World Leaders

South African delegation members John Dugard, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, and Adila Hassimon prepare for today’s hearings of Israel’s point of view as South Africa has requested the International Court of Justice to indicate measures concerning alleged violations of human rights by Israel in the Gaza Strip on January 12, 2024, in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Gaza: South Africa Calls In the Law Gaza: South Africa Calls In the Law

A ruling from the International Court of Justice could save Palestinian lives.

Jan 17, 2024 / Reed Brody

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is voting-booth-getty.jpg A voting booth is seen at the Office of Voter Registration and Elections in Virginia Beach, Va., during early voting on Friday, September 22, 2023.

Is 2024 Democracy’s “Super Bowl”? Is 2024 Democracy’s “Super Bowl”?

Two billion people—half the world’s population—will participate in more than 75 elections this year.

Jan 17, 2024 / Katrina vanden Heuvel

Biden Has to Reject the “Mission Accomplished” Delusion

Biden Has to Reject the “Mission Accomplished” Delusion Biden Has to Reject the “Mission Accomplished” Delusion

The president and his top advisers are prisoners of nostalgic fantasies.

Jan 16, 2024 / Jeet Heer

A projected picture of President Joe Biden with the text reading “Genocide Joe” on the wall of the African American Civil War Memorial Museum during in a Pro-Palestinian demonstration in Washington, D.C. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at Thomas Circle to hold a rally with Palestinian flags and banners, calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.

The Empire Strikes Back The Empire Strikes Back

Once more, wars abroad threaten domestic reform.

Jan 4, 2024 / Robert L. Borosage

An Israeli drone struck a Hamas office as smoke rises in Beirut, Lebanon, on January 2, 2024. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has declared the Beirut explosion to be a “new Israeli crime” with the alleged intention of pushing Lebanon into a fresh phase of confrontations.

Will Israel Drag the US Into Another Ruinous War? Will Israel Drag the US Into Another Ruinous War?

President Biden refuses to pursue the most obvious way of de-escalating tensions and avoid American deaths: a cease-fire in Gaza.

Jan 3, 2024 / Trita Parsi

A child eats amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following Israeli bombardment in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on December 29, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

A Palestinian Whose Childhood Was Destroyed by War Pleads for Peace A Palestinian Whose Childhood Was Destroyed by War Pleads for Peace

Never letting children endure war again is the “never again” that might actually heal our wounded humanity.

Jan 3, 2024 / Ibtisam Barakat

A priest blesses a lesbian couple in Munich.

Why LGBTQ Catholics Are Ambivalent About the “Gift” of Same-Sex Blessings Why LGBTQ Catholics Are Ambivalent About the “Gift” of Same-Sex Blessings

For some, it’s a watershed moment and for others it’s a piddling half-step. But it has the radical potential to encourage some very important conversations.

Jan 3, 2024 / Michael F. Pettinger

People look at food prices at a private business in Havana on December 20, 2023. Cuba's economy will shrink by up to 2 percent this year, Finance Minister Alejandro Gil estimated on Wednesday, after acknowledging that the country will not be able to achieve the projected economic growth of 3 percent by 2023.

Cuba’s Humanitarian Crisis Cuba’s Humanitarian Crisis

US policy is exacerbating the growing crisis.

Jan 1, 2024 / William M. LeoGrande

Former United Nations human rights chief and current head of an international commission of inquiry into alleged crimes committed during the latest conflict between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas in Gaza Navi Pillay presents her report on the opening day of the 50th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on June 13, 2022.

Will Human Rights Survive? Will Human Rights Survive?

Seventy-five years ago, the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Can we ensure its implementation today?

Dec 28, 2023 / Navi Pillay

Sailors observe the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Groups steam in formation as the Nimitz Carrier Strike Force.

Will the New Year Bring a War With China? Will the New Year Bring a War With China?

As the year comes to an end, top leaders in both Beijing and Washington have become ever more concerned that a major US-China crisis is near.

Dec 27, 2023 / Michael T. Klare

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