World News Insights: Opinion Articles

The liberation of Khartoum and expulsion of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was a decisive and game-changing victory for the Sudanese army. It changed the course of the war, as key symbols of sovereignty, the Republican Palace, cabinet headquarters, and the country’s most significant institutions…

Osman Mirghani

During and after the crimes on the Syrian coast, two voices were raised. One was the voice of the people (yes, the people- without quotation marks), and it broke into several sharp sectarian voices, each defaming the other. The second, the voice that concerns us here, was that of the elite, some of…

Hazem Saghieh

In a region plagued by turmoil, anxious transformations, and the repercussions of destabilizing projects, Saudi Arabia stands out. It presents a unique model of stability and good governance. Domestically, this is reflected in its investment in citizenship; abroad, we see this in its positive…

Yousef Al-Dayni

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…

David E. Sanger and Julian E. Barnes

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…

Hazem Saghieh

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…

Anton Troianovski

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…

Eyad Abu Shakra

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…

Sam Menassa

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…

Ghassan Charbel

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…

Jessica Obeid

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…

Tariq Al-Homayed

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…

Mahmoud al-Mashhadani