Section: The Conversation (USA)
Syria: would a new foreign military intervention be legal?
Just days after an alleged chemical attack killed and injured scores of civilians in Douma, Syria, the US, UK and France agreed in principle that international action is needed to hold the perpetrators to account. But they didn’t make clear what form their action would take – or how they would act while staying within the law. All tactical...
Now that Russia has apparently hacked America’s grid, shoring up security is more important than ever
Hackers can interfere with everyday efforts to keep the lights on. pan denim/Shutterstock.comHackers taking down the U.S. electricity grid may sound like a plot ripped from a Bruce Willis action movie, but the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI recently disclosed that Russia has infiltrated “critical infrastructure” like American power...
Four things you need to know about Russian media manipulation strategies
The crisis embroiling the West and Russia over the apparent use of chemical weapons in the English cathedral town of Salisbury can tell us a lot about how the Putin administration is becoming more and more adept at manipulating media coverage of events to gain advantage, both at home and abroad. The furious accusations levelled against Moscow by...
This ‘Final Four’ takes place over the board – with talent from around the world
In the Final Four of College Chess, most of the players come from abroad. posteriori/ShutterstockWhile millions of Americans plan to watch the Final Four of college basketball on TV this weekend, I plan to check out a livestream of the Final Four of College Chess. As a former U.S. Women’s Chess Champion, my interest in the Final Four goes...
Debate: What is missing in the ‘33 Theses for an Economics Reformation’
Andrew Simms (New Weather Institute), Sally Svenlen (RE student), Larry Elliott (_Guardian_), Steve Keen (Debunking Economics) and Kate Raworth (Doughnut Economics) symbolically nail the “33 Theses” to the door of the London School of Economics in December 2017 rethinkeconomics.orgOn the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Martin...
Why Europe shouldn’t follow Australia’s lead on asylum seekers
Australia’s harsh asylum policies have been touted as a possible solution to Europe’s so-called refugee crisis. Politicians in the UK, France, Holland, Denmark, Austria and Belgium have advocated for an Australian-style approach aimed at blocking asylum seekers from accessing Europe. But there are a few reasons Europe should be wary...
The West increases pressure with diplomatic expulsions, but Russia is unlikely to cave
Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop announce the expulsion of two Russian diplomats. AAP/Lukas CochPrime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop have declared two Russian diplomats personas non grata – in other words, they are expelling them from Australia. The decision to expel the pair is a show of solidarity with the UK over...
Russia doesn’t just violate international law – it follows and shapes it too
Russia is often seen as a persistent violator of international law. From recent allegations of the state-sponsored poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury to the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and from the incursion of Russian forces into Georgia in 2008 to the alleged large-scale support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, Russia is portrayed as...
Sergei Skripal attack: Russian Embassy is fuelling tensions with some very undiplomatic tweets
International tensions continue to run high following the assassination attempt on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Accusations are flying between world leaders. And, in an unexpected twist, one embassy’s Twitter account is stoking the flames rather than helping to smooth relations. @RussianEmbassy is pushing contention and propaganda,...
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s great success in exploiting the rise of nationalist Christianity
Russia has re-elected its self-styled leader and saviour, whatever his weaknesses – even his sins. The revelation that the Russian government may have ordered a former spy’s poisoning should provoke international outrage from Vladimir Putin’s fellow Christians, particularly as the holiest Christian festival of Easter approaches. But...
