Owner of Oil Tanker Seized by Trump Administration Seeks to Block Sale
The U.S. government seized the supertanker Skipper in December, citing its role in illicit Iranian oil trades. Since the seizure, the Treasury has spent roughly $47 million maintaining the vessel, far exceeding its projected scrap value of $10 million. Windward Shipmanagement Corp, the ship’s owner, has filed a motion in Washington federal court to block the government’s planned private sale. The cargo—about 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan crude—has been appraised at $120‑$135 million, potentially higher as oil prices rise.
President Sheinbaum Defends Mexico's Right to Supply Oil to Cuba
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum defended her nation’s right to ship oil to Cuba, framing the move as both humanitarian and commercial. Her comments followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent softening of the oil embargo on the island and the arrival...
Israeli Strike Kills Three Lebanese Journalists, Al Manar TV Says
An Israeli strike on a car in southern Lebanon killed three journalists—Al Manar reporter Ali Shaib, Al Mayadeen reporter Fatima Ftouni, and cameraman Mohammed Ftouni. Israel labeled Shaib a Hezbollah terrorist without providing evidence, while Hezbollah and Lebanese officials condemned the attack...
Cholera Aid for African Countries Stalled by Iran Conflict
Emergency cholera kits intended for Chad, Sudan and South Sudan are stranded in Dubai warehouses because the Iran‑linked conflict has disrupted shipping routes. The World Health Organization and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are scrambling...
Austria Plans Social Media Ban for Children Under 14
Austria’s three‑party coalition announced plans to prohibit children under 14 from accessing social‑media platforms, citing concerns over addictive algorithms and harmful content. The ban will be based on the nature of a platform’s algorithm rather than naming specific services. Draft...
‘I’ll Never Be the Same’: Iranians Recount One Month of War
Iranians living through a month of open conflict with Israel and the United States describe a society under siege, with soaring inflation and halted tourism eroding livelihoods. While electricity, water and fuel remain technically available, daily life feels hollow as...
Tehran Accuses US of ‘Calculated’ Assault on School
Iran’s foreign minister accused the United States of a “calculated” assault after a U.S. Tomahawk missile struck an elementary school in Minab on Feb 28, killing more than 175 students and teachers. The U.S. military later said the strike resulted from...
Maduro Case to Test US Narcoterrorism Law with Limited Trial Success
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro returned to a Manhattan federal courtroom on March 26, facing U.S. narcoterrorism charges—a statute enacted in 2006 that carries a 20‑year mandatory minimum and has produced only four convictions to date. The law targets drug...
G-7 Meets in France to Narrow Transatlantic Iran Split
Foreign ministers of the G‑7 gathered in France to bridge a widening transatlantic rift over the Iran‑Israel war, as President Donald Trump warned of severe retaliation if Tehran rejects a peace deal. The two‑day summit, chaired by France, also featured...
US Activists Work to Connect Iranians via Elon Musk’s Starlink Amid Internet Blackout
Amid a near‑total internet blackout in Iran, U.S.‑based activist groups are covertly supplying Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite terminals to keep Iranians online. NetFreedom Pioneers reports delivering more than 300 devices, while Holistic Resilience estimates over 50,000 terminals now operating inside...
It’s Go Time: Historic Moon Mission Set for Lift-Off
Artemis II is set to launch around April 1, 2026, using NASA’s new Space Launch System for a ten‑day lunar flyby. The crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Jeremy Hansen—will be the first woman, person of colour and non‑American to...
US Aircraft Carrier that Left Mid-East over Fire Has Other Issues
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy’s most expensive warship at $13.2 billion, was forced to leave the Middle East after a laundry‑area fire and dock in Crete. A Pentagon assessment reveals persistent data gaps and reliability concerns across its launch, radar, and...
Ukraine Has 'Irrefutable' Evidence of Russia Providing Intelligence to Iran, Zelenskiy Says
Ukraine’s military intelligence says it has "irrefutable" proof that Russia is feeding intelligence, including signals and satellite data, to Iran. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced the claim on X after meeting the head of Ukraine’s intelligence service, warning that the cooperation...
Ukraine's Zelenskiy Says Intelligence Shows Russia Preparing New Massive Attack
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that intelligence services believe Russia is preparing a massive, imminent attack on Ukraine. He warned that the strike could begin as early as Monday and urged the public to heed air‑raid alerts. The president said...
Brussels Trains Disrupted After Suspicious Bags Found at Midi Station
Brussels‑Midi, the city’s main railway hub, was evacuated on Monday evening after police discovered suspicious bags, halting all train movements between 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. A joint police and army bomb‑disposal unit inspected the packages and declared them harmless, allowing services...
Trump Approved Iran Operation After Netanyahu Argued for Joint Killing of Khamenei, Sources Say
President Donald Trump approved a U.S. strike on Iran after a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who urged a decapitation attack on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. New intelligence showed the Iranian leadership meeting had been moved...
Treasury’s Bessent Says US Has ‘Plenty’ of Funds for Iran War
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told NBC’s Meet the Press that the United States already has sufficient cash to sustain the ongoing war with Iran, but the administration is seeking a supplemental $200 billion from Congress to keep the military fully...
Russia Launches First Rocket From Repaired Baikonur Launch Pad
Russia successfully launched a Soyuz‑2.1a rocket carrying the Progress MS‑33 cargo spacecraft from a repaired launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on March 22, 2026. The launch restores the only Baikonur pad capable of handling Soyuz crew and cargo missions after it was...
French Prosecutors Suspect Musk Encouraged Deepfakes Row to Inflate X Value
French prosecutors allege Elon Musk encouraged sexualised deepfakes on X’s AI chatbot Grok to artificially boost the platform’s valuation ahead of a June 2026 IPO. The bot generated roughly three million non‑consensual images, including depictions of minors, after users prompted...
Iranian Man, Romanian Woman Charged over Attempt to Enter UK Submarine Base
An Iranian man and a Romanian woman were charged after attempting to breach HM Naval Base Clyde, the UK’s nuclear‑armed submarine facility in Scotland. Police Scotland arrested the pair on Thursday, labeling them suspected Iranian spies. Their court appearance is...
Polish Air Traffic Authority Launches New Radars to Boost Detection
Poland's air traffic control agency PANSA activated two new radars on Thursday, one near Katowice and another near Pułtusk, to sharpen radiolocation data and operational security. The installations are part of a 1.4 billion‑zloty modernization program running from 2024 to 2029....
Sweden’s Prisons Prepare to House Young Teens
Sweden is set to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 for serious offences, prompting the government to modify prisons for juvenile detention. Rosersberg prison, among eight facilities, is being reconfigured to house up to 24 minors...
CK Hutchison’s Panama Unit Says State Missed Arbitration Response Deadline
Panama Ports Company, a CK Hutchison unit, says Panama missed the March 13 deadline to respond to an ICC arbitration. The deadline concerned the government's attempt to unwind the Balboa and Cristóbal port concessions after a court deemed the contracts unconstitutional....
Trump Was Warned of Likely Iranian Retaliation on Gulf Allies, Sources Say
President Donald Trump was warned that a U.S.-Israel strike on Iran could provoke retaliation against Gulf allies, but he claimed surprise after attacks on Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. U.S. intelligence had flagged the risk...
US Officials Predict Quick End to Iran War, While Tehran Says It Can Outlast Foes
U.S. officials say the Israel‑U.S. war on Iran will conclude within weeks, prompting expectations of lower oil prices. President Trump threatened further strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island and announced a coalition to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran’s...
Israel Says Killed Two Top Iran Intelligence Officers in Tehran
Israel’s military announced that on March 13 it eliminated two senior Iranian intelligence officers, Abdollah Jalali‑Nasab and Amir Shariat, in a strike on Tehran. Both men had been appointed to lead the Khatam al‑Anbiya intelligence directorate after the previous head, Saleh...
Russian Air Defences Down 65 Drones Headed for Moscow, Mayor Says
Russian air‑defence units reported downing 65 Ukrainian drones over Moscow during an 11‑hour period on Saturday, part of a broader effort that saw 280 drones intercepted across central and western Russia. The Defence Ministry said 47 of those drones were...
Switzerland Refuses US Overflights Linked to Middle East War
Switzerland rejected two U.S. requests for reconnaissance overflights linked to the Israel‑Iran conflict, invoking its long‑standing neutrality statutes. The government approved a maintenance flight and two transport missions on March 14 but denied the military‑purpose requests on March 15. Humanitarian and medical...
British Defence Minister Suggests Putin’s ‘Hidden Hand’ Behind Iran Tactics
British Defence Minister John Healey warned that Russia may be covertly supporting Iran’s drone operations in the ongoing Middle East conflict. He referenced analysis of an Iranian-made drone that struck the UK’s Akrotiri base in Cyprus, seeking evidence of Russian...
Germany, Japan to Unblock Oil Reserves as G-7 Stands ‘Ready’ to Act
Japan and Germany announced they will tap strategic petroleum reserves to curb soaring crude prices amid the Iran‑Israel war, following an International Energy Agency request for a 400 million‑barrel release. Japan plans to act as early as March 16, while Germany will...
Spain Permanently Withdraws Ambassador as Rift with Israel Deepens
Spain announced on March 10 that it has permanently withdrawn its ambassador to Israel, leaving the Tel Aviv mission under a charge d’affaires. The decision follows a series of diplomatic confrontations, including Spain’s ban on weapons shipments to Israel and...
Internet Outages in Russia to Last as Long as ‘Necessary’ to Ensure ‘Safety’: Kremlin
The Kremlin announced that mobile internet outages across Russia will persist for as long as necessary to protect citizen safety, attributing the disruptions to increasingly sophisticated Ukrainian cyber attacks. Outages have been documented in Moscow and western cities such as...
Drones Hit East Congo's Biggest City, Killing French Aid Worker, Rebels and UN Say
Drone strikes hit Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city, killing at least three people, including a French UNICEF aid worker. The M23 rebel group blamed the Congolese army for launching the drones, marking the first urban drone attack since the rebels...
More Airliner Deaths in 2025 Despite Fewer Accidents: IATA
The International Air Transport Association reported that 2025 saw 394 fatalities across eight fatal air crashes, up from 244 deaths in seven accidents in 2024. The surge is attributed to two high‑profile disasters – the Air India Boeing 787 crash in...
Google to Open German Centre for ‘AI Development’
Google will open an AI centre in Berlin on March 5, part of its €5.5 billion investment plan for Europe. The hub will combine cloud computing, data infrastructure and a collaboration space for startups and research institutions. The announcement highlights Europe’s reliance...