It has been a calamity for the United States (US) that, when two national tragedies – the COVID-19 crisis and the country’s legacy of racism – collided this spring, the occupant of the White House was an unstable person, totally unfit to govern.President Donald Trump’s inability to cope with the pandemic has so far led to more than 112,000 deaths, one of the world’s highest per capita mortality rates for COVID-19, with the coronavirus still spreading to areas not previously hit.

Would you believe that the coronavirus was developed by a government to weaken its foreign rivals? Or that “patriots” created it to foment a revolution against “big government” and the “deep state”? Sadly, far too many people who have encountered such disinformation online have shared it with their friends and family.Nonetheless, we are learning more about who produces fake pandemic news, and how to stop its circulation.

The threat of COVID-19 has not prevented the international community from communicating and cooperating with one another through the “new normal” mode of interaction – video conferencing. Many organisations have resorted to this type of communication in order to maintain contact with its members. This includes the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) which held an online summit on 4 May, 2020. The NAM was established in 1961 in Belgrade during the post-World War II period.

The White House said Thursday that China's "slaughter" of protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989 has not been forgotten, urging Beijing to give its first accurate accounting of the bloodshed."The Chinese Communist Party's slaughter of unarmed Chinese civilians was a tragedy that will not be forgotten," President Donald Trump's press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement."The United States calls on China to honour the memory of those who lost th

Washington on Wednesday ordered the suspension of all flights by Chinese airlines into and out of the United States (US) after Beijing failed to allow American carriers to resume services to China.The move adds to a growing set of tension points between the world's two biggest economies in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis.The US action, which takes effect 16 June, but could be implemented sooner if President Donald Trump orders it, affects four Chinese civilian carriers, including

The World Bank’s International Comparison Program (ICP) has just released its latest measures of price levels and gross domestic product (GDP) across 176 countries, and the results are striking. For the first time ever, the ICP finds that China’s total real (inflation-adjusted) income is slightly larger than that of the United States (US).

Chinese state media took aim at the US government over the weekend as many American cities were gripped by raging protests and clashes, comparing the unrest with the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.Beijing has long been infuriated by criticism from Western capitals, especially Washington, over its handling of the pro-democracy protests that shook Hong Kong last year.And as unrest erupted across the United States over racial inequality and police brutality after the death during arrest of

President Donald Trump said Friday he would strip several of Hong Kong's special privileges with the United States (US) and bar some Chinese students from US universities in anger over Beijing's bid to exert control in the financial hub.In a day of concerted action, the US and Britain also raised alarm at the United Nations (UN) Security Council over a controversial new security law for Hong Kong, infuriating Beijing which said the issue had no place at the world body.In a White Hou

United States (US) President Donald Trump faced a broad backlash Saturday over his decision to sever ties with the United Nation's (UN) health agency during a pandemic, as the coronavirus surged in Latin America and Europe further reopened from lockdown.The European Union (EU) called on Washington to reconsider its decision to leave the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of the pandemic, which has devastated the global economy, infected nearly six million people and killed

The United States (US) and Britain on Friday defied China's anger by raising Hong Kong's autonomy at the United Nations (UN) Security Council as President Donald Trump prepared new measures against Beijing.Western criticism of China has escalated after it moved ahead this week on a security law that many Hong Kong residents fear would kill off the freedoms which Beijing promised before Britain handed over the territory in 1997.China is one of five powers to wield a veto at the Secur