海角大神

If peace is to come to Afghanistan, shifting attitudes among the Taliban are key. Our reporter ventured into jihadi-held territory to speak in person with fighters. They are not of one mind on peace.

Individuals run for president. But Joe Biden鈥檚 candidacy is more than a test of the American public鈥檚 faith in one man. It is a test of聽how relevant centrism is in modern American politics.

Religion and LGBTQ rights both make up a big part of Pete Buttigieg鈥檚 life and historic candidacy. Is the South ready to vote for that particular combination?

Discrimination based on race is illegal. So why is it still largely legal to discriminate against people because of their natural hair?聽Some lawmakers have started to grapple with that question.

As ski resorts expand their glamorous amenities and lift lines lengthen, some skiers are seeking a simpler, more natural experience in the snowy mountains.

To honor the sacrifice of its front-line workers battling the coronavirus, Singapore鈥檚 government decided today to give them a special bonus. From cleaners to security guards to nurses, they will all receive a one month salary bonus.

Yet that was not enough. To pay for this financial gratitude, the government decided all political office holders, from members of Parliament to the president, should take a one month pay cut. 鈥淲e are all in this together,鈥� said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat. That sense of shared duty extended to many companies in the Asian nation-state of nearly 6 million people. In response to the effects of the virus on the economy, firms announced pay freezes or salary reductions.

Singapore has earned praise for the ways it has curbed the outbreak on its densely populated island. Harvard University says it sets the 鈥済old standard.鈥� Now it is setting a model by highlighting the collective need for selfless sharing in the task of ending the epidemic.

Across the dozens of countries coping with the virus, billions of people are either acting selflessly or quietly accepting burdens imposed by government, such as quarantines or travel restrictions. Japan, for example, has closed schools for a month. China told some 150 million people to stay in their homes. In many places, holiday events have been canceled. In Italy, Venice shut down its Carnival festival.

鈥淭his could be a long fight that will require shared聽sacrifice,鈥� tweeted Scott Gottlieb, who was President Donald Trump鈥檚 first director of the Food and Drug Administration.

Many leaders are also praising health workers. 鈥淲e must feel the duty to thank those who are operating with effort,聽sacrifice, abnegation to counter the danger of聽coronavirus,鈥� said Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

While the focus has been on the spread of the virus and fears of it, the world is also witnessing a bursting of good deeds. Across the globe, people are sacrificing personal freedoms or daily activities for the safety of their neighbors, even for the world. Such acts are a form of love that, on their own, send a message of healing to those struck by the virus or those deathly afraid of it. We are, indeed, all in this together.

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