World News Insights: Opinion Articles

Electronic Arts Inc. is considering the unimaginable: dumping the FIFA name from the company’s billion-dollar soccer video-game franchise. Given the excessive demands from the global soccer governing body, ending the partnership might be prudent. On Wednesday, the New York Times said FIFA was…

Bravo Iraq! This was the phrase that automatically came to my mind the other day as the Iraq’s latest general election was completed without an incident. The kudos was deserved for several reasons. First, last week’s election, the fifth in Iraq’s history since liberation in 2003, shows…

As a worsening power shortage ripples through China Inc., with provinces asking high-energy industries to curtail usage, semiconductor machinery makers and manufacturers along the electric-vehicle supply chain have had to shutter production. That the outages are now hitting such key sectors is…

It appears that President Joe Biden’s administration is finally taking “no” for an answer from Iran. Since the summer, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has signaled that his patience is not infinite when it comes to his offer to re-enter the 2015 nuclear deal. This week, Blinken went a bit further…

All the Lebanese are faced with a TV series, with the bogus lawsuits aimed at removing Judge Tarek Bitar being filed in succession. The lead investigator into the Beirut port blast crime is facing off against governmental and political interference and Hezbollah’s threats of “removing him,” the…

A villain is emerging in China’s efforts to rein in its energy prices: inefficient, power-hungry industry. With flooding in the coal hub of Shanxi province driving prices up to 1,508 yuan ($234) a metric ton even as the government tries to kickstart extra production, further measures are clearly…

With so many conspiracy theorists embracing the view that the coronavirus escaped from a laboratory, it’s tempting to dismiss the idea out of hand. But it's important to keep an open mind — because the possibility of a lab leak still exists, and needs to be investigated. Serious people are…

The nifty app CamFind has come a long way with its artificial intelligence. It uses image recognition to identify an object when you point your smartphone camera at it. But back in 2015 its algorithms were less advanced: The app mostly used contract workers in the Philippines to quickly type what…

When I was traveling around Kabul a few weeks ago, the city felt worlds apart from my last visit in 2019 — and not just because a 20-year war had finally ended. The economy is spiraling out of control. And unless money starts flowing soon, a total economic collapse will plunge Afghans into a…

At 88 years of age, Abolhassan Banisadr passed away in Paris. The passing was quiet and cold, and the man who passed is almost unknown. Banisadr is not an anonymous person, or his anonymity is not that simple. He was elected Iran’s first president after it was declared a republic. As for how he…

Whether you are religious believer or an atheist, it’s galling to realize that some people are feigning religious objections to Covid-19 vaccines to avoid compliance with mandates. And since the law requires that religious beliefs be “sincere,” it’s tempting to argue for strict policing of the…

A new pill to treat people with Covid-19 may be given emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration before year’s end. The data from a late-stage clinical trial suggest that the drug, molnupiravir, can protect patients who are treated within the first five days of feeling…