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MEXICO CITY: Scarcely a month has passed since the general elections in Mexico, and despite calling for a recount which no-one except hard-core conservatives takes seriously (when you’re trounced two to one the only rational reaction is to examine the reasons for your failure), the opposition coalition has yet to come up with a coherent strategy.

WASHINGTON: Two things are clearer than ever after the first presidential debate. First, Trump is a fascist and a liar who can’t be allowed near the White House ever again. Second, despite Biden’s faltering performance as messenger, the task ahead of the people’s and labour movements is still the same: Block fascism in November.

With a record number of over 360 journalists detained in jail in more than 30 countries across the world mostly on the charges of espionage, WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange must thank Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his stars to get himself freed after pleading guilty to violating the US espionage law, ending a 14-year-long legal battle. In a rare show of respect for and diplomatic solidarity with Australia, the US finally decided to pardon Assange. WikiLeaks was involved in the most controversial leaks of classified US military documents and videos from the war the country waged in Iraq and Afghanistan in the early part of this century highlighting abuse of prisoners in American custody, human rights violations and civilian deaths.

The results of the first round of French national elections held on June 30 are out on expected lines. The far right National Rally (RN) led by Marine Le Pen has got 34 per cent of the votes against the Leftist New Popular Front’s 29 per cent and President Emanuel Macron’s party at 20 per cent. Only few candidates with 50 per cent votes, will be elected in the first round. The fate of French democracy will be finally decided on July 7 in the second round when the candidates with maximum votes get elected.

US had a presidential TV debate on Thursday which was a major pointer at the kind of electoral contest in store. By that logic, the Americans are facing a senile person the incumbent President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee who cannot control his reflexes and responses, compared with the Republican rival Donald Trump who keeps lying and saying atrocious things.

After a day of voting on June 28 with the lowest turnout ever for an Iranian presidential election, Iranians now have a choice between two candidates in the second and final round scheduled on July 5. One is a reformist who supports more interaction with the West and the other a hardliner who advises Iran’s supreme leader and is against making compromises.

The national elections in the United Kingdom is scheduled to be held on July 4. Its outcome will rejuvenate or further destabilise the pound. Indeed the upcoming election represents a crucial juncture to the fate of a currency which had seen better days. The pound has witnessed significant volatility since 2016, post the Brexit votes.

On Wednesday (June 26), NATO selected Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as its new leader. This decision comes amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and uncertainties about the future role of the United States in the alliance, according to reports from Reuters and AFP.

On June 25, Liu Jianchao, the visiting Minister of the International Relations of the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s Central Committee reaffirmed China’s commitment to fostering extensive cooperation with Bangladesh. During a courtesy call on Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin at the Bangabhaban, Liu emphasized China’s dedication to bolstering development ties and assured that China would continue to support Bangladesh’s growth in various sectors.

WASHINGTON: Since Joe Biden announced his 2020 campaign for president, elite Democrats and parts of America’s media apparatus have been playing a strange, bewildering, and ultimately untenable game. Whatever else you might have thought of him, the then former vice president had often been reasonably quick on his feet: able to hold his own in debates and project basic political confidence — even, as was so often the case with Biden, when he was fibbing or talking nonsense.