Houthi Seizure of Mocha Tightens Grip on Bab el-Mandeb Ansar Allah (Houthi) forces seized the Red Sea port city of Mocha and advanced on nearby islands including Mayun (Perim) and Hanish positions in recent days, placing them in effective control of much of Yemen’s coastline adjacent to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This development coincides with … Read more
Reform UK’s Amateurism Risks Squandering Populist Momentum Reform UK faces fresh scrutiny over financial impropriety allegations and operational shortcomings exposed around its recent conference, with senior figures departing after an undercover investigation into donor arrangements and polling. The party remains amateurish in structure despite public support for its core agenda on immigration control, welfare reform … Read more
Houthi Advances Lock Down Second Shipping Chokepoint Ansar Allah forces seized the Yemeni Red Sea port of Mocha and key islands including Mayun (Perim) and others in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait within roughly 24 hours, completing control over the waterway that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. This follows Iranian guidance and … Read more
ECB Hikes Rates as Oil Shock Fuels Inflation On 10 September the European Central Bank raised its key deposit rate by 25 basis points to 2.50%, the second increase this year. The move responded to energy-driven inflation from the ongoing Middle East conflict, with Brent crude above $100 a barrel and eurozone inflation at 3.3% … Read more
Iran War Escalation Pushes Oil Above $100 Iran launched large-scale ballistic missile attacks on US bases in Jordan and targeted vessels after US strikes destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers. The IRGC claimed hits on American ships and additional tankers in the Strait of Hormuz area, marking one of the biggest salvos in months. Oil … Read more
German centre-right panics over AfD ban calls after Saxony-Anhalt win Hendrik Wüst, North Rhine-Westphalia premier and leading contender to succeed Chancellor Friedrich Merz as CDU leader, has called for a commission to examine banning the Alternative for Germany (AfD). This follows the party’s landslide in Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September, where it took around 44% of … Read more
Iran War Escalation Drives Oil Above $100 Iranian forces struck US bases and targeted vessels in response to American attacks on Iranian tankers, while Ansar Allah intensified operations against Saudi energy facilities. Brent crude surpassed $100 a barrel for the first time since July amid the latest kinetic exchanges and disruptions. This stands out as … Read more
AfD Landslide Shatters German Firewall In Saxony-Anhalt’s state election on 6 September, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured 43.8% of the vote and 39 of 83 seats, more than doubling its 2021 result and falling just three seats short of an absolute majority. Turnout hit a post-reunification high of nearly 78%. The CDU collapsed to … Read more
AfD Landslide Tests Germany’s Political Firewall Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt’s state election on 6 September, more than doubling its 2021 share and leaving Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU at a historic low of 17.2%. The result gives AfD 39 of 83 seats—three short of a majority—while turnout exceeded 75%. … Read more
AfD Breaches Germany’s Political Firewall in Saxony-Anhalt In Saxony-Anhalt’s state election on 6 September, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured 43.8% of the vote and 39 of 83 seats, falling just short of an absolute majority amid nearly 78% turnout. The CDU collapsed to 17.2%, the SPD to around 9%. This stands out as the … Read more