From Iran and Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, lasting peace can only arise from shared economic interests and the containment of regional power ambitions.
Category: FOCUS
Donald Trump’s 21-point plan, unveiled after his meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, falls short of the Franco-Saudi proposal adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Even if implemented, it is unlikely to offer a viable path toward a political solution.
President Maia Sandu’s pro-European party is leading the vote count in Moldova’s parliamentary elections, pulling ahead of the pro-Russian party. The elections are seen as a test in the wider struggle between Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s supporters along the European Union’s borders.
Italy’s prime minister signals support for a Palestinian state at the UN with conditions attached, breaking with Netanyahu and Trump but stopping short of a full embrace.
Despite being 89 and having little support among the Palestinian population, Mahmoud Abbas remains central to the Franco-Saudi peace plan. The president of the Palestinian Authority is, however, being shunned by Israel and the United States over the decision of who is to oversee the “aftermath” in Gaza.
Donald Trump changed his tone toward Russia after his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, even saying he was ready to shoot down Russian planes that enter NATO airspace. Is this a real shift in favor of Ukraine, or just hurt feelings about his would-be pal Vladimir Putin.
The fleet may not open a maritime corridor, and the hunger strike may not end the hunger, but their true strength lies in breaking the psychological isolation, in offering a sense that there is a moral refuge, even if it is materially powerless.
The Israeli prime minister is threatening to annex all or part of the occupied West Bank in retaliation for France and other countries recognizing the State of Palestine, but this is easier said than done, and Netanyahu is seeking the green light from Donald Trump.
For some, it is not enough; for others, it is a gift to Hamas. But the recognition of Palestine by a growing number of Western countries is way of saying “no” to the eradication of Palestinians from their land.
Defending immigration for selfish reasons is just a modern ode to slavery — justice demands equality, not gratitude.
As Russia faces a shortage of law enforcement agents — which some observers blame on the war in Ukraine —- Russkaya Obshchina is filling the gaps. The group is increasingly involved in public order maintenance, but its far-right ideology risks being legitimized by institutions.
The Israeli Prime Minister calls for an updated vision of the militarized city-state of ancient Greece, a justification for the growing isolation of the Jewish state. His comments came as the Israeli army launched its ground offensive on Gaza City, an operation that has been condemned by many nations.
The Al Ghafri Tower, Gaza’s tallest residential building, was destroyed Monday after the Israeli army ordered its evacuation. The term “urbicide”— literally, “killing the city”—is used to describe this strategy aimed at rendering Gaza City uninhabitable.
Once a fortress of neutrality and wealth, Qatar now finds itself on the front lines of an escalating regional conflict, as Israel, Iran, and Gulf powers maneuver for strategic advantage.
As Israel’s devastating war on Gaza continues, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg draws a clear link between environmental devastation and political violence. Her stance is based on a reality: in Gaza, like elsewhere, environmental destruction is yet another weapon of war.
👋 Салом* Welcome to Tuesday, where Israel orders the evacuation of Gaza City, France’s parliament brings down the government and today’s quiz question sees two TikTokers board the wrong plane. Meanwhile, Jose A. Cano in the monthly Spanish-speaking magazine Pikara explains why the “macho man” persona has become unbearable — even in films made for […]
Even as the Israeli army continues to leave a trail of destruction in northern Gaza, some families refuse to leave their homes as ordered by the Israeli government. They have experienced displacement before, and saying risking death is better than returning to such a state.
Russia carried out on Sunday its largest aerial bombardment since the start of the war more than three years ago. Ukraine remains vulnerable due to insufficient air defense systems, despite advances in its defense industry. Meanwhile, international aid is falling short.
Since the Assad regime fell in December 2025, Europe’s 1.4 million Syrian refugees have been navigating the legal, emotional and security challenges of going back to a country they thought they may never see again.
With strikes on Russia’s oil industry, Ukraine is showing just how effectively it can defend itself. A new missile could soon spell further trouble for Moscow.
Less than three weeks after Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to recognize Palestine, Israel and the United States are increasingly mounting obstacles to the French diplomatic initiative. Israel accuses the French president of seeking to “undermine stability” in the Middle East.
Europeans are preparing their plan to “reassure” Ukraine after a peace agreement that never materialized. Their goal is above all to convince Donald Trump to sanction Moscow, and to help Ukraine. But that will mean increasing the Continent’s dependence on the United States.
👋 Allo!* Welcome to Tuesday, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived for a historic visit in Beijing, a landslide kills more than 1,000 in Sudan’s Darfur region, and today’s quiz question features a surprising find by the French police. Meanwhile, Juanjo Ramón in Catalan-language digital media outlet Catalunya Plural looks at how Spain’s […]
I can’t help but juxtapose lines from Primo Levi with the images the television brings, every evening, to the warmth of my own home. And I feel a desperate sense of disorientation. And shame.
U.S. ambassador to France Charles Kushner’s inflammatory letter on antisemitism is part of a campaign against President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to recognize the State of Palestine. It is an unwelcome interference in France’s affairs and a warning ahead of its 2027 presidential election.
Ten days after the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, the hopes for peace negotiations that it had raised have faded: Russia has set conditions that are difficult to accept. There is no meeting between Zelensky and Putin planned, Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed yesterday. What will Trump do?
The looming possibility of a Putin-Zelensky summit is forcing Russia’s power brokers to confront which camp they truly belong to — and what will happen if the unthinkable occurs.
The Kremlin is shutting off access to crucial data on its population and economy. What did those figures reveal — and why is the government afraid of them?
While the political debate and far right fixate on visible problems, new research shows that Germany’s everyday institutions quietly succeed in integrating refugees, often without anyone noticing.
Coffee is a multi-million dollar industry in Costa Rica. But the work on coffee farms is demanding and carried out mainly by migrants, many of whom have left neighboring Nicaragua in search of a better life.
The Urdu-speaking minority remains marginalized in Bangladesh, facing poor living conditions and limited access to education and services. Many Biharis feel abandoned by the government’s unkept promises of citizenship.
Breakdancing has taken root in one of the most unlikely places: In the refugee camps of Nuseirat and Gaza City, a crew called Breaking 48 trains children and teenagers in the art of hip-hop, amid ongoing conflict, shortages, and destruction. Their story is one of resilience, creativity, and community.
Far from being a threat, migration has contributed to maintaining the balance between workers and retirees, delaying a demographic collapse that would otherwise already be underway.
👋 নমস্কাৰ* Welcome to Friday, where Israel’s plans to take control of Gaza City spark widespread condemnation, historic wildfires rage on in France and California, and today’s quiz question comes courtesy of a motorist in Germany. Meanwhile, Kyrgyz investigative outlet Kloop uncovers potential wavering support from Central Asia’s traditionally Kremlin-aligned nations. The Worldcrunch Today crew […]
Central Asian presidents have been fixtures at Moscow’s Victory Day parades since 2022, but this year, their visits were preceded by a wave of diplomatic tensions.
👋 Manao ahoana!* Welcome to Wednesday, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls for “complete” defeat of Hamas as Israel considers total Gaza occupation, the world marks 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and today’s quiz question highlights a Parisian mishap. Meanwhile, La Marea’s Amador Iranzo looks at the worrying gentrification at play […]
France, the UK and Canada are preparing to formally back Palestinian statehood at the UN this September. Behind the symbolic gesture lies a strategic power play aimed at Benjamin Netanyahu — and Donald Trump.
Iran is reportedly deporting thousands of Afghans — including many legal residents — claiming it can no longer afford to host millions of migrants. Witnesses describe chaotic expulsions marked by beatings and last-minute extortion at the border.
The Wire spoke to Indian nationals, travelers and students who say they have experienced arbitrary detention and deportation at Tbilisi’s airport and on Georgian borders. This paints a chilling picture of human rights violations in the country; meanwhile, Indian authorities also stay silent on the matter.
The Israel-Jordan peace treaty brought a moment of hope to the region. But Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination killed the Israeli left, and with it the idea and spark of hope.