White House exchange was a masterclass in leadership. During the March 17 meeting, when President Donald Trump dismissed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as “no Winston Churchill,” the Irish Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, corrected President Trump twice with calm clarity. He acknowledged Churchill’s role as a great wartime leader but noted that, given Ireland’s history and struggle for independence from the United Kingdom, Churchill’s legacy is viewed through a more complex lens. Mr Martin also defended Starmer, calling him “a very earnest, sound person” and praising his efforts to improve Irish–British relations. In a similar spirit, Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York City, showed the same composure when he met President Trump despite previous criticism. Moments like these show that leadership is often revealed in how people respond to powerful and controversial figures. One can only hope that other European heads of state and governments will show the same clarity and courage when face...

 Whenever powerful countries, like the U.S., talk about regime change, they should think twice about the consequences. Iraq shows how foreign intervention can backfire. Iraq was once a secular, unified country. After the U.S. invasions and regime change — especially in 2003 — its institutions collapsed, and sectarian politics became dominant. Instead of restoring a secular state, the new system became organized around religious identity and divided factions, making politics unstable and fragmented. Today, 35 years after the first U.S. attack in 1991, Iraq still cannot form a stable government because competing blocs cannot agree, and the country hosts several foreign military presences — the U.S., Turkey, NATO, and armed groups backed by regional powers. The U.S. embassy has come under repeated attacks, and the U.S. government is urging its citizens to leave Iraq for their safety. As the old Arabic saying goes: “The winds do not always blow in the direction of the ships” — a stark ...

 The aggression led by Israel and the United States against Iran, initially expected to last a few days, has now entered its third week. How is this war unfolding? And who will win it? Military stakes are high, and censorship is strong, particularly in Israel. Yet, it is possible to attempt an answer based on available evidence. The material cost is enormous, nearly one billion dollars per day. Rising oil and gas prices weigh heavily on Europe. Growing opposition may emerge in the U.S., especially among business sectors sensitive to costs and risks of instability. Public opinion remains wary of a new Middle East war. Destruction in Iran is significant, but Israel also suffers heavy damage. Iran shows unexpected resilience and energy. Recent history offers lessons: the U.S. failed in long and costly wars like Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, not only for military or political reasons but also because they were unjust. Today, Iran is a country victim of external aggression, which stre...

 Sometimes I read a book that touches me deeply, not only because of its content and message, but also because of the living presence of the person who wrote it. Jeanne Baillaut, the author of this third collection of free poetry entitled Tears and Flowers, is a young woman at heart, aged 91. A Frenchwoman, she was born in Spain where she lived for three years before moving to France, where she grew up and lived until 1956. That year she traveled to Morocco, and two years later she emigrated to Canada, where she still lives today. Her life has been rich in experiences and commitments, and she has contributed to the francophone community with sensitivity and cultural generosity. The texts gathered in this collection are not poems in the strict sense. They are closer to poetic prose, a form of writing that resembles speech, meant to be spoken, heard, and felt. Jeanne herself expresses it this way: “I write as I speak… What I find beautiful rises within me like the sea upon the shore ...

The Jeffrey Epstein case (2005-2019) is not a historical anomaly. It is part of a series of scandals where powerful individuals abused their positions to exploit vulnerable people. Among the precedents: the Marc Dutroux case in Belgium (1996-2004); the Jimmy Savile case in the UK (1960‑2000, revealed in 2012); the Harvey Weinstein case in the United States (revealed 2017, trial 2020), which sparked the #MeToo movement; and the NXIVM case (1998-2018) led by Keith Raniere. Different contexts, but the same mechanism: social influence, protective networks, prolonged silence. These cases show how power allows some individuals to turn their dominant position into impunity. It is not just a matter of individual morality but of structures that protect and delay the exposure of wrongdoing. Today, these revelations reveal a crack in the edifice of power — a positive sign that previously untouchable structures are beginning to fracture. But for this crack to lead to real improvements, responsibil...

 “  قضية جيفري إبستاين (2005-2019) ليست حالة استثنائية تاريخية. إنها جزء من سلسلة من الفضائح التي استغل فيها أفراد نافذون مواقعهم لاستغلال أشخاص ضعفاء. من بين الحالات السابقة: قضية مارك دوترو في بلجيكا (1996-2004)؛ قضية جيمي سافيل في المملكة المتحدة (1960‑2000، كشفت في 2012)؛ قضية هارفي واينشتاين في الولايات المتحدة (انكشفت في 2017، والمحاكمة في 2020) التي أطلقت حركة #MeToo؛ وقضية NXIVM (1998-2018) التي قادها كيث رانيير. سياقات مختلفة، لكن نفس الآلية: النفوذ الاجتماعي، شبكات الحماية، الصمت المطول. تظهر هذه القضايا كيف يسمح النفوذ لبعض الأفراد بتحويل موقعهم المهيمن إلى حصانة. ليست مجرد مسألة أخلاقية فردية، بل هي مسألة هياكل تحمي وتؤخر كشف المخالفات. اليوم، تكشف هذه الفضائح عن صدع في صرح السلطة — وهو علامة إيجابية على أن الهياكل التي كانت فيما سبق منيعة بدأت تتصدع. ولكن لكي يؤدي هذا الصدع إلى تحسينات حقيقية، يجب تحديد المسؤولية بوضوح. القضية ليست أخلاقية فقط: إنها مسألة سلطة، وهناك حاجة إلى مجتمع مدني وحركات قوية للحد وإنهاء هذه الانتهاكات.  بنيونس سعيدي