Argument
An expert’s point of view on a current event.
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People inspect the damage inside a building following a rocket attack by forces loyal to eastern Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar. The Libyan Civil War Is About to Get Worse
None of the parties involved is serious about reaching a political settlement, meaning the conflict could kill many more this year.
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Iranian firefighters disinfect streets in Tehran in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus on March 13. The Coronavirus Crisis Is a Diplomatic Opportunity for the United States and Iran
Washington and Tehran could use the public health emergency to show goodwill, dial down tensions while saving face, and avoid a dangerous confrontation.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel The Coronavirus Is Reducing Merkel’s EU Legacy to Ashes
Preventing a total European meltdown will require the German chancellor to fully abandon her cherished vision for the continent.
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A health worker checks the body temperature of a woman amid concerns over the spread of the coronavirus at Kapaleeshwar temple. Can India Avert a Health Apocalypse?
The world’s largest democracy is particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases—but history shows it can be surprisingly resilient.
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A man holds a poster displaying Togolese opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre on April 11, 2015 in Lome, Togo. West African Leaders Are Rolling Back Democratic Gains
Taking a page from Vladimir Putin's playbook, undemocratic leaders in Guinea and Togo are seeking to extend their rule through ostensibly democratic means.
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An Iranian flag flies in front of the Bushehr nuclear power plant during an official ceremony to kick-start work on a second reactor at the facility on Nov. 10, 2019. Will Iran Follow North Korea’s Path and Ditch the NPT?
As tensions escalate, Iran’s leadership appears to be considering withdrawing from the global nonproliferation framework entirely.
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O'Hare Airport in Chicago, which is nearly devoid of travelers Transparency and Testing Work Better Than Coercion in Coronavirus Battle
Headlines focus on restrictions, but the East Asian experience shows other methods are critical, too.
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Soldiers take part in a drill organized by the New Taipei City government to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Fear of China Made Taiwan a Coronavirus Success Story
Taiwan has 10 million masks a day, widespread tracking, and just 1 death despite being close to the outbreak.
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Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel Joe Biden Isn’t a Liberal or a Moderate. He’s a Christian Democrat.
The Democratic front-runner’s ideology has less to do with Obama or the Clintons than a distinct style of European conservatism.
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A picture taken on Aug. 19, 2014 in Monrovia, Liberia shows an Ebola information billboard. What the West Can Learn From Africa’s Ebola Response
A poor country succeeded in fighting off Ebola. Wealthier countries should replicate Liberia’s strategy in combating the coronavirus.
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A general view of the Blue Nile river as it passes through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), near Guba in Ethiopia, on Dec. 26, 2019. The United States Must Not Pick Sides in the Nile River Dispute
Ethiopia and Egypt are at odds over a Nile dam. Washington should be helping them compromise, rather than doing Cairo’s bidding.
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An editor looks at the Twitter account of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau showing a picture of him in self-isolation after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus on March 13. OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images Canada Shows How Easy Virus Testing Can Be
Canadians’ well-funded system and careful planning has contained the coronavirus for now.
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U.S. President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Emmanuel Macron The Coronavirus Pandemic Tells a Tale of 3 Leaders
Over 24 hours, Trump, Macron, and Merkel each addressed their nations—and revealed their very different understandings of the world.
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U.S. President Donald Trump How Trump Is Tanking His Own Presidency
His bumbling coronavirus response could well sink the economy—and his re-election chances.
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China's DF-41 nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles at a military parade on Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. China’s Nuclear Arms Are a Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery
Beijing's plans to build new missiles, expand anti-satellite capabilities and increase nuclear material production far above civilian needs have the world guessing.
