Section: The Conversation (USA)
Merkel’s proposal to transfer weapons as aid needs to be approached with caution
There are 100 million uncontrolled small arms and light weapons in African crisis zones. Reuters/Goran TomasevicGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel recently commented that large industrialised countries should be more open to transferring weapons as part of their development aid so that African countries can battle militant groups. This followed...
To defeat tyranny today, look to the past
(Shutterstock)Democracy is under assault. Vladimir Putin’s authoritarianism, ISIS terrorism, the nuclear threat from North Korea and Donald Trump’s populism are just a few examples of the forces challenging our societies. Concerns about immigrants from terrorist enclaves helped elect Trump and fuelled Brexit. Amid the Russian scandal...
In era of fake news, honest documentary makers have never mattered more
Facts are under threat. I write this after Donald Trump tweeted an old clip of himself wrestling a CNN avatar to the ground, declaring them “FNN: Fraud News Network”. Over at Info Wars, meanwhile, a guest on the Alex Jones show declared the existence of a child slave ring on Mars. Inflammatory clickbait, conspiracy theories and populists...
When Trump met Putin, and how the Russian won the day
The much-anticipated meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump finally took place at the G20 summit in Hamburg. Reuters/Carlos BarriaIt was the meeting we’ve all been waiting for. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Friday during the G20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany. The key question was whether Trump...
Trump’s friendly meeting with Putin further blurs US-Russia relations
RTX AIBE layout Watermarked AP Photo/Evan VucciIt emerged early this morning: a few seconds of grainy footage showing U.S. President Donald Trump shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Trump, the taller man, stoops to meet Putin on equal terms. He pats him repeatedly on the elbow, and then on...
Angela Merkel’s G20 challenge
The timing of the G20 summit in Hamburg could hardly be more significant for the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. The world’s leading forum for international cooperation on world economic growth, international trade and the regulation of financial markets presents a unique opportunity to boost her international profile at home and abroad....
A busy week on the dark web highlight darknet markets’ increasing role in crime
Darknet markets J0hnTV/ShutterstockThere has been a flurry of activity on the dark web this week. A hacker, claiming to be the author of the recent ransomware NotPetya has surfaced on the dark web to offer the “master key” to decrypt all files that have been encrypted by the ransomeware in exchange for 100 bitcoins (around US $250,000)....
G20 summit: who will take the US’s place as a global leader?
Global summits were once extraordinary things, marking turning points in international political history. The 1814-15 Congress of Vienna marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the beginning of Europe’s “long” 19th century, during which Europe’s interactions were regulated by a relatively stable balance of power. The 1945 San...
Three ways the ‘NotPetya’ cyberattack is more complex than WannaCry
NotPetya is something a little different. EPA/ROB ENGELAARThe WannaCry ransomware was barely out of the headlines when another cyberattack took down computer systems around the world. This time, a piece of malware dubbed “NotPetya” is to blame. And unlike WannaCry, it has no clear “kill switch” as it spreads across infected networks. NotPetya has...
Future jobs: How we’ll earn a living 150 years from now
Will AI and robotics erode or enhance the labour market for humans? (Shutterstock)Editor’s note: Canada Day 2017 marks the sesquicentennial of Confederation. While the anniversary is a chance to reflect on the past, The Conversation Canada asked some of our academic authors to look down the road a further 150 years — or “Canada +150”. Sunil...
