Leon Hadar

On Saturday (Feb 28) night, Iranian drones struck several residential buildings in Bahrain's capital, Manama.

From targeted strike to regional firestorm: How the US-Israeli attack on Iran escalated

It is now a regional war – fought across at least seven countries, with missiles falling on civilian airports, naval headquarters and...

The joint strikes targeted Iran’s military infrastructure, nuclear programme and ultimately its head of state.

US-Israeli strikes on Iran: a reckoning with no clear ending

The joint military attacks have created a political vacuum and could create further hardship on the ground

US President Donald Trump himself announced a US$10 billion US contribution, calling it a bargain compared to the cost of continued war.

The Board of Peace: Bold vision, uncertain future

It is a fundamentally different kind of institution – one whose rules, norms and accountability mechanisms are still being written

US President Donald Trump's response to the Supreme Court ruling was characteristically defiant, ordering a new 10  per cent global tariff, that was quickly raised to 15 per cent.

The court says no: the Supreme Court’s rebuke of Trump’s tariff gambit

The ruling is a victory for the rule of law, but it is not the end of the trade war

The Washington Post headquarters in Washington.
THINKING ALOUD

Requiem for The Washington Post

The newspaper that brought down a president is dying in darkness – and its billionaire owner lit the match

The Epstein case shows up an uncomfortable realisty: that the current US legal system too often allows those with resources and connections to evade consequences that others cannot.
THE BOTTOM LINE

The Epstein files: Accountability and the question of elite impunity

Jeffery Epstein’s ability to operate for decades, despite credible allegations, points to failures across multiple institutions

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) and US President Donald Trump at the White House on Feb 13, 2025. The latest deal owes as much to the two leaders' relationship as to any systematic trade negotiation.

The US-India trade deal: Strategic reset or fragile truce?

The lack of details on the agreement makes it difficult to assess its true economic impact

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil supply passes, has become a flashpoint.

Edge of the precipice: The US-Iran crisis of 2026

The next few days will test whether diplomacy can prevail over the momentum towards military confrontation

Based on YouGov statistics, a staggering 69% of Americans – including a majority of Republicans – believe tariffs are raising prices rather than protecting workers.
THE BOTTOM LINE

Trump’s economic promises meet political reality

The 2026 midterm elections loom as a potential disaster

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's (left) meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping yielded a trade deal that signals Ottawa's strategic realignment.

Canada’s China gambit: Navigating a new geopolitical triangle

The trade deal between Ottawa and Beijing offers an early test of whether middle powers can chart their own course in an...