Each week on the Policy File we round up some essential weekend policy reading from around the web. This week we look at terrorist attacks in Brussels and Lahore, and the spread of extremism across the globe, Netflix blocks in China and India’s role in the South China Sea disputes.
More than 100 people were killed and dozens more injured in terrorists attacks in Brussels and Lahore this month sparking international outrage.
Marc A Thiessen at The Washington Post says Belgium’s techniques in interrogating terrorists were flawed and could have prevented the blasts, while Michael Birnbaum says the attack exposed Belgium’s security failings and highlighted that Europe now faces bigger problems.
In Pakistan, the battle of terrorism is nothing new with several significant Taliban attacks in the last decade. But the country faces the difficult task of trying to counteract extremism without caving to the military or the country’s hard-liners. Rozina Ali at The New Yorker looks at the battle between military and political establishments in an extremist environment.
On Policy Forum Amin Saikal casts a wider net and looks at the developing threat in the Middle East, and considers what the world should do about the rise of the Islamic State. Paul Pillar over at The National Interest looks at the impact of foreign policy on terrorism, while The Economist says jihadists could be lashing out abroad because they are being pushed back at home.
At Time Jeff Amy looks at the radicalisation of an American woman and her failed attempt to join ISIS in Syria, while Tewfik Cassis on The Week takes a look at where ISIS began, what it is now and what it could become.
In recent years India has become increasingly vocal on its stance on the disputes unfolding in the South China Sea. On Policy Forum, Harsh V Pant takes a look at the developing turf war between India and China’s navies, while Ankit Panda on The Diplomat says India has a plan for the South China Sea that China won’t like. Abhijit Singh at The National Bureau of Asian Research, meanwhile, takes a look at India’s strategic stakes in the contested region.
The global expansion of Netflix, which operates in over 130 countries, has been blocked from one of the biggest markets in the world. Tenzin Pelki takes a look at Netflix’s great China challenge, while Neha Saleem on BidnessEtc asks whether the company would be as fruitful in China as in other markets. Julia Greenburg on Wired says China is a market of its own and Netflix may need to play by a whole new set of rules.
Netflix is not the only media group struggling with censorship, blockage and denial. On New Mandala Sophie Randhawa looks at the silencing of media in Malaysia and the public determination to fight back.
Countries in the Pacific are still struggling to provide access to clean water. On DevPolicy Blog Luke Lovell and Tom Muller reflect on the importance of water as one of the world’s most precious resources, while Asit Biswas and Cecilia Tortajada look at the once fertile Kosi Basin and say there’s hope a new water management plan could bring growth and economic sustainability to the region.
On Policy Forum Pod Dr Aamer Irshad discusses the future of agricultural development in Pakistan and says climate change is causing big problems for the sector. Madeleine Thomas, meanwhile, looks at the frightening link between climate change and malnutrition and says it’s time to take notice.
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