In The News

Invading Vietnam’s Waters: Times of India

Nayan Chanda October 28, 2019
China’s expansive claims over the South China Sea and ongoing aggression push Vietnam to consider filing a suit with the Hague for violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The international court has already ruled that China’s claims are overly expansive, but the country has not complied. In July, Chinese survey ships entered Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone and disrupted oil drilling...

Catalan Leaders Guilty of Sedition: El País

Reyes Rincón, Óscar Lóopez-Fonseca and Jeúus García October 16, 2019
Catalan separatists – including a party leader, former speaker of the Catalan parliament, former ministers and cabinet members – were sentenced to 9 to 13 years in prison by the Spanish Supreme Court for an attempt to break from Spain in October 2017. “The court has found that there were “undeniable acts of violence” in Catalonia in the fall of 2017, but that these were not severe enough to...

Zelensky-Trump Meet on UN Sidelines: Kyiv Post

Bermét Talant September 26, 2019
Expect global leaders to apply caution in interactions with the United States. Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine since May, spoke with US President Donald Trump by telephone in July, shortly after the president had suspended an aid payment. Details of the call, possibly connected to a whistleblower’s complaint about Trump, have galvanized global attention. Speaker of the House of...

Global Backlash on Vaping: Reuters

Aditya Kalra and Aftab Ahmed September 22, 2019
India banned the sale of electronic cigarettes and warned of an “epidemic” among youth. India and China, emerging economies with more than 1 billion people, represent the largest potential markets. “The ban cuts off a huge future market from e-cigarette makers at a time when the number of people smoking worldwide is declining,” reports Reuters. “The ban also covers the production, import and...

Out of Style: All Animals

Karen E. Lange September 15, 2019
Fur no longer symbolizes glamour or high fashion, but cruelty and ignorance. Still, more than 100 million wolves, minks, foxes and other wild animals are killed for their skins each year – with more than 80 percent confined to cages on factory farms. The industry touts animal welfare guidelines, but biologists insist raising wild animals in small cages is never humane. China, the United States,...

Iran’s Strategy Is Working: Stratfor

Reva Goujon September 13, 2019
After the United States abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – an international agreement limiting Iran’s nuclear weapons program – and reinstated sanctions, Iran remained defiant, this despite economic hardship accompanyng reduced oil exports and high inflation. The United States expresses a willingness to talk, but Iran refuses without some sanctions relief. “Over the past three...

Singapore-Style UK: Guardian

Daniel Boffey and Jon Henley September 12, 2019
The economic warnings for a post-Brexit United Kingdom are dire: shortages, traffic and chaos. That could make the country desperate and ruthless, eliminating social and environmental regulations to compete. The country could become a Singapore-on-Thames, she suggested. The UK prime minister’s negotiator advised that the UK seeks a “clean break” from the EU. “Merkel also warned of the economic...