  Recently, we have seen interesting progress in the exploration of CP
violation in B^0_d -> pi^+ pi^-: the measurements of mixing-induced CP
violation by the BaBar and Belle collaborations are now in good agreement with
each other, whereas the picture of direct CP violation is still unclear. Using
the branching ratio and direct CP asymmetry of B^0_d -> pi^- K^+, this
situation can be clarified. We predict A_CP^dir(B_d -> pi^+ pi^-) =
-0.24+-0.04, which favours the BaBar result, and extract
gamma=(70.0^{+3.8}_{-4.3})deg, which agrees with the unitarity triangle fits.
Extending our analysis to other B -> pi K modes and B^0_s -> K^+ K^- with the
help of the SU(3) flavour symmetry and plausible dynamical assumptions, we find
that all observables with colour-suppressed electroweak penguin contributions
are measured in excellent agreement with the Standard Model. As far as the
ratios R_{c,n} of the charged and neutral B -> pi K branching ratios are
concerned, which are sizeably affected by electroweak penguin contributions,
our Standard-Model predictions have almost unchanged central values, but
significantly reduced errors. Since the new data have moved quite a bit towards
these results, the "B -> pi K puzzle" for the CP-conserving quantities has been
significantly reduced. However, the mixing-induced CP violation of B^0_d ->
pi^0 K_S does look puzzling; if confirmed by future measurements, this effect
could be accommodated through a modified electroweak penguin sector with a
large CP-violating new-physics phase. Finally, we point out that the
established difference between the direct CP asymmetries of B^+- -> pi^0 K^+-
and B_d -> pi^-+ K^+- appears to be generated by hadronic and not by new
physics.
