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

Trump threatens to strike Iranian power plants and bridges over Strait of Hormuz incident

Trump has threatened to strike every Iranian power plant and bridge after Tehran allegedly fired at French and British ships in the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran rules out talks while the US naval blockade remains.

Western Japan lenders strike capital, business alliance

Japan's Shiga Bank and Senshu Ikeda Holdings, the parent of Senshu Ikeda Bank, have agreed to a capital and business tie-up, marking the latest step in the consolidation trend among Japan’s regional lenders.

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.

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.

India’s bank credit growth seen at 13% in FY27

India’s bank credit growth is expected to be around 13% this fiscal year, driven by robust growth in the micro, small and medium enterprise and retail sectors.

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.

Hungary's Orban in first interview since losing election says Fidesz needs "full renewal"

Commits to staying on to lead the revival. Political scientist says he sees the decline of the party as essentially irreversible.

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.