World News Insights: Opinion Articles

When the nation’s intelligence chiefs go before Congress on Tuesday to provide their first public "Worldwide Threat Assessment" of President Trump’s second term, they’ll face an extraordinary choice. Do they stick with their long-running conclusion about President Vladimir Putin of Russia, that…

There is no longer a need for analysis to prove that, in the eyes of the Israelis, the war has not ended: neither in Gaza, where death and savagery have returned with full force, nor in Lebanon, where withdrawal is not on the table, nor in Syria, where territory is being chipped away and the skies…

President Trump says he is focused on stopping the “death march” in Ukraine “as soon as possible.” But for President Vladimir Putin of Russia, ceasefire talks with Trump are a means to much broader ends. Russian and American officials met in Saudi Arabia on Monday to deepen their negotiations…

A witty Arab artist, when asked: "What message would you like to send to future Arab generations?" ironically replied: "I’d tell them not to come!" This statement has an unsettling implication that reflects the state of the Arab world, which mostly passively receives. The power to influence and…

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s phone call about Ukraine has sparked controversy, with approval and condemnation both widespread. This is largely due to Trump’s persona and the radical, unprecedented shifts he has introduced to US policy, reshaping the balance of…

It was a pleasant night in Beirut. The seaside cafes were full late into the night. The city has a habit of concealing its wounds and disappointments, to challenges death and the rubble, and to convince the visitor that bright days are ahead despite the challenges. We used to count the losses and…

As the adoption of electric vehicles accelerates, governments face a growing fiscal challenge: how to fund roads without fuel taxes while maintaining momentum towards cleaner transport. Electric vehicles (EVs) are the future of sustainable road transport; yet they also pose a fiscal conundrum: how…

Military chaos, so to speak, has taken hold in our region since the October 7 operation in Gaza and the subsequent wars in Lebanon: Israeli-Iranian military skirmishes, the fall of Assad, US strikes in Yemen, and then Israel’s rampage in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon. Nonetheless, one remarkable…

Sectarianism is the blind championing of one faction at the expense of the others, whether they are in agreement or dispute. Only those who share the same proclivities and interests see the faction’s triumph, which brings them comfort and reassurance. Like several other countries, Iraq has…

As Elon Musk pursues his “draining the marshland” in Washington D.C., his plan to reduce the size of the US federal government may have a number of unintended consequences. To be sure, few people might disagree with ending monthly payment to sole 20 million former civil servants who continue…

In reaction to the tragedy on the Syrian coast, many voices have mixed regret and apology lately: We had not anticipated the force of sectarianism that was just exhibited. Where did this disregard that defies infinite past episodes come from? It would be unwise to ignore a lousy human tendency…

Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer just a prime minister waging war against Gaza. His war is against the world. He has resumed this war of relentless brutality without even pretending to target Hamas. Children, women, and innocent civilians are his victims today. He has starved them throughout the…