Pakistan announces school closures due to rising fuel costs
Schools across Pakistan are being forced to close for a fortnight from next week with government departments down to a four-day week, accordin...
Finance ministers from the Group of Seven discussed new sanctions on Russia and tariffs on countries buying its oil, as the U.S. urged allies to ramp up economic pressure.
Finance ministers from the Group of Seven held a call on Friday to explore further measures aimed at curbing Russia's military operations in Ukraine. The meeting, chaired by Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, focused on sanctions enforcement and potential new tariffs targeting countries that are viewed as supporting Russia's war effort by purchasing its oil.
A statement from the Canadian government said the ministers agreed to accelerate talks on utilising frozen Russian sovereign assets to fund Ukraine’s defence. The group also discussed a range of additional economic tools, including sanctions and trade measures, that could penalise countries enabling Russia’s wartime economy.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged his G7 counterparts to join Washington in levying tariffs on countries that continue to import Russian oil. "Only with a unified effort that cuts off the revenues funding Putin's war machine at the source will we be able to apply sufficient economic pressure to end the senseless killing," Bessent said in a joint statement with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
The U.S. Treasury separately called on the G7 and European Union to impose “meaningful tariffs” on goods from China and India to pressure them to stop purchasing Russian crude.
President Donald Trump, who has already increased tariffs on Indian imports to a total of 50%, has not yet expanded such measures to Chinese goods. His administration is maintaining a fragile trade balance with Beijing amid ongoing talks.
Bessent is travelling to Madrid for another round of talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. The discussions will address trade relations, the U.S. push for a forced divestment of TikTok, and anti-money laundering concerns.
Trump, speaking on Fox News earlier Friday, expressed growing impatience with Vladimir Putin but stopped short of announcing new sanctions. While acknowledging sanctions on banks and oil remain possible, he emphasised that Europe must also intensify its pressure campaign. "We're going to have to come down very, very strong," he said.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Schools across Pakistan are being forced to close for a fortnight from next week with government departments down to a four-day week, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a televised address to the nation.
Just under a year after being arrested and imprisoned at Silivri prison in the west of İstanbul, İmamoğlu appeared in good spirits when he arrived in court on Monday to face around 140 charges including leading a criminal organisation for profit and bribery.
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $119 a barrel, as conflict in the Middle East rumbled on. Meanwhile, the Turkish Military said NATO air defence systems destroyed a missile fired from Iran towards the country.
Kyrgyzstan recorded the largest increase in women’s representation in parliament worldwide in 2025, according to a new report by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Türkiye’s official anti-disinformation agency has issued a statement refuting what it described as online “disinformation” and reiterating the strength of relations between Türkiye and Azerbaijan.
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