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US President Donald Trump's demand for European allies to help secure the passage of oil and gas tankers through the Strait of Hormuz was a major talking point at today's meeting of European Union foreign affairs ministers in Brussels. Some member states indicated that they do not want NATO to be involved in guarding the strait, which

Skip next section Thanks for reading March 17, 2026 Thanks for reading We've seen a number of US partners, including Germany, say they weren't going to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump demanded that countries help reopen the vital shipping lane that has effectively remained closed since the start of the Iran

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has gone back and forth in his relationship with Donald Trump: A year ago, Merz presented himself as a sharp critic of Trump. Then came a long phase of rapprochement — political opponents accused Merz of pandering to the US president. This culminated in a visit to the White House about two

Valencia's High Court has rejected a bid to indict former regional president Carlos Mazon for allegedly mismanaging the 2024 floods that killed hundreds of people. The court ruled Monday that there was no evidence Mazon violated emergency management laws. The October 29, 2024, floods killed 230 people and destroyed thousands of homes along Spain's Mediterranean

China's National People's Congress (NPC) last week approved by an overwhelming majority a law that had been submitted to the legislature three years ago: the Law Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress. There were 2,756 votes in favor of this "ethnic unity" law, three abstentions and three votes against. Some 442 delegates from ethnic minority groups took

A well-known stock market proverb says: "Buy when the cannons are firing." In other words, in times of war and uncertainty, people should invest. Those looking to protect their wealth and assets often turn to gold — even though gold is rarely cheap in turbulent times. In times of crises, such as a pandemic or

Officials promised to clamp down on the practice of pressing Kenyans into joining the Russian army, Nairobi's Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi said on Monday in Moscow. He added that they were working on a plan to repatriate Kenyans who had been lured to Russia until false pretenses. After being promised well-paid civilian work, some 1,000 Kenyans have landed

A deadly fire broke out at a government-run hospital in the eastern Indian state of Odisha early on Monday, officials have confirmed. At least 10 critically ill patients lost their lives. "A short circuit caused the fire in the trauma ICU ward where patients were being treated," said Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Majhi added

For many years, Germany was considered a pioneer in climate protection. Every German government presented an ambitious agenda to slash CO2 emissions at international climate conferences, and the country succeeded in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions for many years. However, with the conservative-led government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which came to power in May 2025

The Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran is of central importance for the trade of oil and liquefied natural gas. To date, approximately one fifth of all oil transport around the globe has been routed through this bottleneck. That's why the strait's closure has fueled supply fears among buyers and raised questions about alternative sources of supply ― including