Analysis: While the long overdue elections reaffirmed Iraqi Kurdistan’s ruling duopoly, they also highlighted the persistent tensions between the KDP and PUK. Bafel Talabani paced the stage during a recent pre-election rally and railed against his rivals as the sun set over Dukan Lake. The crowd in front of him …

Israel isn’t just eradicating Hezbollah in Lebanon, it’s collectively punishing Lebanon’s destitute Shia community, say Dima El-Ayache and Karim Safieddine. On September 17, Israel detonated thousands of pagers across Lebanon in public spaces, private workplaces, and homes, marking one of the biggest criminal attacks in recent Lebanese history. Before this …

Ukraine’s First Encounter with North Korean Troops Marks a Pivotal Moment In the Russian region of Kursk, North Korean combat formations reportedly exchanged fire with Ukrainian servicemen for the first time since Pyongyang deployed its forces to Russia. The limited availability of open-source intelligence makes it difficult to assess this …