OPINION: Three reasons why Trump White House might not be disaster for Ukraine − in fact, it might tighten screws on Russia

SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - Among the first world leaders to speak with Donald Trump following his election victory on Nov. 5, 2024 was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Congratulating the U.S. president-elect, Zelenskyy expressed confidence in the "potential for stronger cooperation" between the two nations. Others are less sure. For many foreign policy observers, Trump's victory – together with his lukewarm attitude toward NATO, criticism of the amount of

November 13, 2024

OPINION: COP29 climate talks are about to kick off in Baku, Azerbaijan. Here's what to expect

SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - The next major United Nations meeting on climate change, known as COP29, is about to get underway in Baku, Azerbaijan. These annual meetings are the key international summits as the world attempts to address the unfolding climate crisis. The talks this year are crucial as climate change worsens. In recent years, a series of climate-fueled disasters and extreme events, from Australia's bushfires to Spain's floods, have wrought havoc around the world

November 12, 2024

OPINION: Why German government collapsed and what to expect now

SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has sacked his finance minister Christian Lindner escalating a long conflict in the German government and ultimately causing the fragile coalition between Social Democrats, Greens, and the Free Democratic Party to collapse. For once, Scholz, often mocked as a robotic speaker without emotion, appeared to be angry – even resentful. In a speech, Scholz blamed Lindner for the government's collapse, and portrayed hi

November 11, 2024

OPINION: How Trump's presidency might change global economy

SEOUL, November 7 (AJP) - Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 election – and his threat to impose tariffs on all imports to the United States – highlights an important problem for the global economy. The U.S. is a technological powerhouse, spending more than any other country on research and development and winning more Nobel prizes in the last five years than every other country combined. Its inventions and economic successes are the envy of the globe. But the rest o

November 7, 2024

OPINION: What to expect on US election day. History could be made, or we're in for long wait

SEOUL, November 6 (AJP) - As Americans vote in one of the most important presidential elections in generations, the country teeters on a knife edge. In the battleground states that will likely decide the result, the polling margins between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump are razor thin. These tiny margins, and the general confusion around American politics today, make it impossible to predict the outcome. The polls might well be wrong: the electorate may have s

November 6, 2024

OPINION: How does electoral college voting system work in US election?

SEOUL, November 5 (AJP) - On Nov. 5, millions of Americans will cast their votes for president, with the vast majority deciding between Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump. This historic election, however, is not determined by a singular national poll, but rather a state-by-state contest. Many people outside the US, and some inside, do not understand how this complicated system works. Here are five things to know about the electoral college system: 1. It's not o

November 5, 2024

OPINION: Massachusetts could be next state to get rid of 'subminimum wage' for tipped workers

SEOUL, November 05 (AJP) - The federal minimum wage for tipped workers has stood at US$2.13 an hour since 1991. Back then, it amounted to half the $4.25 regular minimum wage. But Congress has failed to increase the tipped minimum while periodically raising the regular wage floor. Today, the tipped rate is less than one-third of the $7.25 federal full minimum wage. As of Oct. 2024, 30 states and Washington, D.C., had instituted their own, higher, regular minimum wages. The number of

November 5, 2024

OPINION: US presidential election is too close to call. Don't blame polls

SEOUL, November 4 (AJP) - With just hours remaining until election day in the United States, pundits and the public alike are scouring public opinion polls for early signs of a result. We've had months of campaigning and hundreds of polls. Yet, there are still few conclusive takeaways other than the dissatisfying catchphrase of election analysts the world over this year: "it's too close to call." Polling isn't predictive Both campaigns have at different t

November 4, 2024

OPINION: Is Donald Trump preying on his supporters' death fears? What terror management theory offers us

SEOUL, November 4 (AJP) - Death and destruction from climate crises — flooding, fires, hurricanes and heat. Then there's the multimedia firehose of tragic accidents, gruesome images from devastating wars, seemingly random local street violence, warnings of a Third World War and grim distress signals about the dangers of rising authoritarianism on the eve of the United States presidential election and the possible return to power of climate-change skeptic Donald Trump. Comb

November 4, 2024

OPINION: Anniversary year shows importance of NATO

KENOSHA, November 01 (AJP) - "Most alliances die young." That is how "The Economist" magazine began a special essay on the durability of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). This military alliance turned seventy-five years old this year. The treaty was signed in Washington D.C. in April 1949. The fact-based “Economist” essay notes coalitions of the Napoleonic wars lasted an average of five years. The previous U.S. administration directed co

November 1, 2024