Stories for March 17th 2026

Tuesday, March 17th 2026 - 23:31 UTC
Argentina officially withdraws from the WHO: How will this affect the country?

Argentina formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization on March 17, a move announced by Javier Milei’s government a year ago and now confirmed by Secretary for International Economic Relations Pablo Quirno. In his statement, Quirno said the country would continue promoting health cooperation through bilateral and regional channels while fully safeguarding its sovereignty over public health policy.
Tuesday, March 17th 2026 - 23:24 UTC
Kast launches border barriers in northern Chile and hardens migration agenda

Chilean President José Antonio Kast on Monday launched the border control works he had promised during the campaign, starting in Chacalluta in the Arica and Parinacota region, in an early sign that migration and security will be among the defining priorities of his administration. According to Chile’s presidency, Kast inspected the works at the frontier and highlighted the Army’s deployment to secure the area.
Tuesday, March 17th 2026 - 23:16 UTC
$LIBRA case forensic report points to payments from Novelli to Milei since 2021, La Nación says

A forensic report added to the judicial case around the $LIBRA scandal contains references to payments that businessman Mauricio Novelli allegedly made to Javier Milei from 2021, when he was still a congressman, for classes and promotional work tied to N&W Profesional Traders, according to La Nación. The report also points to indications of money transfers or cash deliveries even after Milei became president.
Tuesday, March 17th 2026 - 23:01 UTC
Games of Chance Through the Ages: Why the Thrill of the Game Never Fades

Few forms of entertainment have managed to hold public fascination for as long as casinos. From elegant gaming halls filled with card tables and roulette wheels to modern digital platforms accessible around the world, casinos continue to attract people seeking excitement, strategy and the unpredictable nature of chance. The concept may have evolved over time, but the core appeal remains the same: the anticipation that builds with every card dealt or wheel spun.
Tuesday, March 17th 2026 - 22:45 UTC
Petro accuses Ecuador of bombing Colombian territory, deepening rift with Noboa

The crisis between Colombia and Ecuador escalated sharply on Tuesday after Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his country was being bombed from Ecuadorian territory, while his counterpart Daniel Noboa rejected the allegation and insisted military operations were taking place only on Ecuador’s side of the border.
Tuesday, March 17th 2026 - 22:31 UTC
US counterterrorism chief resigns over Iran war

Joe Kent, director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, resigned on Tuesday with immediate effect, saying he could not support Washington’s war against Iran in what became the first high-level public break inside Donald Trump’s national security apparatus since the offensive began. Kent said Tehran had posed no “imminent threat” to the United States.
Tuesday, March 17th 2026 - 22:15 UTC
Trump sharpens criticism of NATO after allies refuse to join Hormuz mission

U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of NATO and other allies on Tuesday after most of them rejected his request to send ships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, the key waterway for Gulf energy exports. Speaking alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Trump called the refusal “a very foolish mistake” while also insisting Washington could proceed alone: “We don’t need help, actually.”
Tuesday, March 17th 2026 - 11:44 UTC
Rafael Correa in Uruguay: controversy over visit by convicted Ecuadorean ex-president

Former Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa is in Uruguay, according to Uruguayan government sources cited by Montevideo daily El País. His presence prompted criticism from the opposition, while the government said that, for now, no formal meetings with executive branch authorities were planned.
Tuesday, March 17th 2026 - 10:28 UTC
Argentina opposition seeks prosecutor’s removal in $LIBRA case and warns of possible cover-up

Political pressure on the judicial investigation into the $LIBRA case intensified on Monday after opposition lawmakers said they would file a complaint against federal prosecutor Eduardo Taiano before the Discipline Tribunal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and seek his removal from the case. The move followed new reports published by Argentine media on the forensic review of Mauricio Novelli’s phone, one of the central pieces of evidence in the investigation.
Tuesday, March 17th 2026 - 10:00 UTC
Saudi Arabia diverts more crude to the Red Sea to bypass Hormuz, but alternative capacity remains limited

Saudi Arabia is stepping up the use of its pipeline network to the Red Sea to keep crude exports moving while the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily disrupted by the war with Iran. The key route is the Abqaiq-Yanbu system, also known as the East-West Pipeline or Petroline, which links Gulf oil fields with the Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea. That infrastructure has become the kingdom’s main escape route around Hormuz, the chokepoint that normally carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply.