Fierce Foes, Iran and Saudi Arabia Secretly Explore Defusing Tensions
Talks between the two regional powers, if successful, could start to lower the temperature on several conflicts across the Middle East.
Fighters loyal to Yemen’s Saudi-backed government deployed in the northeast province of Marib, facing Houthi forces backed by Iran.Credit.Agence France-Presse Getty Images
May 1, 2021, 5:00 a.m. ET
BEIRUT, Lebanon In a prime-time television interview four years ago, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia dismissed the idea that his kingdom could somehow find an accommodation with its archrival, Iran.
“How do we communicate?” he asked. “The mutual points that we can agree on with this regime are almost nonexistent.”
April 30, 2021, 5:00 a.m. ET
Credit.Illustration by Arsh Raziuddin; The New York Times/ Photographs Via Octavio Jones/Reuters;Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP;Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP;Photo by Ronda Churchill / AFP
By Matthew Walther
Mr. Walther is the editor of The Lamp, a Catholic literary journal, and a contributing editor at The American Conservative.
Joe Bidenâs inauguration, with its camp authoritarian light displays and general atmosphere of praetorian menace, was exactly the sort of swearing-in that his predecessor might have relished. Roughly a hundred days into Mr. Bidenâs presidency, it is hard to escape the feeling that his administration, too, could end up being one that Donald Trump will envy.
Competition with China, and containment of Russia, were the subtext of the president’s call for action. But casting the struggle as “democracy versus autocracy” oversimplifies what lies ahead.
Why Should We Care About Digital Currencies? China | Opinion Bonnie Glick and Erik Bethel On 4/28/21 at 6:00 AM EDT
The world seems awash in cryptocurrency fever. Bitcoin prices have risen more than fivefold since the pandemic started, creating a wave of interest in digital assets. But this crypto-sideshow has been diverting our attention from the main issue the fact that Beijing has spent the last eight years creating a digital version of the Yuan, and through it, seeks to control its citizenry, export digital authoritarianism and threaten the U.S. dollar as the world s reserve currency.
Central banks worldwide have been discussing digital currencies for several years, but few countries have been as singularly focused on the issue as China. Over the past decade, Chinese paper bills and coins have all but disappeared. They ve surrendered to WeChat and Alipay QR codes on smartphones. The Chinese digital Yuan project also referred to as the Digital Currency Elect
Biden Administration Hopes to Learn Fate of U.S. Hostage in Syria
While hopes for the return of Austin Tice have faded, the top American hostage negotiator says he believes the former journalist is still alive.
Marc and Debra Tice, the parents of Austin Tice, have pressed the government to help find out what happened to their son.Credit.Bilal Hussein/Associated Press
April 27, 2021, 5:00 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON The Trump administration pushed hard to free Austin Tice, an American abducted in Syria in 2012. The C.I.A. formed a special cell to gather intelligence, a powerful Persian Gulf ally was enlisted to help and, among other highly unusual personal entreaties, senior officials traveled to Damascus to plead their case with Syria’s top spy.