A Sick Country and a Black Flag

Remembering my father's Biafra: The politics of erasing history

This is how my father remembered it. The year was 1966 and he, a bright and ambitious boy of 13 or 14 (no one could be sure because the European...

Amid the coronavirus, human rights defenders need more protection

On May 1, I took up the mandate of the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights defenders (HRDs). As part of my new role, I have been...

Trump is winning the political spin game

Donald Trump has somehow survived an overwhelming flood of political scandals, legal battles, accusations, the Russia investigation, impeachment,...

Korea: race, racism, and the 'other'

By David Tizzard David Tizzard Korea's approach to multiculturalism is a paradox. The same multicultural policies and programs that have been...

China’s decision to drop economic growth target is a blessing in disguise

Last Thursday, May 21, at the Two Sessions of the National People’s Congress and the CPPCC, Beijing announced that this year it was dropping its...

My Fellow Settlers Are Wrong to Oppose Trump’s Annexation Plan

Efrat mayor: To gain U.S. recognition, we settlers must compromise on our dreams for complete control of Judea and Samaria – or risk losing what...

Back to too much oil?

London – For most of the oil industry’s earlier history its overarching problem was not shortage but too many producers and too much oil. Could it...

We Are Hong Kong

LONDON – In my final speech as Hong Kong’s governor on June 30, 1997, a few hours before I left the city on Britain’s royal yacht, I remarked...

You think US cops need to be better armed? Here’s why full-on European-style riot control police would be a DISASTER in America

For the past several days, the world has watched in awe and horror as the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota, ceded control of the streets to bands of...

America cannot lecture Africans on human rights

Seated in the unenviable squalor of my modest, sparsely furnished living room, deep in the southern end of "shithole" Africa, as American President...

The British Labour Party after Brexit

Only time will tell if the Labour party will cope with the post-Brexit challenges or spiral into a downward trend akin to other European...

There are coronavirus solutions for resource-poor countries, too

As the novel coronavirus moves through poorer parts of the world, many expect high infection rates. Cheek by jowl crowding, poverty, limited...

How the US and Afghanistan can jump-start talks with the Taliban

On May 23, the Taliban announced a three-day ceasefire to coincide with the Eid al-Fitr holiday. The Afghan government immediately announced its...

Gulf states push back against Islamophobia ‘imported’ from the India of Modi and the RSS

Social media users across the Gulf states, a region that is home to millions of Indian expatriates, have hit back at what they see as Islamophobia...

Truth or dare

Lawmaker should not hide behind privileges An activist-turned-lawmaker has failed to provide a clear explanation about allegations that she...

China's disregard for democracy

Hong Kong security law violates 'one country, two systems' formula China has legislated a Hong Kong national security law, drawing international...

Coronavirus hasn’t killed the global balance of power

Washington – Is the global balance of power passe after COVID-19? It’s easy to see why smart observers might think so. The pandemic has rendered...

We’re going on a staycation

London – In Whitstable, a British seaside town just over an hour’s drive from London, every day of the last two weeks has been like a busy...

12 pillars of peaceful Korean history

By Mark Peterson As I look back at my 10 plus articles arguing that we should look at the peaceful and stable tradition of Korea, it occurs to me...

Biden's demeaning remarks should worry Democrats

By Carl Golden Not since Hillary Clinton described supporters of then-candidate Donald Trump as "a basket of deplorables" has a public official or...

Will Gulf states learn from success in handling pandemic?

By James M. Dorsey The economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic for Gulf states has done far more than play havoc with their revenue base and...

The Pentecost miracle and the coronavirus curse

On the feast of Pentecost Christians commemorate the miracle of boundless communication, which gives people courage and enriches them. But in times...

Is ‘Soros’ Now the World’s Most Versatile, Dangerous Conspiracy Theory?

Bearing Personal Responsibility

Working in China

By Adam Borowski The world is divided into three groups of people: those who believe in eternal salvation or damnation after death, those who see...

Tens of thousands of satellites planned for orbit

Space, that final frontier, could become very crowded very soon. There are an estimated 2,200 satellites orbiting the Earth at present, but...

Welcome arrest of accused Rwanda war criminal

By Arthur I. Cyr "Without justice, courage is weak," Benjamin Franklin wrote, and around the world, courage and justice are in evidence regarding...

The potential of the internet for public diplomacy in the age of COVID-19

A woman wearing a mask looks at her mobile phone amid social distancing measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19 in Myeongdong shopping district in...

What is security?

As the national death toll from COVID-19 in the United States climbs past 100,000, a cyclist passes a discarded face mask in front of the Lincoln...

Country club conservatives dodge defending liberty

By Michael Shannon Breitbart has an interesting interview with conservative Alabama Republican Rep. Mo Brooks, who believes China Flu lockdown...

Truths about Gwangju

By Donald Kirk Details about what happened at Gwangju during those terrible days from May 18 through May 27, 1980, remain elusive four decades...

Xi Jinping versus the world

Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds after voting on the draft resolution for the controversial national security law for Hong Kong during the...