Oil traders placed more than half a billion dollars in bets minutes before US President Donald Trump announced “productive” talks with Iran on Monday, the Financial Times has reported. A burst of activity followed by a sharp price drop has raised questions about possible advance knowledge among mar»»»

President Joseph Aoun reiterated Tuesday the government's commitment to Hezbollah disarmament, saying that "Lebanon cannot wage the wars of others on its soil". "There is no turning back on the government's decisions," Aoun said, adding that "war could have been avoided had Israel responded to call»»»

The price of oil rebounded to $103 per barrel on Tuesday as hopes for de-escalation in the Iran war faded after Washington said the situation remained "fluid," Tehran denied there had been any negotiations and an explosion and fire at a major refinery in Texas directly impacted wholesale gasoline a»»»

1 of 2 | The site of a Russian drone strike on a five-story residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 3. Russia launched more missile and drone strikes in 11 regions of Ukraine Tuesday, targeting residential areas and killing at least five people. File Photo by Stringer/EPA March 24 (UPI) -- R»»»

Israel should "refrain" from sending in forces to take control of a zone in south Lebanon, France's foreign minister told AFP on Tuesday, saying such a move would have "major humanitarian consequences". "We urge the Israeli authorities to refrain from such ground operations, which would have major »»»

The Trump administration announced two new investigations against Harvard University. File photo by CJ Gunther/EPA March 24 (UPI) -- The Department of Education launched two new investigations into Harvard University in its ongoing legal battle with the school. The Education Department announced th»»»

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Economy and Tourism, in cooperation with local economic development departments, carried out 8,168 inspection campaigns across markets nationwide between February 28 and March 18, issuing 729 warnings and imposing 216 fines ranging from Dh2,000 to Dh200,000. Sign up for o»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The rapid expansion of conflict space, involving the entire regions, is causing concern, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday. "Overall, the rapid expansion of the conflict space, involving new countries and entire regions, as has happened over the past year, is»»»

The package of measures currently being prepared to curb rising prices will be aimed at supporting the most vulnerable groups, said caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov here on Tuesday. Together with Minister of Economy and Industry Irina Shtonova, they held a meeting with representatives of the A»»»

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the Bulgarian Navy has neutralized a total of nine sea mines in the country’s Black Sea waters, highlighting the ongoing risks to maritime navigation, BGNES reported. The service continues to carry out constant mine countermeasure operations both independently»»»

In response to reports that the US is deploying thousands of troops to the Middle East ahead of a possible ground incursion into Iran, the country’s National Defense Council has warned it could seed the Persian Gulf with mines in retaliation. In the second week of the war on Iran, US Central Comman»»»

Bulgaria stands out as one of Iran's key trading partners within the European Union, particularly among its Eastern European members, according to BGNES. In overall trade with Iran, Bulgaria ranked seventh in 2025, with a total trade volume of 172.2 million euros, trailing only behind Germany, Ital»»»

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary Peter Szijjarto speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in 2024. Szijjarto admitted that he talks to Russia during European Union meetings. File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI | License Photo March 23 (UPI) -- Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó admitte»»»

1 of 5 | US President Donald Trump speaks with Pete Hegseth, secretary of defense and John D. Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, before boarding Marine One in Washington, D.C, on Wednesday. Trump temporarily waived a century-old shipping mandate to lower the cost of transporting oil, gas»»»

Dubai: Dubai's school regulator has reaffirmed that all private educational institutions in the emirate must continue distance learning until Friday, April 3, even as some major school groups have already begun applying to return to campus earlier. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHD»»»

Dubai: Jazeera Airways has set up an alternative supply route into Kuwait to keep essential food items flowing amid ongoing regional disruption, marking a shift in how airlines are adapting to pressure on traditional logistics channels. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.»»»

Iran has informed leaders in Beirut of a “clear pledge” to include Lebanon in any deal that ends the ongoing war with the United States and Israel, well-informed Lebanese sources revealed to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. The sources said that Lebanese officials were told through "non-diplomatic" chann»»»

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Tuesday that Iran must compensate Lebanon for all war losses. "It was not the Lebanese government that made the decision for war, and we will not accept a single penny being paid from the state treasury and the pocket of the Lebanese citizens to compensate f»»»

Manama: Amazon's cloud arm told AFP on Tuesday that its service in Bahrain had been disrupted, after drone attacks hit the region. An Amazon Web Services (AWS) spokesperson said the disruption was ongoing, without specifying the exact location affected or any potential damage done. "The AWS Bahrain»»»

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iranian armed forces will attack Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip if Israel continues its attacks on Lebanon and Palestinian territories, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday. "If crimes against the civilian population of Lebanon and Palestine continue, en»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The situation around the US-Iran talks is "fluid," with no speculations about possible meetings as part of these arrangements advisable until an official announcement is made, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. "These are sensitive diplomatic discussions, and »»»

Manila: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos declared a state of "national energy emergency" on Tuesday, citing risks to the domestic fuel supply and energy stability created by the Middle East conflict. The state of emergency was declared just hours after the country's energy secretary said the P»»»

Dubai: President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States and Iran have discussed a “15-point” framework to end the war has sparked intense curiosity — and confusion — as neither Washington nor Tehran has revealed what those points actually are. Tehran has even denied that any talks are taking p»»»

Colombo: Sri Lanka ordered street lights, neon signs and billboard lighting to be switched off from Tuesday as part of measures to cut energy consumption by 25 percent to tackle supply shortages. Government spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said all state institutions had been asked to reduce the use of »»»

Bulk carriers sit anchored at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman, upstream from the Strait of Hormuz, on Monday. Elke Scholiers/Getty Images An end to the Iran war will bring immediate relief to oil and natural gas markets, but it could take months before prices fall back to the levels they stood a»»»

Israeli troops will control a large swathe of southern Lebanon as part of their campaign against Hezbollah, Defence Minister Israel Katz says. Katz told said troops would establish a security zone up to the Litani River, about 30km (19 miles) from the Lebanon-Israel border and displaced residents w»»»

Dubai: The UAE's largest private education group has applied to reopen select schools from next week, with a focus on supporting senior students ahead of crucial examinations. GEMS Education, which operates dozens of schools across the country, confirmed to Gulf News on Tuesday that it has formally»»»

The ongoing chaos in the Persian Gulf contributes to the emergence of new Asian energy hubs, Guilherme da Conceicao, researcher at the Center for Research on Russia, Eurasia and the Post-Soviet Space (CIRE), tells Sputnik. With the Strait of Hormuz energy bottleneck plugged, new energy routes from »»»

At an archaeological site in southern Lebanon's Tyre, small signs bearing a blue and white emblem provide a symbolic shield, meant to protect the ancient ruins from bombardment. One of the oldest cities on the Mediterranean coast, Tyre is located around 20 kilometers from the Israeli border, and ha»»»

Lebanon's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had withdrawn its approval of the Iranian ambassador's accreditation, giving him until Sunday to leave the country. The ministry said in a statement that it had summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires in Lebanon and informed him of "the Lebanese state's »»»

Capitals, March 24 (SANA) Countries worldwide are taking emergency and precautionary measures to absorb the impact of the US–Israeli–Iranian war on the global economy, as energy prices surge following Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Gulf oil and gas facilities. Japan Turns to »»»

Long security lines stretching for hours, missed flights and mounting frustration — US airports are facing widespread disruption as a funding standoff leaves key security operations understaffed at the peak of the spring travel season. The chaos has been compounded by broader pressures on global av»»»

Dhaka: Bangladesh hiked jet fuel prices by 79 percent on Tuesday as costs surge in the wake of the Middle East conflict. The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) order, the second this month, means aviation fuel prices have leapt by 111 percent since the start of the war, with the price n»»»

US President Donald Trump has ordered a five‑day delay in planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure, claiming “very good and productive” talks with Tehran are under way and will continue through the week. The move follows his threat to “obliterate” Iran’s power network if it»»»

A damaged apartment following an overnight Israeli airstrike targeted a building in Bshamoun, southeast of Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday. The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said more than 1,030 people have been killed and 2,800 others injured in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon since the start of re»»»

Hezbollah political council member Wafiq Safa has said that his party will force the Lebanese government to retract the decision to ban Hezbollah's military activities “regardless of the method.” In an interview, he pointed out that the party will not topple the government on the streets now, but h»»»

He is, according to President Donald Trump, a "top person" in the Iranian system who is "most respected" and is in an unenviable position. But who is the senior figure talking with the United States on the future of Iran after over three weeks of the Israeli-US war against the country? The individu»»»

Iran's Revolutionary Guards threatened on Tuesday to conduct "heavy" missile and drone attacks on Israel in what it described as support for Lebanese and Palestinian civilians. "We warn the regime's criminal army that if its crimes against civilians in Lebanon and Palestine persist," Israeli forces»»»

Israel's military will occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, defense minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday, the first time Israel has clearly spelled out its intent to seize swathes of territory that make up nearly a tenth of Lebanon. Katz has previously threatened Lebanon's government it »»»

Iran has informed leaders in Beirut of a “clear pledge” to include Lebanon in any deal that ends the ongoing war with the United States and Israel, well-informed Lebanese sources revealed to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. The sources said that Lebanese officials were told through "non-diplomatic" chann»»»

Within days of the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Quds Force officers began arriving in Iraq to oversee “attrition operations” and establish a support command for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The move reflects contingency planning for possible escalation inside Tehran. At the sam»»»

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that the country’s military “will control” southern Lebanon all the way to the Litani river. Katz said that Israeli forces had blown up “all five bridges over the Litani that were used by Hezbollah for the passage of terrorists and weapons”, a day a»»»

US President Donald Trump has said that the US and Iran are having 'very good' talks regarding the war. But they were denied by Tehran, although they did say they had received a request from the White House. There is also the question of where talks would be held - with Pakistan coming out as the m»»»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would be ready to protect its vital interests under any circumstances, while it continues to strike Iran and Lebanon. This comes as US President Donald Trump has claimed talks were underway with Iran - despite Tehran denying those talks. 'The qu»»»

At least five people have been killed in Russian strikes across Ukraine, after a massive overnight aerial bombardment targeted several regions across the country. A 61-year-old woman was killed when a drone hit an electric train in Kharkiv early on Tuesday, authorities said, while other deaths were»»»

Doha, Qatar: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said that Qatar is not involved in mediation between Iran and the US, but is focused on protecting its country. Ansari was addressing a press conference today, M»»»

Lebanon withdrew on Tuesday the accreditation of Iran's ambassador and ordered him to leave country. The Foreign Ministry said Tehran’s diplomatic representative in the war-torn country has to leave by Sunday, declaring him persona non grata. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Denise Rahme told The Asso»»»

The Iran war is a "disastrous mistake" that breaches international law, Germany's president said on Tuesday in an unusually blunt rebuke of US President Donald Trump's foreign policy, which he said marked a rupture for German ties with its biggest post-war ally. In a scathing verbal attack, Frank-W»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Over two-thirds of UK residents view the country as unprepared for a military conflict, the Sky News broadcaster reported on Tuesday, citing a study from UK polling firm Public First. Meanwhile, around 40% of respondents predict the UK will face war within five years, the broadca»»»

Apparent US-Israeli airstrikes hit a headquarters of Iraq's Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and a residence belonging to its leader on Tuesday, an escalation of US-Israeli strikes on one of Tehran's main regional allies. PMF leader Falih al-Fayadh was not present when his residence wa»»»