US, allies clash with Russia, China over North Korea's failed military spy satellite launch
The United States and its allies clashed with Russia and China over North Korea’s failed launch of a military spy satellite this week in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, which Moscow and Beijing refused to condemn.
Amid shrinking freedoms, Hong Kongers commemorate Tiananmen anniversary privately
As the 34th anniversary of China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown approaches Sunday, many in Hong Kong are trying to mark the day in the shadow of a law that prosecuted leading activists in the city’s pro-democracy movement.
IEA: Shift to clean energy accelerating, but coal investments too high to meet climate goals
The International Energy Agency says energy security concerns and policy support from rich countries are speeding up reliance on clean energy, but investments in coal power are on course to be nearly six-times beyond what is needed for the world to meet targets for achieving “net zero” carbon emissions.
Business group: Companies in China want 'clarity' after security rule changes, raids on consultants
A business group says foreign companies in China want “greater clarity” about changes in China’s cybersecurity and other rules and how the ruling Communist Party will enforce them after they were rattled by raids on consulting firms.
G7 'outreach' an effort to build consensus on global issues like Ukraine, China, climate change
Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies are sitting down with a carefully chosen set of counterparts from other countries during their summit in Japan in an effort to expand the G7’s sway and to include voices from the so-called Global South.
Biden to visit Japan, Australia for meetings with allies
President Joe Biden will visit Japan and Australia next month to huddle with allies on their continued response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as well as ways to confront China’s assertive economic and military moves in the Indo-Pacific region.
Lagarde: US-China split may weaken growth and fuel inflation
The fragmentation of the world economy into rival blocs led by the United States and China threatens to destabilize global commerce, increase inflation and weaken growth, Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank, warned Monday.
Brazil's welcome of Russian minister prompts US blowback
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov traveled to the Brazilian capital Monday and expressed gratitude for Brazil’s push for an end to hosilities in Ukraine — even as that same effort has irked both Kyiv and the West, and by afternoon had prompted an unusually sharp rebuke from the White House.
China auto show highlights intense electric car competition
Global and Chinese automakers plan to unveil more than a dozen new electric SUVs, sedans and muscle cars this week at the Shanghai auto show, their first full-scale sales event in four years in a market that its developing its own EVs, self-driving cars and other futuristic technology.
Japan signs $2.8B long-range missile development deals
Japan’s Defense Ministry says it has signed contracts worth $2.8 billion with the country’s top defense contractor, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to develop and mass produce long-range missiles for deployment as early as 2026 amid growing fear of China's increasing military strength.
UN food chief: Billions needed to avert unrest, starvation
The head of the U.N. World Food Program is warning that without billions of dollars more to feed millions of hungry people, the world will see mass migration, destabilized countries, and starving children and adults in the next 12 to 18 months.
Seoul lifts visa limits on short-term travelers from China
South Korea says it will remove the entry restrictions it placed on short-term travelers from China since the start of the year as officials see the COVID-19 situation in that country as stabilizing South Korea in early January stopped issuing most short-term visas at its consulates in China, citing concerns about a virus surge and the potential for new mutations.
W&L’s Kristina Lozinskaya ’22 Among 2024 Class of Schwarzman Scholars
Kristina Lozinskaya, a 2022 magna cum laude graduate of Washington and Lee University, has been selected for the 2024 class of Schwarzman Scholars, a one-year master’s program at China’s Tsinghua University. The Schwarzman Scholars program draws inspiration from the Rhodes Scholarship program at the University of Oxford. Lozinskaya is W&L’s fourth Schwarzman Scholar.
EU outlines plan for clean tech future boosted by subsidies
The European Union is pushing forward with a major clean tech industrial plan that not only should keep the continent in the vanguard of plotting a greener future but also guarantee its economic survival as it faces challenges from China and the United States.
EU to try again for coordination on China COVID-19 policies
European Union nations will try again on Wednesday to mold a coordinated approach on if and how to check incoming airline passengers from China for any new COVID-19 variants after several member nations announced individual efforts over the past week.