In The News

Unknowns of Trump Impeachment: Bloomberg

Jonathan Bernstein January 17, 2020
So much of politics depends on appearances and voter perceptions rather than evidence. Proceedings resume January 21, and surprises emerged beforehand. Ukraine accused Russia of hacking into Burisma, a firm targeted by Trump associates for wooing the son of a former US vice president for board service. Lev Parnas, accused of campaign irregularities, turned over emails, photographs and other...

Russia Cabinet Resigns: DW

January 16, 2020
Russia struggles to transition away from President Vladimir Putin’s leadership. In power for two decades, Putin announced constitutional reforms that could influence the parliamentary elections in 2021 could keep him in power beyond 2024. Russian law prohibits him from running for a third consecutive six-year term. In the past, Putin and former Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev abided by the law by...

Japan, US, EU Propose WTO Subsidy Rules: Jiji

January 16, 2020
The European Union, the United States and Japan are proposing that the World Trade Organization enact new restrictions on industrial subsidies. Analysts see China as the target and suggest that foreign firms cannot compete in China with firms that receive the subsidies. “The three economies hope to win support for the proposal from a wide range of WTO members in the buildup to a ministerial...

China’s New Coronavirus: Wall Street Journal

Natasha Khan January 15, 2020
Researchers identified a new strain of coronavirus in central China. However, it’s not clear that this new strain is the cause of 59 people sickened, with seven in critical condition. No deaths have been reported yet. Although the new strain is a coronavirus, which also includes deadly SARS and MERS, local health officials report no transmissions yet among humans. The assumption is that those...

The Fall of the God of Cars: BBC

Theo Leggett and Rupert Wingfield-Hayes January 15, 2020
Japan arrested Carlos Ghosn, chairman of Nissan and citizen of Brazil, France and Lebanon, at the Tokyo airport in November 2018, initially charging him for under-reporting deferred compensation and eventually other financial crimes. Ghosn, also CEO of Renault, was known as a cost cutter, credited with saving Nissan from bankruptcy: “The two companies were linked under a strategic alliance first...

President Tsai Reelected: Taiwan News

Keoni Everington January 14, 2020
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was reelected in a landslide victory with 57 percent of the vote. The economy and excessive Chinese control were top issues. China had cut off contact with the Tsai government; protests disrupting Kong since June also troubled Taiwanese voters. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) told the media Sunday (Jan. 12) that officials from more than 60 countries had...

Legality of Preemptive Assassination: FP

Harold Hongju Koh January 14, 2020
US analysts debate the legality of the US military using a drone to hit a convoy carrying Qasem Soleimani and other officials in Iraq. Most indications suggest the strike was illegal, explains Harold Hongju Koh for Foreign Policy. “U.S. officials had no business putting this illegal option on President Donald Trump’s desk, even as an ‘extreme option’ they expected the president would reject,”...