Opinions
Virus delivers blow to Hong Kong protests but rage remains
The new coronavirus has handed Beijing an unexpected gift -- an end to Hong Kong's pro-democracy rallies. But for protesters like Sam it is a chance to rest up before going back on the streets. "A lot of us, especially frontliners, need a little bit of a break," said the… Read
Learning to live with coronavirus in our midst
Efforts to contain coronavirus within Hubei province or China are failing, with substantial outbreaks reported from South Korea to Italy and Iran, and smaller numbers of confirmed cases in most other regions of the world. Public health officials in the United States and Britain have warned about the likelihood of… Read
Sanders learns what it's like to be a front-runner
Bernie Sanders has spent much of his career on the political margins, an outsider looking in. Now, the protest politician is learning what it’s like to be the front-runner for a major political party. Sanders was the target of persistent attacks in Tuesday’s Democratic presidential debate, both from his more… Read
Coronavirus likely to have severe but short-lived economic impact
Epidemics normally have a severe but relatively short-lived impact on economic activity, with the impact on manufacturing and consumption measured in weeks or at worst a few months. Even pandemics such as the Black Death (1348/49), Spanish influenza (1918/19), Asian influenza (1957/58) and Hong Kong influenza (1968/69) that caused large… Read
Sanders' path has echoes of Trump's 2016 campaign
A burn-it-down candidate is topping a splintered field of more moderate contenders and setting the party’s establishment wing on edge. It’s how Donald Trump began his unlikely march to the Republican nomination in 2016. And four years later, it’s how Sen. Bernie Sanders has cemented himself as the front-runner for… Read
Fears over coronavirus threaten globalization rule book
As the Ebola virus ravaged West Africa in 2014, civilian air traffic in and out of the most affected countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia almost completely ceased. That decision, however, was not taken by international health officials. Instead, it came from airline cleaners and other staff, who simply refused… Read
Virus brings two foes together, Japan and China
As China faces increasing isolation, with some countries closing off borders over coronavirus fears, an unlikely friend has emerged -- historical arch-foe Japan. After decades of war and animosity, donations and Japanese ballet dancers shouting their support are among the gestures that have endeared Japan to Chinese people and state… Read
Why Singapore's admired virus playbook can't be replicated
A day after Jeanhee Kim learned of a coronavirus case in her Singapore apartment block, she was visited by a distinguished-looking man she later learned was a senior government minister. Kim, a 51-year old American who had just relocated to the island as the outbreak began, said the man had… Read
Trump says he's the nation's top cop, a debatable claim
President Donald Trump asserts that he is the nation’s top cop, a title more typically accorded the attorney general. Even the Trump-cheerleading White House website sides with the attorney general, describing him as the “chief law enforcement officer of the federal government." But the president's claim is consistent with the… Read
Europe resists mounting U.S. pressure on Huawei 5G technology
The Trump administration is stepping up pressure on European allies to ban Chinese tech firm Huawei from supplying next-generation mobile networks, with more officials visiting this week to press the case. The diplomatic push seems to be failing, however, after Britain decided to allow Huawei as a potential supplier. Germany,… Read
