Low oil prices: Good news & bad news
Crude oil is arguably the most important traded commodity. Despite efforts to switch to other energy sources, most countries — particularly in...
Read MoreSaudi-led war wreaks havoc in Yemen
By Alistair Lyon A year ago, Saudi Arabia and its allies unleashed a Western-backed military intervention in Yemen’s civil war. It has gone...
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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...
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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...
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Learning diplomacy — to help the world
“The atmosphere blew me away.” Giuliana represented Denmark at the model United Nations and quickly learned the arts of diplomacy. Here...
Read MoreCheap oil need not doom global climate deal
By Sue Landau With the ink barely dry on a global accord to rein in greenhouse gas emissions, the price of oil has resumed its staggering slump....
Read MoreMarjan: “It hurts to see destruction in the Middle East”
Name: Marjan Aletomeh Birthplace: Tehran, Iran Age: 29 Occupation: I have a degree in criminology, and I work in retail banking. I plan to become a...
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Italy covers up but no hiding from brickbats
Diplomatic deference or crass kowtowing? Italy’s decision to cover up nude statues during a visit by Iran’s president provokes scorn,...
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I watched presidents from a privileged perch
Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton — Gene Gibbons watched six presidents from one of the venerable vantage points of U.S. journalism....
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North Korea: defiance and chutzpah
North Korea has defied the world again. What does its latest nuclear blast mean for regional and global security? North Korean leader Kim Jong Un,...
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Starting a new year with refugees
After the refugees crossed the border, we offered them warm coffee, and their expressions changed completely. Monika Pronczuk is a Polish national...
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Avoiding mistakes in Syria
Should the U.S. intervene more aggressively in Syria? History tells us it could lead to mistakes. And blocking immigrants would betray U.S. values....
Read MoreIs Saudi Arabia’s coalition a bluff?
By Rashad Mammadov Saudi Arabia has announced it will lead a coalition of 34 Muslim countries with a single, proclaimed goal — to fight...
Read MoreChelsea: “Our world has become interconnected”
Name: Chelsea Boorman Birth place: Miami, Florida Age: 23 Occupation: Graduate student at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced...
Read MoreI’m worried for Europe
By Pauline Bock I’m what they call a “millennial.” I am also a journalist. So of course I read it on Twitter first. “Shootings in Paris.” I...
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No quick victory over ISIS in Syria, Iraq
Can increased air strikes by a U.S.-led coalition and a few hundred special forces bring the Islamic State into submission in Syria and Iraq? Air...
Read MoreA new campaign of global jihad?
By Alistair Lyon Islamic State has claimed the coordinated attacks by gunmen and suicide bombers on bars, restaurants and a concert hall that killed...
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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...
Read MoreWhy Syria is so important
Syria is in its 10th year of gruesome armed conflict — a war that has important implications for the region and increasingly for global...
Read MoreFixing the world: Cooperation, not bluster
By Nelson Graves Here at News-Decoder we take stock on Fridays and look ahead to the next week’s news themes. It’s a way of making sense...
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