opinion - INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR JOURNALISM AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

India NEET, JEE exams: 'Conducting these exams will be a giant mistake'

Two competitive tests that determine the fate of millions of India's students every year are at the centre of a growing controversy. ...

Coronavirus vaccine: Short cuts and allegations of dirty tricks in race to be first

When Moscow announced on 11 August it had registered the first vaccine against Covid-19 and was naming it Sputnik V, the message was hard to miss. Back in 1957, the Soviet Union had launched the Sputnik satellite and won the race for space. Now, Russia was saying it was pushing the boundaries of medical science. ...

When the virus came to our hospital

As the Covid-19 pandemic loomed, the staff at one hospital in the English Midlands braced themselves. Quickly they found themselves at the centre of a coronavirus hotspot - and nothing turned out as they anticipated. ...

Joe Biden: Where does the US presidential hopeful stand on key issues?

When he formally announced his entry into the 2020 presidential race, Joe Biden declared that he stood for two things - workers who "built this country", and values that can bridge its divisions. ...

TikTok: How would the US go about banning the Chinese app?

"We may be banning TikTok," President Trump told reporters, saying an announcement could come as soon as this weekend. ...

The sweet smell of success: How Bulgaria took the lead in lavender

If you think of lavender, the picturesque purple fields of Provence, France might spring to mind. ...

Coronavirus: Can this California prison save itself from Covid-19?

California's San Quentin State Prison had zero coronavirus cases, until an inmate transfer in May sparked one of the worst outbreaks in the state and the country. Authorities are now scrambling to contain it. ...

The children of Korean War prisoners who never came home

When the Korean War ended in 1953, about 50,000 South Korean prisoners of war were kept in the North. Many were forced into labouring jobs against their will. Some were killed. Now their children are fighting for recognition. ...

Coronavirus: What would working from home in Barbados really be like?

Bored of working from home, wishing you were on a beach instead? ...

Coronavirus: The week when everything changed for Trump

It's as though in January 2017, Donald Trump was given a shiny, new car. The best, most beautiful car the world has ever seen. And in July 2020, the president made an important discovery about it. ...

IS prisoner issue a ticking timebomb for the West

The latent danger posed by thousands of defeated and captured fighters who joined the Islamic State (IS) group is festering and growing in the squalid, overcrowded prison camps of north-east Syria, where riots and attempted breakouts are becoming commonplace. ...

Abood Hamam: 'A picture can kill you or save your life'

For years Abood Hamam chronicled the war in Syria for news outlets all over the world without ever revealing his name - and despite being employed by different warring parties. He began as photographer to the presidential couple - Bashar and Asma al-Assad. Later he filmed Islamic State's victory parade. Now, finally, he's broken cover, to encourage exiles to return to his beloved hometown, Raqqa. ...

How deep are Britain and China's economic ties?

The economic relationship between the UK and China has grown significantly over the past two decades. ...

Coronavirus: Why are Americans so angry about masks?

In the midst of the pandemic, a small piece of cloth has incited a nationwide feud about public health, civil liberties and personal freedom. Some Americans refuse to wear a facial covering out of principle. Others in this country are enraged by the way that people flout the mask mandates. ...