The Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences released a report that ranked Beijing second to last in an environmental ranking of 40 global cities. The report stated that Beijing “is near a level that is no longer livable for human beings.” Internet censors in China almost immediately blocked all references to the report, denying Chinese citizens the ability to assess the environmental health of their capital city.
The Syrian peace talks in Geneva have reached an impasse, and have nearly broken down in mutual recriminations between Russia and the United States. The division is so deep that no progress was made even on minimal humanitarian aid to the beleaguered Syrian citizens. No side can be proud of the complete breakdown of the talks.
Hindu nationalists in India have forced a publisher to destroy all copies of a book highly critical of Hinduism. The decision comes as national elections near and polls indicate that the Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is leading in the polls. The decision is also a blow to the liberal tradition of freedom of expression. The rise of ethnic nationalism is likely to amplify the cleavages that already exist in Indian politics.
World Politics News 
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