More stories

  • in

    Trump, Putin and Bolsonaro have been complacent. Now the pandemic has made them all vulnerable

    Trump, Putin and Bolsonaro have been complacent. Now the pandemic has made them all vulnerable Simon Tisdall The world’s strongmen may well end up paying a political price for their cynicism and incompetence Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, centre, and his ministers arriving in Brasilia. Photograph: Joédson […] More

  • in

    Global report: Trump threat to cut trade ties over Covid-19 branded 'lunacy' by Chinese media

    President says he doesn’t want to speak to counterpart Xi; Brazil passes 200,000 infections; Baltic travel ‘bubble’ begins Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage President Trump did not wear a mask when visiting a medical supplies distributor. Chinese state media says Trump’s suggestion he could cut ties with Beijing is motivated by […] More

  • in

    Water Becomes a Weapon in China’s Geopolitical Chess

    Many centuries ago, the great Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu observed: “The nature of water is such that it avoids heights and hastens to the lowlands. When a dam is broken, the water cascades with irresistible force. Now the shape of an army resembles water. Take advantage of the enemy’s unpreparedness; attack him when he does […] More

  • in

    COVID-19 Will Have Long-Lasting Effects on Migration

    A dangerous cycle for immigrants has begun. On April 20, President Donald Trump announced that he would sign an executive order to temporarily halt immigration into the United States in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. As of April 1, 90% of the world’s population already resided in a country that implemented at least […] More

  • in

    The Colorful World of Coronavirus Conspiracies

    A few days ago, thousands of demonstrators gathered in a number of German cities, ignoring government restrictions and guidelines regarding social distancing or the wearing of protective face masks. Among the demonstrators were many ordinary citizens, but also extremists from both sides of the political spectrum, conspiracy theorists, and members of the radical right-wing populist […] More

  • in

    Indonesia-UAE Relations Strengthen Amid COVID-19

    On April 28, the United Arab Emirates sent 20 tons of medical aids for the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus in Indonesia. This equipment is expected to help around 20,000 medical personnel in dealing with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. While the assistance was just the latest in a series of such […] More

  • in

    Wuhan: The Same Evidence Can Be Enormous or Nonexistent

    In a May 6 article in Forbes with the title, “Pompeo Backtracks About Wuhan Lab: The Latest In The Controversial Coronavirus Origin Theory,” Jack Brewster provides a detailed timeline of the debate relating to the hypothesis that the novel coronavirus originated in a Wuhan laboratory. The first entry in the timeline is dated January 26 […] More

  • in

    Debunking Trump’s China Nonsense

    Conspiracy theorists never let a crisis go to waste. When something truly terrible happens, the conspiracy theorist sets to work to determine the dark, hidden forces at work behind the scenes that have produced the crisis. Some people might see God or the Devil as the prime mover behind a catastrophe. Others throw up their […] More