Opinions
As Trump attacks mail ballots, Republicans see their own prospects damaged
With less than 90 days until Election Day, Republicans are scrambling to counter the effects of Donald Trump's verbal war on mail ballots amid growing evidence that it has helped Democrats heading into the crucial Nov 3 contest. The U.S. president's unsubstantiated attacks on mail voting as vulnerable to fraud… Read
Facebook’s dilemma: How to police claims about unproven COVID-19 vaccines
Since the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus an international health emergency in January, Facebook Inc has removed more than 7 million pieces of content with false claims about the virus that could pose an immediate health risk to people who believe them. The social media giant, which has… Read
Why choice of running mate matters more than usual this year
For all the secrecy and speculation that typically surrounds the search for a vice presidential candidate, the decision rarely sways an election. But ahead of Joe Biden's imminent announcement, this year could be different. At a minimum, the decision will shift the force of the campaign — at least temporarily… Read
U.S. response to coronavirus met with incredulity abroad
The United States’ failure to contain the spread of the coronavirus has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe, as the world’s most powerful country edges closer to a global record of 5 million confirmed infections. Perhaps nowhere outside the U.S. is America’s bungled virus response viewed with more… Read
Would a Trump White House nomination acceptance speech be legal?
President Donald Trump instantly ignited new controversy when he said recently that he may deliver his nomination acceptance speech during the Republican National Convention at the White House. But using the Rose Garden, the Executive Mansion or even the Oval Office as the backdrop for his speech capping the Aug.… Read
U.S.-China cold war would redirect energy flows
Worsening diplomatic relations between the United States and China are putting a spotlight on their economic inter-dependency in the context of global supply chains for both technology and energy. Top policymakers in the United States and some of its closest allies, including Australia and Britain, have recently hardened the language… Read
If not now, when?: Black women seize political spotlight
Black women have long been the heart of the Democratic Party — among the party’s most reliable and loyal voters — but for decades that allegiance didn’t translate to their own political rise. There have been zero Black female governors, just two senators, several dozen congresswomen. And the people representing… Read
Unspeakable horror: The attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Japan this week marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed over 200,000 people and left many more deeply traumatised and even stigmatised. Here are some facts about the devastating attacks: The bombs The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in western… Read
Being the U.S. VP -- hot seat or just spare seat?
Donald Trump's challenger in the U.S. election, Joe Biden, is soon to announce his vice presidential pick. But what does a VP really do? Do they matter? The vice presidency may not be quite as frustrating and bewildering as the portrayal given by Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the HBO series "Veep."… Read
Will Japan sign the new nuclear weapons treaty?
Pretty soon, the dusty, cold-war-bargained 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is set to be overshadowed by a brand new, zero-tolerance treaty passed by the United Nations in July 2017. Spearheaded by the Nobel Peace Prize and Geneva-based grassroots organization ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons), the new treaty will… Read
