From Digital Realm to Physical
Terrain, Estonia Keeps Eye on Russia

Long before talk of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election surfaced, Estonians knew all about fake news and the dangers posed by Russian hackers. After suffering a massive cyber attack in 2007, the tiny, high-tech Baltic country became a leader in preparing for cyber warfare, while also turning to NATO to fortify its physical borders against a Russian threat that has plagued the country for nearly a century. Read More

Carlos Alzugaray: Trump’s Policies
Play into the Hands of Hardliners

Retired Cuban Ambassador Carlos Alzugaray says the expulsion of two-thirds of the embassy’s staff in Washington — taken after a series of mysterious “sonic attacks” that have left some two dozen Americans posted to Havana with brain injury and other cognitive issues — pretty much devastates the bilateral ties that had finally begun to flourish under Obama after half a century of hostilities. Read More

Experts: Focus Should be on Slowing
Pyongyang’s Nuclear Program

As the war of words between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un grows louder and Pyongyang continues its relentless barrage of weapons tests, some say it’s time to face the reality of a nuclear-armed North Korea and shift the focus to containing and deterring the threat. Read More

Climate Change-Fueled Rise in
Sea Levels Set to Hit Asia Hard

While flooding in Houston and hurricanes in the Caribbean have sounded the alarm about climate change, the global rise is sea levels is a quieter, but no less deadly, catastrophe that is set to hit the emerging nations of Southeast Asia the hardest. Read More

Tillerson Wants to Whittle Down
Number of Special Envoys

As part of its effort to streamline the State Department, the Trump administration wants to eliminate special envoys for issues such as climate change and Burma, saying the work is outdated or overlaps with existing bureaus, but critics worry these issues may now slip through the cracks. Read More

Sidebar: Who’s In and Who’s Out

Op-ed: In World of Grim News,
Peacebuilding Offers Ray of Hope

As leaders with Search for Common Ground, one of the world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organizations, we’ve seen ordinary citizens and civil society groups step in to fill the void left by governments and international organizations that struggle to ensure peace and stability. Read More