London, March 30 (SANA) – Global aluminum prices rose on Monday after attacks targeting two of the world’s largest aluminum smelters in the Gulf, which Iran said it carried out. According to France 24, aluminum prices increased by 4.22 percent, reaching $3,435 per ton, after earlier gains of about »»»

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday voiced hope for working with elements within Iran's government, saying the United States privately had received positive messages. Rubio said there were internal "fractures" inside the country and that the United States hopes figures with "power to delive»»»

Iran hanged two men on Monday for membership of a banned opposition group, with rights groups describing them as political prisoners and expressing fear of a surge in executions aimed at cowing the population during the Middle East war. Akbar Daneshvarkar, 60, and Mohammad Taghavi-Sangdehi, 59, wer»»»

United Nations peacekeepers, who for decades have served as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon, have seen three of their comrades killed and several others wounded since the latest war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah. Here is an overview of the UN force in south Lebanon, whose mandate expires»»»

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a trilateral meeting in Jeddah on Monday with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as regional tensions intensified following the ongoing military escalation linked to the US-Israel war on Iran. Durin»»»

A ballistic missile fired from Iran entered Turkish airspace on Monday and was shot down by NATO defenses, Ankara said, in the fourth such incident reported since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran. There was no immediate comment from ‌Tehran which has ‌denied specifically targeting its neighb»»»

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) won't join a potential US ground operation in Iran, Israel's Channel 12 reports. Why is that? Lack of Capacity "Israel lacks the capacity, sufficient troops, and military equipment to deploy its forces," Israeli security expert Dr. Simon Tsipis tells Sputnik. Israel »»»

Iran on Monday defied Lebanon's expulsion order for its ambassador by saying he would stay, further increasing tensions in a country in the crosshairs of the latest fighting between the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Israel. Lebanon had declared Ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani “persona non grata" i»»»

US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital infrastructure, including desalination plants that supply drinking water, if a deal to end the war is not reached “shortly.” Iran meanwhile struck a key water and electrical plant in Kuw»»»

The Suez Canal — one of the most critical trade routes on Earth — was effectively shut down for eight years, from 1967 to 1975. It wasn’t an accident. It was war. At the outbreak of the 1967 Arab–Israeli War, Egypt deliberately blocked the canal by sinking ships and laying mines, turning the waterw»»»

Spanish Minister of Defense Margarita Robles speaks during a briefing breakfast organized by the New Defense and Space Forum in Madrid, Spain, on February 20. She confirmed Spain's decision to close its airspace to the U.S. military on Monday. File Photo by J.J. Guillen/EPA March 30 (UPI) -- Spain »»»

Paris, France: G7 economy and financial ministers Monday said they stood ready to take "all necessary measures" to ensure the stability of the energy market as they tackled the economic consequences of war in the Middle East. "We stand ready to take all necessary measures in close coordination with»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed with the foreign ministers of Persian Gulf countries the escalation in the region, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday. "An in-depth exchange of views was held in a collective format regarding the unprecedented escalation o»»»

Invading Iran’s Kharg Island would be anything but a cakewalk for the US military, since Iranian forces have invested considerable time and resources into preparing a warm welcome for anyone foolish enough to attack this strategic oil hub. Air DefensesThe island features a multilayered air defense »»»

By Wade SheridanCatholics celebrate Palm Sunday in Jerusalem on Sunday. The Israeli Home Front Command canceled the traditional Palm Sunday procession that takes place on Mount of Olives because of the ongoing United States and Israeli war with Iran. Catholic Palestinians gather on Palm Sunday for »»»

As the conflict widens and a diplomatic exit remains elusive, Gulf nations are struggling to interpret Washington's contradictory stance on potential military escalation, Hannan Hussain of Initiate Futures says. The recent quadrilateral meeting in Islamabad—bringing together Pakistan, Saudi Arabia,»»»

A ballistic missile launched from Iran entered Turkish airspace before being shot down by NATO air and missile defenses deployed in the eastern Mediterranean, Türkiye's defense ministry said on Monday, Reuters reported. The incident marked the fourth such incident since the start of the US-Israeli »»»

Sharjah/ Abu Dhabi/ Ras Al Khaimah: Hundreds of kindergarten student across the UAE began schooling online on Monday as Indian and Pakistani schools in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and the northern emirates opened the 2026–27 academic year remotely, a week later than originally planned. The delayed start vi»»»

BusinessGermanyGerman public sector tries to reduce reliance on US techKlaus DeuseZenDis, the German Center for Digital Sovereignty, has created an alternative to US software for public sector agencies in Germany, which are increasingly vulnerable to blackmail under the 2018 US CLOUD act. https://p»»»

BusinessCanadaAir Canada CEO to retire after English-only condolence furorMark Hallam with AFP, APAir Canada has announced that CEO Michael Rousseau will retire later this year. This follows public criticism of his failure to voice condolences in French as well as English after two pilots were kill»»»

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer says a proposed rule to allow alternative assets in 401(k) plans will better reflect the current investment landscape. Under the rule, assets like cryptocurrency, real estate and private-market assets could be considered for investment into 401(k) retirement plan»»»

Spain has closed its airspace to US planes involved in the Iran war, the defense minister said Monday, marking another step in the government's opposition to US and Israeli involvement in the conflict in the Middle East. The country had already said that the US couldn't use jointly operated militar»»»

Iran has sent a "clear message" to Washington: if the negotiated solution does not include a cessation of the Israeli war on Lebanon and the commencement of negotiations, Tehran will treat the United States and Israel separately, a media report said. "In other words, it will adhere to the ceasefire»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Strait of Hormuz will reopen either with Iran's approval or through a US-backed international military coalition, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday. "The strait will reopen either with Iran's consent or through an international military coalition including »»»

French police on Monday arrested two more people over an apparent bid to set off a homemade explosive device outside a Bank of America branch in Paris, bringing the total in custody to five, prosecutors said. The arrests follow an incident early Saturday morning when police arrested a first suspect»»»

Wall Street stocks opened higher Monday after US President Donald Trump claimed progress in talks with Iran, even as he threatened to destroy key oil facilities on Kharg Island and to decimate the country's power infrastructure. International benchmark Brent North Sea crude was up 2.2 percent to $1»»»

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Monday that Israel is "committed to making the Litani River the new security border at the end of this war." This line "will remove the threat and restore the sense of security, and allow children in the north to grow up without fear," h»»»

Sirens sounded at dawn near Israel's main nuclear research center, a part of the country that has been targeted repeatedly in recent days. Israel's military also said it had taken out two drones launched from Yemen, where the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels entered the war on Saturday with their first»»»

1 of 2 | President Donald Trump claims that talks of a peace deal continue with Iran. Meanwhile he deployed 3,500 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East over the weekend. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo March 30 (UPI) -- The price of Brent crude oil topped $116 per barrel on Monday a»»»

The Turkish Central Bank's total reserves fell by a hefty $22 billion last week to $155.5 billion, bringing their declines since the start of the Iran war to $55 billion, bankers said, Reuters reported. They said the central bank sold $18 billion in foreign exchange last week, meaning its total for»»»

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday pledged to work with Germany to enable more Syrians to return home and rebuild their country after its devastating civil war, as he made a historic visit to Berlin. Europe's top economy is home to the largest Syrian diaspora in the European Union at more t»»»

Bulgarian National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan will participate in the Second Bucha Summit in Ukraine on March 31, the Assembly's press service said on Monday. The meeting, organized by the Verkhovna Rada (the parliament) of Ukraine, will be attended by speakers and leadership members of national »»»

Lebanese judge Tarek Bitar has completed his investigation into the 2020 Beirut port blast, a years-long case that involves possible charges against dozens of people, a judicial official told AFP on Monday. Since 2023, the investigation into the massive Beirut port explosion, which killed more than»»»

US President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House upon his return to Washington, DC from Florida on Sunday, March 29, 2026. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo March 30 (UPI) -- U.S. President Trump said he wanted to take control of Iran's oil and was weighing a military ass»»»

Heavy rain and storms have killed at least 45 people over the past few days across Afghanistan and Pakistan, disaster officials in both countries said Monday. Rain sweeping across Afghanistan since Thursday has caused floods and landslides in multiple provinces. "Twenty-eight people were martyred, »»»

Colombo: Sri Lanka announced on Monday a nearly 40 percent increase in electricity prices from Wednesday as it battles an energy shortage caused by the war in the Middle East. The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka said further increases were likely in April, in-line with global energy prices»»»

President Donald Trump on Sunday night said he has "no problem" with a Russian oil tanker off the coast of Cuba delivering relief to the island, which has been brought to its knees by a U.S. oil blockade. "We have a tanker out there. We don't mind having somebody get a boatload because they need … »»»

Share: Cartoon of Lebanon flag showing an Iranian cleric replacing the Lebanese emblem ( the famous Cedar tree of Lebanon ) with the Iranian emblem . Many now feel that Hezbollah’s dominance made Lebanon a colony of Iran “Lebanon is a virtual state that is, in practice, occupied by Iran,” said Isra»»»

London: Aluminium prices climbed around six percent in early trading on Monday after Iran attacked two major plants in the Gulf that produce the widely used metal, raising concerns over supply disruptions. Gains later reduced, though prices were still up 4.2 percent at $3,435 per tonne on the Londo»»»

President Joseph Aoun warned Monday that the hand that would extend to harm civil peace will be cut off. "No one in Lebanon wants civil war, and those who seek to exploit the situation won't succeed," Aoun said, adding that Security forces are implementing strict measures to maintain order, includi»»»

Mumbai, India: India's rupee fell to a record low of more than 95 to the dollar on Monday, before recovering, despite recent efforts by the central bank to stem its fall. The rupee was among Asia's worst forex performers in 2025, and its underperformance has continued well into this year, hitting n»»»

Spain has taken an additional step in distancing itself from the U.S.-led military campaign against Iran, announcing the closure of its airspace to American aircraft involved in the conflict. Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed the decision on Monday, making clear that Madrid will not permi»»»

Soon-to-be ex-Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar's armed forces, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing was nominated Monday as the front-running candidate for president in the country's new "civilian adminstration," following five years of emergency military rule. File photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko/EPA March 30 (UPI»»»

US President Donald Trump is not ruling out the possibility of American forces seizing Iran’s key energy export hub on Kharg Island in order to take control of the Islamic Republic’s oil exports, he said in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday. Trump claimed his “preference” would be for»»»

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday evening the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) had won the local elections in all ten local self-government units where voters had cast their ballots earlier in the day. Speaking to reporters at the SNS headquarters in New Belgrade, Vucic th»»»

Madrid: Spain's leftist government has closed Spanish airspace to US planes carrying out missions against Iran, in addition to denying Washington use of its bases, the defence minister said on Monday. "The bases are not authorised, and of course neither is the use of Spanish airspace for actions re»»»

Spain's leftist government has closed Spanish airspace to US planes carrying out missions against Iran, in addition to denying Washington use of its bases, the defense minister said on Monday. "The bases are not authorized, and of course neither is the use of Spanish airspace for actions related to»»»

Sirens sounded at dawn near Israel's main nuclear research center, a part of the country that has been targeted repeatedly in recent days. Israel's military also said it had taken out two drones launched from Yemen, where the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels entered the war on Saturday with their first»»»

Spain's leftist government has closed Spanish airspace to U.S. planes carrying out missions against Iran in addition to denying Washington use of its bases, the defense minister said on Monday. "The bases are not authorized, and of course neither is the use of Spanish airspace for actions related t»»»

Dubai: Oil and metals prices surged as markets reacted to renewed tensions in the Middle East, with investors adjusting expectations for a potentially extended conflict and its impact on global growth. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.U.S. crude jumped $1.95 to $101.59 »»»