OPINION

LJUBLJANA – It is only April, but we already have a good candidate for photo of the year. On April 12, German police shut down a Palestine Congress that was set to take place in Berlin, and among those arrested was Udi Raz, a devout Jew with a red yarmulke. In photos and videos of the …

WASHINGTON, DC – The United States has a population of roughly 330 million, while all NATO countries combined have about 975 million. Adding NATO’s major Asian-Pacific partners – Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand – brings the total to 1.3 billion. By contrast, Russia and China together have a population …

The large rock, located a few kilometers from the Chhukha bridge on the way to Gedu, is likely a familiar sight for regular commuters. Beyond its noticeable presence along the highway, this large stone holds cultural and historical significance. Its significance is deeply rooted in local beliefs and traditions, often …

MELBOURNE – It is time for Israel to recognize the force of the rapidly growing international movement to recognize Palestinian statehood, not as the final outcome of a political settlement but as a path to achieving it. Were Israel to get serious again about pursuing a two-state solution, it would …

Joseph Needham, a British biochemist, and historian, posed a seminal question that continues to captivate scholars and enthusiasts alike: Why did imperial China, with its profound scientific and technological advancements, fail to launch its own Industrial Revolution long before Europe did? This inquiry delves into the heart of historical and …

CAMBRIDGE – If the British computer scientist Alan Turing’s work on “thinking machines” was the prequel to what we now call artificial intelligence, the late psychologist Daniel Kahneman’s bestselling Thinking, Fast and Slow might be the sequel, given its insights into how we ourselves think. Understanding “us” will be crucial for regulating “them.” That effort …

NEW YORK – The way people navigate traffic can tell us a lot about their respective cultures. Recently, while walking to my office in midtown Manhattan, I stopped at a red light when an elderly woman with a walking stick caught my attention as she cautiously looked both left and …

LUXEMBOURG – It is hard to find a word that is more relevant to the world’s greatest challenges and policy priorities than “inclusion,” the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day. Inclusive, green economic growth that benefits all of society is an essential component of sustainable prosperity, social cohesion, competitiveness, …

TOKYO – Harvard Professor Ezra Vogel’s 1979 book, Japan as Number One: Lessons for America, became an instant bestseller in Japan. The flattering title certainly helped sales, but it was the book’s central argument – that the Japanese approach to governance and business were superior to others – that really made …

NEW DELHI – There are more than 390,000 identified plant species in the world, but just three – rice, maize, and wheat – account for roughly 60% of the plant-based calories in our diets. The dominance of these three grains is largely the result of major technological breakthroughs, particularly the development of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of …