Articles

AI Needs to Grow Up and Stop Chasing Its Long Tail

2020-09-24

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has evolved based on ‘deep neural networks’, which are modelled on our brain structures and have an insatiable appetite for data.

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The USA on the brink of civil war

2020-09-18

In this article, the author seeks to draw our attention to a fact that is difficult for Westerners to conceive of: The American people are experiencing a crisis of civilization. They are so deeply divided that the presidential election is not just about e

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The Neglected Water and Sanitation Crisis

2020-09-18

As we all know now, hand washing is one of the best frontline defenses against the virus that causes COVID-19. Yet three billion people...

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American Withdrawal... opportunity to regain Iraqi State Control

2020-09-15

A raging controversy regarding the presence of foreign forces started after the triumph over ISIS and the recovery of Iraqi security institutions. A number of international and local media have raided the Iraqi....

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The Coming Global Technology Fracture

2020-09-11

The international trade regime we now have, expressed in the rules of the World Trade Organization and other agreements, is not of this world...

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From the ‘Republic of Fear’ to the Militias’ Republic of Terror

2020-09-11

The irony seems strange today given that Makiya’s student who dreamed of a state of freedom now presides over the government and has in fact inherited the state...

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Concerns Abound About a Vague Presidential Election Results in November

2020-09-06

The question of who takes over a position of power has always been a major cause of civil war. In England, it was the War of the Roses, which saw several nobles lay claim to the English Crown...

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Is Trump a Turning Point in World Politics?

2020-09-05

Will Donald Trumps presidency mark a major turning point in world history, or was it a minor historical accident? Trumps electoral appeal may turn on domestic politics...

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A Revolution in All Its Implications

2020-09-05

The Nabatieh protestors smashed the notion of a Shia community solidly behind Hezbollah and Amal.

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Election in Iraq in confrontation with corruption

2020-08-24

In the absence of integrated political, economic, and security solutions, the pre-election phase will be an open

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An Ambition Built on Sand?

2020-08-24

Egypt has long sought to expand habitation and agriculture into the desert, but the obstacles are great.

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US Redeploys its Forces in Europe

2020-08-05

The basics of the policy is that about one third of the American forces in Germany will redeploy to forward NATO nations or bases on American soil.

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Averting an Egyptian Military Intervention in Libya

2020-08-03

On 20 July, Egyptian legislators authorised sending combat troops to Libya, where Cairo’s ally Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar is on the defensive. Following Turkeys intervention on the Tripoli government’s behalf, Egypts involvement could escalate the war d

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The Caudillo of the Kremlin

2020-08-03

By laying the constitutional groundwork to remain president for life, Vladimir Putin is engineering a further “Francoization” of his regime. But while Francisco Franco at least had a successor in King Juan Carlos, Putin has no such thing. which could spel

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How the world’s smelliest fruit could power your phone

2020-08-03

The lithium-ion batteries in our devices degrade over time and come with a large environmental cost. Are there better ways to store and carry energy that are kinder to the planet?

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Lebanon’s Hidden Gold Mine

2020-08-02

Establishing a credible National Wealth Fund would help to alleviate the countrys multiple crises.

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All Fall Down

2020-07-29

Today, four of the five pillars that had sustained Lebanon are collapsing, creating fears for the future.

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A Better Globalization

2020-07-23

Globalization has given rise to legitimate frustrations and concerns, which can’t be assuaged simply by recalling the enormous benefits it has brought.

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What makes people stop caring?

2020-07-21

The death of an individual can have a powerful effect on our emotions, but as numbers rise so does our indifference. Why?

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The Rise of Black Militias

2020-07-15

Americans Worrying about Violent Overthrow of US Government

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Hope in Space

2020-07-15

The United Arab Emirates plans a space mission to Mars this week, bolstering the country’s regional power status.

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Conservatives Versus Trump

2020-07-12

US President Donald Trumps most trenchant critics are not to be found on the political left. The most effective assaults are coming from the political right, where "Never Trumpers"...

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Iraq's Silver Lining Amid the Pandemic

2020-07-08

Iraqs military responses to the coronavirus pandemic are diverse: creating more tension in Shia civil-military relations, building trust in Sunni civil-military relations, and pushing the government to emphasize sovereignty over externally fueled partisan

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Testing Iraq’s Ability to Crack Down on Anti-U.S. Terrorism

2020-07-01

After Kataib Hezbollah was caught red-handed prepping new rocket strikes, justice needs to be served, and Iraqs government needs to be better secured.

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