and why they don’t back home. Where are we failing? How can we succeed?”
Fixing the world: Cooperation, not bluster
The migrant crisis in Europe, U.S.-China relations, the Fed: disparate developments with a common theme — cooperation, not bluff or bombs, is needed.
Migrants throw question mark over EU expansion
The European Union is under siege from desperate migrants and refugees. Yet talks continue to bring in new member states, mainly from the Balkans.
Decoding Latin America’s drug cartels
They are the stuff of movies, but drug cartels thrive on crime that shapes the economies and politics of Latin America — and fills U.S. prisons.
Rebellious Catalonia keeps Europe on edge
A year after Scotland’s referendum, Catalans vote later this month in an election that could make or break one of several separatist movements that pose a challenge to European unity.
Here comes the World Cup — rugby union style
They run, kick and toss a ball. They collide like mastodons. No, it’s not the NFL. It’s the Rugby World Cup, and it starts this weeks and runs through October. Here’s an introduction for the uninitiated.
Emefa Agawu reflects on her love for global affairs
“I think a lot about social media and how it does or doesn’t facilitate protest and revolution under repressive regimes.”
Economic migrants versus refugees
The world is grappling with its biggest migrant crisis since World War Two. To understand, it’s important to distinguish between refugees and migrants.
Decoding the 2016 U.S. presidential election
U.S. voters will elect a new president in 2016. With the primaries on the horizon, Democrats and Republicans have started staking out positions — and the two sides can’t agree on a single one.
In Tito’s Bunker: Reflections on My Blind Spots
During a visit to a bunker in Bosnia, Diana learns about the legacy of a Communist statesman — and about limits of her own education.
Images, and our collective responsibility
News is now a collective responsibility. So are solutions to pressing problems captured in recent gruesome images.
Popular vote, state size, decoding U.S. elections
It’s complex and costly. A candidate can win without taking most of the popular vote. Here’s an explanation of how the U.S. presidential election works.
Charity is not justice, reducing tax avoidance is
Poor countries would prefer tax revenue to aid. But huge sums are lost to tax avoidance. So why have rich nations blocked a global body to impose tough tax provisions?
Christopher: “Life is not the same everywhere.”
“At the end of the summer, I felt I not only lived and studied in a foreign culture, but that I had become a part of that culture.”
Decoding U.S. Race Relations
More than a century after the end of the U.S. Civil War, race relations remain a problem, highlighted by the killing of black men by white policemen.
Liberalizing interest rates, is China changing?
China has drawn scorn for its efforts to propping up share prices. But President Xi Jinping may yet end up being the reformer China and the world need.
Decoding Human Rights
Human rights are relatively new to international law. But these values safeguard our dignity and protect against government oppression around the world.
Market contagion and herd mentality
World markets have been in turmoil in recent days. Betty Wong looks at the herd mentality that can trigger price volatility around the globe.
Africa: Time to stand up and not just stand by
An African defense force has long been a dream. The need is there. It’s time for African heavyweight nations to help fund their continent’s ability to defend itself.
Léa: Discovering “a very different world”
“Last spring I went to Morocco. I met people whose lives were very different from mine. I learned more in that week than in many months of studying.”
Decoding — without fear or favor
Today we wrote about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — among the thorniest issues that the next generation of leaders needs to tackle if there is any hope in improving the world.
Decoding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Palestinians and Israelis have been locked for decades in an intractable struggle. Its roots lie in history, religion and national identity.
Bacon and a rifle: a crash course in U.S. culture
The U.S. presidential campaign can be puzzling for a foreigner. But it’s a window on popular culture as Republican candidates jockey for position.
Big hurdle for new world athletics chief
Sebastian Coe, the new head of the world athletics federation, has his work cut out for him in restoring trust in a sport hit by drugs allegations.
The world’s biggest worry? Climate change — mostly
Climate change is considered the biggest global threat in much of the world — except in the West, where ISIS is the top worry.
Decoding U.S. Politics
The United States can seem a monolithic power. But its political system is a complex balancing of powers. Here’s the scoop.
Jasmine Horsey: From Kent to Connecticut
“Some of my best friends in school were international students,” said intern Jasmine Horsey. “I learned a lot about the world by talking to them.”
Decoding the Migration Crisis
The world is in the midst of the largest immigration crisis since World War Two. How is it being handled?
Decoding Climate Change
UN negotiators will meet in Paris in November to try to agree on steps to limit global warming, which threatens earth with a climatic disaster.
Backgrounders: Helping make sense of the world
Today we published our first backgrounder. We want your comments and suggestions.
Newsplanner: Our thoughts on the week ahead
Here are our thoughts at the start of the week as we look at the global news landscape. What do you think?