2018
May
03
Thursday

Monitor Daily Podcast

May 03, 2018
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Noelle Swan
Weekly Editor

Readers of The New York Times may have noticed something unusual in today’s paper: a full-page ad promoting the BBC News, Italy's la Repubblica, and The Wall Street Journal.

The ad is part of a broader campaign dozens of news outlets are running on Thursday to mark the 25th World Press Freedom Day.

The importance of a diverse press has become a well-worn refrain in the United States this past year. But in much of the world, the idea of any free press is far less certain. Only 13 percent of the global population enjoys a free press, according to watchdog Freedom House.

Journalism can be a rewarding profession, but it can also be dangerous. On Monday, the global journalism community was rocked by news that nine journalists covering a suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, were killed in a second explosion that erupted amid a crowd of reporters.

But journalists are a dedicated and loyal lot. So on this World Press Freedom Day, we at the Monitor would like to join our comrades in ink and invite you to “Read more. Listen more. Understand more.”

You might start with this story from German broadcaster Deutsche Welle about African journalists using drones to expose government lies, this examination of progress in America from The Atlantic, or this BBC Thai piece on an orchestra that fights bloodshed with music.

Now on to our own five stories for today, examining the global quest to plug the flow of dirty money, an evolution in expatriated Mexicans’ sense of duty to their home country, and a troubled tribal town in Jordan’s efforts to lift the region up from underdevelopment, unemployment, and unrest.


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Today’s stories

And why we wrote them

A new British law could have big ripple effects as part of a global trend toward financial transparency. Disclosure of who really owns offshore companies can counter crime and reduce the inequality that arises from corruption or tax evasion.

While Switzerland and the United States are not the most financially secretive nations (see chart in orange), they host so much foreign corporate money (including hidden assets) that they are considered the world's two biggest tax havens (see chart in blue).
SOURCE:

The Tax Justice Network Financial Secrecy Index, 2018

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Jacob Turcotte/Staff
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters/File
Young people pose for photographs at Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul, South Korea.

Every generation lives with the consequences of their parents’ decisions – not just as families, but as nations. Many older South Koreans hope to see a unified Korea. But for their children and grandchildren, uniting with the dramatically different North is a far less appealing prospect.

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Mexican nationals waited to register to vote at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles Jan. 16.

The responsibilities – and rights – of a citizen don’t always end at the border. When Mexicans cast their votes for a new president this summer, many of them will be expatriates, as more Mexicans living abroad embrace their political power.

In southern Jordan, our correspondent found an impoverished rural area that felt neglected by the government and had been the site of sustained protests not many years ago. Today the region has found new hope in a commercial wind farm.

The 'soft-power' approach is not where the Trump administration puts diplomatic resources. But a tradition of awards to foreign nationals remains alive in the State Department, and is supporting US goals abroad.


The Monitor's View

Reuters
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker presentS the final proposal for the bloc's next long-term budget, in Brussels, Belgium, May 2,

One of the world’s greatest acts of charity has been the aid given to the newer members and poorer nations of the European Union by wealthier states, especially since the admission of many former Soviet-bloc countries in 2004. This “cohesion” money is largely spent on reducing inequities in trade, transport, and communications across the Continent.

Yet soon those funds may also be used to ensure the EU has no inequities in democratic standards, such as freedom of the press and independence of judges, that lie at the core of Europe’s civilizational identity.

On May 2, the European Commission, which is the bloc’s bureaucratic body, proposed that the handouts be curtailed to any member state that has “deficiencies in the rule of law,” as EC President Jean-Claude Juncker put it. The move, which does not require the unanimous approval of the EU, is aimed particularly at Poland and Hungary. Right-wing nationalist governments there have violated norms that protect the liberty of individuals, media, and businesses from arbitrary rule.

For years, the EU has sought ways to punish Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party for its assaults on the independence of the judiciary. And as Hungary has curbed press freedom and taken other authoritarian steps, it, too, faces challenges from EU institutions. Under the bloc’s rules, however, it is difficult to discipline a country once it is a member.

The Commission’s threat to cut aid is a clever way to force Warsaw and Budapest to think twice. And it’s not merely a message about values. Rather the proposal is framed as a practical concern about aid being stolen or the possibility of a legal dispute not being handled fairly in a country’s court system. In other words, member states would be held to account for “sound financial management” of EU largess.

For Poland and Hungary, ending aid from the EU would have significant consequences. Most of their infrastructure spending has come from the EU. And in 2016, the subsidy amounted to 2.6 percent of Poland’s gross national income and 4.2 percent of Hungary’s.

Holding the line against dictatorial tendencies is key not only for the current EU but also for its expansion plans. Seven countries on the edges of Europe are candidates to join. This club of democracies has been critical in preventing war. It is also a model in showing rule of law can ensure prosperity and freedom.

The EU charity has built a safe home for Europe. Keeping it safe may require not contributing to countries that stand outside its democratic norms.


A Christian Science Perspective

About this feature

Each weekday, the Monitor includes one clearly labeled religious article offering spiritual insight on contemporary issues, including the news. The publication – in its various forms – is produced for anyone who cares about the progress of the human endeavor around the world and seeks news reported with compassion, intelligence, and an essentially constructive lens. For many, that caring has religious roots. For many, it does not. The Monitor has always embraced both audiences. The Monitor is owned by a church – The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston – whose founder was concerned with both the state of the world and the quality of available news.

Today we hear from a woman who felt the power of God’s love restore a broken heart.


A message of love

Ross D. Franklin/AP
Arizona state Rep. Ken Clark (D) of Phoenix uses a rolled up poster to announce to assembled teachers a legislative budget update after a House session at the Arizona Capitol May 3. After an all-night budget session, the legislature passed the new education-spending portion of the budget, and Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed it.
( The illustrations in today’s Monitor Daily are by Karen Norris and Jacob Turcotte. )

A look ahead

That's a wrap for the news today. Thanks for joining us. Come back tomorrow for a look at a California Supreme Court ruling that has broad implications for the gig economy and beyond.

More issues

2018
May
03
Thursday

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