Oil prices hit four year high: Latest news on the Middle East conflict on 9 March
Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $...
Amid ongoing peace talks, fighting in Ukraine has escalated, leading to a rising number of civilian casualties. In the first three months of this year, casualty figures were 30% higher than during the same period last year, stated UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
He alarmed the increasing use of short-range combat drones by both parties to the conflict. These new devices have killed and injured more civilians than any other weapon since December, Türk stated.
High Commissioner's Office verified that 413 civilians have been killed and more than 2,000 injured since the beginning of the year. More than 30 civilians were killed and 200 injured in just one week during March, and the actual number is likely higher.
"Russia’s long-range missiles, drones and aerial glide bombs were responsible for 40 per cent of casualties this year," - Volker Türk stated.
In one recent attack on 7 March, Russian armed forces attacked the town of Dobropillia, with a ballistic missile, cluster munitions, and drones. The Office visited the site and verified at least 11 civilians killed and 48 injured.
"Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, our office has verified that more than 12,700 civilians have been killed and more than 30,000 have been injured. Again, the actual figures are almost certainly much higher," - UN High Commissioner said.
It was verified that between the beginning of the full-scale invasion and the end of 2024, some 669 Ukrainian children were killed and 1,833 injured.
Beyond death, life-changing injuries and psychological trauma, the conflict has disrupted education and healthcare for children on a massive scale; forced more than 2.4 million children from their homes; separated children from their parents; and undermined their adequate standard of living.
"Limited ceasefires that protect shipping lanes and infrastructure are a welcome step forward. What is most needed now is an end to the horrific suffering being inflicted daily in Ukraine, - UN Human Commissioner stated and added: "While the war continues to rage, I call again for an end to attacks on civilians and to the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. All precautions must be taken to avoid harm to civilians."
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.
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.
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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