April, 2026

• 20 April

  In Gaza, Journalists Risk Their Lives to Check the Facts

  

  Palestinian journalists in Gaza are tackling disinformation about the war as part of a pioneering project organized by the Arab Fact-Checkers Network (AFCN). Zarifa Hassan, 24, was still studying for her degree in political journalism when her university in Gaza was destroyed by Israeli forces in the early days of …

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• 20 April

  Hungary’s New Leader Promises to Dismantle ‘Industrial-Scale’ Corruption

  

  Hungary’s incoming leader plans to establish new watchdog agencies dedicated to preventing graft and recovering stolen public wealth. After ending Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule in a landslide election victory, Hungary’s incoming leader, Péter Magyar, has promised a sweeping crusade to dismantle the country’s systemic graft. Fulfilling that pledge will require …

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• 20 April

  How Europe’s Retreat From Corporate Transparency is Shielding the Corrupt

  

  For investigative journalists, beneficial ownership data is a proven weapon against crime and corruption. But with public registries closed across the continent — and a key reform deadline likely to be missed — Europe is helping bad actors evade accountability. For the people of Lebanon, 2020 was a year of …

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• 20 April

  Hamas Reiterates Refusal To Disarm, Placing Gaza Ceasefire in Jeopardy

  

  The ceasefire plan in Gaza has hit a roadblock in the shape of Hamas’s continuing refusal to disarm. The Iran-backed terrorist group conveyed that exact message to representatives of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace — the international coalition tasked with overseeing the ceasefire — on April 14, after the …

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• 20 April

  Russia After Putin

  

  Vladimir Putin, 73, has been Russia’s leader for over a quarter of a century and the driving force behind Moscow’s efforts to reassert control over its former Soviet and Tsarist empire. His eventual departure from the world stage will bring hope that a new Russian leader will end these imperial …

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• 20 April

  Two Demonstrations, Security Forces Separate Them, What Happened in Damascus’ al-Muhafazah Square?

  

  A group of protesters gathered in al-Muhafazah Square in Damascus on Friday, April 17, as part of a sit-in under the banner “Law and Dignity,” and were met by a counter demonstration from supporters of the government and its policies. Participants in the “Law and Dignity” sit-in raised banners calling …

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• 20 April

  A View from the Golan: Interview with ‘NonZionism’

  

  Throughout the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran and its ‘resistance axis’ allies, I have covered perspectives from Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. In contrast, the interviewee for this post is a resident of the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights and the author of a very interesting Substack/blog entitled ‘NonZionism’, written from an …

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• 20 April

  The Art of the Iran Deal: Former negotiators discuss tactics for Trump’s team

  

  Talks between the US and Iran are expected to resume soon as a fragile ceasefire holds, but American officials involved in previous nuclear deal negotiations with Tehran have some advice for President Donald Trump’s administration. The first is that US officials need to understand how to deal with Iran, before …

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• 20 April

  The Collapse is Real – Lebanon Ceasefire Marks a Historic Strategic Defeat

  

  A ceasefire in Lebanon was announced on Thursday by US President Donald Trump, but its reality tells a very different story. The ceasefire was not the product of American diplomacy, nor Israeli strategic calculation. It was imposed—largely as a result of sustained Iranian pressure. Washington, Tel Aviv, and their allies—including …

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• 20 April

  Four scenarios for geopolitics after the Iran war

  

  After more than a month of war and amid an uneasy cease-fire, Iran announced Friday that it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz for ships traveling a pre-approved route, while President Donald Trump vowed to continue a US blockade on Iranian ships. Both sides are still negotiating a deal to …

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