A 19 February article by Newsweek (The Snitch in Your Pocket Law enforcement is tracking Americans’ cell phones in real time—without the benefit of a warrant), attempts to revive the debate about the government’s forays into the realm of “Big Brother” (a cliché no mainstream media outlet can avoid). The FBI, according to the article, [...]

I didn’t take it seriously when in 2007 foreign minister Taro Aso launched the International Manga Award. The media ridiculed Aso for not being able to read Japanese properly, which some said was due to him preferring cartoons to books. And indeed Aso liked to portray himself as a manga otaku, a freak. I thus [...]

This week the ISN examines the role of armed non-state actors in conflict environments and peacebuilding processes. From rebel groups to militias, armed non-state actors are key to the course and sustainable resolution of today’s conflicts. In this week’s Special Report: An Analysis by Dr Véronique Dudouet from the Berghof Center for Conflict Research examines [...]

The professors and researchers at the Center for Comparative and International Studies (CIS), an have just started a blog, PoliSciZurich. From PoliSciZurich: “Our goal is to engage in a fresh exchange on research, teaching, and the academic profession by exploiting what makes political science in Zurich distinctive, namely a strongly research-oriented and international profile in [...]

Are you on t-o-p of CIP? Test your knowledge of critical infrastructure protection, the focus of our Special Report this week, by taking the ISN Quiz.