Opinion

Many Syrians are experiencing heart-wrenching flashbacks as we watch the mounting devastation in Ukraine and the millions of refugees fleeing. As a Syrian physician who provided medical care amid the war in my country, it’s especially painful when clinics or hospitals are bombed. I’m haunted by the escalating attacks on...

When the World Health Organization endorsed the world’s first malaria vaccine in October 2021, it was a pivotal moment in a very long quest. I was completely overwhelmed with emotion. I tweeted, emailed, texted and called colleagues, friends and family members. Some of us cried. This vaccine, which will be...

Links between women’s sexual and reproductive health and the impacts of climate change are made clear in the recent Working Group II report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). For the first time, the authors note the risks pregnant women face in a changing climate. They also...

I am not a typical graduate student. An engineer by training, I have designed electronic control systems for more than 30 years, and I had expected to do so until I retired. My wife, Krisztina Valter, is a clinician-turned-vision scientist at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. One year,...

How do authoritarian rulers survive in the context of democratic institutions? This is a long-standing puzzle that has become more pressing with the rise of authoritarianism in the 21st century. In theory, democratic institutions should allow citizens to vote out elected officials who don’t pursue the public interest, or hold...

By now, it should be clear that Russia must be sanctioned for its unlawful invasion of Ukraine. As Ukrainians fiercely resist the occupation, we must urge international technology companies to take the drastic actions necessary to isolate the aggressor and stop Russia’s state propaganda across different platforms—as well as limiting...

The resurgence of coups in Africa is a matter that troubles and frightens all of us. Within nine months, West Africa has witnessed successful coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and a fourth apparent failed attempt in Guinea-Bissau on February 1, 2022, during a cabinet meeting and which Guinea-Bissau President...

As a Syrian in Lebanon who has been involved with the refugee response from day one, I have seen first-hand how the desperation in this community has grown. Many families are struggling to survive, let alone support themselves and thrive. And more and more Syrians want to get out, even...

Myanmar’s doctors are taking a stand. For months, many have joined a widespread civil disobedience movement – refusing to work in public hospitals in order to oppose the February 2021 military coup. They’re showing remarkable courage – and raising important ethical questions – in opposing a regime accused of killing...