German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made his first official visit to London on Thursday to sign a comprehensive friendship treaty with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aiming to reset post-Brexit ties between Britain and the European Union.
The visit comes shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Britain, reflecting growing alignment among Europe’s leading powers amid security concerns and strained transatlantic relations.
The new treaty, similar to Germany’s agreements with close allies such as France, includes a mutual assistance clause, which German officials say holds particular weight given Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. It builds on an earlier defence agreement that focused on joint development of long-range weapons and follows recent Franco-British plans to strengthen nuclear cooperation.
As part of the pact, the UK and Germany will also launch joint arms export campaigns for jointly produced equipment such as the Typhoon Eurofighter and the Boxer armoured vehicle - marking a shift from Germany’s past export restrictions.
Additionally, German defence company Stark will establish its first overseas plant in the UK to produce Artificial Intelligence powered unmanned systems, also known as autonomous systems.
The treaty will also target illegal migration, with Germany committing to criminalise the facilitation of migrant smuggling into Britain. This change will enable British authorities to investigate operations linked to illegal crossings, including storage and transport hubs used by smugglers.
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $...
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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.
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.
Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
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.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
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.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washington and Westminster deepened over the conflict involving Iran. The call came less than a day after Trump criticised Britain’s response to U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack that caused damage but no injuries.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 9th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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