Opinion Analysis by Sireen El Khalili, Contributor

Bitcoin has either been scaling up on large percentage points or significantly crashing in short time periods. This phenomenon could be one of the most substantial behavioral events since the emergence of behavioral sciences and their application in financial markets.

Op-Ed by Naif Al Rogi, Staff Writer and Roa Daher, Staff Writer

Back in the summer of 2020, in the throes of a global pandemic and as much of the world was trying to adapt to our new and isolated state of being, the United Arab Emirates launched the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM). The EMM is extremely significant for several reasons: it would provide the first complete picture of the Martian atmosphere, it would be the first Arab interplanetary mission, and it would arrive at Mars’ orbit in the 50th year since the unification of the UAE.

Opinion Policy Analysis by Tala Majzoub, Staff Writer

Within the framework of State of Qatar’s support for Palestine and the Palestinian people besieged in Gaza, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani directed the allocation of a $360 million financial grant to Gaza Strip to be spent over the whole year, starting from January 2021. As a country seemingly against normalization, yet maintains under-the-table ‘humanitarian’ communication with israel, Qatar recognizes its indispensable role when relationships among the different sides need to be brokered by someone else. With the widely anticipated 2022 FIFA World Cup right around the corner, Qatar acknowledges that the best way for it to reassert its power as a regional actor is through the Palestinian-israeli conflict.

Opinion Policy Analysis by Johnny Achkar, Contributor

President Joe Biden joined the White House asking for harmony in order to confront converging crises. Two of his executive orders, the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline permit and the imposition of a moratorium on new federal leases of oil and gas, have proven to be the most contentious. How Biden balances an ambitious policy agenda with a dedication to unify the nation will largely form his first 100 days in office.

Opinion policy analysis by Farah Termos, Contributor

The coronavirus pandemic vividly took, and shook, the world by storm back in March of 2020. For as soon as it hit; the United States halted, Asia sealed its borders, and Europe took the worst hit of it all: with Italy recording the highest surges in coronavirus cases and deaths at that time. Despite the vigorous first wave lockdown that the European land endured, restrictions eased until winter of 2020; and by January 2021, Europe once again took the lead in garnering the highest and most deadly numbers of cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The second wave became known as the “deadly era”: and Germany took the cake.

Opinion Policy Analysis by Nadine Ayoub, Contributor

Female genital mutilation is a global issue that is still being practiced by many countries, specifically in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Egypt is a country notorious for its reputation involving sexual harassment, but that is not the only issue that women are facing there. In 2018, the rate of medicalized FGM among women was 38%; this is quite a critical statistic considering Egypt’s population (around 100 million, almost a 1:1 male to female ratio). The practice of FGM has been prevalent in Egypt since the 16th century (B.C.). Although it was criminalized in 2008, it is still being practiced by many.

Opinion Foreign Policy Analysis by Reem El Dana, Staff Writer and Naif al Rogi, Staff Writer

For better or worse, Iraq has been at the center of American foreign policy debates for nearly three decades. Will the Biden administration be able to calibrate an ethno-sectarian fragmented Iraq and cautiously re-engage with Iran?

Foreign policy analysis by Tala Karkanawi, Staff Writer and John Sakr, Contributor

France and Islam have for years been a pair that dont mix well, to sat the least. Faced with various issues with the religion of Islam for many years now, France has implemented multiple laws and legislations that limit the scope of freedom and liberty for Muslims and freedom of expressing one’s religion. The issue led to a worldwide controversy on whether the hijab should be banned for minors, because it is correlated with oppression in the westerners’ point of view.

Opinion Analysis by Joelle El Sheikh, Staff Writer

We are no strangers to petty disagreements between the left and rights wings in the United States; however, the incident regarding Congresswomen Alexandria and Representative Yoho does not fall under “petty” nor “disagreement”; it falls under a misogynist, racist, and spiteful state of mind that has lingered in Congress and the White House for decades.

Op-Ed by Tala Karkanawi, Staff Writer

The launch of The Line, which is a ground-breaking 170-kilometer that consists of a zero-carbon, industrialized development project that include multiple hyper-connected communities. NEOM is said to be an innovative $500 billion infrastructure development. What is the new initiative and what could it possibly mean for the future of global development and environmental sustainability?

Opinion Analysis by Tala Karkanawi, Staff Writer

Multiple nations have released a statement voicing their concern about China’s Xinjiang policies, however the backlash came out to be way bigger. It puts the entire situation into question how could China possibly win the votes of more than 50 countries in regards to a human rights concern, which shows us the influence China has on the international community is bigger than we thought it was.

Op-Ed by Taleen El Gharib, Staff Writer

Fiction does not always remain fiction. After all, life reproduces the arts, does it not? It may seem quite farfetched, but the issues posed today have been thoroughly and uncoincidentally discussed many years prior to their occurrence. Although some may find comfort in enjoying a good book every once in a while, flipping through the pages that thoroughly describe the harrowing events of the 21st century becomes quite eerie and unsettling. Novels we once thought came from the vast world of imagination and the deepest levels of the human’s unkempt mind are actually reflecting our reality.

Conflict analysis by Reem El Dana, Staff Writer

israel has a narrow maneuvering space to defend its security interests; its raids are limited to destroying arms shipment to Hezbollah from Iran and or Russia, and it protects its side of the Golan Heights from the budding military front created by its archenemies. Southwest Syria is a fertile place for attacks for the myriad of military bases present. Israel's new allies on the block might be the long-awaited alternative to a full-blown war.

News Analysis by Maria Wehbe, Staff Writer

Croatia has not only been hit by the worst and strongest earthquake to ever occur in 140 years on December 29th, 2020 - the country also had to endure another disaster on January 6th, 2021, as an aftershock, a little over a week later. Cities in ruins, people devastated, hospitals overwhelmed: people were led to fleeing their homes in fear and seeking shelter in the aim of protecting themselves. The country has suffered from extensive damages and has received a lot of aid in return, in the hope of trying to rebuild their beloved home.

Op-Ed by Albert Geokgeuzian, Staff Writer

Trump’s ban has put a spotlight on social media companies and the role they play in our everyday lives. Regardless of your opinion on the matter, one thing has been made clear now, social media companies must be held responsible for the content on their platforms.

Opinion Analysis by Rhea Haddad, Staff Writer

Considering the interplay between a pandemic, an economic recession, and turbulent geopolitics, 2021 promises to be particularly uncertain. At the dawn of a new year, we could expect the revelation of a bright day, or on the contrary, several few dark hours.So, let the dice fly high, and may the odds be in your favor.

Op-Ed by Naif Al-Rogi, Staff Writer

It is a hard thing to imagine the region without Benyamin Netanyahu; in the past decade he has outlasted neighboring presidents-for-life as Prime Minister of Israel, with his Likud party depending on a series of uneasy coalitions to secure power for most of that time.

Op-Ed by Albert Geokgeuzian, Staff Writer

The cause of all violence, whether on a big scale or small one goes back to basic human evolution; tribalism. We form groups throughout our lives that cause differences among us; whether that’s religion, or nationalism, or politics, or even the sports team you support. Tribalism is everywhere and it’s a big problem.

Op-Ed by Albert Geokgeuzian, Staff Writer

January 6 will go down as one of the darkest days in US politics history. It was an attempted coup by the supporters of a demagogue and it further illustrates the legacy Trump will leave behind.

Opinion Analysis by Rhea Haddad, Staff Writer

After a bumpy rollercoaster ride in 2020, one might expect a turning point at the flip of the calendar. For a long time, the number 21 has long been associated with luck, risk, and dice roll. All of these seem oddly appropriate for a year of uncertainty and instability. The major prize on offer is the opportunity to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Yet, in the interim, there are major obstacles to health, economic prosperity, and social cohesion.