World News
Latest world news and updates
Total: 2257
Major Powers Tap Strategic Oil Stocks as Middle East Strikes Send Prices Surging
In response to supply fears after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, the IEA and several countries have agreed to release strategic oil reserves—400 million barrels collectively from IEA members, with the US, Germany, Japan and South Korea announcing significant national drawdowns. The injections are intended to calm markets and limit a supply-risk premium, but their physical impact is limited and they are primarily a political and psychological tool.
Oil, Markets and Missed Objectives: How a Sudden US–Israel Rethink Has Shaken Global Markets — and Rewarded Russia
Diplomatic backtracking by the US and Israel briefly calmed oil markets, only for Iranian mine-laying in the Strait of Hormuz to reignite price and market volatility. The shock has inflicted acute losses on South Korea’s stock market, forced Seoul into its first direct fuel-market intervention since 1997, and turbocharged Russian energy revenues as buyers like India exploit supply opportunities.
Biggest IEA Oil Release in History Fails to Douse Prices as Hormuz Risk Keeps a Premium on Crude
The IEA coordinated the largest emergency release of oil in its history — 400 million barrels — but Brent and US crude leapt on March 12 as markets remained worried about disruptions via the Strait of Hormuz. The move signals strong international coordination, yet traders are pricing a sustained risk premium because physical chokepoints and on‑the‑ground escalations could still significantly curtail supplies.
Tanker Attacks off Iraq Deepen Strait of Hormuz Crisis as Oil Prices Spike and Washington Taps Reserves
Two foreign tankers were attacked off Iraq’s Umm Qasr port, killing one crew member and aggravating an already acute maritime crisis around the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes have driven oil and fuel prices higher, prompted a large coordinated release of strategic reserves and exposed the limited tools available to secure vital shipping lanes absent de-escalation.
Washington Opens Broad Section 301 Probe of 16 Partners, Raising Stakes for Global Trade
The U.S. has launched Section 301 investigations into 16 trading partners, including China and the EU, reviving a unilateral tool that could lead to tariffs or other penalties. The move signals Washington’s widening concerns about foreign industrial and digital practices and raises new risks for global supply chains and the multilateral trading order.
A Street Brawl, a Dead Student and an Electoral Earthquake: How a Lyon Killing Reordered French Politics
A fatal beating in Lyon has escalated into a major political crisis in France, damaging the far‑left LFI ahead of municipal elections and prompting international spat between Paris, Rome and Washington. Arrests tying suspects to LFI’s milieu, ministerial finger‑pointing and a court’s rejection of the party’s appeal have intensified domestic polarisation and may reshape electoral dynamics toward 2027.
Information Leak and Saturation Strikes Expose Cracks in Israel’s Air Defences
Leaked footage of missile damage in Israeli cities has undermined an early government information blackout and highlighted limits in the country’s layered air-defence systems under saturation attack. The strikes inflicted both physical harm and broader civil disruption, forcing Israel to confront fiscal, operational and political trade-offs in defending its population centres.
Spring at the Edge: How China’s Border Garrisons Cultivate Greenhouses, Honors and Home Ties to Sustain Frontier Morale
As spring slowly returns to China’s high frontiers, PLA border units are planting greenhouses, hanging wooden star plaques on an honour tree and cultivating family and civic ties to sustain morale. These initiatives improve living conditions, reinforce unit identity and serve a broader domestic messaging effort about the normality and dedication of frontier service.
Washington Reboots Trade Warfare: New 301 Probes Target China and a Dozen Partners
After a Supreme Court ruling curbed the president’s emergency tariff powers, the U.S. launched new investigations under Section 301 targeting China and a dozen other economies. The probes, focused on subsidies, excess capacity and labour practices, aim to restore a credible tariff threat but risk reigniting trade tensions and disrupting global supply chains.
US Probe Says Tomahawk 'Mistakenly' Hit Iranian School; Outdated DIA Data Blamed
A US internal probe has preliminarily determined that a Tomahawk missile mistakenly struck an elementary school in Minab, Iran, on February 28 after relying on outdated DIA target data. The school had once been part of an IRGC naval facility but was converted years earlier, complicating targeting assessments and raising legal and political concerns.
Davos Drama: Trump’s Greenland Demand and a Pay-to-Join 'Peace' Club Expose a Fraying Western Coalition
At Davos 2026 President Trump and his cabinet staged a high‑profile offensive, pressing claims on Greenland, launching a paid "Board of Peace" and openly chastising European policy choices. The spectacle crystallised widening disagreements within the Western camp and highlighted both opportunities and limits for China and other middle powers amid an evolving global order.
Iran and Hezbollah Claim Coordinated Missile-and-Drone Barrage on Over 50 Targets Across Israel, Says IRGC
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it and Hezbollah conducted a five-hour coordinated missile-and-drone campaign striking more than 50 targets across Israel and claiming hits on US bases in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Tehran framed the action as part of an ongoing campaign to alter battlefield realities, a development that raises the risk of broader regional escalation and complicates US and allied responses.