Modern-day diplomats in Asia and beyond envision reviving the Silk Road, an ancient network of routes crisscrossing the continent for trade and security. But Valerie Hansen, author and professor of history at Yale University points, out that trade was not the primary purpose of the network. “...
NEW HAVEN: Despite all the talk in diplomatic circles of a new Silk Road and restoring trade in Central Asia, in actuality, these routes were among the least traveled in human history - possibly not worth studying if tonnage, traffic or the number...
More women pause before rushing into marriage. Historically, the institution represented women's only path for financial security, but social and economic pressures have subsided in advanced economies. Research studies along with cultural and demographic trends support decisions to delay...
Singular happiness: Single American women enjoy an evening out, while one in seven Japanese women remain single
NEW YORK: Evidence concerning the state of marriage strongly suggests that women should give serious thought before making the momentous...
Starting wars is easy, but bringing them to a successful close, ensuring a sustained peace, is not. The war in in Afghanistan is in its 16th year with no end in sight. “The growing presence of the so-called Afghan-Pakistani Daesh franchise – also known as the Islamic State Khorasan Province, or...
No way out: American soldiers went to war in Afghanistan in 2001, and in 2017, chief of US and European forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, left, and US Defense Secretary James Mattis still prepare strategy
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINA: Donald...
Donald Trump’s presidency has been marked with a series of claims, including a suggestion that British intelligence officials assisted former President Barack Obama in spying on Trump Tower. A Wall Street Journal editorial describes “the damage that Mr. Trump is doing to his Presidency with his...
Thucydides, a general in Ancient Greece, was exiled from Athens after failing to reach the city of Amphipolis to prevent takeover by the Spartans. In exile, he wrote a history of the 27-year Peloponnesian War and determined, “It was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in Sparta that...
Power trap: US President Donald Trump commissions the newest US aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford; in ancient Greece, rising and established powers fought for dominance
STOCKHOLM: China’s rise and the relative decline of the United States...
Homelessness is a mark of failure for communities in providing basic security. Based on national reports, about 2 percent of the world’s population may be homeless. Another 20 percent lacks adequate housing, reports demographer Joseph Chamie. Such statistics come with a caveat. Obtaining accurate...
Under the open sky: Increasing numbers of people are homeless, in both wealthy and poor cities, from Russia to India
NOTE: This article was updated on 21 January 2020 to include the specific cautionary note from the OECD on using the data for...
The end of term limits for China’s presidency marks the end of influence by its revolutionary founders like Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. As president, Xi Jinping launched long-term projects linked to the China Dream and the nation’s revival, including the Asia Infrastructure and Investment Bank...
China's chairman of everything: President Xi Jinping stands apart from all; he visited a navy destroyer shortly after assuming the party chairmanship in 2012
HONG KONG: The removal of term limits for China’s presidency marks the end of an era. Xi...
Out-of-wedlock childbirths have become more common worldwide since the 1960s, but with wide variations among and within countries. Inreasing economic independence and education combined with modern birth control methods have given women more control over family planning. In about 25 countries,...
Shifting culture: Women's increasing economic independence contributes to more children born outside of marriage, though acceptance varies widely among countries; throughout much of Latin America, out-of-wedlock births are the norm, left, but some...
