The Lens
The places, powers and supply chains that keep coming back. Each page has the background in plain terms, why it matters from India, the latest coverage and which countries are reporting it.
Storylines
The war with Iran and the talks around it.
The war in Ukraine and efforts to end it.
The war in Gaza and the fighting around Israel.
Tariffs, trade wars and export controls.
The India–US trade deal and the tariff threats around it.
The 2026 US midterm elections.
Oil, gas and fuel prices.
Strategic systems
The one sea exit from the Gulf for most of its oil and gas.
The shortest sea route between Asia and Europe.
A contested island, a busy sea lane and the centre of the chip trade.
Few places can do each step, so one break spreads everywhere.
The routes and deals that decide how goods move, and what can be bypassed.
Actors
The Western military alliance.
The oil exporters that try to steer the price.
The bloc of large emerging economies.
27 countries that act together on trade and sanctions.
India, the US, Japan and Australia.
The seven large Western-aligned economies, plus the EU.
The Eurasian security and economic grouping.
Iran's parallel armed force and its reach abroad.
The movement that holds northern Yemen and has attacked Red Sea shipping.
Lebanon's armed Shia movement and political party.
The Palestinian movement that has governed Gaza since 2007.