Tag: Dictators
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Trump celebrates with tanks and fighter planes
Is Donald Trump behaving like a tin-pot dictator? Last night, he turned the USA’s famous Independence Day celebrations into a military show of strength — with himself at the heart of them.
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1984 at 70: Still relevant says Orwell’s son
Even after a lifetime, can a classic still have a message? Few novels have had such an effect, with ‘Big Brother’, ‘newspeak’ and ‘thoughtcrime’ now firmly embedded in the English language.
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Zimbabwe in flames as dreams of reform die
Spiralling fuel costs and economic hardship have sparked mass protests in Zimbabwe. At least 12 people have been killed in a brutal crackdown — Zimbabwe’s worst violence for a decade.
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The dubious history of the Nobel Peace Prize
Is the Nobel Peace Prize worthless? Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad have won the prize for their work campaigning against sexual violence in war. Some say past winners have debased the award.
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The Czech protests that still hurt 50 years on
Can heroic defeats teach us more than victories? It is 50 years since the Soviet Union crushed Czechoslovakia’s dreams of liberation. What lessons can we learn from this tragic tale?
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The World Cup, patriotism and a history of sport
Is sport really a force for good? The 32 countries competing at the World Cup will be spurred on by nationalist sentiment. But many feel sport is the perfect place to express these feelings.
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History versus hype as tyrant meets tycoon
Was yesterday truly historic? Kim Jong-un pledged to “denuclearise” North Korea, and Donald Trump vowed to end US “war games”. But is this hollow propaganda — or a genuine turning point?
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Mandela, Malala, and now… The Donald?
Should Trump win the Nobel Peace Prize? South Korea’s leader thinks so, after the US president helped broker historic peace talks. Trump’s own showdown with Kim Jong-un could be weeks away.
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The moment peace got one step closer in Korea
Could two Koreas become one? The leaders of the North and the South met for a historic summit on Friday. Soon, the Korean War will officially be over. “Reunification” is on everyone’s lips.
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Trump and Kim set for showdown of the century
Will Trump solve the North Korea crisis? The president has agreed to a historic meeting with Kim Jong-un, who has talked of ditching nuclear weapons. Some say Trump is walking into a trap.
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‘Emperor Xi’ and the great Chinese power grab
Should we be worried about Xi Jinping? The Chinese president is abolishing term limits, potentially making him leader-for-life. But to some, this is a comforting sign of stability.
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Syria conflict spirals into ‘hell on Earth’
Has the Syria conflict become a new world war? Hundreds have been “massacred” in one of the war’s deadliest attacks. As other world powers join the bloodbath, there is scant hope of peace.
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Embattled Mugabe vows to cling on to power
How will history remember Robert Mugabe? Yesterday Africa’s oldest tyrant was sacked by his own party. He remains in power for now, but his era of shortages and despotism is surely over.
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All hail Xi Jinping, the new ‘King of China’
Should we welcome China’s new era? After an extraordinary week, Xi Jinping has cemented his control over his vast country. But there are fears China is tilting back towards dictatorship.
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Election victory threatens Japanese pacifism
Should Japan finally have an official army? Prime Minister Abe is on track to win another “supermajority”. Now he plans to change his country’s constitution, which banned the military in 1947.