Explainer

Explainer

US President Donald Trump speaks during an event to sign a memorandum in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, 5 May 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci/File Photo

Why is the US seeking UN help to open Hormuz after undermining it?

The initiative marks a notable shift for the Trump administration, which since returning to office in 2025 has frequently criticised the United Nations and questioned its relevance

Hantaviruses under the microscope: An infection can cause no symptoms at all — or be fatal. Photo: Cynthia Goldsmith/UIG/IMAGO

What is hantavirus?

An aerial view of the Iranian shores and the island of Qeshm in the strait of Hormuz, December 10, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Will tensions escalate in the Strait of Hormuz?

Cruise ship MV Hondius docks off Cape Verde port, as passengers were not allowed off the ship, while health authorities investigated suspected cases of hantavirus aboard the vessel, in Praia Port, Cape Verde, May 4, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. Photo: REUTERS/Stringer

How an ocean cruise turned into a hantavirus nightmare

Collage: TBS

What is 'Project Freedom' and why does it matter?

The logo of Islami Bank PLC. Photo: Collected

How one clause in Islami Bank's HR policy allowed hiring of thousands without open competition

Brazilian activist Thiago Avila and Spanish activist Saif Abu Keshek at a court in Ashkelon. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/AFP via Al Jazeera

Who are the two activists still detained after Israel intercepted the Gaza-bound flotilla?

Photo: Reuters

What is hantavirus and why has it been detected on an Atlantic cruise ship?

Soldiers operate during the US Army Combined Resolve exercise at the US Army's southern Germany training facilities in Hohenfels, Germany, April 30, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth

What US troops are based in Europe?

The Kohinoor diamond as part of the British Monarch’s crown.(HT file)

Koh-i-Noor: How did the 105.6-carat diamond end up in the British monarch's crown?

Mugger crocodiles are among the most docile crocodile species. Considered extinct, one was ‘rescued’ near Pabna in 2018, after 50 years. But rescued from what? PHOTO: MUNTASIR AKASH

Why is India considering crocodiles and snakes to secure its Bangladesh border?

Steam rises from a cooling tower of the Electricite de France (EDF) nuclear power station in Civaux, France, 8 October, 2021. Photo: Reuters

India’s big leap In fast breeder nuclear reactors

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attend a ceremony to sign an agreement of comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia January 17, 2025. Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

How Russia could act as an economic lifeline for Iran