International

• 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 - 22:31 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 - 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.

• Monday, March 16th 2026 - 16:14 UTC

  Germany rejects sending ships to Hormuz as the EU seeks a diplomatic and logistical way forward

  

  Germany on Monday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for allies to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to help reopen the shipping route. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius questioned what “a handful” of European frigates could do that the U.S. Navy could not already do, and summed up Berlin’s position bluntly: “This is not our war.” Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson added that the conflict “is not NATO’s war” and that Germany had no plans to be drawn into it.

• Monday, March 16th 2026 - 16:00 UTC

  Fed and ECB face a pivotal week as the oil shock revives inflation risk

  

  The U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank head into this week’s policy meetings in a far more uncertain environment than they faced just two weeks ago. The Fed meets on March 17-18, and the ECB on March 18-19, just after the Middle East war pushed oil prices above US$100 a barrel and forced markets to rethink the expected path of interest rates. Even so, neither institution is expected to change borrowing costs at these meetings.

• Monday, March 16th 2026 - 15:56 UTC

  ‘One Battle after Another’ leads the Oscars with six wins in a ceremony with few direct references to war

  

  The 98th Academy Awards crowned One Battle after Another as the night’s dominant winner, taking six Oscars including best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best supporting actor for Sean Penn, best film editing and the new award for casting. The ceremony was held Sunday in Los Angeles with Conan O’Brien as host.

• Monday, March 16th 2026 - 01:10 UTC

  Oil tops US$100 a barrel as Middle East war and Hormuz disruption rattle markets

  

  Oil prices moved back above US$100 a barrel on Monday as the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran intensified and shipping disruption in the Strait of Hormuz hit one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints. Brent crude rose to US$105.15 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate climbed to US$100.32 in early Asian trading, according to market data.

• Monday, March 16th 2026 - 00:10 UTC

  Fishing Tourism Set to Rise Globally as Angler Seek Exotic Locations to Cast a Line

  

  Just about every nation is home to anglers who like to venture out more locally to spend a day by the waterways. Increasingly, however, those anglers and newcomers are hoping to place themselves in new surroundings or take on new challenges in the form of exotic fish around the world.

• Friday, March 13th 2026 - 16:03 UTC

  Uruguayan fugitive Sebastián Marset captured in Bolivia and placed in U.S. custody

  

  Suspected Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset was captured on Friday in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, in an operation that ends one of the Southern Cone’s longest and most visible manhunts. Paraguayan authorities confirmed the arrest and said Marset had been secured after a raid carried out by Bolivian forces.