In The News

Arcane Agriculture Models: Manila Times

Ben Kritz September 7, 2019
Agriculture’s tremendous success in producing more food than the world needs with fewer resources is also reducing prices. Even as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization suggests that 30 percent of the world's food goes wasted, the agriculture industry represents an increasingly smaller share of economic growth and jobs for both advanced and emerging economies. The industry carries great...

Hong Kong Withdraws Extradition Bill: SCMP

September 4, 2019
Large crowds of Hong Kong protesters began organizing in mid-June soon after the government introduced a bill allowing extradition of criminal suspects to jurisdictions with which the city lacks a treaty, including China. Announcement of suspension on June 16 was not enough and spurred 2 million to take the streets in peaceful protest. Weeks passed and the protests took a violent turn with petrol...

No-Deal Brexit Opponents Want Commons Control: BBC

September 3, 2019
The United Kingdom faces an October deadline, already extended, for exiting the European Union. A majority of UK parliament members from a mix of parties united in emergency debate to defeat the government on a no-deal Brexit after the prime minister announced a five-week suspension. The opposition fears economic chaos, disruption to travel and basic supplies and a hard border for Ireland, but...

Dousing Sovereignty Wildfires: Project Syndicate

Jean Pisani-Ferry September 3, 2019
The world is more connected and informed on global events than ever before, and possibly more competitive over limited resources. Conflicts over sovereignty – the right for nations to do as they please, disregarding the interests of the world at large – could become more common. A quarrel between the presidents of France and Brazil over reflects a larger battle over national sovereignty: Emmanuel...

Italy Has New Government: ANSA

August 29, 2019
Italy has formed a new government under Premier-designate Giuseppe Conte nine days after he resigned. The new coalition of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the center-left Democratic Party is less hostile to the European Union than the previous coalition that included the far-right Nationalist League. The 5-Star Movement led all parties in the 2018 legislative election, with more than...

Johnson Suspends UK Parliament: Financial Times

Sebastian Payne and Philip Georgiadis August 28, 2019
The UK prime minister is determined to meet the October 31 deadline for Brexit, hard or soft, and suspended parliament for time than usual to stop efforts by a sizable opposition hoping to block the nation’s withdrawal from the European Union. Parliament was set to return on September 3 and suspension extends that until October 14. Boris Johnson suggests the suspension allows focus on other...

Hong Kong Protests Turn Violent: Reuters

Twinnie Siu August 27, 2019
After 11 weeks, mostly peaceful protests in Hong Kong have turned into violent with petrol bombs, destruction of surveillance cameras and injuries. Police responded with water cannons, teargas, gunfire and more than 80 arrests. The protests began in June over an extradition bill allowing Hong Kong people to be sent to China for trial. “But the demonstrations have evolved over 12 straight weeks...