Features

• July 16, 2026

  Iran Deal Must Put Iranians At The Center, Policy Analyst Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau Says

  As tensions between the US and Iran intensifies, with renewed military strikes and growing arguments around the Strait of Hormuz, global attention has focused on regional security, commercial shipping, and the risk of wider escalation.

• July 16, 2026

  With No Jobs, Remittances Become Lifeline For Afghan Households

  Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan five years ago as international military forces withdrew, the country's economy has sputtered, inflation has spiked, and international investment has all but dried up, leaving ordinary Afghans reliant on remittances from abroad to survive

• July 15, 2026

  French Rafales Mark Ukraine's Shift Away From Soviet Fighter Jets, Analysts Say

  The announcement on July 14 that French Rafale fighter jets will soon be received by Kyiv represents another step away from its legacy Soviet aircraft fleet, experts say.

• July 15, 2026

  The Shadowy Iranian Judge Sending Protesters To Their Death

  Iran has executed some 40 political prisoners since mass protests rocked the country in January. Twelve more may be about to join them, and they were all put on death row by one man: Mohammad Reza Tavakoli, honored by the judiciary as an “exemplary judge.”

• July 15, 2026

  Is Political Opposition Still Possible In Central Asia?

  Across Central Asia, opposition movements have steadily disappeared from public life. Some leaders have been jailed, others forced into exile, while new parties have struggled to gain a foothold. What happened to the region's opposition -- and is there still space for alternative political voices?

• July 15, 2026

  'Eventually They'll Return To The Table': Middle East Expert Gause Sees Diplomacy Surviving US-Iran Escalation

  Despite renewed US strikes on Iran and attacks around the Gulf, veteran Middle East scholar Francis Gregory Gause argues that diplomacy is still alive, and that both Washington and Tehran are once again maneuvering to strengthen their positions before an eventual return to negotiations.

• July 14, 2026

  Russia Strips Arctic Air Defenses As Ukraine War Strains Military

  New satellite images appear to show that several strategically important sites in Russia's far north have had air defense batteries removed as the Kremlin struggles to counter Ukrainian drone attacks elsewhere in the country.

• July 14, 2026

  Jonathan Schroden: Why The US-Iran Conflict Keeps Shifting Between Fighting And Diplomacy 

  As the US and Iran exchange new strikes, military analyst Jonathan Schroden explains why wars often become more violent before peace, how the Strait of Hormuz has become the conflict's strategic centre, and why drones are reshaping naval warfare.

• July 14, 2026

  Wider Europe Briefing: The EU's 'Super Tuesday'

  In this week's briefing, Rikard Jozwiak focuses on the EU enlargement “Super Tuesday” and Ukrainian civil detainees held by Russia.

• July 13, 2026

  Zelenskyy Fights Another Political Battle With Another Cabinet Shake-Up In Ukraine

  Zelenskyy gave no explanation for the unexpected shuffle of his Cabinet. But the popularity of Ukraine’s one-and-only wartime president is slipping, as war-weary voters tire of political scandals, as well as the unrelenting Russian invasion.

• July 12, 2026

  Iran's Cafe Culture Faces Political And Economic Pressure

  Iran's cafes are navigating economic hardship and growing official scrutiny as they struggle to survive.

• July 11, 2026

  Russia Targets Ukrainian Harvest With Incendiary Bombs To Burn Crops

  Ukrainian farmers, already struggling after nearly five years of all-out war, say a massively upscaled Russian campaign to pound his country’s vital agricultural sector is threatening this year's harvest.

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