Conflict
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The day that Chinese law came to Hong Kong
Should we fear China? Its growing military power and moves to suppress democracy in Hong Kong have alarmed many, but others believe that we should be more accepting of its values.
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Trump – the playground bully of politics
Do insults work? An article by legendary US journalist Carl Bernstein has revealed that Donald Trump is as rude in his talks with America’s allies as he is in tweets about his enemies.
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Russia accused of training German neo-Nazis
Is Russia a threat to Europe? Germany says that a paramilitary camp near St Petersburg trains neo-Nazis in close combat. And, yesterday, Vladimir Putin held a huge military parade in Moscow.
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Grief and questions over senseless killings
Is lack of mental health care the key problem? A midsummer day in a Reading park was ripped apart by a knifeman. Three victims are dead. Today, a nation in shock must ask why it happened.
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Sick and on fire: the end of the American era
Will this be the week when it became clear the American era was over? As thousands take to the streets and a president threatens his own people, many predict a historic turning point.
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Put down your protest banners – or I shoot
Is using the army to quell civil unrest ever justified? Troops from the US 82nd Airborne Division were moved to Washington last night. Americans are terrified that Trump might use them.
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Heated exchanges – and maybe another Cold War
Has a second Cold War begun? China has been busy flexing its muscles in Hong Kong and elsewhere, suggesting that it sees the Covid-19 pandemic as a chance to claim global leadership.
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Send in the troops – there’s trouble on Mars
Is space the next war zone? As the superpowers step up their competing exploration programmes, experts worry that future conflicts could be decided outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
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Obama blasts Trump as ‘chaotic disaster’
Will there ever be another Barack Obama? A new row has exploded between the former US president and Donald Trump. It has left many yearning to find “a new Obama” to help heal the world.
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‘A strong-man world threatens global peace’
Has the world forgotten the lessons of VE Day? The “long peace” of the post-war era has given way to a new age of nationalism. We urgently need international co-operation, says Theresa May.
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The greatest outburst of joy ever – for some
Is history best told through human stories? Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary of VE Day, and the eyewitness accounts of those who were there vividly evoke its mixture of joy and sadness.
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Queen invokes Blitz spirit in message of hope
Can war metaphors be a mixed blessing? The Queen, last night, movingly evoked memories of World War Two. But many politicians worldwide have been less subtle in their choice of words.
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A man with a cough walks into an empty bar
Is it wrong to make jokes during a crisis? The pandemic – like many tragic and difficult situations throughout the centuries – has brought fear, but also inspired a tidal wave of humour.
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Lockdown! And the rush to stock up goes on
What’s so wrong with stockpiling? People facing an unprecedented lockdown are being called “selfish” and “shameful”, but humans have always stored up food to get through difficult times.
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Markets panic as virus drags down oil price
Does oil run the world? It looks that way to investors watching the value of shares plummet in response to a shock drop in the price of oil. But why does “black gold” have so much power?