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Climate change made simple
The Paris climate change talks that start at the end of the month will be a confusing mix of numbers, nations and needs. There’s a book to make it simple.
Shea: Women’s Gold
A small, green fruit from a tree is helping fuel economic growth in Africa and could empower women across the continent.
Giulia and the complexity that surrounds us
“The refugee crisis deserves the most attention. Not only because it is a huge humanitarian issue unlikely to get better.”
Pollution, rules & tests: the VW scandal
The VW diesel car scandal has thrown a spotlight on health risks from pollution that can blanket entire cities in smog — and on regulatory shortcomings.
Big disputes over tiny islands in Asia
Islets, reefs and shoals in Asia are insignificant in size, but they are potential flash points between two of the world’s nuclear powers.
NATO: ex-Cold War pact faces new challenges
It grew out of the Cold War. Now the NATO alliance faces fresh challenges as Russia flexes its muscles in Eastern Europe and Syria.
Divided Korea: A family torn apart
Still officially at war, North and South Korea eye each other across the world’s most heavily militarized border — a regional standoff with global stakes.
World Population: Boom or Bust?
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.
Scenes from Myanmar ahead of their vote
Two days before Myanmar’s general election, here are scenes from the streets of Yangon.
On the front line of the migrant crisis
I always wanted to cover people who left everything behind for a better future. That is how I landed in Morocco, alone with my camera, on hot spring day.
Syria, oh beautiful Syria, tomorrow we shall meet!
It’s hard to imagine Syria was once a capital of art. But its beauty lives in me. To Syria I owe my first poems, my Arabic writing and my favorite dramas.
Here With The Boys, The Concepción Sessions
Concepción is the birthplace of Chilean rock. It nurtures young artists, and veteran musicians return here after the wear of other parts.
Akinyi: “Afropolitan” and intensely curious
“I’m half-Gambian, half-Kenyan, was born in the UK and grew up in the United States, so I have always been intensely curious about the broader narrative of globalization.”
Millennials: Beware a retirement time-bomb
Young people are forcing wrenching change in business and finance. But they face a retirement time-bomb unless they change their savings habits.
Beer, champagne and a changed relationship
Chinese President Xi Jinping burnished his image and sealed deals during a trip to Britain that underscored a changed relationship and Beijing’s ascent.
Who’s your hero?
We asked News-Decoder ambassadors to name a hero. Their pantheon is as diverse as we want News-Decoder’s community to be.
Child labor: Gray areas in Myanmar
At school I studied child labor in its worst forms. In Myanmar, I see it’s not easy to separate right from wrong. But foreign investors must take heed.
Paul: It all started with a ghost on stage
“My experience in Ukraine convinced me of the importance of living abroad and learning as much as you can about different people and cultures.”
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?