Opinions
Power shift: Who gains in the battle for Syria's northeast?
U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of Syria radically realigns the balance of power in the country's northeast and creates a vacuum which Russia, Turkey and Iran are racing to fill. With Turkish forces pressing south from the border, the Kurds have invited troops from Syrian President Bashar… Read
Athletes can now approach Tokyo Olympics focused on performance, not survival
The news that the marathon and walking events at the Tokyo Olympics are set to move to a cooler climate will be welcomed by the majority of athletes, who can now focus on reaching their absolute maximum without fear of a major medical breakdown. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has… Read
Are China's 'internal affairs' going more global?
One day in 1955, the fledgling People's Republic of China was unhappy about U.S. involvement with Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing considered its territory. So Premier Zhou Enlai wrote a letter to the secretary-general of the United Nations. "The Chinese people's exercise of their own sovereign rights in liberating… Read
Big Tech is now a big punching bag for politicians
Republicans and Democrats don't agree on health care, immigration or taxing the rich. But one subject draws critics from both parties: Big Tech. The list of grievances is long and growing by the week. Companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon are too big and powerful. They're bad for privacy ,… Read
What's next in the impeachment inquiry as Congress returns
Congress is returning from a two-week recess on Tuesday, but some lawmakers barely left Washington. Three House committees investigating impeachment worked through the break, issuing multiple subpoenas and holding depositions with State Department officials relevant to the inquiry . Democrats are investigating President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine and exploring… Read
For Putin, Turkish move into Syria a chance to ramp up Middle East role
Turkey's incursion into Syria is an opportunity for Russia to dial up its influence in the region as Washington appears to be pulling back, but the risks to Moscow's diplomacy will rise the longer the operation goes on, people close to the Kremlin say. In a phone call with Turkish… Read
Social networks face quandary on politics in misinformation fight
As social media firms ramp up their fight against misinformation, politicians have been largely left exempt. To some, that's a huge problem. Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms have decided to allow politicians including President Donald Trump extra leeway to their rules, seeking to avoid stifling political debate and… Read
Unfettered by advisers, Trump's presidency gets less predictable
On Monday, having effectively and unexpectedly given the green light to a Turkish military incursion against America's sometime Syrian Kurdish allies, U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter once again. If Turkey took any action that he in his "great and unmatched wisdom", considered to be off-limits, he would "totally… Read
Phone calls with Trump: More risky venture than diplomatic boon
Arranging a phone call with the president of the United States used to be seen as a diplomatic win. But increasingly it comes with serious risks, from transcript leaks to domestic political blowback, and advisers are growing wary. The fallout from Trump's July 25th call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy… Read
Freedom of speech has its consequences for NBA
If the NBA really wanted to make a statement, it should have never issued a statement, much less two. No need to complicate things when two team owners had already genuflected to the irate citizens of China. Or when James Harden took it upon himself to apologize to an entire… Read
