Since the outbreak of COVID-19, tensions have mounted between China and the United States. In this special edition of Head to Head, we ask if the West is heading towards a new Cold War with China. In part one, we challenge retired US Brigadier General Robert Spalding, a former senior director for strategy on President Donald Trump's National Security Council, on why he believes the world should stand forcefully against China. In part two, we challenge Kerry Brown, director of the Lau China Institute, King's College London, who argues that it would be disastrous to turn away from China now. More: https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/headtohead/

Head to Head

Is China a threat or a partner to the West? | Head to Head

In this episode, Mehdi Hasan goes Head to Head with two guests with opposing views. In part one, he challenges Lanhee Chen, chief architect of former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign. Chen argues that "the employer-sponsored system ... has been the linchpin of a quality system of care we have in the US". And in part two, Hasan debates Bernie Sanders surrogate and health policy expert Abdul El-Sayed. "I don't want to live in a society where any of my neighbours … have to potentially go bankrupt because they got sick ... and that's what we have here in the United States," he says. *Editors Note: In the programme, Hasan refers to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, published May 13, which estimated that by May 2, 2020, some 27 million Americans could have lost their health insurance as a result of the economic impact of the coronavirus. After this segment was recorded, a new study, conducted by Families USA, estimated that 5.4 million Americans lost their health insurance. While the Kaiser study took into account family members of the insured, the Families USA study did not. Americans frequently receive their insurance through another family member's employer. More: https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/headtohead/

US healthcare: A cure worse than disease? | Head to Head

With more than 146,000 deaths and counting, the United States has been the hardest hit country by COVID-19. In this first episode of a special Head to Head series, we challenge prominent members of the Republican and Democratic parties on their handling of the crisis. In part one, Mehdi Hasan challenges Jack Kingston, a surrogate for the Donald Trump campaign, and a former Republican congressman. Our second guest, Jess O'Connell, is the former CEO of the Democratic National Committee who has worked on Hillary Clinton and Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaigns. So, who is to blame for the US COVID-19 catastrophe? *Editor's Note: These interviews were recorded on July 9 and 13, and since then, some of the data quoted has changed, including the number of cases and the death toll, which have sadly grown exponentially.

US coronavirus catastrophe: Who is to blame? | Head to Head

It's now more than four months since the COVID-19 started spreading from Wuhan in China. Although the pandemic hasn't stopped, some countries with falling infection rates are slowly easing lockdown restrictions. Small shops and restaurants are reopening in a dozen countries across Asia, Europe and Africa. Some school children are returning to class. A few more domestic flights are taking off, and train services are increasing frequency. What are the risks of a second wave of infections? And how should we adapt to life post lockdown? Presenter: Bernard Smith Guests: John Nicholls - Clinical Professor in Pathology at the University of Hong Kong Donna Dawson - Psychologist specialising in personality and behaviour David Alexander - Professor of Risk and Disaster Reduction at University College London - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #AlJazeeraEnglish #NewNormal #PostLockdown

Will life ever return to normal after coronavirus lockdown? I Inside Story

Thailand has begun lifting restrictions after a steady decline in the number of coronavirus infections. But many people still need help putting food on the table and some businesses are expected to struggle. The government will evaluate the situation every two weeks - either determining to further ease the restrictions - or if there is a spike in confirmed cases, they will reimpose some of the restrictions. Al Jazeera's Scott Heidler reports from Bangkok. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #AlJazeeraEnglish #Thailand #Lockdown

Most businesses resume operations in Thailand

As Canada’s hospitals and medical personnel deal with the COVID-19 outbreak, calls are mounting to allow more internationally-trained doctors to practice and support front-line healthcare workers. But tight regulations are leaving many shut out of their chosen profession. Al Jazeera's Daniel Lak reports. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #AlJazeeraEnglish #Canada #Medics

Highly-qualified medics unable to work in Canada

A factory in Afghanistan is making personal protective equipment (PPE) for the first time. The plan is to make five million affordable masks that cost a fraction of the imported ones. Not only will this provide affordable protective equipment to people, but it is also providing job opportunities to Afghans hit hard by the pandemic. Al Jazeera's Sara Khairat reports. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #AlJazeeraEnglish #Afghanistan #PPE

First factory in Afghanistan to make face masks

US President Trump claims he has seen evidence that coronavirus originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China - but is “not allowed to tell”.

Trump claims coronavirus came from Wuhan lab

President Donald Trump says the United States is working very hard to come up with a vaccine for the coronavirus by the end of the year. He also reiterated claims that China was responsible for the severity of the outbreak and said businesses in the US needed to get going once again, despite its increasing death toll of more than 67,000 from the coronavirus. Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds reports. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #UScoronavirus #Trump #China

US virus outbreak: Trump promises vaccine by the end of 2020

Some Asian countries have begun lifting restrictions after spending weeks in strict lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic. Malaysia has allowed the majority of businesses to open with health and sanitation precautions and social distancing a must. Arisina Ma is a doctor and president of the Hong Kong Public Doctors' Association. She joins Al Jazeera on Skype from Hong Kong. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Is this the right time to ease coronavirus restrictions?

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro attacked Congress and the courts as he urged his right-wing supporters to rally against coronavirus curbs as he fights for his political survival, The country has reported more than 100,000 infections nationwide from COVID-19 and in the Amazon state capital Manaus, hospitals are overwhelmed with more than 100 people dying from the disease per day. Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti reports. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #Brazil #BrazilCoronavirus #Bolsonaro

Brazil's Bolsonaro rallies the right amid coronavirus criticism

The latest virus figures for Europe suggest that some of its worst-affected countries are starting to turn a corner. But that is not the case in Russia, where another 10,500 people have tested positive in the last 24 hours. Al Jazeera’s Sonia Gallego reports. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #Coronavirus #Russsia #COVID-19

Russia reports highest 1-day rise in COVID-19 cases despite curbs

Ramadan meals are served drive-through style outside a mosque in Virginia amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Ramadan under lockdown in Virginia

After losing both forearms in an accident decades ago, this Chinese veteran is now making affordable prosthetic limbs for fellow amputees.

Chinese man makes own prosthetic limbs

Over the weekend, the ISIL (ISIS) group conducted several coordinated attacks in Iraq's Salahuddin province, killing at least 14 members of a paramilitary group known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces or Hashd al-Shaabi. The group's commander says it is being neglected over sectarian issues. He also said the area was poorly reinforced as resources get diverted to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Al Jazeera’s Simona Foltyn reports from Mekeeshfah in the northern Iraqi province of Salahuddin. - Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #Iraq #ISIL #Hashd

ISIL attacks: 14 Popular Mobilisation Forces killed in Iraq

Interviews with attitude, tackling the big issues of our time with Mehdi Hasan.

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