Thursday, July 16, 2026
Every side of the story
43 stories
Putin used a smaller Victory Day event to frame NATO as a threat and to justify ongoing military policy, a speech that reads differently at home and abroad.
Read the storyMarkets jumped and oil prices fell after reports that the U.S. and Iran are close to a one-page memorandum that could end the regional war, though key details remain contested.
Read the storyA surge of missile and drone alerts over the UAE's eastern coast exposed competing narratives: an official accusation against Iran and a set of denials and uncertainties that complicate attribution.
Read the storyWestern export controls on advanced chips aim to protect security — but without parallel industrial policy they risk fragmenting supply chains and hurting the very firms policymakers want to defend.
Read the storyU.S. officials say the offensive phase of "Operation Epic Fury" has ended, while Iranian spokespeople warn the conflict continues — leaving shipping and markets exposed.
Read the storyThe U.S. has called the Strait of Hormuz a "safe path" — but local reports and maritime trackers suggest the reality remains contested.
Read the storyStrikes across Ukraine on May 5 left dozens dead amid competing ceasefire claims from Moscow and Kyiv; here’s what different outlets are emphasizing.
Read the storyThailand's cabinet cancelled a 25-year framework for joint offshore energy exploration with Cambodia, raising diplomatic and commercial uncertainty.
Read the storyThe UAE reported intercepting missiles and drones near Fujairah; Tehran denies involvement. Early market and diplomatic reactions paint sharply different pictures.
Read the storyU.S. warships are escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz — a move framed as humanitarian protection by Washington but read by others as strategic signaling with real costs for smaller shippers, insurers, and markets.
Read the storyConflicting official statements and messy on-the-ground reporting in the Strait of Hormuz have reopened questions about how to keep commercial shipping safe — and who pays when diplomacy fails.
Read the storyAustria expelled three Russian diplomats after authorities found rooftop antenna arrays on diplomatic buildings; Western outlets call it a signals‑intelligence operation, while Moscow insists the expulsions are politically motivated.
Read the storyA drone struck a Moscow high-rise days before Victory Day, exposing a widening strike range and clashing official narratives about intent, damage and casualties.
Read the storyArmenia’s two-day diplomatic push with more than 30 European leaders is a strong signal — but symbolism is not the same as structural realignment.
Read the storyThe Geopolitical Risk Index has surged; regulators and banks may be underprepared as political shocks transmit through trade, counterparties, and liquidity.
Read the storyIran says it has received a U.S. response to a 14‑point plan to end the war — a procedural step that could be meaningful only if mediators and operational guarantees translate public rhetoric into enforceable terms.
Read the storyA diplomatic exchange between Tehran and Washington has produced competing narratives: breakthrough or political signal? We parse the facts and the missing perspectives.
Read the storyConflicting claims followed strikes on Russia's Primorsk port and nearby oil tankers. This piece separates frontline narratives from the technical, financial, and environmental realities.
Read the storyJailed Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi has been hospitalized and is reported in critical condition — this piece explains the indisputable facts and the conflicting narratives.
Read the storyIsrael approved a multi‑billion plan to buy F-35 and F-15IA jets, a move framed as deterrence — but analysts warn the procurement masks deeper strategic tradeoffs.
Read the storyPresident Trump warned the U.S. could "restart strikes" on Iran — strategic posturing or a dangerous escalation that could reshape trade and diplomacy.
Read the storyChina has called on the UN Security Council to reconsider withdrawing UN peacekeepers from Lebanon, citing rising violence and peacekeeper casualties.
Read the storyWashington imposes new sanctions on Cuba; Havana says they are illegal and blame them for worsening fuel shortages and blackouts.
Read the storyZelensky’s diplomatic outreach to Gulf states is turning battlefield drone know‑how into leverage as Western stockpiles are stretched by the Iran conflict.
Read the storyAn oil tanker seized off Yemen highlights how piracy, weak maritime enforcement, and geopolitics combine to make shipping routes vulnerable.
Read the storyA surprise visit by Taiwan's president to Eswatini has prompted contrasting narratives from Beijing, Taipei, and regional partners — and highlights how small-state diplomacy gets framed.
Read the storyThe U.S. warned maritime companies about sanctions risk tied to payments for passage through the Strait of Hormuz — a move that pits legal enforcement against on-the-ground shipping and humanitarian realities.
Read the storyWashington plans to withdraw roughly 5,000 troops from Germany, a move officials call a limited rebalancing but which allies read as political signalling.
Read the storyNine days before the Venice Biennale was due to open, the event’s entire jury resigned, citing a decision not to consider countries 'whose leaders are currently charged with crimes against humanity'.
Read the storyA quick guide to what Trump's "pirates" comment reveals about maritime operations and media framing.
Read the storyLithuanian authorities say they have foiled alleged Russian-linked sabotage and murder plots. Early allegations mix concrete arrests with intelligence assessments — a reminder to treat immediate government claims as provisional until courts and independent investigators can verify them.
Read the storyThe Pentagon plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany — a small number on paper, but the timing and public rhetoric expose a deeper gap between operational logic and political signaling.
Read the storyA terse presidential remark about Iran has set off clashing narratives: political theater to some, a signal of real risk to others.
Read the storyA series of strikes in southern Lebanon has left civilians dead and governments trading sharply different accounts.
Read the storyIn a move that has raised eyebrows across Washington and beyond, US Defense Secretary Eric Hegseth announced that the statutory clock for the president to report to Congress about military operations in Iran has been “paused or stopped” in the context of a ceasefire.
Read the storyThe US-Iran war disrupts fertilizer supply, threatening crop yields and food security in Africa, warns the world's largest fertilizer firm.
Read the storyOil prices surged to their highest level since 2022 after reports of US strike planning against Iran, sparking market turmoil and geopolitical debate.
Read the storyThe Iran conflict has quietly disrupted the global fertilizer supply chain, threatening crop yields by up to 15% and pushing hundreds of millions toward food insecurity. Here's what mainstream media is missing.
Read the storyThe Trump administration has extended the Jones Act waiver as oil hits 06 per barrel. Is this consumer protection or a signal of maritime collapse?
Read the storyPeru is facing a constitutional crisis after US warnings over a delayed F-16 deal. Is defense more important than social stability?
Read the storyWhy the record surge in gold prices is protecting Western investors while dismantling South Asian cultural traditions.
Read the storyA deep dive into the IMF's 2026 outlook and the strategic divide between the UK's economic hit and the US's security goals.
Read the storyA fragile two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran offers temporary relief, but rising tensions and ongoing regional conflict cast doubt on lasting peace.
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