World News Insights: Opinion Articles

In the week that followed the Jeddah Security and Development Summit, tens of reports were published in quick succession; some focused on the events, and others assessed its implications. Even the Tehran Summit that brought together the Presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey did not manage to turn…

What a difference six months of a seemingly unwinnable war makes to a leader’s self-esteem. As the Russian war against Ukraine grinds on Vladimir Putin, the self-styled conqueror, seems to be descending from his high horse like the statue of Peter the Great in Pushkin’s famous poem to mingle with…

Early in 2009, I offered the world some tech advice that I have regretted pretty much ever since: I told everyone to join Facebook. Actually, that’s putting it mildly. I didn’t just tell people. I harangued. I mocked. Writing in Slate, I all but reached through the screen, grabbed Facebook…

Until just the other day, Republicans and conservative media loved, just loved talking about the price of gasoline. Indeed, “Remember how cheap gas used to be under Trump?” became a sort of all-purpose answer to everything. Is there now overwhelming evidence that the former president conspired in a…

The smell of natural gas rarely gets thought of as a recession risk in Europe. Yet International Monetary Fund researchers this week listed exactly that as one of several potential bottlenecks that could aggravate the pain of a major European Union gas supply crisis, as seemingly small…

After more than 75 years, the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia has evolved from a simple energy-for-security arrangement to a deeply connected commercial and interpersonal partnership. These ties have helped US businesses find a new home for exports and expand their…

Iran’s rush to hold its summit in the same week as the Jeddah summit is not a coincidence. It is an act of desperation in response to the strong front put on in Saudi Arabia by ten states. Iran has given up hope on restoring the nuclear deal, which it coveted with Joe Biden’s election as US…

Lebanese presidents were never made in Lebanon. Foreign powers have always been involved in choosing them. The degree of Lebanese influence in this matter is always dwarfed during crises and “exaggerated” during good times. In the end, it is never a domestic decision as much as it reflects external…

On July 19, three sets of meetings were held in Tehran involving Presidents Ebrahim Raisi of Iran, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. The first meeting was the 7th High Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) meeting between Iran and Turkey. The second was a bilateral…

President Joe Biden’s administration is reportedly rewriting its National Security Strategy, which the White House is required to send to Congress annually, to account for the lessons of the war in Ukraine. One issue that this document will have to grapple with outside its traditional focus on…

Finally, someone is hitting the right tone on Europe’s energy crisis. On July 14th, as France was celebrating Bastille Day, President Emmanuel Macron accused Vladimir Putin of weaponizing energy supplies to punish Europe for assisting Ukraine. He argued that Russia would likely cut off gas…

Britain, and particularly its ruling Conservative party, is growing more diverse. Of that there is no question. But regardless of gender or ethnicity, an aspiring prime minister still must clear certain educational hurdles. The crowded field of eleven who threw their hats into the ring when…