In naval warfare, few weapons are as effective — or as disruptive — as marine mines. Of the 20 US Navy ships that have been severely damaged or sunk by adversary action since September 1945, 15 were "mine" victims. The US has also used as both offensive and defensive weapons: when the US Navy emplo»»»

Hungary’s two leading political blocs, Fidesz and the Tisza Party, held mass rallies on March 15 in a prominent display of power, widely seen as a measure of their capacity to rally voters ahead of the April 12 elections. Prime Minister Viktor Orban vowed to keep Hungary "an island of security and »»»

At Hungary’s March 15 national commemoration, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán delivered a speech centered on the country’s security, sovereignty, and the coming election. According to the prime minister, Europe is entering a dangerous period as Brussels prepares for deeper involvement in the war in Ukr»»»

By Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Eric Schmitt The deployment of about 2,500 Marines to the Middle East represents a new phase in the two-week-old war in Iran, as Iranian forces increase their attacks on the Strait of Hormuz. The unit, officially known as the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, according to t»»»

Doha, Qatar: Estithmar Holding has paid the third semi-annual coupon of its Qatari Riyal-denominated Sukuk (first tranche), at an annual profit rate of 8.75%. The first tranche, part of the company’s broader Sukuk program valued at QR3.4bn and listed on the London Stock Exchange’s International Sec»»»

France's government is bolstering the country's military presence in the Middle East, dispatching its aircraft carrier and other warships, while President Emmanuel Macron engages with key players in the conflict, including Iran, in a bid to position Paris for future diplomatic talks. Macron said th»»»

Dubai: The Philippine peso fell to a record low against the UAE dirham on Monday morning, reflecting mounting pressure on emerging market currencies amid volatile energy markets and growing global uncertainty. (Check live forex rates here) Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balanc»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn after landing in Marine One on Sunday, in Washington, D.C. The President is returning to the White House after spending the weekend at his private club, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo March 16 (UPI) -»»»

THIS WEEK offers a weekly snapshot of the key developments in Brussels and across Europe over the next seven days, published every Monday morning. EU leaders are meeting on Thursday (19 March) for a busy and timely European Council in Brussels, where support for Ukraine, energy security, Middle Eas»»»

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi demands that Israel be "punished for its war crimes" against the Islamic Republic. The bombings of fuel depots in Tehran by Israeli authorities “violate international law and constitute ecocide,” he posted on X. Araghchi warned the attacks could leave lasting»»»

President Donald Trump urged NATO partners and China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical conduit for crude that Iran has effectively closed, as major economic players began releasing oil reserves on Monday to ward off supply disruptions. Global oil prices have surged by 40 to 50 perce»»»

Britain is not prepared to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, despite US President Donald Trump’s call for allies to join a naval effort, The Telegraph reported. UK ministers said they are still considering other options, including mine-hunting drones, but have not committed naval v»»»

Iran is taking steps to prevent anti-establishment protests, with checkpoints appearing across the streets of the capital, internet access restricted, and mass text warnings sent to residents. In Tehran, people have been telling the BBC about new security checkpoints around the city, where they say»»»

US President Donald Trump's call to world powers to send their warships to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint received tepid responses on Sunday as Gulf Arab states reported new missile and drone attacks. Iran's foreign minister denied Trump's claim that Tehran wan»»»

Attacks on northern Israel have been “constant” and “relentless”, says FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky, reporting from Jerusalem. Iranian missiles combined with Hezbollah rocket attacks are making regular life in Israel “simply impossible”, she explains, noting that most residents of northern Israel h»»»

French President Emmanuel Macron said on ​Sunday he had asked Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkianto put an immediate end to attacks against ​countries ‌in the Middle East whether ⁠directly or through proxies, including in Lebanon and Iraq.  Read our blog to see how the day's events unfold»»»

What role does human intelligence gathering have to play in the war in Iran? In a conflict defined by sophisticated weaponry, secret agents operating on the ground across the Middle East are still crucial to Western efforts to combat Iranian forces.»»»

More than two weeks ago, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Since then, Iran has retaliated against targets across the Gulf and effectively halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Global oil prices have surged as a result. Did the United States factor this risk into its pl»»»

As the conflict in the Middle East continues to take a significant toll on the world's oil supply, Nigeria's foreign minister has invited the Gulf countries and oil producers to look at Nigeria as a partner in supplying the global market. Story by Clémence Waller and Gabrielle Nadler.»»»

Israel's military said it began a broad wave of strikes on western Iran on Sunday. As the war progresses into the third week, further retaliatory strikes from Iran are likely to occur. So far, Iran has launched strikes across nine countries in the Gulf region. Most of these attacks have been interc»»»

In just 10 days, more than 800,000 people in Lebanon have been displaced by war, just over a year since the last conflict uprooted over a million Lebanese from their homes. Israeli strikes have killed 826 people, including 106 children and 65 women, since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel r»»»

The oil market is experiencing extreme volatility on March 16, 2026, driven by the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The war has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and forced production cuts across the Gulf, even as US President Donald Trump appealed for help from Nato allies and »»»

Candidates for the far-right National Rally posted strong results in the first round of France’s municipal elections on Sunday, winning several races outright and polling neck-and-neck with the incumbent left in Marseille, in the last major test of the French public mood ah»»»

Restaurants in India are suffering the consequences of disruptions to supplies of cooking gas caused by the war in the Middle East. Two restaurant owners describe the mounting challenges of operating under the crisis and the measures they’re taking to adapt. “No roti due to gas cylinder crisis.” “O»»»

North Korea on Sunday tested nuclear-capable multiple rocket launchers that Pyongyang’s leader Kim Jong Un said should make the country's enemies feel a sense of "uneasiness". The tests came one day after South Korea detected 10 ballistic missiles launched from North Korea.  North Korea t»»»

Combined Russian missile and drone strikes in several Ukrainian regions killed six people, according to offcials. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the ⁠Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Mykolaiv regions were targeted in an attack that included around 430 drones and 68 missiles, most of which were do»»»

Pope Leo XIV, seen here on May 18, 2025, called for a cease-fire Sunday in the war in Iran. File Photo by Stefano Spaziani/UPI | License Photo March 16 (UPI) -- Pope Leo XIV called for a cease-fire in the Middle East on Sunday, issuing his strongest and most direct demand to date for an end to the »»»

The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz is underway, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever wins will control half of China’s flow of oil. One unstated objective of Washington’s fore»»»

In the central city of Morón, Cuba, simmering anger over soaring food prices and relentless power cuts has erupted into violence as a band of protesters stormed a provincial Communist Party building, setting it ablaze in the process. Furniture was torn from the offices as fires were set late on Mar»»»

The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz is underway, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever wins will control half of China’s flow of oil. One unstated objective of Washington’s fore»»»

The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz is underway, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever wins will control half of China’s flow of oil. One unstated objective of Washington’s fore»»»

Hamas has called on Iran to refrain from attacking neighbouring countries, in a rare public appeal that highlights emerging strains within Tehran’s regional alliance network as conflict spreads across the Middle East. In a»»»

The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz is underway, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever wins will control half of China’s flow of oil. One unstated objective of Washington’s fore»»»

Israel is preparing plans for a large-scale ground offensive into southern Lebanon aimed at pushing the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah away from the border and dismantling its military infrastructure, according to US and Israeli officials cited by Axios and The Times of Israel. »»»

Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan told the Associated Press (AP) on March 14 that while there is no serious initiative to resume peace negotiations between the warring US and Iran, he believes Tehran is open to back-channel talks. »»»

The widening US-led war with Iran is rapidly consuming expensive American air defence munitions that Ukraine relies on to shield its cities from Russian missile strikes, raising concerns among European allies that Kyiv could face critical shortages in the months ahead, reported Politico. »»»

The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz is underway, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever wins will control half of China’s flow of oil. One unstated objective of Washington’s fore»»»

Hamas has called on Iran to refrain from attacking neighbouring countries, in a rare public appeal that highlights emerging strains within Tehran’s regional alliance network as conflict spreads across the Middle East. In a»»»

The widening US-led war with Iran is rapidly consuming expensive American air defence munitions that Ukraine relies on to shield its cities from Russian missile strikes, raising concerns among European allies that Kyiv could face critical shortages in the months ahead, reported Politico. »»»

Israel is preparing plans for a large-scale ground offensive into southern Lebanon aimed at pushing the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah away from the border and dismantling its military infrastructure, according to US and Israeli officials cited by Axios and The Times of Israel. »»»

Hamas has called on Iran to refrain from attacking neighbouring countries, in a rare public appeal that highlights emerging strains within Tehran’s regional alliance network as conflict spreads across the Middle East. In a»»»

The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz is underway, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever wins will control half of China’s flow of oil. One unstated objective of Washington’s fore»»»

Israel is preparing plans for a large-scale ground offensive into southern Lebanon aimed at pushing the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah away from the border and dismantling its military infrastructure, according to US and Israeli officials cited by Axios and The Times of Israel. »»»

The widening US-led war with Iran is rapidly consuming expensive American air defence munitions that Ukraine relies on to shield its cities from Russian missile strikes, raising concerns among European allies that Kyiv could face critical shortages in the months ahead, reported Politico. »»»

The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz is underway, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever wins will control half of China’s flow of oil. One unstated objective of Washington’s fore»»»

Hamas has called on Iran to refrain from attacking neighbouring countries, in a rare public appeal that highlights emerging strains within Tehran’s regional alliance network as conflict spreads across the Middle East. In a»»»

Israel is preparing plans for a large-scale ground offensive into southern Lebanon aimed at pushing the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah away from the border and dismantling its military infrastructure, according to US and Israeli officials cited by Axios and The Times of Israel. »»»

The widening US-led war with Iran is rapidly consuming expensive American air defence munitions that Ukraine relies on to shield its cities from Russian missile strikes, raising concerns among European allies that Kyiv could face critical shortages in the months ahead, reported Politico. »»»

The battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz is underway, one of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Whoever wins will control half of China’s flow of oil. One unstated objective of Washington’s fore»»»

Hamas has called on Iran to refrain from attacking neighbouring countries, in a rare public appeal that highlights emerging strains within Tehran’s regional alliance network as conflict spreads across the Middle East. In a»»»