Headlines

The deal to reopen Hormuz is nowhere near done

Wednesday’s ceasefire announcement by President Donald Trump, linked to Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, prompted immediate optimism shipping would quickly resume. It didn’t. The following morning, traffic remained minimal. A handful of vessels, largely linked to Iran, made

Iran ceasefire: too many brokers, too little leverage

Pakistan, with China’s help, brokered it. Turkey and Egypt shuttled the proposals. Qatar had been working the phones for weeks. When the ceasefire between the United States, Israel and Iran was announced on April 7, Pakistan had stepped forward as the lead mediator, pulling the

Exiled cartoonists give voice to Iran's silenced millions

Exiled Iranian cartoonist Mana Neyestani has a huge following back home for his biting humour. And one of his recent sketches sums up the "dilemma created by the regime" over the US-Israel bombing of his homeland and how it divides Iranians. Two men hold a banner with the words

Do Roma voters in Hungary really have a choice?

Hungary votes on 12 April 2026, and for the first time in a generation, the outcome is genuinely uncertain. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has consolidated power over 16 consecutive years, becoming a Eurosceptic standard-bearer, but his grip on power is facing its most serious

Ending Israel’s war on peace

A two-week ceasefire has partially halted the Israel-US war on Iran. The war accomplished precisely nothing that a competent diplomat could not have achieved in an afternoon. The Strait of Hormuz was open before the war and it is open again now, but with more Iranian control.