Hormuz
BUSINESS
Losing the Plot: Why European Farmers are in Revolt
Brussels is treating agriculture as the price of geopolitical access, but soaring costs and new trade deals are pushing farmers to an explosive breaking point.
US-China
China’s Taiwan Rehearsal is Playing Out in Hormuz
As Iran weaponises the world’s most central oil lanes, Beijing is taking notes on how a well-placed blockade might one day decide the fate of the Taiwan Strait.
BUSINESS
Aramco Says the Oil Market is Running Out of Room
Brent touched $120 in recent weeks, inventories hit a five-year low, and Aramco CEO said the consequences would be catastrophic if Hormuz stays closed much longer.
WORLD
Three Forgotten Islands Could Decide the Strait of Hormuz
Iran warned this week that any attack on its Hormuz islands would turn the Gulf bloody, as the UAE signalled it now sees a chance to reclaim them.
BUSINESS
Stuttgart Voters Punish Merz as Energy Prices Surge
In the industrial heart of Germany, rising energy costs and a sudden war have triggered a surprise election win that hints voters are reaching a breaking point.
Popular
Warsaw’s Pump Relief Leaves Security Unbought
A vanished Venezuelan cargo, a severed Saudi pipeline and a revived windfall levy expose the limits of Warsaw's control over its own petrol pumps.
India Demographic Dividend Starts to Fade as Glaciers Melt
India built its growth story on abundant people and abundant water, and both assumptions are now proving less permanent than expected.
Uneven Protection: Religious Freedom in Belgium
A country can guarantee religious freedom by law and still let how visibly someone practises it decide whether they get a job or a seat at the table.
Venice Rewards Israeli Gaza Documentary Amid Domestic Backlash
An award can celebrate a film's craft without settling what its allegations actually prove, a distinction Venice has now put under real pressure.
Celtic Pact: Is a Post-UK Future Inevitable?
The pact signed in Cardiff dares Westminster to defend a fragile union which Trump's transactional treatment of old allies has left looking suddenly negotiable.
