Bessent Backs Financial Support for Oil-Rich U.A.E.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Treasury secretary said that currency swap line would benefit both the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that he backed the idea of providing economic support in the form of a currency swap to the United Arab Emirates, an oil-rich ally that has been contending with economic fallout from the war in Iran.
Speaking at a Senate hearing, Mr. Bessent said that the Emirates, along with several other countries in the Persian Gulf and Asia, had inquired about the possibility of a swap. He said such a maneuver would prevent the disorderly sale of U.S. assets as nations look to secure access to dollars. The war in Iran has damaged oil and gas infrastructure throughout the Middle East, dealing a blow to economies such as the Emirates that rely on the Strait of Hormuz to transport crude around the world.

The Treasury secretary said that providing a currency swap to the Emirates could benefit the United States by stabilizing foreign exchange markets and protecting American assets around the world. He added that it could be provided by the Federal Reserve or by the Treasury Department, which can deploy its Exchange Stabilization Fund to buy another nation’s currency.

“Swap lines, whether it’s from the Federal Reserve or the Treasury, are to maintain order in the dollar funding markets and to prevent the sale of the U.S. assets in a disorderly way,” Mr. Bessent said. “The swap line would both benefit the U.A.E. and the U.S.” » | Alan Rappeport | Reporting from Washington | Wednesday, April 22, 2026

This is astonishing indeed! No money can be found to help hard-pressed Americans, but billions can be found to help an oil-rich nation. It is more especially astonishing given the fact that the USA is on its uppers and this illegal war, in addition, is costing billions per week. Trump and his chums in the regime appear to have very queer priorities. Of course, if this illegal war had not been started, the UAE’s economy wouldn’t be suffering today. That the country now needs help is only because of Trump’s illegal and unnecessary war on Iran. It’s a war that should never have been started and waged. — © Mark Alexander

Iran Again Tightens Its Grip on Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Traffic in the strait has all but halted as Iran renews its attacks, striking two vessels on Wednesday. More than 300 ships linked to Iran have passed through the strait since the war began.

The number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz has become a barometer of how the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is affecting the global economy.

On Tuesday, after nearly eight weeks of war, that number was one, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Then Wednesday, more ships tried and Iran attacked two cargo vessels in the strait.

“They are reminding us that their threats to attack ships are genuine, and that’s enough to suppress traffic through the strait,” said Rosemary Kelanic, a director at Defense Priorities, a research organization focused on foreign affairs. Ships linked to Iran have passed through the strait, ship tracking data shows.

The latest attacks show that Tehran still has a stranglehold on the strait that allows it to ratchet up the pain on the global economy, even though the U.S. military has struck some 13,000 targets in Iran and set up a naval blockade against it. This strategic move gives Iran leverage in any talks with the United States to end the war. » | Peter Eavis | Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Iran-Krieg, Schuldenrekord, Tabubruch: Wie Trump eine „Pleite der USA“ provoziert

April 22, 2026

Trump Holds the American People in Total Contempt

THE NEW YORK TIMES — OPINION: To say that President Trump is corrupt is to somehow understate the size, scope and magnitude of his corruption.

It is as if you were to describe a modern thermonuclear device as a “bomb.” That is true enough, but it is not quite the truth. It does not capture the nature of the thing in full.

So it goes for Trump’s corruption, which is so vast as to be a new phenomenon in American politics. The president and his family have leveraged his office to the tune of nearly $4 billion. They have received hundreds of millions of dollars from a network of branded cryptocurrency assets. Investors include large corporations, foreign nationals and state actors hoping to curry favor with the administration.

One such actor, according to The Wall Street Journal, was Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, brother and national security adviser to the president the United Arab Emirates. Tahnoon’s investment fund purchased a half-billion-dollar stake in the Trump family’s crypto fund, World Liberty Financial, just days before Trump’s second inauguration. Tahnoon has since successfully lobbied the White House for U.A.E. access to America’s most advanced A.I. chips, with a large portion going to Tahnoon’s A.I. company. » | Jamelle Bouie | Opinion Columnist | Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Trump Threatens Companies Not to Seek Tariff Refunds, after Supreme Court Ruled Them Illegal

Apr 22, 2026 | Donald Trump said he’d remember companies that decline to seek refunds on duties paid after the Supreme Court struck down a large swath of his tariffs. In February, the Supreme Court ruled against Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from nearly every country. That ruling set the stage for a complicated task that could become the largest repayment by the US government in its history.

Trump’s comments come a day after US Customs and Border Protection launched a web portal for importers to file requests for refunds that could total more than $160 billion. Yet, the process is still fraught with uncertainty.


ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

Steve Rosenberg: Russian Press Slams Internet Restrictions and Decision to Ban a Street Protest

Apr 22, 2026 | Today one Russian paper criticises the authorities over internet restrictions and for poor communication with citizens: “[It] causes the population to feel we are not respected, that strange games are being played with us.” Plus, a bizarre interview with Lenin's “spirit” on his birthday.

How Apple Became a $4 Trillion Company Under Tim Cook

THE NEW YORK TIMES: If the Steve Jobs era was defined by technological innovation, the Tim Cook period was one of exceptional financial growth.

When Tim Cook took over Apple in 2011, leaders from Silicon Valley to Wall Street predicted that the company’s best days were behind it. They feared that without Steve Jobs, Apple’s innovative chief executive, the company would falter.

They were wrong.

Over 15 years, Mr. Cook has engineered Apple’s rise from a Silicon Valley darling worth $350 billion into a cash-generating giant worth $4 trillion. The company’s annual revenue quadrupled, and its profits rose fourfold. The iPhone became ubiquitous, the Apple Watch proliferated, and the company developed credit cards and TV shows.

Apple’s growth is a testament to how Mr. Cook turned the iPhone into one of history’s best-selling products. Introduced by Mr. Jobs in 2007, the iPhone started the smartphone revolution, changing the way people work, socialize and travel. But Apple was selling only 72 million iPhones a year when Mr. Jobs died and Mr. Cook took over.

Two years later, Mr. Cook struck a deal with China’s largest wireless company, China Mobile. By the end of that year, Apple had more than doubled the number of iPhones it sold, and China was cementing itself as the company’s largest market after the United States. » | Tripp Mickle and Karl Russell | Tripp Mickle reported from San Francisco, and Karl Russell from New York. | Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Related article here.

El programa ‘Visión 2030’ de Arabia Saudita reevalúa sus prioridades

THE NEW YORK : Las autoridades de Arabia Saudita anunciaron una nueva estrategia para el fondo soberano del país, de aproximadamente 1 billón de dólares, y enfatizaron que en el futuro se centrarán en la “eficiencia”.

Imagen tomada de este artículo | El príncipe heredero saudí, Mohammed bin Salman, en Washington el pasado otoño. Los planes y ambiciones del príncipe han crecido más rápidamente que la capacidad financiera del Estado. | Credit... Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times
Hace 10 años, un príncipe de 30 años llamado Mohammed bin Salman anunció planes ambiciosos para transformar Arabia Saudita, al declarar que pondría fin a su “adicción” al petróleo.

Desde entonces, una cascada de cambios ha sacudido el conservador reino islámico. Las mujeres —que antes tenían prohibido conducir— ahora conducen ellas mismas a sus trabajos como camareras, dependientas y capitalistas de riesgo. El desempleo ha disminuido a medida que los saudíes se incorporan a empleos de bajos ingresos que antes ocupaban extranjeros. Y la policía religiosa del reino prácticamente ha desaparecido.

Sin embargo, la dependencia de Arabia Saudita del petróleo ha resultado más difícil de superar. Cuando los precios del petróleo subieron en 2021 y 2022, aumentando los ingresos del gobierno, se produjo una avalancha de espléndidos proyectos: una ciudad de esquí de montaña, un rascacielos en forma de cubo, una nueva liga de golf. Y cuando, luego, los precios del petróleo cayeron, con lo que se puso a prueba las finanzas del gobierno, los funcionarios empezaron a buscar ahorros, cancelando, retrasando y reduciendo planes que habían resultado ser demasiado grandiosos. » | Por Vivian Nereim | Reportando desde Riad, Arabia Saudita | martes 21 de abril de 2026

Read in English.

Sicherheitsexperte Neumann sieht Trump in Sackgasse und warnt vor massiven Folgen | ntv

Apr 21, 2026 | Neumann: USA in der Klemme

Kaum geöffnet, schon wieder dicht: Die Straße von Hormus sorgt erneut für Chaos. Der Politikwissenschaftler und Sicherheitsexperte Peter Neumann warnt vor massiven Folgen - von steigenden Ölpreisen bis hin zu einer möglichen Weltwirtschaftskrise - und sieht Trump in einer Sackgasse.

Ingénieur, champion de natation... Qui est John Ternus, l’homme qui va succéder à Tim Cook à la tête d’Apple ?

LE FIGARO : PORTRAIT - Cet ingénieur quinquagénaire, entré dans le groupe californien en 2001, a vu ses missions évoluer en 2025 et a été davantage mis en avant dans les conférences d’Apple.

De l’ombre à la lumière. Depuis l’automne dernier, son nom est sur toutes les lèvres dans la Silicon Valley. John Ternus, vice-président senior de l’ingénierie produit d’Apple, va succéder en septembre prochain à Tim Cook à la tête du groupe, selon un communiqué de la firme publié lundi soir.

Après quatorze ans à la tête de la firme à la pomme, celui qui avait succédé en 2011 à Steve Jobs quelques mois avant sa disparition va donc passer le flambeau à la fin de l’été 2026. Tim Cook va devenir président du conseil d’administration. » | Par Keren Lentschner | lundi 20 avril 2026

Réservé aux abonnés

Related article here.

Strategic Autonomy: Can Europe Break Free from the US?

Aug 20, 2026 | Europe is reassessing its place in a rapidly destabilizing world.

A stark warning from Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney — that reliance on the United States has become a “weakness” — is now echoing across Europe, where leaders are confronting growing uncertainty about Washington’s long-term commitments.

At a key meeting in Poland, Emmanuel Macron and Donald Tusk discussed deeper defense cooperation, including nuclear deterrence coordination and joint military projects.

The push reflects a broader debate over “strategic autonomy” — Europe’s ability to defend itself and act independently on the global stage — as tensions with Russia persist and divisions widen over conflicts such as the war involving Iran.

But how realistic is Europe’s ambition to become a true geopolitical power? And can it reduce its dependence on the United States without weakening its own security?

We speak to Steven Everts, director of the European Union Institute for Security Studies.

Tim Cook Will Step Down as Apple C.E.O.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The longtime leader of the iPhone maker will be replaced by John Ternus, the company’s head of hardware engineering.

Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said on Monday that he would step down after nearly 15 years running an operation that rode the wild popularity of the iPhone to become one of the most influential and valuable companies in the world.

Mr. Cook, 65, will move into a new role as Apple’s executive chairman in September and be succeeded in the company’s corner office by John Ternus, the 50-year-old head of Apple’s hardware engineering.

The retirement of Mr. Cook will end one of the most successful management runs in the history of American business. During his tenure, Apple’s annual profit quadrupled to more than $110 billion, while its value ballooned more than tenfold to $4 trillion.

Mr. Cook replaced the Apple co-founder Steve Jobs shortly before Mr. Jobs’s death in 2011, having earned a reputation for perfecting the nuts and bolts of a global consumer electronics business. Apple has since defined how a modern technology company operates, with products assembled in a supply chain that stretches from the giant operations that Mr. Cook helped create in China to India and Brazil and a popular retail business that operates on five continents. » | Kalley Huang and Tripp Mickle | Reporting from San Francisco | Monday, April 20, 2026

The Insider Trading Suspicions Looming Over Trump's Presidency | BBC News

Apr 20, 2026 | Throughout US President Donald Trump's second term in office, traders have been betting millions of dollars just before he makes major announcements.

The BBC has found a consistent pattern of spikes in trades and finical markets just hours, or sometimes minutes, before the president's most significant market-moving statements were made public.

Some analysts say it bears the hallmarks of illegal insider trading, whereby bets are made by people based on information that is not available to the general public.

While others say that some traders have become more adept at anticipating the president's interventions.

Steve Rosenberg: Who Are the Kremlin's Friends in the West?

Apr 20, 2026 | One Russian paper today claims “Life has become four times more joyous.” Another reports the country’s economic reserves are “largely exhausted.” Plus: “a new drop in the approval rating of the [Russian] authorities.” And who are the Kremlin’s friends in the West?

Iran War: Trump Threatens to ‘Blow Up Whole Country’

Apr 19, 2026 | Iranian state media has just announced a team from Iran will not be taking part in the new round of peace talks in Pakistan.

President Trump said he was sending a delegation to Islamabad for the talks on Monday night, and warned every power plant and every bridge in Iran would be knocked out if the regime does not agree to his terms.

‘You Don’t Own Iran’: Lula Goes Nuclear on Trump In Explosive Speech; ‘Don’t Lie to Destroy Nations’

Apr 19, 2026 | Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva delivered a powerful and highly critical speech, directly targeting global powers and accusing world leaders, including Donald Trump, of spreading false narratives to justify wars and interventions. Speaking at an international summit in Barcelona, Lula strongly condemned past conflicts including the Iran war, Gaza genocide, and military interventions in the Middle East. He called for an end to what he described as the use of misinformation to destroy nations and demanded greater respect for international institutions like the United Nations. His remarks also highlighted how regions such as Latin America and the Arab world are often misrepresented in global discourse. The speech has sparked intense debate across diplomatic circles, marking one of Lula’s most forceful public interventions on global politics.

Kuba-Krise: Spanien, Mexiko und Brasilien schlagen Alarm

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Nach monatelanger Ölblockade der USA verschärft sich die Krise in Kuba. Spanien, Mexiko und Brasilien drängen auf eine Lösung.

In einer gemeinsamen Erklärung haben Spanien, Mexiko und Brasilien ihre Besorgnis über die schwere humanitäre Krise in Kuba zum Ausdruck gebracht. Die drei Länder fordern einen respektvollen Dialog, um eine dauerhafte Lösung zu finden und die Selbstbestimmung des kubanischen Volkes zu gewährleisten, wie die Nachrichtenagentur AFP berichtet.

Die Regierungen von Spanien, Mexiko und Brasilien zeigten sich besorgt über die „dramatische Situation“ in Kuba, wie aus einer am Samstag veröffentlichten Erklärung des mexikanischen Außenministeriums hervorgeht. Die Karibikinsel leidet unter einer schweren wirtschaftlichen und humanitären Krise, die durch eine Ölblockade der USA unter Präsident Donald Trump weiter verschärft wurde, so AFP. » | Lea Brüggemann | Sonntag, 19. April 2026

À LIRE AUSSI :

L'Espagne, le Mexique et le Brésil appellent à un dialogue respectueux avec Cuba : Les États-Unis, opposés au pouvoir communiste à Cuba depuis qu’il a été établi en 1959, ont accentué en janvier leur pression économique sur le pays des Caraïbes de 9,6 millions d’habitants. »

Navidi: Straße von Hormus nicht wirklich offen | ntv

Apr 18, 2026 | Für die Zeit der Waffenruhe im Libanon hebt der Iran die Blockade der Straße von Hormus auf. Doch die Öffnung hat Einschränkungen: "Es ist freier", aber "nicht wirklich frei", erklärt Sandra Navidi. Trotz vorsichtigem Optimismus warnt die USA-Expertin vor Szenarien, die "zum Teil katastrophal" ausfallen könnten.

Iran’s Military Says It Has Reimposed ‘Strict Control’ of Strait of Hormuz

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The military said it would keep the vital waterway under its control until the U.S. ended its blockade of Iranian ports. The statement added to the uncertainty over access to the strait.

Iran said Saturday that it had reasserted control over the Strait of Hormuz because the United States was maintaining a naval blockade, just hours after Iranian officials and President Trump had said that the critical waterway was open, raising hopes for an end to the six-week war.

The announcement added more confusion to the status of transit through the strait, where Iran had choked global energy supplies by menacing nearby ships during the war with the United States and Israel. Iran’s military, in a statement carried by government media, said it was now “under strict control” unless the United States ended its own blockade of Iranian ports.

A day earlier, Iran’s foreign minister called the strait “completely open.” At the same time, however, Iranian officials had insisted ships would still need Iranian permission and must travel an Iranian-designated route.

Nonetheless, Mr. Trump framed the Iranian announcement as a breakthrough and presented the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran as all but concluded. He immediately added, however, that the American naval blockade of Iran’s ports would remain in place until a deal was reached to end the war.

The president has often made overly optimistic claims about the war, which began in late February. Although Mr. Trump expressed confidence late Friday about the negotiations with Iran that he said would be happening over the weekend, no new face-to-face talks were announced as of Saturday morning.

Mr. Trump also claimed in a phone interview with CBS that Iran had “agreed to everything.” But Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, quickly denied Iran had agreed to any of their adversaries’ core demands.

The announcement of the strait’s reopening brought immediate relief to energy markets on Friday, sending international oil prices tumbling to around $90 a barrel.

Hopes for an end to the war were boosted by the 10-day cease-fire in Lebanon that went into effect on Friday. The deal prompted celebrations in Lebanon as thousands of displaced families made their way home, and there was heavy traffic again Saturday morning as people continued to head south.

Iran had demanded the truce with the United States extend to Lebanon as a condition for a broader deal. Mr. Trump and U.S. officials worked to make that happen, even as they denied they were trying to meet Iran’s conditions. Iran War Live Updates » | Aaron Boxerman, John Yoon, Ashley Ahn, Pranav Baskar and Rawan Sheikh Ahmad | Saturday, April 18, 2026

The Impossible Promise: Are We Witnessing the Return of Fascism?

THE GUARDIAN: Some of today’s far right is openly violent and undemocratic – and even in its less extreme forms, far-right populism is a profound threat. But that doesn’t mean it is just a re-run of history

…

EXTRACT:

Fascism emerged in the 20th century, amid societies that were scarred by the violence of the first world war and the instability, hunger and mass unemployment that trailed in its wake and where a growing workers’ movement threatened to wrest power from trad¬itional governing elites. In response to a feeling of national humiliation or betrayal, fascism promised national rebirth through the violent cleansing of enemies at home, and imperial conquest abroad, in return for abandoning democracy. Its base lay among the frustrated lower middle classes, but it rapidly gained cross-class support. Its supporters were organised into parties with uniformed paramilitary wings. They operated in what Paxton called an “uneasy but effective collaboration” with traditional governing elites, for whom fascism was a way to maintain order and crush the left. (Those elites were wrong: they saw fascism as their attack dog, but it ate them alive.)

Read the whole article, ‘The Long Read’, jere.

Iron Will: Australia’s Richest Person Counts the Cost as Court Orders She Share Mining Millions with Rival Family

THE GUARDIAN: Gina Rinehart, who’s been called Australia’s ‘female Donald Trump’, has long fought claims from the family of her father’s business partner – as well as her own children

Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart has political connections in the Trump White House and Australia’s parliament. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images
Australia’s richest person is reeling after a landmark court decision found her company must pay royalties worth hundreds of millions of dollars to a rival mining dynasty.

Gina Rinehart, a multibillionaire with political connections in both the White House and the Australian parliament, has been described by members of the US conservative movement as “a female Donald Trump”. The 72-year-old, who inherited her father’s iron ore empire in Australia’s Pilbara region, has fought multiple claims against the family company Hancock Prospecting that were first launched in 2010.

On Wednesday, in the Western Australian supreme court, Justice Jennifer Smith found that Wright Prospecting was entitled to its claim for a half share of royalties coming from one of the region’s largest projects – Hope Downs.

Hope Downs is a joint venture between Rio Tinto and Hancock Prospecting and exports about 45m tonnes of iron ore annually from Australia’s north-west each year.

But Hancock Prospecting had a partial victory, with the court rejecting Wright Prospecting’s claim for an equity stake in other mining assets.

The dispute harks back to a business partnership struck in the 1950s by mining prospectors Lang Hancock and Peter Wright. The pair had been school friends and together established a company called Hanwright which was responsible for pegging out vast tenements of iron ore-rich deposits in the region’s Hamersley Range. » | Sarah Martin | Saturday, April 18, 2026

Full Story Posdcast HERE.

More Than Half of Britons Support Rejoining EU 10 Years On from Brexit Vote

THE GUARDIAN: Experts say Labour’s ‘halfway house’ approach risks losing support from progressives and ‘red wall’ voters

Support for rejoining the EU rather than simply rejoining the single market is growing among British voters, with more than 80% of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green party supporters favouring this option, according to research mapping voter attitudes 10 years after the Brexit referendum.

Labour’s “muted” approach to the issue means it risks losing support among progressive voters and in “red wall” constituencies, experts have said as part of research by Best for Britain.

While 61% of all voters supported the government’s current approach to EU relations, only 19% did so “strongly”, the research showed.

A full return to the EU was supported by 53% of all voters with support at 83% among Labour voters, 84% Liberal Democrat and 82% Green, the polling found.

Of Conservative and Reform voters, 39% and 18% backed the policy respectively, Best for Britain found. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Friday, April 17, 2026

Stocks Extend ‘Astonishing’ Rally as Middle East Tensions Ease Further

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The S&P 500’s rise on Friday caps a striking three-week streak, powered by investors’ optimism about the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and strong corporate earnings.

The stock market continued its record-setting rally on Friday, after Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz had reopened to commercial shipping, bolstering investors’ optimism that the conflict in the Middle East was nearing an end.

The S&P 500, which set a record high on Wednesday, rose an additional 1.2 percent on Friday, notching its best streak of daily gains so far this year.

Already this month, the S&P 500 has climbed almost 10 percent, which would be the best monthly gain since 2020 when markets were rebounding from the pandemic-induced sell-off. The index is nearly 4 percent higher than it was before the United States and Israel started attacking Iran on Feb. 28.

The Nasdaq Composite index, which is filled with technology stocks, has staged an even more ferocious rally. The index posted its 13th consecutive day of gains, its best run since 1992. » | Joe Rennison | Friday, April 17, 2026

Brazil Is One Step Ahead of Rising Oil Prices, Thanks to Sugarcane

Apr 14, 2026 | Brazil's ethanol industry, born out of an oil crisis in the 1970s and rooted in decades of sugarcane cultivation, is experiencing a new moment in the spotlight as rising oil prices driven by Middle East conflict once again highlight the value of energy independence.

All gasoline sold in the country contains 30 percent ethanol, and most Brazilian cars run on flex-fuel engines, a locally developed technology that lets drivers choose between gasoline and ethanol at the pump. The industry's backers say consumers have saved more than 40 billion dollars over the past three decades thanks to that flexibility.

Now, the next chapter is taking shape: Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers, including BYD, are working to integrate Brazil's flex-fuel system into hybrid EVs, with the first ethanol-compatible hybrid set to launch in the coming weeks. Advocates argue ethanol and electrification are not rivals but partners in reducing fossil fuel dependence, pointing to both the environmental and economic benefits of a fuel that Brazil produces domestically.

More than 40 years after launching one of the world's most ambitious biofuel programs, Brazil finds itself ahead of the curve once again. Paulo Cabral reports from São Paulo.

Trump Can’t Dictate What Private Companies Do: Why We Should ‘Call His Bluff’ | Lord Vaizey

Apr 16, 2026 | “We live in a world where the Danish sent troops and blood banks to Greenland at the prospect of a possible invasion, so please can we start telling it like it is.”

We should “call Trump’s bluff”, says Times Radio’s Lord Vaizey as US-UK tensions persist.

Steve Rosenberg: In Russia, Botox Booming. But Economic Situation "Worse Than Forecast," Russian Papers Warn

Apr 17, 2026 | Today’s Russian papers report on Russia’s economic problems: “Managed cooling has turned into accelerating decline”; “economic situation worse than forecast”; “in a few months the IT industry may be in ruins.” But Botox foot injections are booming.

Stocks Approach Record High as Wall St. Looks Beyond War

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Investors appear to be treating an end to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran as a foregone conclusion.

The S&P 500 approached a fresh record high on Wednesday, reflecting investors’ optimism that a peace deal would be reached before the war in Iran could inflict significant damage on corporate America, even as a spike in oil prices has led to a gloomier economic outlook.

In early afternoon trading, the S&P 500 rose 0.4 percent, putting the widely watched index on track to end the day above its previous peak, reached in January. The index had already erased its losses during the war in Iran and now sits nearly 2 percent higher than it was before the fighting began in late February.

Investors have been embracing signals in recent days that the United States and Iran could restart talks that ended last weekend in Pakistan without a deal but with comments from President Trump that he believed the war was nearing an end.

The mere posture toward peace has helped to placate the stock market. Since the cease-fire took hold last week, investors have noted a shift in tone by the Trump administration that reflects a desire to end the conflict soon. » | Joe Rennison | Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Krieg als „Geschäftsmodell“: Tod und Eskalation – wie die Trump Familie persönlich profitiert

Apr 15, 2026 | Der Irankrieg eskaliert, während Donald Trumps Vermögen wächst. Jede Äußerung von Trump beeinflusst Öl-, Rüstungs- und Kryptomärkte. Auffällig ist, dass Trumps Familie dort mitzumischen scheint, mit Investitionen, die direkt von seinen Entscheidungen profitieren. Dabei geht es nicht mehr nur um Geld, sondern um Menschenleben, die Nahrungsmittelversorgung von Millionen und die wirtschaftliche Existenz ganzer Länder. Diese Kolumne zeigt, wie der US-Präsident Politik zu seiner persönlichen Gelddruckmaschine gemacht hat – und was das über die amerikanische Werteordnung verrät.

Wunderbar ausgedrückt! Danke schön! — © Mark Alexander

How Hungary’s Election Result Could Change Europe | The Economist

Apr 13, 2026 | How could Hungary’s election result reshape Europe? Matt Steinglass, The Economist’s Europe editor and Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss how Viktor Orban was ousted after 16 years in power, by Peter Magyar, the leader of the opposition, and what the resounding result means for Hungary’s economy, democracy and its relationship with Vladimir Putin and the EU.

Steve Rosenberg: How Are Russian Newspapers Reacting to Viktor Orbán's Defeat?

Apr 12, 2026 | Here’s a look at what this morning’s Russian papers are saying about the Hungarian election and the defeat of Viktor Orbán. Plus, reports of “layoffs, production cuts” in Russia.

Orban Loss in Hungary Is a Big Moment for the E.U. Here’s Why.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stymied the European Union for years, and particularly in recent months. Peter Magyar’s election could change that, if only so much.

Viktor Orban has long been a challenge and a frustration for the European Union, and his concession in Sunday’s Hungarian election was greeted by top E.U. leaders as a potential moment for sea change after years of clashes between Brussels and Budapest.

“Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight,” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm, posted on social media as the votes came in.

Mr. Orban has often stood in the way of critical policy goals for the European Union, including blocking a loan to Ukraine and sanctions packages targeting Russia. His administration has long been viewed as a security risk at sensitive meetings because of its comparatively cozy ties to the Kremlin. With the victory of Hungary’s opposition party, led by Peter Magyar, that could begin to change.

Mr. Magyar and his Tisza party have struck a friendlier tone toward the European Union and NATO alike. As voting was underway, he pointed out that it was taking place on the anniversary of a 2003 vote in favor of Hungary joining the European Union — a potential signal that he wanted to break with Mr. Orban’s animosity toward Brussels.

Most immediately, the new leadership is widely expected to clear the path for a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine that has been frozen for weeks because of Mr. Orban’s objections.

“The election result is a game changer for Europe,” said Mujtaba Rahman, managing director for Europe at the Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy. » | Jeanna Smialek | Reporting from Brussels | Monday, April 13, 2026

NYT: What Orban’s Defeat Means for the Rest of the World »

Four Ways Trump’s War Is Weakening America

THE NEW YORK TIMES — OPINION: When President Trump attacked Iran on Feb. 28, we called his decision reckless. He went to war without seeking congressional approval or the support of most allies. He offered thin and contradictory justifications to the American people. He failed to explain why this naïve attempt at regime change would end better than earlier attempts by the United States in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

In the six weeks since, the recklessness of his war has become clearer yet. He has disdained careful military planning and acted on gut instinct and wishfulness. After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel predicted to Mr. Trump that the attacks would inspire a popular uprising in Iran, the director of the C.I.A. countered that the notion was “farcical,” The Times reported. Mr. Trump proceeded nonetheless. He was so confident that he assembled no plan to respond to an obvious countermove available to Iran: causing a spike in oil prices by blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Nor did he develop a feasible strategy for securing the enriched uranium that Iran can use to rebuild its nuclear program.

Last week he careened from illegal and immoral threats about erasing Iranian civilization to a last-minute cease-fire that accomplishes few of his announced war aims. Iran continues to defy a central part of the deal and block most traffic from crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Mr. Trump’s irresponsibility has left the United States on the cusp of a humiliating strategic defeat.

As we have emphasized, Iran’s regime deserves no sympathy. It has spent decades oppressing its people and sponsoring terrorism elsewhere. And the current war, combined with the June attacks by the United States and Israel and other Israeli operations since 2023, weakened Iran in important ways. Its navy, air force and air defenses have been degraded, and its nuclear program has been set back. Its murderous network of regional allies — including Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria’s fallen government — has been eroded.

Yet these successes cannot mask the ways in which the war has weakened the United States. We count four main setbacks for America’s national interests that are the direct result of Mr. Trump’s carelessness. These setbacks likewise weaken global democracy when authoritarians in China, Russia and elsewhere were already feeling emboldened. » | The Editorial Board | The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values. It is separate from the newsroom. | Sunday, April 12, 2026

Leer en español.

Brit in Germany: Europe's Immigration Paradox

Apr 12, 2026 | Europe is entering a demographic transition. Birth rates are falling, populations are ageing, and labour shortages are emerging across many industries.

Immigration appears to be the obvious solution, yet it has also become one of the most contested issues in modern European politics.

This video explores the deeper structural forces behind Europe’s immigration paradox.

Spain's Pedro Sánchez Attacks Israel: "Suspend the Agreement with the EU."

Apr 11, 2026 | In his speech at the European Pulse Forum 2026 in Barcelona, Pedro Sánchez takes a clear stance on the Middle East crisis, calling on the European Union to suspend the Association Agreement with Israel for violations of international law.

Jung, frustriert, verschuldet – Generation Z im Check

Apr 9, 2026 | Viele junge Menschen denken laut einer Studie darüber nach, Deutschland zu verlassen. Was ist da los? Mirko Drotschmann, MrWissen2Go, erklärt in diesem Video, wie ihr, wie die junge Generation tickt.

Laut der Trendstudie „Jugend in Deutschland“ können sich 41 Prozent der 14- bis 29-Jährigen vorstellen, aus Deutschland auszuwandern. Ungefähr ein Fünftel spricht sogar von konkreten Auswanderungsplänen. In der Studie ist von einer Generation im „Dauerkrisenmodus“ die Rede. Als größte Sorgen nennen junge Menschen Krieg, Inflation, teuren Wohnraum, Spaltung der Gesellschaft, Trump als US-Präsident oder Klimawandel. Bei Wahlen und Umfragen zeigt sich: Der Trend geht weg von der politischen Mitte. Die Linke schneidet bei den Jungen am besten ab, dahinter folgt die AfD.

Fast die Hälfte hält es für unrealistisch, eine gute, bezahlbare Wohnung zu finden und fürchtet, sich die Miete in Zukunft nicht mehr leisten zu können. Viele Studierende und Auszubildende wohnen noch bei den Eltern. Immer mehr verschulden sich, Anfang 2026 waren es 23 Prozent. Dabei spielen Konsumschulden für Einkäufe auf Raten oder mit „Buy Now Pay Later“-Modellen die größte Rolle.

Fast ein Drittel der jungen Generation hat das Gefühl, wegen psychischer Belastung eine Behandlung zu benötigen. Ein weiteres verbreitetes Problem: Viele junge Menschen fühlen sich einsam – mehr als in allen anderen Altersgruppen und mehr als jemals zuvor. Allen anderen Altersgruppen etwas voraus haben die Jungen dagegen bei der Nutzung von Künstlicher Intelligenz. Die gehört für viele längst zum Alltag. Studien zeigen einen selbstbewussten, aber auch reflektierten Umgang mit KI.

Carney Confronts Trump Policies in Explosive Canada-First Speech

April 12, 2026

Mark Carney is a great leader. — © Mark Alexander

Russian Hackers Are Using Your Wi-Fi Router to Spy: Here’s How You Can Protect Yourself

Apr 8, 2026 | “There’s absolutely no doubt that not only are they in our edge devices, like Wi-Fi routers, but they’re in our infrastructure.”

Russian hackers are using home Wi-Fi routers as spying devices, giving them access inside the UK and potentially enabling them to carry out attacks, says cybersecurity and fintech specialist Mike Godfrey.

Rob Groves: BREXIT - 63% Now Want Back In. Thanks, Trump!

Apr 11, 2026 | Ten years ago, 52% of voters chose to leave the European Union, on the basis of lies painted on a bus and a campaign bankrolled by dodgy money. A decade on, the bill keeps arriving. Haulage companies going bust at twice the pre-Brexit rate, food prices rising, trade barriers grinding away at the economy, and a so-called special relationship with America that turned out to be a vassal state telling itself a flattering story.

Meanwhile, the latest YouGov polling shows 63% of Britons would now vote to rejoin the EU. Among 18-25 year olds, that figure is 86%. Even among retirees, 60% say they'd vote to rejoin. The tide has turned. The argument has been won. The question now is: what happens next?

Sandra Navidi zur Hormus-Maut | ntv

Apr 11, 2026 | Die Gebühren, die der Iran für die Passage der Straße von Hormus verlangen will, lösen beim US-Präsidenten zunächst Empörung aus. Kurze Zeit später heißt es, man wolle mitverdienen. Für Sandra Navidi ist das keine Überraschung: "Es geht um Erpressung. Da ist Donald Trump natürlich ganz vorne dabei."

Steve Rosenberg: "Forecasts of a Deeper, More Protracted Recession in Russia": Russian Paper

Aug 10, 2026 | In today’s Russian papers: latest data “rules out stabilisation or economic growth [in Russia]…forecasts of a deeper & more protracted recession.” Plus, Russian kindergartens to teach “traditional values” via games. And watch to the end for a Russian joke that’s a real puzzle...

France Moves 129 Tonnes of Gold from New York Federal Reserve

Apr 8, 2026 | France's central bank has pulled its remaining gold deposit out of the US with a capital gain of $15 billion. Over the past year and a half, 129 tonnes of gold has been moved from New York back to France, while other gold stocks were sold off at record prices. The value of gold has more than quadrupled over the last decade.‬ ‪

Why does gold still matter so much in 2026? International business commentator Vicky Pryce talks with CGTN about the move.‬

Why Are Tourists Turning Away from America?

Aug 7, 2026 | Recent data shows a 5 per cent drop in international arrivals to the United States, compared with the previous year.

Washington correspondent George Grylls explains what could be causing holidaymakers to turn away from the US.

The decline comes at a critical time for the industry, as the US is set to host events such as the World Cup this year and the LA Olympics in 2028.

Can the US convince tourists to visit?

Nobody in his right mind would want to visit the US while Trump is in the White House. When people go on holiday, they want a good time. They don’t want to be arrested by ICE agents, beaten by them, and then disappeared! Sensible people are rightly staying well away from Trump’s dystopia. — © Mar Alexander

America’s Suez Moment: Trump Has Completely Underestimated Iran | General Sir Richard Shirreff

Apr 8, 2026 | “You now see the global superpower humbled by a tinpot theocratic dictatorship.”

Trump's failure to force the Iranians to open the Strait of Hormuz "is America's Suez moment”, and he has completely underestimated Iran’s “tinpot theocratic dictatorship”, says General Sir Richard Shirreff, former deputy supreme allied commander of NATO.

Steve Rosenberg: "Warnings of a [Russian] Economic Crisis Grow Louder" - Russian Newspaper Headline

Apr 8, 2026 | Despite high oil prices boosting export revenues, these are some of the headlines in today’s Russian papers: “Warnings of an economic crisis [in Russia] grow louder” and “A reduction in purchases by Russians is ringing alarm bells for the economy.”

2-Week Cease-Fire Takes Hold

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Israel said the cease-fire did not include Lebanon. It was unclear whether ship operators considered the Strait of Hormuz safe for transit, or if word of the deal had reached local Iranian commanders.

The United States and Iran announced a two-week cease-fire on Tuesday evening, shortly before President Trump’s deadline for Iran to unblock the Strait of Hormuz or to see its “whole civilization” destroyed.

But on Wednesday morning, it was unclear whether word of the nascent deal had reached Iranian local commanders, as fresh missile and drone attacks were reported across the Persian Gulf. And even though the news sent the international oil price benchmark down 15 percent, to $93 a barrel, it remained unclear whether ship operators considered the strait — a critical passage for the world’s oil and gas — safe for transit.

After Mr. Trump said on Tuesday night that he had agreed to the cease-fire proposed by Pakistan, a U.S. official said American military strikes against Iran had stopped. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the country’s armed forces would “cease their defensive operation,” and that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible for two weeks if it was coordinated with Iran’s military.

But early on Wednesday, emergency sirens in Israel warned of incoming Iranian ballistic missiles. Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates reported missile and drone attacks. Bahrain’s interior ministry sounded warning sirens and reported a fire started by an Iranian attack. Iranian local commanders are allowed to make their own strike decisions under a decentralized control system. Iran War Live Updates » | Francesca Regalado, Elian Peltier, Ephrat Livni and Farnaz Fassihi | Wednesday, April 8, 2026

US and Iran Agree to Provisional Ceasefire as Tehran Says It Will Reopen Strait of Hormuz

THE GUARDIAN: US president abandons threat for Iran to surrender or face destruction with last-minute intervention led by Pakistan

The US and Iran agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire on Tuesday evening, which included a temporary reopening of the strait of Hormuz, after a last-minute diplomatic intervention led by Pakistan, canceling an ultimatum from Donald Trump for Iran to surrender or face widespread destruction.

Trump’s announcement of the ceasefire agreement came less than two hours before the US president’s self-imposed 8pm Eastern time deadline to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges in a move that legal scholars, as well as officials from numerous countries and the pope, had warned could constitute war crimes.

Just hours earlier, Trump had written on Truth Social: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.” American B-52 bombers were reported to be en route to Iran before the ceasefire agreement was announced.

But by Tuesday evening, Trump announced that a ceasefire agreement had been mediated through Pakistan, whose prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, had requested the two-week peace in order to “allow diplomacy to run its course”.

Trump wrote in a post that “subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks”.

In a separate post later, the US president called Tuesday “a big day for world peace” on a social media post, claiming that Iran had “had enough”. He said the US would be “helping with the traffic buildup” in the strait of Hormuz and that “big money will be made” as Iran begins reconstruction. » | Andrew Roth in Washington | Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Un centime d’euro le litre : en Iran, les prix à la pompe restent les plus bas du monde

LE FIGARO : En Iran, les prix des carburants sont extrêmement bas. Deux raisons bien spécifiques à la République islamique contribuent à cet écart vertigineux avec le reste du monde.

1 centime d’euro. C’est le prix d’un litre d’essence en Iran, dans un pays où le salaire moyen est de 170 euros par mois et le salaire minimum de 85 euros. Sans appliquer de pondération par le niveau de vie sur place, l’Iran pratique le prix de l’essence le moins cher du monde. Avec la Libye, et le Venezuela, devant tous les grands producteurs pétroliers du Golfe.

Une spécificité d’abord liée à sa géographie. « L’Iran est un grand producteur, un grand raffineur de pétrole brut , et produit donc d’importants volumes de produits pétroliers. Il dispose d’un approvisionnement intérieur, ce qui rend les prix plus bas dès le départ que dans les pays qui doivent importer », explique Nader Itayim, spécialiste des hydrocarbures pour l’agence Argus Media à Dubaï. » | Par Clément Gros | mardi 7 avril 2026

Réservé aux abonnés

Deutschland vor dem Crash? Drei Krisen, die jetzt alles entscheiden

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Deutschland steckt in drei Krisen gleichzeitig. Energie, Rohstoffe und Krieg treffen die Wirtschaft hart. Doch die wahre Katastrophe steht erst bevor. Eine Analyse.

In Krisen wird oft auf Koalitionszwänge verwiesen. Auf Zuständigkeiten. Oder, wenn gar nichts mehr geht, eine „komplexe Gemengelage“. Deutschland erlebt gerade einen solchen Moment. Drei Krisen – eine selbst verschuldete, eine importierte und eine verschlafene – laufen aufeinander zu.

Jede einzelne wäre für eine handlungsfähige Regierung eine Herausforderung. Zusammen ergeben sie das Szenario eines ökonomischen Crashs, auf den die Bundesregierung unter Friedrich Merz (CDU) keine erkennbare Antwort hat. Schlimmer noch: Die konzeptionelle Leere ist kein Betriebsunfall dieser Koalition. Sie ist das Erbe einer politischen Kultur, die ideologische Selbstvergewisserung über die materiellen Interessen der eigenen Bürger gestellt hat – und die nun unfähig ist, die Folgen dieses Fehlers zu korrigieren. » | Harald Neuber | Dienstag, 7. April 7, 2026

Steve Rosenberg: Russian Paper: "People Believe Less and Less What Trump Says."

April 7, 2026

Trump Says Iran Proposal Isn’t Enough to Stop Attacks on Bridges and Power Plants

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump has told Iran it must open the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. Tuesday or face the consequences, although he has delayed previous deadlines.

President Trump said on Monday that a cease-fire proposal put forth by mediators between the United States and Iran was a “significant step,” but he warned that it was “not good enough” as his deadline of Tuesday evening for a deal approached.

Iran, for its part, rejected any proposal for a cease-fire, mandating that any peace plan include a complete end of hostilities. Diplomatic talks coordinated by Pakistan and other regional countries were continuing, officials said, even as there appeared to be little agreement on what any cessation of hostilities would look like.

If Iran does not agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern time, Mr. Trump has threatened to launch a massive attack targeting bridges, power plants and other civilian facilities that would, in his words, send Iran “back to the Stone Ages.” But the president has also extended self-imposed deadlines in recent weeks, and diplomats around the world were asking whether Mr. Trump would find an off-ramp again or if he would follow through this time with what could be a gigantic conflagration.

“We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday afternoon. “I mean complete demolition by 12 o’clock.” » | Tyler Pager and Erika Solomon | Tyler Pager is a White House correspondent and reported from Washington. Erika Solomon is the Iran and Iraq bureau chief and reported from Cairo. | Monday, April 6, 2026

Navidi: USA sind geschwächt - Steigender Ölpreis setzt Weltwirtschaft unter Druck | ntv

Apr 5, 2026 | Trump: "Öffnet die verdammte Straße, ihr verrückten Bastarde"

Die Lage in der Straße von Hormus scheint sich nicht zu entspannen: "Man fragt sich tatsächlich, ob Trump den Ölpreis absichtlich in die Höhe treiben will", meint Expertin Sandra Navidi. Derweil reiße der Krieg ein immer größer werdendes Haushaltsdefizit in die US-Staatskasse.

Steve Rosenberg: Russian Newspaper Admits that Ukrainian Attacks on Russian Oil Facilities Having Consequences

Apr 6, 2026 | Today one Russian paper concedes that Ukrainian drone attacks “…on [Russian] oil refining facilities did not pass without trace…the government had to freeze petrol exports until July 1. Euphoria over extra revenues from high oil prices is unjustified.”

The War Is Turning Iran Into a Major World Power

THE NEW YORK TIMES — OPINION: In recent years, the conventional geopolitical wisdom has been that the world order was moving toward three centers of power: the United States, China and Russia. That view assumed that power derived primarily from economic scale and military capability.

That assumption no longer holds. A fourth center of global power is quickly emerging — Iran — that does not rival those three nations economically or militarily. Instead, its newfound power derives from its control over the most important energy choke point in the global economy, the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait had long been an international waterway through which ships from all countries could travel. But the joint military campaign that the United States and Israel began waging against Iran this year has prompted Iran to create a selective military blockade of the strait.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s supply of oil and liquefied natural gas moves through the strait. There are no real alternatives to these supply routes in the near term. If Iranian control over the strait persists for months or years, as I believe it may, it will drastically reshape the global order to the detriment of the United States.

Many analysts believe that Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz is only temporary. A widespread expectation is that U.S. and allied naval forces will soon stabilize the situation and that oil flows will resume along familiar lines.

That expectation is flawed. It assumes that to continue to control the strait, Iran must physically close it off. But as we have already seen, you can control the strait without closing it. Today, the strait remains open to tankers. Traffic has dropped by over 90 percent since the war began, though, not because Iran has been sinking every vessel that entered the strait, but because, given the credible threat of an attack, insurers withdrew or repriced war-risk coverage. Hitting a cargo ship every few days was more than enough to make the risk unacceptable. » | A NYT GUEST ESSAY by Robert A. Pape | Dr. Pape is a professor of political science at the University of Chicago who studies military strategy and international security. | Monday, April 6, 2026

'Open the F—in' Strait' — Trump Fires Off a Profanity-laden Social Media Attack on Iran | DW News

Apr 5, 2026 | US President Donald Trump on Sunday heightened tensions with Iran, renewing a threat to strike key infrastructure if Tehran does not lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, in an expletive laden post on his Truth Social platform.

Trump's references to 'Power Plant Day' and 'Bridge Day' as imminent actions were widely interpreted as threats against civilian infrastructure, including electrical grids and transportation networks. Under the Geneva Conventions, deliberately targeting civilian objects — such as power plants, bridges, or water systems not being used for military purposes — constitutes a war crime.

Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guards have claimed responsibility for attacks on petrochemical plants in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain. The IRGC has warned that it will intensify its attacks on US economic interests in the region if Washington strikes additional civilian targets.

Happy Easter! Frohe Ostern! Joyeuses Pâques ! Pasg Hapus! ¡Felices Pascuas! Buona Pasqua! !عيد فصح سعيد

May you all have a blessed and joyous Easter!

Iran Conflict Costing the US $1 Billion a Day

Apr 4, 2026 | “An awful lot of money, and people are unsure what it is for.”

The American people feel “they don’t really know what’s going on” in Iran, as Trump has asked for an additional $1.5 trillion, says US reporter Harriet Alexander.

How Much Is the War with Iran Costing the US? | BBC News

Apr 3, 2026 | The US war with Iran is into its second month and there's growing tension on how much money the US is spending on the conflict.

Recently, the Trump administration signalled that it would be requesting more funds, but there are demands for more transparency on how much the war is costing.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world is feeling the impact of the war with rising fuel and oil prices and Trump axes Pam Bondi as Attorney General.

Ist Trump ein Russischer Einfluß-Agent? "Erdrückende Indizien"

Apr 2, 2026 | Sandra Navidi hält Trump für ein Asset, einen Einfluss-Agenten, Putins. Sie nennt Angriffe auf Justiz, Medien und Fed sowie den Ausstieg aus der NATO und Ukraine als Muster.

Prof Sachs on Iran War: How the World Is Paying for US Delusion

Apr 2, 2026 | US President Donald Trump threatened to hit Iran "extremely hard over the next two to three weeks" in his first prime-time speech since starting the war on Iran. In a one-hour conversation with CGTN host Tian Wei, Jeffrey Sachs, the director of Columbia University's Center for Sustainable Development, warns of a worsening global energy shock, rising oil prices, and the risk of a deeper economic crisis. He questions the credibility of US policy and argues the world may already be shifting toward a new multipolar order. National address met with market skepticism

Trump eskaliert gegen den Iran: Kommt jetzt der große Finanz-Crash?

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Donald Trump zieht gegen den Iran nicht zurück. An den Börsen steigt die Nervosität. Der gefürchtete „perfekte Sturm“ braut sich zusammen.

Seit dem US-Angriff auf den Iran wird immer öfter von einem „perfekten Sturm“ gesprochen, wird der „schwarze Schwan“ gesucht – also ein unvorhergesehenes Ereignis, das einen Absturz auslöst. Spekulanten mit Insider-Wissen beschleunigen Entwicklungen. Irgendwann erreicht der Irrsinn dann auch Haushalte, Familien und die reale Wirtschaft.

Donald Trump hat mit seiner Rede am Donnerstag klargemacht, dass er nicht daran denkt zu deeskalieren. Der amerikanische Präsident kündigte an, den Iran in den kommenden Wochen „extrem hart“ zu treffen. Er machte damit die Hoffnung auf ein Ende des Kriegs im Nahen Osten zunichte.

Mehrere US-Geheimdienste sollen laut New York Times in den vergangene [sic] Tagen zu dem Schluss gekommen sein, dass die iranische Regierung nicht bereit sei, substanzielle Verhandlungen aufzunehmen. Trump sagte, Washington werde seine Kriegsziele „sehr bald“ erreichen. Und weiter in der ihm eigenen unflätigen Sprache: „Wir werden sie in den nächsten zwei bis drei Wochen extrem hart treffen. Wir werden sie in die Steinzeit zurückversetzen, dorthin, wo sie hingehören.“ Zugleich sagte er den amerikanischen Verbündeten, sie müssten „die Führung übernehmen“, um die Straße von Hormus wieder für Öllieferungen zu öffnen. Frankreichs Präsident Emmanuel Macron erteilte der Forderung Trumps am Donnerstag postwendend eine Abfuhr. Es sei nicht möglich, die Straße mit militärischer Gewalt offenzuhalten, sagte Macron während eines Staatsbesuchs in Südkorea. » | Michael Maier | Donnerstag, 2. April 2026

Steve Rosenberg: A Newspaper Headline the Kremlin Will Love

Apr 2, 2026 | A Russian headline the Kremlin will love: “Trump declares he’s ready to pull America out of Nato.” Another paper today concedes “US law limits [Trump’s] ability to take a unilateral decision” on this, but suggests he can still “cause a lot of problems for the Alliance.

Trump Claims Iran War ‘Nearing Completion’ and Seeks to Justify Conflict in Prime Time Address

THE GUARDIAN: Markets sink after president offers little detail on how he intends to wind down conflict over next two to three weeks

Donald Trump used a prime time address to the nation on Wednesday evening to declare the month-long war in Iran a success “nearing completion”, despite a spiraling conflict that has caused economic turmoil across the globe, fractured transatlantic alliances and eroded the president’s approval ratings.

In remarks from the White House, Trump argued that the US’s “little journey” to Iran had nearly accomplished “all of America’s military objectives”, but offered little clarity on how he planned to wind down the conflict over the next “two to three weeks”.

“We are on the cusp of ending Iran’s sinister threat to America and the world,” Trump said in the 19-minute speech, delivered from Cross Hall of the White House. “We have all the cards. They have none.”

Acknowledging the economic pain caused by the conflict, he blamed a “short-term” rise in gas prices on Iran’s actions, and insisted the US had become energy independent.

Oil prices rose and Asian stocks traded lower immediately after Trump’s address, which did little to soothe investor concerns over the closure of the strait of Hormuz. The US president reiterated his call for other nations to help secure the global oil chokepoint: “Grab it and cherish it.” » | Lauren Gambino | Thursday, April 2, 2026

«Aucune nouveauté», «non-événement», «copier-coller» : l’allocution de Trump sur la guerre en Iran n’a pas convaincu la presse internationale : REVUE DE PRESSE - À l’occasion de sa première intervention en direct depuis le début du conflit en Iran, le président américain n’a su dissiper ni les craintes des marchés ni celles de l’opinion publique, selon un consensus quasi unanime dans les médias internationaux ce jeudi. »

‘Fossil-fuel Imperialism’: Trump’s Hankering for Iranian Oil Runs Deep

THE GUARDIAN: Experts say the US believes it is entitled to resources it desires – a perspective president has supported for decades

Donald Trump said this past weekend he wants to “take the oil in Iran” by seizing control of a key export hub, echoing a refrain he has returned to for over a decade.

It’s a sign of his disregard for international law and belief in “fossil-fuel imperialism”, experts say.

“Trump truly believes that the US is entitled to whatever resource it so desires,” said Patrick Bigger, co-director of the Transition Security Project, a research initiative focused on the climate and geopolitical concerns of militarization. “It’s a real ‘might-makes-right’ logic that is both abhorrent and spectacularly miscalculated.” » | Dharna Noor | Wednesday, April 1, 2026

UK Needs ‘Ambitious’ New EU Ties amid Iran War, Starmer Says

THE GUARDIAN: PM to focus on European defence and economic partnership for ‘dangerous world’ in pivot away from US

Britain’s long-term national interest requires closer partnership with the EU, Keir Starmer has said, citing war in the Middle East and the increasingly volatile international situation.

The prime minister indicated that the conflict had refocused the government on “ambitious” new ties with Europe, economically and in defence, and said how Britain emerged from the crisis “would define us for a generation”.

Starmer also used the address at Downing Street to announce that the foreign secretary would host a meeting of other countries later this week on how to unblock the vital strait of Hormuz. » | Ben Quinn | Political correspondent | Wednesday, April 1, 2026