Argument
An expert’s point of view on a current event.
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This picture, taken on July 4, 2017, and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (center) celebrating the successful test fire of the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location. 3 Scenarios for Kim Jong Un’s Mysterious Absence
The United States and South Korea should be ready to cooperate whether Kim is dead, sick, or about to reappear.
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Farmers harvest wheat in a field in Tabuk in April 2016. The province has been tapped for the location of a high-tech megacity called Neom. Mohammed bin Salman’s Bloody Dream City of Neom
Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion planned high-tech city involves forced evictions and vague promises of compensation. The killing of an activist who protested the development has reminded the world how the kingdom handles dissent.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un 5 Things to Know If Kim Jong Un Dies
Hereditary dictatorships rarely last past three generations, and collapse may be in the cards for North Korea.
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban leaves following a meeting during the second day of a special European Council summit in Brussels on Feb. 21. Why Populists Want a Multipolar World
Aspiring authoritarians are sick of the liberal order and eager for new patrons in Russia and China.
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Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Leo Varadkar meets with Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster and Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill to discuss the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Not Even the Coronavirus Can Overcome Northern Ireland’s Divisions
Even in the face of an existential crisis, the country’s political leaders default to battles over culture and identity.
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Visitors look at ribbons wishing for peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula Pyongyang Might Be Ready for a Helping Hand From Seoul
Pride may get in the way, but mutual success against the coronavirus offers a strong foundation for cooperation.
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Muslims maintain social distancing as they offer a special Taraweeh evening prayer ahead of the first day of the holy month of Ramadan at the Grand Faisal Mosque in Islamabad on April 24. Pakistan’s Government Is Caught Between a Mosque and a Hard Place
The authorities are struggling to enforce social distancing rules during Ramadan.
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The Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge Guesswork and Rumors Make for Bad North Korea Policy
The United States can take steps to clear up the darkness around Pyongyang’s actions.
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Police block drivers in Cambodia during the coronavirus pandemic Hun Sen’s Coronavirus Crackdown
The Cambodian prime minister is using the pandemic as cover to silence his remaining critics.
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Muslims buy food before breaking their Ramadan fast in Quetta, Pakistan, on May 12, 2019. To Fast or Not to Fast—That Is the Coronavirus Question for Ramadan
With Ramadan services sharply curtailed due to the pandemic, many Muslims are wondering if the required fasting might also pose a health risk.
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Qatari charity workers prepare food parcels for migrant laborers Middle East Autocrats Target South Asian Workers
Hundreds of Nepalis and others have been deported under cover of the pandemic.
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A trader at the Dubai Stock Exchange in the United Arab Emirates. The Coronavirus Oil Shock Is Just Getting Started
The pandemic is causing crisis for energy-producing governments around the world—and could change the global economy forever.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu points at a map of the Jordan Valley. Netanyahu’s Annexation Plan Is a Threat to Israel’s National Security
Annexing the West Bank would threaten Israel’s peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, anger allies in the Gulf, undermine the Palestinian Authority, and endanger Israel as a Jewish democracy.
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Two helicopters fly over the landing command ship during the Vostok-2018 military drills at Klerka training ground on the Sea of Japan coast on Sept. 15, 2018. Russia and North Korea Are Fighting—Over Fish
Moscow’s broader ambitions for the Far East are stopping it from cracking down on North Korean poachers in Russian waters.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel looks on during exercises of a NATO tank unit in Münster, Germany, on May 20, 2019. NATO Has a New Weak Link for Russia to Exploit
North Macedonia just became NATO’s newest and weakest member. That makes it a ripe target for interference.
