In The News

Obama Waits for Lawful Way to Fight Islamic State Terrorists

Harold Hongju Koh September 4, 2014
International observers and critics in the United States repeatedly ask why President Barack Obama does not simply bomb areas controlled by the Islamic State terrorist group inside Iraq and Syria. “Part of the challenge lies in the maze of domestic and international law that must be navigated,” suggests Harold Hongju Koh, Yale professor of law and former legal adviser to the US State Department....

Thailand’s Ultra-Monarchists Export Vigilante Justice

Michael Peel September 3, 2014
The rise of ultra-monarchism and harsh penalties for speaking against the monarchy in Thailand are heightening political conflict and tension throughout the diaspora. “Part-absurd, part chilling, the case highlights how the ever harsher application in Thailand of lèse-majesté laws protecting the frail 86-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej is spilling across continents in uncontrolled and...

Washington and the Argentine Default

R. Viswanathan August 29, 2014
Argentina wants to pay bondholders who agreed to a restructuring settlement and withhold full payment to a few holdouts, but a US judge ruled that all or none must be paid. “Argentina has now taken the matter to the International Court of Justice, complaining that the decision of the U.S. judiciary is arbitrary, abusive, and beyond its jurisdiction besides ignoring the sovereign immunity of...

If Australia Wants to Avoid Regional Turmoil, It Needs to Turn to ASEAN

John Blaxland August 8, 2014
As China encroaches on the ocean territory of its neighbors, unity among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, could protect borders in dispute, suggests John Blaxland, former Australian intelligence officer, for the Guardian. China’s approach is calculated, using tactics that draw international ire but not action, even from the countries under attack: “water cannons to...

New York Real Estate Is the New Swiss Bank Account

Andrew Rice July 1, 2014
Foreign buyers “have become an overpowering force” in the city’s real-estate market, reports Andrew Rice for New York Magazine. Despite high costs, the city is a global bargain, and buyers of new construction receive huge tax breaks. Buyers scoop up properties at a wide range of prices; units are often rented or even left vacant before quick resale. The Congressional Research Service reports that...

South China Sea Dispute Reaches United Nations

Lauren Butowsky June 30, 2014
Both China and Vietnam have filed appeals with the United Nations over territorial claims to the Paracel Islands after China placed huge drilling rig in the area. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea gives countries exclusive economic use 200 miles offshore and the Chinese rig is 120 nautical miles away from Vietnam. The Chinese government claims control over the islets after a military...

Beijing Tells G7 Nations to Stay Out of Disputes

Teddy Ng and Agence France-Presse June 9, 2014
Beijing vowed to answer provocations against its territorial sovereignty after the G7 leaders stated concerns over the maritime tensions between China and its Asian-Pacific neighbors. China has long insisted that territorial disputes must be settled by negotiations between China and the states directly affected. G7 leaders, including US and Japan, have suggested that countries involved in...