Countries agree to record release of emergency oil reserves as prices surge
The G7 group of nations welcomes the idea of releasing oil in response to the surge in prices since the US-Israel war with Iran began
Not ‘a litre of oil’ to pass Strait of Hormuz, expect $200 price tag: Iran
Warning comes as 400 million barrels of oil are being released from global reserves during waterway's closure.
US military confirms use of ‘advanced AI tools’ in war against Iran
Admiral Brad Cooper says artificial intelligence is helping process data, but humans are making final decisions.
French aid worker among three killed in drone strikes in rebel-held DR Congo city
Witnesses say drone strikes hit a residential building frequently occupied by expatriates and aid workers in Goma.
Russia Says Ukraine’s Strike on Factory City Was Deadly – The New York Times
- Russia Says Ukraine’s Strike on Factory City Was Deadly The New York Times
- Ukraine says it has hit Russian 'missile component' plant BBC
- Kremlin says Britain was involved in Ukraine's missile strike on Russia Reuters
- Missile Strike Hits Bryansk Chip Plant Supplying Iskander and S‑400, Video UNITED24 Media
- Ukrainian Missile Attack on Bryansk Kills 7, Wounds Dozens More The Moscow Times
Oil facilities in Oman’s Salalah port ablaze after drone strikes
Drones struck oil storage facilities in Oman’s Salalah port, as local authorities say they're responding to a big fire.
No evidence Swiss bus fire was terrorism, officials say
Initial reports suggest a man with "psychological problems" set himself on fire on the bus, according to police.
UK companies struggling to hire young people amid cost pressures, MPs told
Business lobby groups say ‘taking the risk’ of employing less experienced workers is being avoided
British companies are struggling to afford to hire young people after a long period of rising costs that have hit profit margins and derailed recruitment plans, business leaders have said.
Rising labour costs including increases to the minimum wage and employer’s national insurance by the government have put young people at the back of the queue when employers consider recruitment, business lobby groups have told MPs.
Continue reading...French aid worker among three killed in dronestrike in east DRC, M23 rebels say
Rebel group blames government for attack on residential area of M23-controlled city of Goma
Three people including a French UN aid worker have been killed in a drone attack in Goma, a spokesperson for the M23 rebel group has said.
The attack took place at about 4am on Wednesday in the upmarket residential neighbourhood of Himbi in the city, which has been under M23 occupation since January 2025.
Continue reading...Peter Mandelson asked Foreign Office for £500k severance payment, files show
Ex-peer sacked as US ambassador over Epstein links was offered £75,000, documents released by Cabinet Office show
Peter Mandelson was offered a severance payment of £75,000 after initially asking the Foreign Office to pay him more than £500,000 upon his sacking as US ambassador, newly released documents reveal.
Exchanges in the documents released by the Cabinet Office suggested that officials did “well to get this settlement down this low with minimal fuss”, after Mandelson was forced to resign as ambassador to the US because of newly disclosed details about his long friendship with the disgraced financier Jeffery Epstein.
Continue reading...Democrats deliver stunning flip in New Hampshire special election
Bobbi Boudman’s win over Republican Dale Fincher marks the 28th seat Democrats have flipped since the 2024 election
A Democrat won a special election for a state house seat in New Hampshire on Tuesday, flipping a Republican district that Donald Trump carried and marking the latest in a string of 28 Democratic upsets that could usher in a blue wave in the midterms.
Bobbi Boudman beat Republican Dale Fincher in New Hampshire’s Carroll county district 7. It was Boudman’s third try at the seat – she lost to incumbent representative Glenn Cordelli the last two cycles by several points. Cordelli resigned from the seat after moving, leading to the special election on 10 March.
Continue reading...Could the US deploy troops to Iran, and how could that play out?
Experts say Iran’s vast, mountainous terrain would make invasion difficult but a small, precise mission is possible.
The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire was built to fail
Israeli attacks never stopped, and the mechanism meant to police violations had no power to stop them.
Countries must seek energy independence through renewables and nuclear, says John Kerry
Former US secretary of state says oil shock driven by war in Iran highlights dangers of reliance on fossil fuels
Countries must seek energy independence through renewable resources and nuclear energy for their national security, and to avoid the “choke points” of fossil fuel supply, the former US secretary of state John Kerry has warned.
The war in Iran has sent oil prices soaring, as refineries and fields have closed down in several Middle Eastern countries and many tankers are stranded in the strait of Hormuz, with economic impacts beginning to be felt around the world.
Continue reading...Sudan’s devastating war rages on as regional rivalries deepen
Yet the fallout from the Iran war could push Gulf rivals to cooperate, opening space for diplomacy on Sudan.
Dozens of U.S. service members in Kuwait suffered serious injuries, including burns, brain trauma and shrapnel wounds, sources say – CBS News
- Dozens of U.S. service members in Kuwait suffered serious injuries, including burns, brain trauma and shrapnel wounds, sources say CBS News
- Exclusive: As many as 150 US troops wounded so far in Iran war, sources say Reuters
- Casualties and the Cost of War WSJ
- Pentagon says about 140 U.S. troops have been injured in Iran war so far, 8 severely PBS
- About 140 U.S. troops wounded as U.S. launches ‘most intense' strikes on Iran NBC4 Washington
IEA agrees to release 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves
Proposed release is larger than the 182 million barrels of oil that IEA members released after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Can the IEA put a lid on the price per barrel by releasing oil stockpiles?
Despite rare act of multilateralism, there is no guarantee the IEA’s release of 400m barrels from reserves will depress prices
IEA poised to call for largest ever release of stockpiled oil to reduce price
How the Iran conflict could affect energy prices – video explainer
When the global economy was still in the grip of the devastating 1970s oil crises, exposing the chokehold exerted by a few important oil states, the International Energy Agency (IEA) was created, in the hope of limiting future shocks.
Almost half a century on, the IEA’s 32 members have drawn up plans to hit the emergency button, for only the fifth time in its history.
Continue reading...Mojtaba Khamenei was hurt in strike that killed his father, Iran’s Cyprus ambassador confirms
Alireza Salarian says Iran’s new supreme leader was lucky to survive strike that killed six of his family members
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured in the 28 February attack that killed six of his family members, including his father, Tehran’s ambassador to Cyprus has confirmed.
In an interview conducted at his embassy compound in Nicosia, Alireza Salarian elaborated on the circumstances in which Khamenei, 56, was injured, saying he was lucky to survive the strike, which levelled the late ayatollah’s residence.
Continue reading...EU and UK demand Israel stop surge in West Bank settler violence since Iran war
Six Palestinians have been killed during attacks by settlers in the West Bank since the start of Israel's war, the UN says.