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Summit Struggle – Ahead of Wednesday’s crunch E.U. summit, Der Spiegel reports that new French President François Hollande will pressure German Chancellor Angela Merkel to agree to euro bonds, which she has so far strictly opposed. “Italy and Britain are expected to back Hollande in a further sign that Merkel is increasingly isolated in Europe with [...]
Spillover – Lebanon’s Daily Star reports on escalating violence inside the country after soldiers shot dead a prominent anti-Bashar al-Assad Muslim preacher Sunday. “The gravity of the incident… prompted leaders on both sides of the political divide to call for calm and restraint to prevent the country from sliding into sectarian strife as a result [...]
China’s state-run Global Times newspaper, reacting to a recent meeting between the Dalai Lama and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Arming Rebels – The Washington Post reveals Syrian rebels battling President Assad’s regime have begun receiving “significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks.” Opposition activists and foreign officials say the arms are paid for by Persian Gulf nations and coordinated in part by the U.S., according to the newspaper. But, “Obama administration officials emphasized [...]
Fruit Flare-Up – China’s turned to a new weapon in its dispute with the Philippines over contested South China Sea islands. State-run People’s Daily gleefully reports that “fruit from the Philippines will receive stricter inspections for harmful organisms at Chinese borders, a potential setback for exporters from the country.” Meanwhile, the Philippine Star says the Philippine [...]
Warring Words – China’s state-run Global Times issues its most threatening commentary yet on the continuing standoff with the Philippines over disputed islands in the South China Sea. Under the headline “Peace Will Be a Miracle if Provocation Lasts,” the op-ed accuses Manila of exploiting the situation to cement its rule and worryingly warns: “Under [...]
Mid-Term Blues – The U.K.’s two ruling coalition parties, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, both suffered setbacks in local elections Thursday. The Guardian is live-blogging the results — including for the London mayoral race. Its assessment: “Labour has soundly beaten the Conservatives in the local elections in a result that has been welcomed by [...]
Conduct Report - British MPs tasked with investigating allegations of phone hacking at Rupert Murdoch’s now-defunct tabloid, News of the World, have released a long-awaited final report on the matter. The Daily Telegraph is live-blogging its contents, reporting the parliamentary committee found that Rupert Murdoch “is not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international [...]
Bahrain Protests – The Guardian reports on a wave of demonstrations in Bahrain to coincide with the controversial Formula One Grand Prix this weekend. The government and organizers have insisted that the event would proceed as planned, but concerns are mounting over security forces’ use of birdshot and live ammunition, the paper writes. “Manama is [...]
Bridging the Gap – In his first interview with foreign media since winning the nomination of Hong Kong’s 1,200-member “election committee” in March, Chief Executive-elect Leung Chun-ying tells the Financial Times his government will play a bigger role in the economy of the Chinese Special Administrative Region to tackle worsening inequality. “We will have to [...]
