Geopolitics

In Islamabad, U.S. and Iranian officials wrapped their first high-level talks in decades after a ceasefire was announced on April 7, 2026. The weekend session stretched into 21 hours and produced no formal breakthrough, but insiders stressed that dialogue remains alive as both sides weighed ... Read full article.

New Delhi on Monday rejected China's move to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, saying such actions inject negativity into relations and should be avoided. The government stressed that China should refrain from steps that undermine stability and dialogue, and that renaming proposals cannot change ... Read full article.

The latest round of strikes has people in southern Lebanon gripping the edges of their seats as reports flow of entire villages being leveled and homes rigged with explosives. While officials repeatedly frame the demolitions as aimed at Hezbollah infrastructure, residents say the destruction leaves ... Read full article.

Global tensions rose as Washington signaled a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid reports that Iranian forces had planted mines to disrupt shipping. Officials note that the move follows statements about progress in peace talks with Tehran, but Iran has not backed away from its nuclear stance. The ... Read full article.

Two U.S. Navy warships transited the Strait of Hormuz to begin clearing the waterway of mines, a move officials say will safeguard commercial traffic in a pivotal oil corridor, U.S. Central Command said on Saturday. The passage marks the first such transit since the latest round of hostilities in ... Read full article.

Budapest braces for a defining vote as Viktor Orban defends a 16-year grip on power, a period many observers describe as illiberal democracy. The contest is framed as a choice between a continued path of centralized control and a renewed push toward Western democratic norms, with the Prime Minister ... Read full article.

Ukraine and Russia on Saturday accused each other of violating a 32-hour Easter truce, hours into the ceasefire intended to mark Orthodox Easter. Across border regions, authorities reported drone activity and attacks that cast doubt on any quick end to hostilities. The day’s exchanges set the tone ... Read full article.

Hungary is voting in a knife-edge election that could end Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power and reshape Europe’s political landscape. Polls widely suggest Péter Magyar, who formed a grassroots party after leaving the ruling Fidesz, holds the momentum, while Orbán heads into the final hours in a ... Read full article.

The Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly 20% of the world’s oil, is at the center again as a US-led clearing mission begins to dismantle a network of mines planted by Iran. Early assessments suggest Iranian forces used small boats and decentralised units to lay charges without a unified map ... Read full article.

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a 32-hour Orthodox Easter truce, with the pause set to run from Saturday afternoon through Easter Sunday. The move comes after remarks from Vladimir Putin and a pointed call from Volodymyr Zelensky for an Easter free of threats, signaling a rare moment of ... Read full article.

Islamabad is hosting high-stakes talks as Washington and Tehran resume negotiations on a fragile ceasefire. Pakistan’s capital is under tight security as delegates prepare for discussions slated to take place in Islamabad on April 10, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announcing a two-week ... Read full article.

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei signaled a tougher posture toward the Strait of Hormuz, vowing to escalate control and seek compensation for wartime losses. He warned that aggressors would not go unpunished and framed the move as a victory, urging continued public pressure during ongoing ... Read full article.

In a move tied to the Orthodox Easter weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree ordering a 32-hour ceasefire in Ukraine, starting 4 p.m. local time on Saturday and lasting until the end of Sunday. The Kremlin released the order, which aims to pause hostilities during the holiday ... Read full article.

Across Europe, energy costs have climbed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Hungary is no exception. The Orbán government has made energy a central campaign issue, pointing to EU sanctions on Russian fossil fuels as a key driver of higher bills. In turn, EU officials insist Russia has never ... Read full article.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a focal point in ongoing ceasefire talks, with Iran signaling tighter oversight of vessels passing through during the two-week window. Authorities are proposing a monitoring regime aimed at ensuring movements through the waterway align with the security constraints ... Read full article.

Rajnath Singh delivered a blunt warning to Pakistan amid rising rhetoric over Kolkata, insisting that history shows escalation rarely ends well and that India will respond decisively to any misadventure. He invoked the memory of the 1971 crisis as a stark reminder of the consequences that follow ... Read full article.

US Vice-President JD Vance arrived in Budapest for a two-day visit aimed at backing Viktor Orbán as Hungary heads toward a pivotal parliamentary election on Sunday. He and his wife, Usha Vance, were greeted at the airport by Hungary's foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, before a day of planned ... Read full article.

Global markets opened higher in Asia on Monday as investors stayed focused on President Trump's Iran deadline, weighing signs of progress against fears of escalation. Traders watched Brent crude fluctuate as uncertainty persisted, and technology-led gains in Asia helped lift sentiment. Trump said ... Read full article.

Ukraine has for the first time since the invasion outpaced Russia in drone attacks, according to defense officials and analysts. Kyiv's forces are focusing on oil infrastructure to disrupt funding for the war, signaling a notable shift in the drone war's balance. Russia, meanwhile, says it ... Read full article.

A US rescue operation to retrieve a downed airman inside Iran has been described as highly complex and costly, involving high-tech approaches and multiple government agencies. Officials say the mission was conducted in hostile territory, with careful coordination and real-time decision-making, ... Read full article.

US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that "many" of Iran's military leaders were killed in a massive strike on Tehran, accompanying a video that shows explosions lighting up a city skyline. He did not provide a date or other details about when the strike occurred. There was no ... Read full article.

Iran has rejected a 48-hour ultimatum from the United States amid rising tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments. The ultimatum, tied to a potential peace deal and the reopening of Hormuz, was delivered by the United States in intense diplomatic ... Read full article.

Two Kuwaiti power and water desalination plants were damaged by a drone attack from Iran, causing significant material damage and the shutdown of two electricity generating units. There were no deaths or injuries, according to the Electricity and Water Ministry. The ministry said the attack ... Read full article.

President Donald Trump claimed the United States sent a large number of guns to Iranian protesters through Kurdish intermediaries, saying the weapons were routed via Kurdish channels and that the Kurds themselves kept them. He framed the move as part of pressure on Tehran amid ongoing tensions, ... Read full article.

On April 5, the president posted a cryptic message on Truth Social reading “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time,” triggering fresh speculation about a major move toward Iran as tensions spike around the Strait of Hormuz. The post offered no explanation, but follows mounting pressure on Tehran to reopen ... Read full article.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned on Saturday that if India attempts any future misadventure, Pakistan will respond by striking Kolkata. Speaking to reporters in Sialkot, about 130 kilometers from Lahore, he claimed there are reports that a false-flag operation has been designed ... Read full article.

President Donald Trump issued a stark 48-hour ultimatum to Iran, saying the Strait of Hormuz must be opened and a peace deal secured, or else what he described as a coming response will be felt. In a post that many interpreted as a warning, Trump asserted that “hell will reign down” on Iran within ... Read full article.

A new Iranian drone strike targeted the US Embassy complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a CIA facility inside the compound sustaining heavy damage as drones were intercepted by local defenses. The attack appears to be part of a broader wave of escalation between Iran and the United States that has ... Read full article.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that Tehran had 48 hours to cut a deal or face 'all Hell', as Washington and Iranian forces scramble to locate a downed American airman after a strike near an Iranian nuclear power plant prompted evacuations. Tehran announced fresh attacks in the ... Read full article.

From Mumbai, traders and policymakers are watching Hormuz as it returns to the center of a high-stakes standoff that could ripple through energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow gateway that channels a significant share of the world’s oil, has become a stage for sharp rhetoric and potential ... Read full article.

A two-day visit by Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov to India has culminated in a clear pledge to bolster energy ties, with officials highlighting the capacity to steadily increase oil and liquified natural gas shipments to the Indian market. The discussions with Prime Minister Narendra ... Read full article.

A Malta-flagged container ship owned by French company CMA CGM crossed the Strait of Hormuz, the first vessel owned by a major Western European firm to navigate the waterway since the conflict began. The crossing was confirmed by BFM TV, which is owned by the shipping line, though CMA CGM itself ... Read full article.

Rising tensions in the Iran-U.S. standoff took a sharp turn as Tehran announced it had downed two U.S. F-35 stealth fighters within 24 hours after what it described as unauthorized incursions near Iran’s airspace. Iranian officials said both jets were destroyed in attacks that left no immediate ... Read full article.

Russia intensified its daytime drone and missile campaign over Ukraine, with Ukrainian officials reporting hundreds of drones and missiles fired in a single day. The strikes targeted cities and critical infrastructure, forcing widespread sirens and emergency responses as residents sought shelter ... Read full article.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point as navies adapt to shifting sea routes in a volatile West Asia backdrop. Three Omani-managed tankers entered the Strait of Hormuz while hugging the Oman coastline, a maneuver aimed at bypassing the chokepoint and maintaining steady passage for crucial ... Read full article.

Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief who led the coup against Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, has been elected president after winning a parliamentary vote in Naypyitaw. He secured 429 of 584 votes in a two-chamber parliament where the military and its allies hold the vast majority. The ... Read full article.

A tanker carrying Iranian crude oil has altered its voyage, moving from an originally planned stop at India's Vadinar terminal to a new destination in China’s Dongying, according to tracking data. The Eswatini-flagged Ping Shun, operated by Nycity Shipmanagement Co. Ltd., had earlier signaled it ... Read full article.

Cuba announced it will release 2,010 prisoners in a move described by the government as a 'humanitarian and sovereign gesture,' timed to Holy Week. The statement said those freed include foreign nationals, young people, women and inmates over 60, following a careful assessment of offences, good ... Read full article.

India's defence minister Rajnath Singh warned that any misadventure from Pakistan would invite an unprecedented and decisive response, a stance tied to the Pahalgam attack and its aftermath. He claimed Indian forces struck terrorist hideouts and infrastructure inside Pakistan during Operation ... Read full article.

Myanmar’s parliament has elected General Min Aung Hlaing as the country’s president, a move that formalises the military’s grip on power after the 2021 coup. The vote comes as the junta continues to oversee governance in a nation scarred by conflict and a crackdown on dissent. Analysts say the ... Read full article.

As missiles take center stage on the battlefield, Iran has now expanded its confrontations into the digital realm. A viral AI-generated Lego-style video that mocks Donald Trump and America's regional power has quickly spread across social media platforms. The clip uses satire, toy-like characters, ... Read full article.

A strike in Iran toppled the 136-meter-high B1 suspension bridge linking Tehran and Karaj, described as Iran’s largest bridge, with the structure splitting in half and a plume of black smoke rising from the scene. Iranian authorities later reported eight dead and 95 wounded as the middle of the ... Read full article.

A series of briefings described last week to the U.S. president outline a plan to insert ground forces to seize Iran’s nuclear material. The specifics remain disputed and the plan has not been publicly confirmed as policy, but outlets describe a scenario that would mark a dramatic escalation if ... Read full article.

Iran's leadership rejected Trump's claim that the United States has already achieved regime change by killing its leader, calling the remark false and baseless. Tehran stressed that durable stability in the region depends on diplomacy and a credible ceasefire, not rhetorical posturing. Across the ... Read full article.

Beirut and southern Lebanon have seen a renewed wave of Israeli air strikes this week, expanding operations into areas outside Hezbollah's direct control. Overnight, a vehicle in the Mansourieh district, a mainly Christian neighborhood north of Beirut, came under fire, while the Jnah district in ... Read full article.

A widening West Asia confrontation has intensified after the United States and Israel launched large-scale military operations against Iran on February 28, 2026, marking the start of a campaign that appears set to last longer than initial expectations. The operation, named in public discourse as an ... Read full article.

President Donald Trump said the United States could end its Iran campaign in two to three weeks, signaling a possible easing of the West Asia war. He stressed that the objective is to stop Iran’s nuclear capability rather than pursue regime change, a stance supporters say could reduce regional risk ... Read full article.

A Russian Antonov-26 military transport aircraft crashed while on a scheduled flight over the Crimean Peninsula, killing 29 people—six crew members and 23 passengers, according to the Defence Ministry. The ministry said contact with the aircraft was lost around 18:00 Moscow time, and a search and ... Read full article.

Russian officials say a Ukrainian drone struck Belgorod's administration building, injuring three people and damaging the exterior. A video shows the blast as drones hit multiple sites in the region. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that a Ukrainian drone blew up near the entrance to the ... Read full article.

The Indian-flagged LPG tanker Pine Gas faced a nearly three-week delay passing through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran began selective passage, forcing a reroute. With 45,000 metric tons of LPG on board, the vessel was steered through a less-used channel north of Larak Island, guided by the Indian ... Read full article.