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 $...
Pope Leo has called on the leaders of Iran and Israel to show restraint and choose dialogue over conflict, urging them to act with “responsibility and reason” amid growing fears of escalation following recent airstrikes.
Pope Leo issued a heartfelt appeal on Saturday (June 14), urging the leaders of Iran and Israel to act with restraint and pursue dialogue in the wake of recent airstrikes. Speaking from St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope said he was watching developments with "great concern."
"At such a critical time, I feel compelled to call once again for responsibility and reason," he said.
He emphasised that efforts to create a safer world, free from the threat of nuclear weapons, must be grounded in respectful dialogue and genuine engagement.
"Lasting peace can only be built on justice, fraternity, and the common good."
Pope Leo also underscored the moral imperative to preserve life and national integrity:
"No one should ever threaten another's existence. It is the responsibility of all nations to champion peace, foster reconciliation, and seek solutions that ensure both security and dignity for all."
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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