Stories for March 3rd 2026

Tuesday, March 3rd 2026 - 23:36 UTC
Trump threatens to cut off all trade with Spain after base refusal tied to Iran strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to impose a total trade embargo on Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government refused to allow the use of the Rota and Morón bases for missions linked to strikes on Iran.
Tuesday, March 3rd 2026 - 15:14 UTC
Chile: Kast halts transition talks with Boric, citing lack of trust over China-linked subsea cable briefings

Chile’s president-elect José Antonio Kast said on Tuesday he is suspending the handover process with outgoing President Gabriel Boric, arguing his team cannot trust the information it has received on key issues, including a China-linked subsea fiber-optic project that would connect central Chile with Hong Kong.
Tuesday, March 3rd 2026 - 13:10 UTC
Trump hits out at Starmer over Iran strikes, says the US-UK “special relationship” has weakened

Donald Trump criticized UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for refusing to take part in strikes against Iran and said the long-standing US-UK “special relationship” is “not what it was,” in remarks carried by Britain’s The Sun and reported by Reuters.
Tuesday, March 3rd 2026 - 13:06 UTC
Uruguay activates Mercosur–Singapore FTA on a bilateral basis, opening preferential access to Southeast Asia

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Mercosur and Singapore entered into force on a bilateral basis between Uruguay and the city-state on 1 March 2026, after both sides completed domestic procedures and deposited their instruments of ratification, according to a joint statement.
Tuesday, March 3rd 2026 - 12:45 UTC
France and Greece dispatch warships to Cyprus after Iranian attack on UK base

France will deploy anti-missile and anti-drone systems to Cyprus and send a frigate after drones struck the UK’s RAF Akrotiri air base on the island, citing Cyprus’ state-run CNA news agency and a Cypriot government source. The move comes amid a fast-moving regional escalation tied to fighting involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
Tuesday, March 3rd 2026 - 04:31 UTC
Uruguay: Orsi defends “stability” in first-year address, announces justice ministry and new projects

Uruguay’s President Yamandú Orsi addressed the General Assembly on Monday to present a first-year account of his administration and set priorities for 2026, combining legislative announcements with infrastructure pledges across security, health, transport and technology.
Tuesday, March 3rd 2026 - 02:57 UTC
Paraguay central bank cuts rates as inflation runs below target

Paraguay’s central bank chief Carlos Carvallo says the country is dealing with a “nice problem”: inflation is converging to the official goal “from below,” an unusual pattern in the region that has prompted policymakers to start trimming interest rates to prevent price growth from staying too low.
Tuesday, March 3rd 2026 - 02:42 UTC
Haddad says Iran conflict should not immediately hit Brazil’s economy

Brazil’s Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said on Monday that U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran should not have an immediate impact on Brazil’s macroeconomic indicators, while cautioning that the conflict’s trajectory remains hard to predict and is being monitored “carefully” by his ministry.
Tuesday, March 3rd 2026 - 01:53 UTC
France to boost nuclear arsenal and extend “advanced deterrence” to European partners

President Emmanuel Macron said France will increase the size of its nuclear arsenal and roll out a new “advanced deterrence” doctrine that would involve a group of European partners more directly in exercises, deployments and supporting capabilities—moves Paris framed as a response to a more unstable strategic environment.