In The News

NPR: Venezuelan Refugees Flee, Facing Violence, Closed Borders

Shannon Van Sant August 21, 2018
Venezuela’s politics and economy spiral into chaos and thousands of try to flee for other countries, but face protests, border closures and even attacks including a refugee camp set on fire in northern Brazil. The country of 31 million people borders Colombia, Brazil and Guyana. “The United Nations says more than 7 percent – 2.3 million refugees – of Venezuela's population have fled to other...

Spiegel: Syria's Uncertain Future

Christoph Reuter, Fritz Schaap and Christian Werner August 16, 2018
Syria’s civil war is winding down with Bashar al-Assad still in power. The country is devastated with more than 400,000 people dead and more than 11 million displaced. One estimate of the war’s damages is $250 billion, and the economic losses could be much higher. Assad, a dictator, and his supporters, a minority, regard the rebels who initially tried peaceful protests as terrorists, and the fate...

New York Times: Trump’s Claims of No Collusion

John O. Brennan August 16, 2018
The US president whose campaign is under a special counsel investigation for Russian interference took steps to withdraw the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan. “Before, during and after its now infamous meddling in our last presidential election, Russia practiced the art of shaping political events abroad through its well-honed active measures program, which employs an array...

AP: Children Killed as Airstrikes Hit Bus in Yemen

Ahmed al-Haj August 10, 2018
Rebels in Yemen claim that a Saudi-led airstrike hit a market and schoolbus carrying children on a field trip. More than 50 people were killed and 75 were wounded. Associated Press reports: “U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the coalition air strike and called on all parties to spare civilians and ‘to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular...

Korea Times: North Korea Shipment Tests US-South Korean Ties

Kim Bo-eun August 7, 2018
The United States, with the world’s largest military and economy, finds it challenging to encourage support among close allies for enforcing sanctions. The leaders of North Korea and the United States met in June to discuss initial steps on denuclearization. The US urges strict maintenance of North Korea sanctions until the country takes significant steps on denuclearization are made. South Korea...

The Diplomat: South China Sea Code of Conduct

Carl Thayer August 2, 2018
ASEAN foreign ministers and China have developed a draft negotiating text for code of conduct in the South China Sea. Singapore, as chairman of ASEAN for the upcoming year, led the effort. The draft will be the basis of future negotiations. Those negotiations have been underway since 1995. Points of disagreements since 2000 include geographic scope and construction restrictions. Carl Thayer,...

Reuters: New Activity at North Korean ICBM Factory

David Brunnstrom August 1, 2018
The US president met with North Korea’s leader in June to start talks on denuclearization talks and afterward said the poor, isolated nation no longer posed a threat. Intelligence agencies have since produced evidence suggesting otherwise. In late June, intelligence reports suggested North Korea was boosting fuel production for nuclear weapons. In July, US satellites detected activity at the...