World News Insights: Opinion Articles

Our lakes, rivers and oceans are increasingly clogged with plastic, plus trillions of microscopic fragments thereof, from all the useful and disturbingly durable products made possible by the petroleum industry. This deluge of waste has grown exponentially over 60 years. Some 10 million tons of…

Rather as the US is an outlier among developed countries in equating freedom with gun ownership, Germany is almost unique in defining liberty as the absence of speed limits on the autobahn. That mentality, however, is now slamming into the imperative to save energy, which is in turn part of the…

President Biden is in Europe, and talk of unity fills the air. At the Group of 7 meeting in Bavaria, Germany, leaders congratulated themselves for their decisions over the past few months and restated their support for Ukraine. They even took time for a “family picture,” the often awkward group…

There’s a trend for experts who’ve yet to test positive for Covid to explain their disease virginity on social media, detailing all the steps they’ve taken to evade the increasingly pervasive virus. Covid virginity is becoming more special now that it describes a shrinking minority. The lucky few,…

Looking into the sympathy for the Iranian regime shown by its Arab sympathizers, we find many reasons. First and foremost, we have sectarian considerations, which cover the broadest segments of sympathizers. Another is a narrow segment of the supporters of Iran motivated by anti-American sentiments…

Tango experts say that this dance seems simple at first glance, but it is not. Its mastery requires a firm conviction in the need for it, psychological and physical fitness, and the ability to listen deeply to the partner, to his aspirations, fears and obsessions. The dance cannot be performed…

Forty-one years ago, on a cold, drizzly day in Washington, four people were shot by a young man who had concealed a gun in his jacket. This was long before mass shootings became a frequent reality of our lives. It was long before semiautomatic weapons became commonplace. There were many “good…

The English poet Andrew Marvell wrote famous lines on King Charles I’s 1649 execution: “He nothing common did or mean/upon that memorable scene.” Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s hero, Winston Churchill, often recited those lines to his staff, or even to himself. The great wartime prime minister was…

Inflation prognostication tends to come down to reading statistical tea leaves. Friday’s report of strong US job growth looks like a sign of economic strength that keeps inflationary pressure high. Recent declines in commodity prices reassured some analysts that the danger could be receding. …

China’s growing influence in the microstates of the Pacific Ocean has raised alarm among the powers that traditionally dominated the region — Australia, New Zealand, and the US. If they want to halt Beijing’s advance, they’re going to have to start offering more in return. A security pact with…

In May, for the first time in more than three decades, Germany’s storied trade surplus disappeared. Not only is imported natural gas more expensive, but demand in China is falling — neither of which is good news for Germany. Nevertheless, the fallout will be more manageable than many people expect,…

It’s the summer calm before the winter storm in Europe. Tourists are back in Paris, Madrid and Rome, but they can’t save the Old Continent from the threat of recession. Strikes and staff shortages give a hint of the high inflation eating into people’s pockets -- and darkening their mood. France…