“If you are going to do something meaningful,” the late Israeli statesman Shimon Peres told a colleague making a big life decision, “you must know two things: First, nothing meaningful comes easy and you must be prepared for a tough battle. Secondly, since you are...

Shortly after Egypt’s 2011 uprising ended with the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, prominent Egyptian investor Ahmed Heikal said: “If we get things right, we could be Turkey in 10 years. If we get them wrong, we could be Pakistan in 18 months.”

When A.C. Milan took to the field against Inter Milan last November, the clash represented one of the great rivalries in all of European soccer, a battle between two of of Italy’s most storied soccer franchises, both with histories dating back more than a century.

On the day that Donald Trump will be sworn in as president of the United States, more than 350,000 children will be born worldwide, more than 600,000 people will experience the Internet for the first time, and the world’s cities will add another 220,000 people. Just...

“Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem,” the television announcer intoned as the soccer player with shaggy hair stood, poised for a penalty kick, with a minute to go in the match. The packed stadium near the Egyptian city of Alexandria hummed with nervous energy. Television...