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Lindsay Maizland writes about Asia for CFR.org. Before joining CFR, she covered breaking news for TEGNA’s central digital team and reported on world news for Vox. She holds a BA in international relations and journalism from American University.
Most Recent
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Since 1992, when the United Nations recognized climate change as a serious issue, negotiations among countries have produced notable accords, such as the Paris Agreement. But leaders have struggled to maintain momentum and failed to slow global temperature rise.
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Climate change is creating many pathways for zoonotic diseases to reach people. Four cases show how the climate crisis is altering disease threats and how the world can respond.
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Countries made big pledges at last year’s UN climate conference, but greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. This year’s event in Sharm el-Sheikh will focus on translating those commitments into action.
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The Taliban surged back to power two decades after U.S.-led forces toppled their regime in what led to the United States’ longest war.
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Disputes over overlapping exclusive economic zones in the South China Sea have intensified in recent decades, while the territorial row over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea dates back to the nineteenth century.
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The United States is the world’s top producer of oil and natural gas. Its decision to either continue at this pace or curb production to achieve its climate goals will have global consequences.
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China and Russia have expanded trade and defense ties over the past decade, but they’re not formal allies. Experts say Russia’s war in Ukraine could be a turning point in the relationship.
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The war in Ukraine has set off a rush in Europe to find alternatives to Russian oil and gas. Some are calling for an expansion of nuclear power.
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Negotiations between the United States and North Korea have proceeded in fits and starts for decades. But they have failed to halt the advance of North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
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Millions of Afghans are struggling to survive after crucial foreign aid was halted due to the Taliban’s takeover. Images from Afghanistan show a catastrophe in a country already traumatized by decades of war.
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Governments endorsed the Glasgow Climate Pact and made new pledges on deforestation, methane emissions, coal, and more. But critics say they failed to secure more ambitious commitments to limit global warming.
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During COP26, some countries pledged to stop using coal, a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions. But China, India, and some others remain reliant on coal.
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Experts have warned that time is running out to avoid climate catastrophe. Will the global climate conference spark action?
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Experts expect that most new Afghan refugees will flee to neighboring Iran and Pakistan, where hundreds of thousands of Afghans already reside.
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The U.S. overthrow of the Taliban regime after the 9/11 attacks ushered in a massive nation-building project. Nine graphics show what changed in Afghanistan over the past two decades.
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The Biden administration is imposing a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. What could a boycott accomplish, and how might China respond?
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Reducing global emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, could provide one quick win in the fight against climate change.
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China’s carbon emissions threaten global efforts to fight climate change. Its broader environmental degradation endangers economic growth, public health, and government legitimacy. Are Beijing’s policies enough?
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President Biden hopes to show that the United States is ready to be a leader again in combating climate change.
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In fact, experts say the fight against climate change could spark a nuclear energy revival.
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Biden has moved to rejoin the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization. They likely won’t be the last international agreements and institutions that the United States reenters.
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The COVID-19 pandemic brought travel around the world to an abrupt halt in 2020. Nations are still trying to grasp the consequences, and restarting movement could take years.
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Since India’s independence, ties with the United States have weathered Cold War–era distrust and estrangement over India’s nuclear program. Relations have warmed in recent years and cooperation has strengthened across a range of economic and political areas.
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The experiences of dozens of countries offer lessons for U.S. officials as they prepare for the presidential election during the coronavirus pandemic.
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India’s Muslim communities have faced decades of discrimination, which experts say has worsened under the Hindu nationalist BJP’s government.
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Recent killings by U.S. officers have sparked widespread calls for police reform and an end to systemic racism. Here’s how U.S. policing compares with other countries’ approaches.
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Educators worldwide are facing the agonizing decision of whether to resume in-person instruction while there’s still no cure for the new coronavirus. Countries including Denmark, India, and Kenya are taking different approaches.
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A U.S. police officer’s killing of George Floyd has sparked protests around the world against racial injustice and police brutality.
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The United States is one of the few leading economies to delegate responsibility for coronavirus restrictions to state and local governments.
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The United States is not alone in giving millions of people stimulus checks. Dozens of countries are also using cash transfer programs to help people cope with the pandemic’s economic toll.
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Here’s how different health-care systems, including single-payer and government-run, have contended with the coronavirus.
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Dozens of federal agencies, including the CDC and FEMA, are battling COVID-19 in the United States.
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A group of international health experts found in 2019 that the world wasn’t ready for a pandemic. This year’s coronavirus outbreak has shown they were right.
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The United States and the Taliban signed an agreement aimed at ending the eighteen-year war in Afghanistan, but many factors could still disrupt the peace process.
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A new coronavirus that originated in China has spread worldwide, sickening hundreds of thousands and halting economic activity. Many countries have imposed unprecedented measures to stop local outbreaks.
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The People’s Liberation Army is aiming to become the dominant force in the Asia-Pacific, strengthening China’s hand toward Taiwan and international disputes in the South China Sea.
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The CDC and other U.S. agencies are working to stop the spread of a new coronavirus that originated in China. But public health resources could become stretched if the outbreak worsens.
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If passed, a new bill would signal U.S. support for the protesters and put pressure on China’s leaders.
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With Turkey’s latest military offensive, here’s a rundown of the different forces in the region.
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The Indian government’s surprise move to strip autonomy from part of Kashmir heightens tensions with Pakistan over the disputed region.
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The global tech industry and U.S. interests in Asia could suffer if the dispute isn’t resolved soon.
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Under President Xi Jinping, China is pressing the United Nations’ human rights body to favor national sovereignty and development over calling out domestic rights abuses.
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The Chinese telecommunications company faces accusations that Beijing could use its 5G infrastructure for espionage. The outcome of the struggle could shape the world’s tech landscape for years to come.
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With Emperor Akihito’s historic abdication approaching, here’s a look at his accomplishments and what to expect from the next emperor, Crown Prince Naruhito.
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More than a million Muslims have been arbitrarily detained in China’s Xinjiang region. The reeducation camps are just one part of the government’s crackdown on Uyghurs.
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The Trump administration has made bold gestures in support of Taiwan, including more frequent movement of U.S. ships in the Taiwan Strait. They come at a time of growing anxiety about the U.S.-China relationship.
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Renewed tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals over Kashmir have once again put the world on high alert.
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Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority group, have fled persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, fueling a historic migration crisis.
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Beijing has tightened its grip on Hong Kong in recent years, dimming hopes that the financial center will ever become a full democracy.
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The alliance with Japan has been the cornerstone of U.S. security policy in East Asia for decades. Now, Japan’s role in global security is growing as challenges from China and North Korea mount.
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Under the command of Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Party faces a host of domestic and international challenges as it aims to bolster China’s great-power status.
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As more people in China practice religion, the government continues to toughen oversight, increase religious persecution, and attempt to co-opt state-sanctioned religious organizations.
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The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, twenty years after their ouster by U.S. troops. Under their harsh rule, they have cracked down on women’s rights and neglected basic services.
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Differences over Taiwan’s status have fueled rising tensions between the island and the mainland. And Taiwan has the potential to be a flash point in U.S.-China relations.