World News Insights: Opinion Articles

Armies and security services doubtlessly bear primary responsibility for the military coups in Sudan, as they do in the other Arab countries that have been subjected to military coups. They are also primarily responsible for the dictatorial regimes created by these coups. With that, they had…

Some developments witnessed over the two decades are more consequential and dangerous than the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union’s transformation into a museum relic. Indeed, the world has witnessed an explosion of knowledge, and successive revolutionary breakthroughs in science and…

For 45 years, a bond of trust has existed between Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper and its readers. This bond is built on absolute armament with the truth, credibility of news, in-depth analysis, objectivity, moderation, boldness in presentation, and accuracy of foresight. Asharq Al-Awsat, as the top…

That was years ago. I returned from Baghdad and published an interview with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Iraq was mired in a difficult battle, and the man’s name was a provocation to his opponents. The phone rang, and the caller asked me: “How can Ghassan Charbel have the right to tour…

The Judge Ghada Aoun saga has been defined by rage and resentment. There has been no tranquility. In one scene, surrounded by giants from “State Security” armed with guns made for world wars, she kicked down the door of an office. Judge Aoun went beyond her jurisdiction, accompanied by her group of…

Few religious figures allow their sacred texts to be reconciled with others from different traditions. Even if the latter were religious texts, being associated with another religion or sect is enough reason to disregard them. Nevertheless, it is difficult to think about contemporary questions like…

Will Matsuda The ginkgo — a species native to China with fan-shaped leaves that turn a vibrant gold in the fall — is one of the oldest and most resilient trees on earth. My grandmother doesn’t talk about the bomb. Whenever I ask, she claims she doesn’t know what happened to her…

The simmering crisis over Iran's nuclear program is threatening to reignite after Britain, France and Germany warned Tehran they would trigger a return of UN sanctions against it if it enriched uranium to the optimal level for a nuclear weapon. The announcement was made in a Reuters political…

It seems clear that the odds of Haret Hreik and Paris’ candidate being elected are lower than they have ever been. None of the domestic players, most notably among the local Christian forces, have walked back on their opposition to the Shiite Duo’s candidate, Sulieman Franjieh. And four of the five…

Having retreated in the battle over mandatory hijab the Islamic Republic leadership in Tehran may be facing a potentially far more dangerous challenge to its hold on power. The challenge comes from Iranian workers who have launched a series of strikes and sit-ins to protest what they regard as …