WORLD - The African Mirror

Apr

13

2026

4 ways the war in Iran has weakened the United States in the great power game

WORLD

“NEVER interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” Napoleon Bonaparte’s maxim may well have been in the minds of policymakers in Moscow and Beijing these past weeks, as the U.S. war in Iran dragged on. And now that a 14-day ceasefire between Tehran and Washington is in effect – with both sides claiming “victory” – Russian and Chinese leaders still have an opportunity to profit from what many see as America’s latest folly in the Middle East. Throughout the week-long conflict, China and Russia struck a delicate balance. Both declined to give Iran – seen to a varying…

Apr

13

2026

By SAMINA YASMEEN

In mediating the US‑Iran peace talks, Pakistan is flexing its geopolitical muscles

WORLD

WHEN news of the fragile ceasefire between the United States, Israel and Iran first broke, it came via a post on X by Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif. Securing such a big diplomatic win is highly significant for Pakistan, irrespective of how the agreement has since been tested. Pakistan will remain central to ongoing peace negotiations, with talks between the parties being held in the country on April 10. With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire…

Apr

11

2026

By SCOTT LUCAS

Why is Israel continuing to attack Lebanon, despite the ceasefire? Expert Q&A

WORLD

THE ceasefire in the Middle East is on shaky ground. Israel continued its bombardment of Lebanon on Wednesday, claiming its activities there are not part of the deal with Iran. These attacks killed at least 254 people across Lebanon and injured over 800 more in what was Israel’s largest offensive of the war so far. Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz again and threatened a “regret-inducing response” if the strikes continue. Donald Trump subsequently warned that US strikes on Iran would resume if it did not comply with the ceasefire. We spoke to Scott Lucas, an expert in…

Apr

11

2026

By IOANA EMY MATESAN

After ceasefire, negotiating a lasting deal with Iran would require overcoming regional rivalries and strategic incoherence

WORLD

PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s rapid and dramatic turn from threatening to kill “an entire civilisation” in Iran on the morning of April 7, 2026, to announcing a two-week ceasefire later that day left many observers with a sense of whiplash. While it is difficult to predict whether the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran will hold or how events will unfold, the dynamics of the conflict so far reveal multiple vulnerabilities in the short term and numerous detrimental effects on the region in the medium to long term. Already, the truce has shown signs of strain. Iran and the U.S. almost…

Apr

11

2026

By JASMINE MITHANI

Federal grants can save the lives of abuse victims. $200 million is sitting unspent

WORLD

MORE than $200 million in federal funds that were supposed to go to help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking last fiscal year still haven’t been paid out to the nonprofits and other entities that form the safety net for those impacted by gender-based violence. The Office on Violence Against Women in the Department of Justice is tasked with administering grants prescribed by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), first passed in 1994. This story was originally reported by Jasmine Mithani of The 19th. Meet Jasmine and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy.…

Apr

10

2026

By THERESA REINOLD

Has multilateralism hit a dead end? Could International organisations be collateral damage of the war in Iran?

WORLD

ONE of the most striking aspects of the war with Iran is the extent to which it has highlighted the irrelevance of international organisations and multilateral approaches to resolving global conflicts. If we take war as an indicator of the viability of the rules-based international order established after World War II, then we may well conclude that the “patient” is showing a very weak pulse. The United Nations and the European Union are two organisations that epitomise the post-1945 global normative order – an order which is founded on principles such as the rule of law, non-aggression, and respect for…

Apr

10

2026

By MIREILLE REBEIZ

Israeli threats to occupy or annex south Lebanon dust off a decades‑old playbook

WORLD

A chorus of hawkish Israeli politicians is urging the country’s military to intensify its weekslong ground and air campaign against Hezbollah and pave the way for a more permanent presence in the country’s south. On April 5, 18 Israeli lawmakers pressed the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to occupy and fully control southern Lebanon up to the Litani River and “evacuate” the Lebanese population there. It followed an earlier call from Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Yoel Smotrich, a powerful, extremist voice in the ruling coalition for the outright annexation of southern Lebanon. Alongside such voices, Israel’s campaign shows no…

Apr

10

2026

By STAFF REPORTER

Bombs in God’s name: how two teenagers nearly turned a New York protest into a massacre

WORLD

AT 12:15 on a cool Saturday afternoon in March, a crowd of protesters and counter-protesters traded insults outside Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City’s Mayor, on the leafy Upper East Side of Manhattan. Police barriers separated the two groups. NYPD officers stood watch. It looked, on the surface, like any other tense but manageable New York demonstration. Then Emir Balat reached into his bag and pulled out a glass jar packed with nuts, bolts and a highly volatile explosive called TATP — known in bomb-making circles as the “Mother of Satan” — and lit the fuse. The…

Apr

09

2026

By AMIN SAIKAL

The US‑Israel ceasefire with Iran presses pause on a costly war, but can peace last?

WORLD

PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s acceptance of a Pakistani proposal for a two-week ceasefire in the war with Iran brings a sigh of relief to the international community. Just hours before, many had been alarmed by Trump’s threats to bomb Iran back to “the stone age” and destroy its “civilisation”. The ceasefire provides a breathing space for hammering out a “definitive agreement concerning long-term peace with Iran, and peace in the Middle East”, according to Trump. However, the road to a final settlement will be complex and bumpy, though not insurmountable. Underestimating the enemy After six weeks of escalating war and rhetoric,…

Apr

09

2026

By KIRSTEN MATOY CARLSON

When a president is unfit for office, here’s what the Constitution says can happen

WORLD

BIPARTISAN calls for President Donald Trump’s removal from office increased on April 7, 2026, after he issued threats to destroy “a whole civilization” if Iran refuses to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. These calls have come from across the political spectrum, from Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico to former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and right-wing pundit Alex Jones. Unlikely allies seem to agree that the president has gone too far and needs to be reined in. Their concerns have emerged as Iran has walked away from talks to end the war and…