I thought yellow vest protesters in France were a uniform group of angry radicals. But I talked to citizens and discovered it’s much more complicated. A newspaper stand burned down by protesters in France (photo by Claire Wang) This piece tied for first prize in...
Economic growth is the holy grail for most politicians. But it can boost carbon emissions and exacerbate the climate crisis. Time to adjust our goals? All alone, Greta Thunberg holds a placard reading ‘School strike for the climate’ outside the Swedish parliament in...
When the Cold War ended, many thought international relations had entered a new era. Now, resurgent nationalism is fanning old animosities. Indian Hindu nationalists at a training camp in Ahmadabad, India, 1 June 2019 (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) After the collapse of the...
Power-hungry politicians are piling pressure on central banks to do their bidding. But short-term meddling only erodes long-term stability. U.S. President Donald Trump (R) with Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell, Washington, 2 November 2017 (AP Photo/Pablo...
The world’s refugee population is growing. But the countries where migration is most contentious is not where most refugees are settling. Conflict, poverty, violence and human rights violations are driving more people to flee their homelands than at any time...
By Jane Macartney Emerging from the midnight darkness enveloping Beijing’s main street, a People’s Liberation Army soldier pointed his AK-47 at two young men who were crouched by the roadside to watch massed troops marching on Tiananmen Square. He shouted at them to...
Jordan ranks among the world’s worst countries for women’s economic participation. A former cabinet minister speaks out on what must change. Jordanian plumber Maryam Mutlaq at a school in Zarqa, northeast of Amman, 21 March 2016 (AP Photo/Muhammed...
Soon, even breakdancing may be an Olympic sport. My reflections on how the inclusiveness of sport may help to counter rising populism. A member of Japanese team ‘The Flooriorz’ competes in a breakdancing match during the ‘Battle of the Year World Finale 2017’ in...
Last year, 140 million tourists visited China. In 1973, Beijing was selective about who got to enter. Hollywood star Shirley MacLaine was one of the few. Shirley MacLaine (seated, center) speaks to the press before heading to China, Los Angeles, 17 April 1973. (AP...
China has dramatically increased its presence in Sri Lanka in the past decade. But so has India. Are the two giants in a race neither wants to lose? A Buddhist monk and villagers clash with police during a protest against the seizure of private land for the...