Finance
Energy
IEA Calls Strait of Hormuz Closure the Largest Oil Disruption in Market History
Almost no commercial shipping is using the strait two months into the war. Reopening it has become the single largest economic question of 2026.
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Latest from Étude
Every section, ordered by publication date. 175 stories in the archive.
- PoliticsDiplomacy
Saudi Arabia Calls for De-escalation After Fujairah, Trying to Rescue the April Ceasefire
Riyadh's foreign ministry urged restraint from both Washington and Tehran on 4 May, marking a more dovish stance than its Gulf neighbours and underscoring the kingdom's reluctance to be drawn into a wider war.
- FinanceOPEC
UAE Moves Toward OPEC Exit as Iran War Cracks the Gulf's Old Alliances
Abu Dhabi's signalled withdrawal from OPEC and rare public rebuke of fellow Arab states have exposed a rift with Riyadh that the cartel will struggle to paper over.
- PoliticsIran war
US Navy Sinks Iranian Small Boats in the Strait of Hormuz as Trump Rejects Tehran's 14-Point Plan
CENTCOM says US forces destroyed at least six Iranian small boats threatening shipping; the White House signalled it would reject Iran's latest peace proposal because Tehran had "not paid a big enough price".
- PoliticsIran war
Iranian Strike on Fujairah Sets Refinery Ablaze and Cracks the April Ceasefire
A barrage of missiles and drones hit the Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone and a UAE-flagged tanker on 4 May, the first major attack on Emirati territory since the 8 April US-Iran truce.
- EuropeTax
EU Finance Ministers Move to Tighten the Bloc's VAT Fraud Rules
ECOFIN is set to agree new rules on cross-border VAT fraud at its 4 May meeting in Brussels, the latest step in a decade-long effort to close the EU's largest tax-revenue leak.
- EuropeNATO
Pentagon Pulls 5,000 Troops From Germany After Trump-Merz Spat
Washington will withdraw roughly 14% of its troop presence in Germany following Chancellor Friedrich Merz's criticism of US Iran-war strategy, in a move that has rattled NATO allies.
- EuropeEurope
European Political Community Convenes in Yerevan as Armenia Tests Moscow's Patience
The fifth European Political Community summit drew nearly fifty heads of state to Yerevan on 4 May, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy's attendance putting Armenia on a collision course with the Kremlin.
- EuropeTrade
EU-Mercosur Deal Begins Provisional Application: Tariffs Drop From Day One
After 25 years of negotiation, the EU's free-trade agreement with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay started applying provisionally on 1 May 2026, cutting tariffs on cars, pharmaceuticals and most agri-food.
- EuropeRussia
Russian Soldiers Are Quietly Trying to Get Out of the Army — and Telling Each Other How
Underground guides circulating among Russian troops detail medical, legal and unofficial routes to exit service, in a war that is now visibly straining the personnel system that sustains it.
- EuropeUkraine
Russia Loses More Territory Than It Gains in April — First Net Setback Since 2023
Russian forces ceded roughly 120 square kilometres in Ukraine between March and April 2026, the first monthly net loss since the Ukrainian counter-offensive of summer 2023.
- EuropeUkraine
Russia and Ukraine Declare Separate, Competing Ceasefires Around Victory Day
Moscow announced an 8-9 May truce for the WWII anniversary; Kyiv responded with its own 5-6 May ceasefire and rejected Russia's terms, in a choreography that says more about politics than peace.
OpinionPress FreedomPope Leo XIV Names Slain Journalists in World Press Freedom Day Address
In his Sunday Regina Caeli address on 3 May 2026, Pope Leo XIV condemned violations of media freedom and paid tribute to journalists killed in Gaza, Lebanon and Mexico, lending Vatican weight to a growing international concern.
- PoliticsAviation
Hamad International Airport in Doha Gradually Reopens After Two-Month Closure
Doha's Hamad International, one of the world's busiest hubs, is reopening in May 2026 after airspace restrictions tied to the Iran-Israel conflict began in late February. Major carriers are returning amid a fragile regional ceasefire.
- CultureWorld Cup 2026
FIFA World Cup 2026 Opens at Estadio Azteca on 11 June
The first 48-team World Cup, hosted across the US, Canada and Mexico, runs 11 June to 19 July 2026. Mexico opens the tournament; Canada and the US play their opening matches the following day.
- CultureVenice Biennale
Venice Biennale's International Jury Resigns en Masse Over Russia Participation
On 30 April 2026, the international jury of the Venice Biennale resigned amid tensions over Russia's continued participation and the panel's decision to bar prizes for countries accused of crimes against humanity.
- CultureCannes
Cannes 2026 Opens 12 May with Park Chan-wook Presiding Over a Heavyweight Lineup
The 79th Cannes Film Festival runs from 12 to 23 May 2026 with 21 (later 22) films in competition. Honorary Palmes d'Or go to Peter Jackson and Barbra Streisand; the festival opens with Pierre Salvadori's 'The Electric Kiss.'
- PoliticsVatican
Pope Leo XIV Visits Four African Nations on First Apostolic Journey
From 13 to 23 April 2026, Pope Leo XIV travelled to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea — his first major international trip since being elected to succeed Pope Francis.
- EuropeEU Diplomacy
EU and Armenia Hold Their First-Ever Summit in Yerevan
On 4–5 May 2026, Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa met Armenian leadership in Yerevan for the first formal EU-Armenia summit. Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended in the margins to discuss a joint EU-Ukraine drone-production deal.
- PoliticsJapan
Takaichi Wins Japan's First Two-Thirds Supermajority of the Postwar Era
On 8 February 2026, the LDP under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won at least 316 seats — Japan's largest single-party haul since 1945. Takaichi succeeds Shigeru Ishiba, who resigned in September 2025 after consecutive electoral losses.
- EuropeGermany
One Year of Merz: Coalition Wobbles, AfD Hits 28% in Polls
Friedrich Merz, sworn in on 6 May 2025 at the head of a CDU/CSU-SPD coalition, faces a hardening political landscape one year on. The AfD has climbed from 20.8% at the election to nearly 28% in current polling.
- EuropeUnited Kingdom
'Starmergeddon': Labour Faces Catastrophic Local Elections on May 8
Polling predicts Labour losses of more than 1,800 council seats in the 8 May 2026 local elections. The Mandelson security-vetting scandal in April cost Starmer his Chief of Staff and Director of Communications.
- Tech & ScienceUS Wildfires
April Wildfires Burn 1.85 Million Acres in the US — 194% of the 10-Year Average
Severe wildfires in southern Georgia and Florida and persistent drought across 62% of the country pushed April 2026 burned-area numbers far above the long-run norm, with the Highway 82 and Pineland Road fires destroying dozens of homes.
- Tech & ScienceIndonesia
Magnitude 7.3 Earthquake Damages 450+ Structures in North Maluku
On 2 April 2026, a Mw 7.3-7.4 earthquake struck the Molucca Sea between North Sulawesi and North Maluku Provinces. One person was killed, four injured, and over 450 structures were damaged or destroyed; 1,378 aftershocks followed.
