In The News

Pompeo, Putin, Venezuela: OilPrice.com

Tsvetana Paraskova May 16, 2019
Russia and the United States have been on opposite sides on who should lead Venezuela, a nation that should be prosperous with the world’s largest oil reserves. Russia has supported the Nicolás Maduro regime, in office since 2013, despite mismanagement and corruption, and the United States supports opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with...

Why Venezuela Matters: New York Times

Megan Specia April 30, 2019
Maduro has presided over Venezuela's corrupt and mismanaged government since 2013, with violence, hunger and hyperinflation. Maduro refuses to engage in peaceful transfer of power. Venezuela, with ample oil supplies, should be among the world’s wealthiest nations. Yet 30 million citizens must contend with unreliable food, electricity, medicine and other basic supplies. Maduro curtailed power...

Spain’s Election: El País

Carlos E. Cué April 29, 2019
The Socialist Party and Pedro Sánchez won more seats than expected and an absolute majority in the Senate, in Spain’s election. “Sánchez has even come close to winning a large enough majority to be reinstated without help from Catalan separatist parties,” reports Carlos E. Cué for El País. “Instead, he fell one seat short of the absolute majority (176 seats) that would result from an alliance of...

Xi’s Risky Power Play: Democracy

Manfred Elfstrom April 29, 2019
Western democracies struggle to deal with a rising China amid new policies on trade, security and cultural outreach. Manfred Elfstrom reviews trends including concentration of political power with increased oversight and demands for absolute loyalty; reduced emphasis and delays on domestic reforms, including work conditions or the social safety net; and attempts to contain grassroots efforts to...

Growing Protests in Sudan: The Economist

April 25, 2019
What began with tens of thousands of protestors mobilizing against rising food prices in Sudan swelled into a national upheaval calling for the resignation of President Omar al-Bashir. Moreover, in the face of security repression, the civilian protestors may have the support and protection of rank-and-file soldiers, “many of whom count family members among the protesters.” In March, Bashir agreed...

Global Action, Acceptable Climate Future: Phys.org

Francisco Tutella April 22, 2019
The world’s climate will become less tolerable, even as the world is expected to add more than 2 billion people before the end of the century. A range of factors including temperature, costs and consequences must be considered, urges an international team of researchers. “The team defined 'tolerable' as a world where global mean warming at the end of the century is limited to 2 degrees...

China Needs a National Pension System: Caixin

April 17, 2019
China posts a high savings rate, but the country needs pension reforms. Some workers do not receive benefits to which they are entitled. The median age is 37.3 and with a low fertility rate and improved health care, the population is aging. Caixin describes the pension system in crisis and need for national coordination with fair distribution among provinces – “an inevitable requirement for the...