How concrete can act as a sponge for air pollution
Concrete surfaces can remove sulfur dioxide, a major contributor to air pollution, from the air, new research suggests. The findings could be a significant step toward the practice of using waste concrete to minimize air pollution. According to the World Health Organization, as many as seven million…
No one knows what will replace the so-called caliphate
It has been a long war, with many horrors. But three years after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ascended the pulpit of the Nuri mosque in Mosul to call on all Muslims to flock to his “caliphate”, Islamic State (IS) is suffering two crushing blows. In Iraq, the jihadists have all but lost Mosul; they blew…
Can Russia and America Work Together in Syria?
The United States is willing to work jointly with Russia to conduct stability operations in a post-ISIS Syria. Those stability measures could include jointly monitored no-fly zones and cease-fire observation missions. But exactly how such arrangements might be implemented are likely to be the subjec…
Honking Horns Hail the Liberation of Mosul From Islamic State
Soldiers cleared explosives from Mosul’s historic quarter after its liberation all but ended Islamic State’s presence in Iraq, three years of occupation that left a trail of human misery and devastation that could cost $100 billion to rebuild. Power and water supplies will be restored in the first p…
The G20’s Misguided Globalism
This year’s G20 summit in Hamburg promises to be among the more interesting in recent years. For one thing, US President Donald Trump, who treats multilateralism and international cooperation with cherished disdain, will be attending for the first time. Trump comes to Hamburg having already walked o…
How the G20 should change its approach to migration and development in Africa
The G20 has recently turned its eyes on Africa. Its finance ministers have launched a “Compact with Africa”, aiming to support economic development and strengthen relations with the continent. For Europe, Africa is particularly relevant because of its geographical proximity. The G20 and the European…
What’s at Stake at the G20 Summit
The Group of 20 (G20) is among the most important global forums for international economic cooperation and coordination. This year, Germany, the host, has made financial regulation, fighting transnational crimes, and ties with Africa a priority on the agenda as prospects loo…
The Korean nuclear issue: Past, present, and future | A Chinese perspective
Editor’s Note: Fu Ying, the chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of China’s National People’s Congress, offers a Chinese perspective on the Korean nuclear issue, which has become the focus of attention in the Asia Pacific and the world. This paper forms part of a series that highlights …
Cybersecurity is becoming a worrying economic challenge. Here’s what we can do
Cyber risk, long recognised as a cause for concern in the national security domain, is now also understood as a threat from the macroeconomic point of view, as an increasing share of value added is produced through ICT-enabled means. In 2012, information industries alone accounted for 6% of total va…
What Trump Gets Right About the Middle East
When President Donald Trump wanted to jump-start Middle East peace talks, he did something utterly unconventional: He sent his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to bang Israeli and Palestinian heads together. Kushner—predictably, given that he has no relevant experience—quickly failed, setting off a round …