The war against terrorists in Syria should not become a battlefield between the United States and Russia. If the United States and Russia choose confrontation, neither side will win, only wreaking havoc for the rest for the rest of the world.

In order to defeat IS, action needs to be taken well beyond Iraq and Syria. The entire campaign will not be measured in months. It needs to be a global, multi-pronged and long-term battle and requires global input and cooperation to extirpate this universal scourge.

Following the attack on Charlie Hebdo, many westerners have rallied around the ideals of free speech. However, as Wu Sike shares, the new tendencies and changes in global terrorism determine that no country is immune to its effects, and that the global society must be more mutually respectful and communicative.

Chen Xiangyang provides an overview of the major international power conflicts during 2014, a year marked by “flux” and “reconfiguration.” Western countries will find it hard to dominate international order, institutions, and rules due to the collective emergence of new powers, mostly in Asia.

What kind of legacy President Obama will have after he leaves office in two years? The outcome of the midterm elections has led many to question what he will leave behind for the world at large.

In the wake of the anti-US protests across the Middle East, confrontation and contest will remain a major feature dominating the development of the world for quite some time to come.