Author: staff

Members of Iran’s women’s national football team were seen at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia as they prepared to head home following an asylum dispute involving several players. The team was seen arranging luggage and moving through the departure hall ahead of their flight. Their journey comes after several members of the squad withdrew an asylum bid that had been filed in Australia. Video shows players gathering in the terminal and heading toward the international departures area. The development follows days of uncertainty surrounding the team’s travel plans and the status of the asylum requests.

British officials have told both U.K. steel producers and downstream importers, who use steel in everything from construction to automotive manufacturing, to expect a 50 percent duty outside of new quotas in a move “likely to be similar to the EU,” said a second industry figure. Both industry figures were granted anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly. Last October, the EU announced plans to reduce its quotas on foreign steel imports by almost half and levy a 50 percent tariff on goods exceeding the cap. The move is part of an overhaul of so-called safeguard protections that…

Qatar has rejected Iranian claims that its strikes do not target civilian locations, as missile and drone attacks on the country continue despite appearing less intense in recent days, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Dr Majed Al-Ansari said in a briefing on Monday. “I find it very difficult to even respond to what Mr Aragchi said in light of the fact that these attacks are ongoing every day,” Al-Ansari told reporters, referring to the Iranian foreign minister’s denial that Tehran would target civilian sites. “Since the Iranian attacks have started on Qatar, the threats and the attacks on civilian targets have…

Capitals also sanctioned Chinese company Integrity Technology Group and Chinese firm Anxun Information Technology, also known as i-Soon, and its co-founders Chen Cheng and Wu Haibo, who are banned from entering the EU, the EU sanctions listing showed. According to the details of the sanctions, Anxun Information Technology targeted “critical infrastructure and critical state functions” of EU countries and sold classified information as part of so-called hack-for-hire services.  The United States Department of Justice in March 2025 indicted 12 people involved in i-Soon for cyberattacks the U.S. said it had carried out at the behest of Chinese security services. Chinese…

Residents and workers in southern Tehran cleared rubble and debris on Sunday from buildings damaged in strikes that hit the Javadieh neighbourhood two days earlier. The attack struck a police station in the area and damaged several nearby residential buildings. Iranian Red Crescent teams were seen at the site as people removed broken glass, concrete and belongings from damaged apartments. Some residents described the moment of the blast, saying windows shattered and debris flew through their homes.

Currently those missions — originally conceived to protect EU commercial vessels from attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen — are not operating in the strait and are bound by rules of engagement that would limit their effectiveness, a senior EU diplomat said. “We will discuss with the member states whether it’s possible to really change the mandate of this mission,” said Kallas. “We have proposals on the table … The point is whether the member states are willing to use this mission.” “If the member states are not doing anything with this then of course it’s their decision, but we…

The Iran war is entering its third week with no clear end in sight, as military strikes intersect with deepening uncertainty over Tehran’s leadership and looming cultural celebrations that could spark unrest. Conflicting reports continue to circulate about the condition of Mojtaba Khamenei, who was named supreme leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the opening US-Israeli strikes on 28 February. Some sources claim his injuries may prevent him from recording the traditional Nowruz message delivered by Iran’s supreme leader each year. Unverified rumours suggest he may have been transferred to Moscow for medical treatment. US President…

While tricks like putting a shoe in the hotel safe can help prevent leaving valuables behind after check out, flights can leave even the most seasoned travellers frazzled. It’s oh-so-easy to forget to check the pocket on the seat in front of you before deplaning after a long journey, and books, headphones and charging cables are all common victims. Most people will reach out to their airline and eventually get their items back, but there’s a whole industry dedicated to sorting through and reselling items left on board and found in unclaimed luggage. In the US, the Unclaimed Baggage Center…

Spain on Monday put forward Agriculture Minister Luis Planas as a candidate for the top job at the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced the decision during his doorstep at the Foreign Council Affairs in Brussels. “It is a Spanish candidacy, but one that has a European vocation and also reflects Spain’s belief in multilateralism and the United Nations, at a time when food security is absolutely fundamental,” Albares said.

Published on 16/03/2026 – 14:14 GMT+1 The US trade deficit in goods with the EU declined by just 7% in 2025, despite tariffs imposed by the White House to narrow the gap, according to a study released Monday by the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham), highlighting the deep trade interdependence between the two partners. The report comes as Washington and Brussels remain at odds, due to the White House’s current aggressive trade policy, which includes tripling US tariffs on the bloc. A lopsided agreement was struck last summer between EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen…