Opinion

  WASHINGTON Neither the unanimous decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, nor China’s rejection of it, was surprising. The timing of it was, however, as serendipitous as China’s rejection is ominous. Coming as Republican delegates convene on Lake Erie’s shore, the tribunal’s opinion about the South China Sea underscores the current frivolousness of American politics, which ...

  The recent failed coup attempt was the last thing expected by the Turkish government, which is grappling with a lot of odds that cast shadow over tourism in particular and economy in general. The turmoil will take economic toll on a country where tourism is an essential source of foreign currency to finance current-account deficit. The sector employs 8 ...

  Mark Buchanan Voting is partially a social endeavor, in which people consider the opinions of others when making up their own minds. Increasingly, though, they’re being influenced by an inhuman force: software robots specifically designed to deceive them. Lest democracy be undermined, humans need help in distinguishing their brethren from the bots. Two years ago, in a report filed ...

  China has taken a leap towards clarifying its claims in the South China Sea, but in a direction that could intensify frictions. The International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea delivered a sweeping ruling Tuesday against China in an arbitration case initiated by the Philippines. The result significantly limits the size of the maritime zones and scope of ...

  The attempted coup d’etat by a faction of Turkey’s armed forces on Friday failed for many reasons, including divisions among the military and repeated missteps by the plotters. Social media and mobile communications also played an important role. And it wasn’t the first time this combination has enabled citizens to express their will and have a say in deciding ...

  David Lai / Fred Gellert SPECIAL TO EMIRATES BUSINESS The events of the last year have seen a shift in Beijing’s relations with China’s neighboring states and the United States. New Chinese challenges to the international order such as assertions of territorial ownership, pronouncements of international initiatives, military build ups and maneuvering, and land creation in the South China ...

  Mihir Sharma Walk into a coffee shop in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru (formerly and more commonly known as Bangalore) and you’re likely to find it full of young people drawing up business plans or meeting with funders. You’d be forgiven for thinking the city — once a leafy and cool retirees’ paradise, now a gridlocked concrete jungle ...

WASHINGTON The Republican National Convention in Cleveland this week ought to be interesting, but whether it will be informative is another question. Barring a last-minute surprise, the delegates will nominate real estate magnate Donald Trump to be the GOP presidential candidate, and he will pledge — probably repeatedly — to “make America great again.” Just how he plans to do ...

  The European Central Bank’s (ECB) decision-making governing council will on Thursday, a month after the Brexit, assess market turmoil shock triggered by the Leave vote. Though volatility has subsided, it is widely believed that the extent of economic damage is still unclear. ECB President Mario Draghi and his colleagues look forward to an uphill task to decide what to ...

  Eli Lake After the horror at Nice, perhaps the most depressing comment came from France’s prime minister. Calling for unity in the face of terror, Manuel Valls observed: “Times have changed, and we should learn to live with terrorism. We have to show solidarity and collective calm.” If this sounds like resignation, it shouldn’t. Valls is no squish. After ...