Features

Chile's border wall targets a problem already in decline

Alek Buttermann March 18, 2026

José Antonio Kast's fortified frontier project combines trenches, electrified fencing and military deployment, but unauthorised crossings had already fallen by more than half before he took office.

US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s gas fields change the Middle East conflict from “disruption” to “destruction”

bne Berlin and Gulf bureaus March 18, 2026

A joint attack by Israel and the US struck Iran's South Pars gas field taking the crisis in the Middle East to a whole new level.

BEIRTER: Litani River’s century of geopolitical significance

Michella Rizk, Anthony Chamoun in Beirut March 18, 2026

The Litani River holds century-long geopolitical significance, shaping Lebanon’s agriculture, hydroelectric power, security, and territorial integrity, while repeatedly serving as a strategic focal point in Israeli-Lebanese conflicts.

COMMENT: Gulf economies enter risk zone due to Iran war

bne IntelliNews March 18, 2026

The military confrontation unfolding across the Middle East is forcing a reckoning for the Persian Gulf's wealthiest economies.

Hormuz tensions raise inflation and energy security risks for Africa, says senior investment analyst

bne IntelliNews March 18, 2026

A senior investment analyst examines how the ongoing Middle East military conflict and rapidly climbing oil and gas prices are affecting African economies, supply chains and cost of living.

Philippines down to its last three weeks of fuel reserves, turns to Russia for help

bno - Jakarta Office March 18, 2026

The Philippines is currently navigating a perilous and largely overlooked period of economic vulnerability: its national fuel supply could run out in around three to four weeks if international imports don't arrive soon.

What has Iran hit so far?

Ben Aris in Berlin March 17, 2026

A quick overview of what we know Iran has actually hit in this war — and the strategy that appears to be emerging.

The US military running into trouble in Iran as it does not have the "Command of the Reload"

Ben Aris in Berlin March 17, 2026

The war in Iran is quickly showing it’s not about firing more sophisticated weapons at your enemy. It’s about the “Command of the Reload:” being able to reload with the same weapons.

BEIRUTER: India–Israel ties highlight a shifting Middle East order,

Peter Chouayfati in Beirut March 17, 2026

When Narendra Modi addressed the Knesset on February 26, 2026, the visit symbolized more than a diplomatic gesture between India and Israel. It revealed the contours of a shifting geopolitical landscape in the region.

Democratic decline deepens in Eastern Europe as global slide to autocracy accelerates

Clare Nuttall in Glasgow March 17, 2026

Democratic governance is under unprecedented strain worldwide, with Eastern Europe now a hotspot for backsliding, says V-Dem Institute Democracy Report.

Is Benjamin Netanyahu in hiding? Missiles tell another story

bnm Tel Aviv bureau March 17, 2026

Over the past few days, social media erupted with posts speculating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had died in an Iranian strike, yet does one such theory hold up?

Lebanon's Al-Qaa unveils 26-metre Christ statue on Syrian border as message of peace amid war

bnm Gulf bureau March 17, 2026

A 26-metre Christ statue has been unveiled in the Lebanese border village of Al-Qaa as a symbol of peace, as Israeli strikes have killed more than 850 and displaced over a million across Lebanon.

Despite an Iran war windfall, Russia’s MinFin still planning budget cuts

Ben Aris in Berlin March 17, 2026

With Russian oil trading at over $100 and discount to Brent at zero or less, Russia's Ministry of Finance is anticipating a significant windfall this year that will reduce. However despite the good news, MinFin is still intending to cut at least 10%.

Why a Chinese invasion of Taiwan looks tempting, but would be ill-advised

Mark Buckton in Taipei March 17, 2026

If Beijing’s supporters are right that now is the time, they are also wrong to imagine success without substantial Taiwanese and wider regional blowback.

Zelenskiy facing growing domestic crisis as support in his own party melts

Ben Aris in Berlin March 16, 2026

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is facing a growing domestic political crisis as deputies in his own Servant of the People party start to rebel against his authority.

Discounts on Russia’s Urals blend oil fall to zero

bne IntelliNews March 16, 2026

Russia is poised to reap a major financial windfall from rising global oil prices due to the war in the Gulf, after the discounts on the Urals blend of oil fell to zero in the last week

The Iranian revolution has been reversed

Ben Aris in Berlin March 16, 2026

In the first video US President Donald Trump released following the start of operation epic fury he calls on the Iranian people to rise up in what he called a “once in a generation opportunity” to take back control of their own country.

Why Europe's gas price cap plan will backfire

Newsbase March 16, 2026

Brussels is again considering a cap on gas prices to shield consumers from soaring energy costs, but the policy risks weakening Europe’s ability to attract LNG cargoes just as the bloc faces a difficult storage refill ahead of next winter.

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