The manner in which Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by the US and Israel — at work in his office with family members present — evoked for Mikaeel Dayani one of the central stories of Shia Islam: the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the third imam and grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. Dayani,…
The “fog of war” refers to confusion and uncertainty on the battlefield and the attendant possibility of fatal error. This principle has a parallel when it comes to the economic consequences of wars as well, especially when they occur in a region that is a chokepoint for the production and shipment of one-fifth of the…
When Secretary of Defense James Mattis addressed the intensification of US combat operations against the Islamic State group in 2017, he assured the American public of his commitment to “get the strategy right” while maintaining “the rules of engagement” to “protect the innocent.” Mattis’ professional tone was a stark contrast to Secretary Pete Hegseth’s remarks…
Within a single week in early March 2026, Beijing unveiled a sweeping five-year plan to build a “childbirth-friendly society,” committing 180 billion yuan (US$25.8 billion) to free prenatal care, IVF coverage, childcare subsidies and housing support for families. Across the Pacific, the Trump administration continued a markedly different pro-natalist drive — centered on a $1,000…
For years, much of the Western discussion around blockchain has been framed through the lens of crypto markets, speculative tokens and decentralized finance. China, however, has taken a different route. In Beijing’s policy vocabulary, blockchain was never meant to become an anti-state financial frontier. It was defined instead as a strategic layer of digital infrastructure:…
Three brothers, including two of America’s most successful luxury real estate brokers, were convicted of sex trafficking charges on Monday after a five-week trial over accusations that they used drugs and force to rape scores of women they had dazzled with their wealth and opulent lifestyle. The verdict came after 11 women testified they were…
The American and Israeli attacks on Iran and the confusion within the United States over the war’s objectives are making headlines. The attacks, and Iran’s counter-tactics of targeting American military bases and allies in the region, is having geopolitical ramifications beyond Iran’s borders. The surge in oil prices is just one way the war is…
