opinion - INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR JOURNALISM AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

What's behind the rise of QAnon in the UK?

A wide-ranging conspiracy theory about elite Satan-worshiping paedophiles has migrated from the US, inspiring a series of regular street protests. How did QAnon find a British audience? ...

Amy Coney Barrett: What's at stake in Supreme Court fight

The battle to get Donald Trump's nominee to the US Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, confirmed by the Senate is beginning. The shifting ideological balance of the court will have an impact in all areas of American life and across the US - perhaps in no place more than Texas. ...

US election 2020: 'QAnon might affect how my friends vote'

The US election campaign is full of talk about the pandemic, the Supreme Court and police reform. But millions of Americans are tuning into an entirely different conversation. ...

What we can expect to see at North Korea's 'biggest military parade'

North Korea is preparing for what is expected to be the largest military parade in its history. Thousands of soldiers have practised for months to ensure that each step is marched with precision and each fervent cry of adoration will be heard by the Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. ...

VP debate: Did gender play a role in the interruptions?

Wednesday night's vice-presidential debate was widely seen as civil, but with few memorable moments. ...

Kamala Harris v Mike Pence: Why this vice-president debate matters

It's time for the supporting cast to bask in the spotlight. The deputies will have their day in charge. The number-two figures are stepping out of the shadows. ...

Coronavirus: How to tell which countries are coping best with Covid

As the Covid crisis has unfolded, infection rates have fluctuated and restrictions have proliferated. But it has always felt that there was one idea to cling to: that by working out which countries were doing well - and which were not - there was something to be learned. ...

Beirut blast was 'historically' powerful

The blast that devastated large parts of Beirut in August was one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in history, experts say. ...

Coronavirus: When India's capital became a ghost city

In late March, India's cities went still as the country locked down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Workplaces shut, public transport stopped and people stayed home. But photographer Parul Sharma ventured out to document the deserted capital, Delhi. ...

Did El Salvador's government make a deal with gangs?

El Salvador's jailed gang members will see "not one ray of sunshine", said the country's prisons director, Orisis Luna Meza, in April. ...

Coronavirus: How pandemic sparked European cycling revolution

From Bucharest to Brussels, and from Lisbon to Lyon, the coronavirus pandemic has triggered unprecedented investment in cycling around Europe. ...

Coronavirus: How Italy has fought back from virus disaster

Through the window of the car in front, there's a short, sharp cry from the toddler - eased with a quick lollipop or a colourful picture: a distraction aid once the swab is finished. And then the next in a long line of vehicles pulls up as Rome's "Baby drive-in" continues apace. ...

US 2020 election: Can Trump release his tax returns?

US President Donald Trump says his tax returns are currently being audited, and that he won't release them while an inspection is continuing. ...

Nuclear power: Are we too anxious about the risks of radiation?

This week, Boris Johnson restated the UK government's commitment to nuclear power. But of six sites identified for replacements for the country's ageing nuclear reactors, three have now been abandoned, two are waiting approval and just one is under construction. So is it time to reassess our attitude to nuclear power? Consider this conundrum: when you talk to climate scientists you quickly discover they are far more worried about the dangers of global warming than most of us. Some tell you privately that they have had counselling to cope with the psychological effects of knowing the world is facing an impending disaster and not enough is being done. Meanwhile, speak to experts on the effects of ionising radiation and you find they are surprisingly relaxed about the risks low-level exposure poses to human health - certainly far less so than most people. Despite the popular anxiety about this form of energy, it's hard to see how the UK government can meet its carbon reduction targets without new nuclear. Not least because decarbonising transport and home heating will involve a massive increase in electricity demand. Nuclear nightmares You only have to watch HBO's stunning drama, Chernobyl, to understand people's fears. Who could watch the power station workers' bodies visibly breaking down as they lie in hospital and not be afraid of radiation? You'll be even more apprehensive if you venture down the online rabbit hole. The estimates for the number of deaths from the Chernobyl disaster that you can encounter there quickly spiral into the hundreds of thousands. Some studies claim a million people have already died because of exposure to the toxic plume that spread across Europe in the wake of the accident back in April 1986. ...

Covid is making us talk about death, says funeral planner

As a humanist celebrant, Julia Page has seen first-hand how the coronavirus pandemic has affected those who have lost loved ones. ...

Breonna Taylor: Why it's hard to charge US police over shootings

Three officers were involved in the police raid that ended with Breonna Taylor shot dead in her home in Kentucky. Only one of them has been charged, but not in relation to her death. Why are so few police officers charged after fatal shootings in the US? ...