Iran says US naval blockade still blocking talks, dismisses Trump claim of imminent negotiations

Iran MP plans for strategic management of Strait of Hormuz using the rial

Iran's parliamentary infrastructure commission chief has set out detailed terms for a strategic management plan for the Strait of Hormuz, including an Israeli shipping ban and tolls payable only in rials.

BREAKING: Tsunami of 80cm observed at Kuji, Iwate as 3m waves forecast for northern Japan

A tsunami of 80cm has been observed at Kuji port in Iwate Prefecture following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake off the Sanriku coast, with waves of up to 3m forecast for Pacific coastlines of Hokkaido and northern Japan.

Israeli soldier photographed smashing Jesus statue in Lebanon, triggering IDF investigation

Spain to formally ask EU to break Israel association agreement, Sanchez says

Spain's Pedro Sanchez has announced Madrid will formally ask the EU to suspend its association agreement with Israel at a foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg, as he opens the Andalusian election campaign.

New hardline security unit in charge of Russia’s VPN crackdown

The control of Russia’s internet, including the latest escalation of the war on VPNs, has reportedly shifted to the Federal Security Bureau’s (FSB) Second Service unit.

Anthropic's Mythos AI model triggers crisis meetings among top global officials

Anthropic's Claude Mythos AI model has triggered emergency meetings among finance ministers and top bankers after demonstrating an ability to find and exploit cybersecurity weaknesses across banking and IT systems.

Freedom Holding bets on super-app ecosystem to challenge Kazakhstan's digital giants

The Kazakh-based brokerage-turned-fintech company Freedom Holding Corp is building an app, which is not just a banking service, it is supposed to organise your whole life.

Ukraine seizes Russian position without using soldiers in a battlefield first

In a development that could reshape modern warfare, Ukrainian forces have, for the first time, captured a Russian position using only unmanned systems – a coordinated assault carried out entirely by drones and ground-based robots.

Jesus punches Trump in face in AI video posted by Iran’s embassy in Tajikistan

Clip then shows bloodied US leader knocked into fiery pit of hell.

COMMENT: Chinese claims on arms transfers to Iran raise doubts

With a ceasefire in place, recent intelligence points to Tehran once more looking to replenish its depleted air defences and China potentially preparing more shipments of offensive systems including shoulder-fired missiles.

Hungary vote driven by domestic anger but opens door to EU reset, analysts say

Landslide election win for Tisza reflects deep domestic frustration rather than foreign policy concerns, but could pave the way for a reset in relations with the EU, analysts told an ECFR webinar.

EU credibility on the line as Bosnia’s accession path stalls

Bosnia & Herzegovina’s long and troubled path towards European Union membership risks drifting further into irrelevance, warns EPC policy brief.

Montenegro and Albania urged to make the case for EU membership as 2030 target looms

Western Balkan frontrunners Montenegro and Albania must do more to convince sceptical EU member states of their value or risk delays to their 2030 accession ambitions, a Carnegie Europe paper says.

Orbán’s election defeat shakes illiberal allies in Southeast Europe

Implications for leaders across Southeast Europe who have aligned themselves with Viktor Orban's brand of illiberal governance.

DATA: Japan tsunami waves of up to 3m forecast for Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate

Japan has forecast tsunami waves of up to 3m for Pacific coastlines of central Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate after a magnitude 7.4 quake off Sanriku, with the first wave of 0.4m observed at Miyako.

IMF: Middle East to see economic contractions in 2026 - Statista

Several Middle Eastern economies are expected to contract in 2026 in the wake of the war in Iran, which broke out in late February, according to the International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook, reports Statista.

Russia’s inflation fight faces push-me-pull-you pressures

Russia’s economy slowed in the first quarter of 2026 broadly as policymakers had anticipated, but the Central Bank of Russia now faces a more complex task as persistent domestic price pressures collide with fresh geopolitical risks abroad.

Taiwan to significantly outpace South Korea by widening GDP per capita margin

South Korea’s real GDP per capita is projected to fall more than $10,000 behind Taiwan’s within five years, underscoring a widening divergence between the two export-led economies.

Iran now offering tax relief to families with three or more children

Iranian authorities have announced tax exemptions for families with three or more children born after October 2021, with a 15% increase in annual tax relief per eligible child under the youth population law.

INTERVIEW: After Orbán, can Hungary reclaim its media?

Orbán is gone. His media empire is not. Unpicking 16 years of state capture will test Magyar's historic majority to its limits.

Could it be Goodbye Dubai, Hello Istanbul?

International investors unnerved by events in the Gulf may look to relocate. Turkey might seem a good choice – but things are rather more complicated than that.

Carney leads middle power coalition drive as CANZUK gains traction

Canada's Mark Carney is driving a middle power alliance push through CANZUK and a wider variable-geometry foreign policy, backed by NATO 2% defence spending this year and plans for a Defence, Security and Resilience Bank.

Ankara proposes grand rewiring of Middle East energy export map amid Hormuz blockade

Turkey wants to see a slew of Gulf and other pipelines converge on its territory to ensure the world will never again be cut off from sufficient oil and gas.

Kuwait citizenship purge tops 50,000 as new decree tightens revocation rules

Kuwait has stripped more than 50,000 people of citizenship since September 2024 with the latest decree tightening revocation rules, DNA testing authorised and nationality decisions shielded from judicial review.

ASIA BLOG: How Taiwan’s KMT risks the nation’s sovereignty

As Taiwan’s opposition leader, Cheng Li-wun leads a delegation across China the fine line between opposition outreach and quasi-diplomacy is being blurred. It is an issue that should concern anyone with a stake in Taiwan’s democratic integrity.

TEHRAN BLOG: Ceasefire brings quiet relief to Iran, but few believe it will hold

Iranians remain split in the early hours of the two-week ceasefire between their government and US and Israel on the otherside, but as things stand any return to normality is better than nothing.

CAUCASUS BLOG: Armenian PM’s Moscow pushback plays to a domestic audience pre-election

Nikol Pashinyan made unusually blunt comments to Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow.

MOSCOW BLOG: Pax Americana exposed as a paper tiger

Superficially the war in Iran has dealt Ukraine a huge blow. The White House is now completely distracted, and the Trump administration seems to have abandoned, or at least paused, the ceasefire negotiations with Russia.

BALKAN BLOG: The connection between the Middle East conflict and Slovenia’s closely fought election

Strong pro-Palestine sentiment in Slovenia causes alleged interference by Israeli private security firm ahead of general election to backfire.

Tehran enters sixth consecutive year of drought as dam levels drop

Tehran has entered its sixth consecutive year of drought with rainfall down 35%, as the capital's water utility warns dam levels remain fragile and calls on residents to cut consumption ahead of summer.

Iraq says Tigris river pollution contained after sediment surge from Diyala

Iraq's environment minister says authorities have contained a Tigris river pollution crisis caused by sediment from water releases, days after a mass fish die-off in Wasit province killed over 1,000 tonnes of fish.

Moldova prepares damage claims against Russia over energy infrastructure and environmental damage

Russian drone attack against a hydropower plant on the territory of Ukraine blamed for pollution of Dniester River.

Falling battery prices make round-the-clock solar power supply viable in India

A recent report by energy think tank Ember says that declining battery storage costs have reached a level where it makes it economically viable for solar power to supply most of India’s electricity demand.

Argentina eases glacier protection in $40bn mining push despite environmental fears

Argentina’s Congress has approved a reform to the country’s glacier protection law, relaxing restrictions on mining in high-altitude regions in a move aimed at attracting billions in investment, while drawing criticism from environmental groups.