Magnitude 7.4 quake hits off Indonesia’s Ternate, tsunami warning lifted

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has hit the ⁠Northern Molucca Sea off the coast of the city of ⁠Ternate, in Indonesia, killing at least one person and triggering a tsunami warning that was subsequently lifted.

EU lawmakers press China on unsafe products on rare Beijing visit

EU lawmakers this week pressed China over a ‌surge of dangerous products into the bloc and insufficient access to the Chinese market as they kicked off the first European parliamentary visit to the world’s No.2 economy in eight years.

Argentina designates Iran’s IRGC a terrorist organization, aligning with US

Argentina has designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary ​Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, its presidential ‌office said in a statement on Tuesday, following a push from the Trump administration for allies to ​do so.

Oil price falls and markets rally after Trump says Iran war over in ‘two to three weeks’

Oil prices tumbled and stock markets rallied across the world on Wednesday after Donald Trump said the war in Iran would end in “two to three weeks”.

Judge temporarily halts construction of Trump’s White House ballroom

A US judge has temporarily halted President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom construction project, ruling that proper procedures were not followed before the project began.

Woods to ’step away and seek treatment’ after crash

Tiger Woods says he is ’’stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health’’ following an arrest after a car crash.

Google is finally letting you change your Gmail address

For years, your Gmail address has been something you were effectively stuck with; whether it reflected your teenage obsessions, early internet humour, or a questionable combination of numbers and nicknames. That is now finally starting to change.

Indian refined diesel helps steady Australia’s fuel supply as regional markets tighten

India’s surge in refined diesel exports is emerging as an important pressure valve for Australia’s fuel market, helping keep regional supply moving at a time when diesel shortages and price shocks have rattled service stations across the country.

Pakistan’s 5G rollout: Spectrum secured, reality deferred

Recently Pakistan finally crossed a long-awaited milestone: the launch of 5G services in select parts of the country. The announcement followed the government’s spectrum auction held on March 9–10 in Islamabad, where 480 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum was sold for $507 million.

Trump says the US could end the Iran war in two to three weeks

President Donald Trump said the United States could end its military attacks on Iran within two to three weeks and ​Tehran did not have to make a deal as a prerequisite for the conflict to wind down.

Iran willing to end war if guarantees prevent repeat attacks: Pezeshkian

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had the ’’necessary will’’ to end the ongoing war with Israel and the United States, but was seeking guarantees that the conflict would not be repeated.

Trump urges countries seeking oil to go to Strait of Hormuz and ’just take it’

President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged countries that did not help in the U.S.-Israeli strikes on ​Iran to buy American oil and go to ‌the Strait of Hormuz and ’’just TAKE it.’’

China bans entombing cremated remains in empty flats

Chinese authorities have banned entombing cremated remains in cheap apartments, a practice that had gained popularity as mourners took advantage of the subdued housing market to dodge rising funeral costs.

Spain closes airspace to US planes taking part in war on Iran

Spain has barred US military aircraft involved in strikes on Iran from using its airspace, expanding earlier restrictions on access to jointly operated bases, Defence Minister Margarita Robles says.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry denies claims of US-Iran negotiations

In a press briefing, the spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry denied claims of negotiations with the US and stated that Iran was not involved in a Pakistan-led diplomatic effort to end the war.

Fire erupts at Haifa oil refinery in northern Israel after missile barrage from Iran, Lebanon

A fire broke out at the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa on Monday after a missile barrage from Iran and Lebanon hit northern Israel, local media reported.

New Covid-19 variant Cicada confirmed: How did it form?

A newly identified Covid-19 variant, informally dubbed Cicada, has been detected in limited clusters across multiple regions, prompting scientists to closely monitor its characteristics, transmissibility, and potential impact.

Dollar near 10‑month high on Middle East escalation concerns

The dollar was near a 10‑month high on Monday and heading for its biggest monthly gain since last July ​as mixed signals from Iran and the United States dimmed hopes of a possible quick end to the ‌Middle East conflict.

Trump says he got ’gift’ from Iran’s Ghalibaf, hints at Kharg seizure for taking oil

US President Donald Trump has indicated that America could ’’take the oil in Iran’’ and seize the Kharg Island-- Tehran’s main oil export hub-- as war in the Middle East continued into its fifth week.

Nestle says 12 tonnes of KitKat stolen, may cause shortage

A huge shipment of Nestle’s crunchy KitKat chocolate bars was stolen in Europe, the brand says, warning that the heist risked causing shortages in stores right before Easter.

Shops and restaurants in Egypt told to close early as energy crisis deepens

Shops, restaurants and cafes in Egypt have been told to close early as part of a raft of temporary measures to combat soaring energy prices caused by the Iran war.

Thousands of U.S. marines arrive in Middle East as Yemen’s Houthis join war against Israel

A U.S. Navy ship carrying some 2,500 marines has now arrived in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command announced Saturday, while Houthi rebels in Yemen launched strikes on Israel.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatens US universities in the Middle East

After US-Israeli strikes destroyed two Iranian universities, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard issued a statement warning employees, professors, and students of US universities in the region to stay away from campuses.

Philippines, France sign military pact amid South China Sea tensions

The Philippines and France have signed a visiting forces agreement that would allow them to conduct joint ​military training in each other’s territory, as Manila expands ‌defence ties amid rising tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea.

War to end in ‘weeks, not months’: Rubio says no need to send ground troops to Iran

The United States expects its military operations against Iran to conclude within “weeks, not months,” and can achieve its objectives without deploying ground troops, secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Friday.

Yemen’s Houthis launch missile attack on Israel as war on Iran intensifies

Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked Israel with a barrage of ballistic missiles – their first such strikes since the US-Israel war on Iran began.

Capital finds new ground in the East and South

Emerging markets equities and bonds have delivered the strongest start of a year in over two decades.

China’s trade machine shifts up a gear

China’s foreign trade has begun the year with unusual vigour. In the first two months alone, the country’s trade in goods returns to the “double digit era”, recording a 18.3% surge year-on-year. Imports reached 3.11 trillion yuan, up 17.1%.

Kuwait says main port damaged in drone attack

Kuwait’s main commercial port was damaged in a drone attack on Friday, authorities said, as Iran pressed its campaign in the Gulf in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes.

Iran tells people in Gulf to evacuate areas near US military, while striking civilian targets across region

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards urged civilians across the region on Friday to stay away from areas near US forces, nearly a month into the war with the United States and Israel.