In The News

The Economist: UN Refugee Agency for Palestinians Running Out of Cash

July 13, 2018
The Trump administration’s decision to withhold $305 million of $365 million annually directed to the UN’s Relief and Works Agency is poised to cause further damage to the 2 million people of Gaza. Moreover, the crisis looms large against the backdrop of increased tension between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs Gaza. Since the end of March, a series of protests near the border...

Daily Naya Digantha: Bangladesh as Pakistan or Kashmir?

Minar Rashid July 11, 2018
Political opponents can be counted on to issue dire warnings to sway support their way. Supporters of the Awami League warn that the party’s loss could make Bangladesh similar to Pakistan, and some observers suggest India may be working to boost the Awami League in the elections to be held later this year. With more than 160 million people, Bangladesh ranks as the world’s eighth most populous...

The Guardian: Accountability Only Way to End Violence in Myanmar

Yanghee Lee and Georgia Drake July 11, 2018
Local and international organizations have reported serious violations and abuses in Myanmar for decades, and sexual violence cases overwhelmingly feature members of Myanmar’s military, the Tatmadaw. Yanghee Lee and Georgia Drake report for the Guardian: “Myanmar has faced civil war since shortly after independence in 1948, and there are countless instances of its peoples facing serious...

Reuters: British Foreign Secretary Quits Over Brexit Plan

Elizabeth Piper, William James and Andrew MacAskill July 9, 2018
European nations share many trade, travel and security benefits from membership in the European Union. In 2016 with a close vote, British voters supported leaving the union after assurances that exit would be easy. As details on Brexit costs emerged, Prime Minister Theresa May favored retaining close ties with the EU – with a free trade area on goods but restrictions on immigrants. Two cabinet...

New Yorker: Obrador, Trump and the Error of Comparison

Jon Lee Anderson July 4, 2018
Andrés Manuel López Obrador, also known as AMLO, won 53 percent of the vote along with taking the majority of legislature seats. Issues in Mexico include the war on drugs, complacency against the Trump administration and failure to prosecute major criminal cases. By building grassroots support over two decades, López Obrador ended the 88-year-old hold grip on power by two parties, PRI and PAN....

Council on Foreign Relations: Global Implications of Justice Kennedy’s Retirement

Stewart M. Patrick July 2, 2018
US Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy had a lead role in sculpting a positive relationship between the United States and international law over his tenure. His replacement promises to be more conservative, with Donald Trump aiming to appoint a successor before midterm elections. “Foreign relations law,” regarding the place of international law in US jurisprudence, is a field that...

Spiegel Online: Toughest Adversary in Europe

Walter Mayr June 29, 2018
Italy’s interior minister is a populist who opposes immigration, firing up crowds by suggesting the European Union has treated its third largest economy as “garbage.” His party, Lega Nord, is a junior partner in the coalition government, but he is the most outspoken leader with tough talk crafted perhaps to distract Italians from their debt challenge – standing at more than 134 percent per GDP,...