Cricket-star-turned-prime-minister Imran Khan says he wants to lift up the poor in Pakistan. But his renegade political drive faces economic headwinds. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at a campaign rally in Karachi, Pakistan, 22 July 2018 (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)...
A diplomatic spat between Saudi Arabia and Canada may seem childish. But the dispute has important implications for the West — including the United States. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (L) and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland (R) in...
Former White House adviser Steve Bannon has had a major influence on Donald Trump and is supporting nationalists elsewhere. Here are his intellectual roots. White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon (R) and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington,...
By Jonathan Thatcher In the farming village where I stay in Indonesia’s West Java province, Islam is central to daily life. The village has its own religious school, and those who can afford it sign up for the 10-year wait to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. But its...
A century ago, Azerbaijan declared independence, becoming the first democratic state in the Muslim world. First meeting of the parliament of the Azerbaijan Democractic Republic, 7 December 1918 (Wikimedia Commons) One century ago today, a small colony of the Russian...
The victory of a nationalist in Iraq’s elections has hit Iran’s interests and begs the question of whether Tehran’s influence in the Middle East has peaked. Supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr celebrate his election win in Baghdad, Iraq, 14...
Autocrat or nation-builder? Malaysia’s Mahathir still stirs mixed feelings even as he stuns the world by regaining power and reuniting with his nemesis. Mahathir Mohamad, left, and Anwar Ibrahim in September 1997, a year before the prime minister sacked his...
Malaysia has stunned the world with a political tremor that has reunited two foes and which bucks a trend towards authoritarianism in Southeast Asia. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, center, visits former Deputy Prime Minister and opposition leader Anwar...
This article is part of a News-Decoder series of “decoders” that explain crucial background to big issues. For more decoders, click here. By Alistair Lyon Faith is often flaunted in the Middle East, but there are no angels here. One religiously-based state...
Why would young Muslims leave Europe to return to countries their parents had left? Discrimination is pushing some out while job opportunities beckon. Worshipers inside the Brussels Grand Mosque, Brussels, Belgium, 16 February 2018. (EPA-EFE/Olivier Hoslet) “I don’t...