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By Sam Tabahriti and Sarah Young LONDON, March 9 (Reuters) - Britain wants major economies to agree to release emergency oil reserves as the escalating Iranian crisis sends energy prices soaring and increases the risk of higher inflation, finance minister Rachel Reeves said on Monday. British borrowing costs have soared since the conflict erupted more than a week ago, and by more than those of other European countries and the U.S., as investors fear that surging oil and gas prices will stoke already stubborn inflation and require the government to borrow more.

Social media company tells MPs of continual fight against state-backed efforts, with Russia being most prolific Elon Musk’s X said it had suspended 800m accounts over a 12-month period as it fights the “massive” scale of attempts to manipulate the platform. The social media company told MPs it was continually fighting state-backed attempts to hijack the agenda on its network, with Russia the most prolific state actor, followed by Iran and China. Continue reading...

European Commission head says rules-based system can no longer be relied upon to protect the continent’s interests Europe can “no longer be a custodian for the old-world order” and needs “a more realistic and interest-driven foreign policy”, the head of the European Commission has said. Speaking to an audience of EU ambassadors on Monday, Ursula von der Leyen said the union “will always defend and uphold the rules-based system” but could no longer rely on it to defend European interests and shelter the continent from threats. Continue reading...

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Monday said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told him five members of the Iranian national women's soccer team had been "taken care of" amid fears they could be punished. Australia's SBS News earlier said five players had "broken free" after the team was eliminated from the Asian Cup tournament and were now under the protection of the federal police, seeking assistance from the government.

Pressure is growing on Australia to allow the athletes to stay after a commentator threatened them over their refusal to sing the national anthem amid the war.

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Australia was "making a terrible humanitarian mistake" by allowing Iran's national women's soccer team to be sent back to Iran and called on Australia's prime minister to give asylum to team members. (Reporting by Katharine Jackson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Collision involving inflatable boat carrying migrants or refugees occurs off southwestern Turkiye's Antalya province.

OSLO, March 9 (Reuters) - Norwegian police are searching for a suspect seen on surveillance footage following an explosion during the weekend at the U.S. embassy in Oslo, investigators said on Monday. The early Sunday morning blast damaged one of the entrances to the embassy, sending thick smoke into the street but causing no injuries, in what police said may have been linked to the crisis in the Middle East.

BRUSSELS, March 9 (Reuters) - The EU must be prepared to project its power more assertively as it can no longer rely on a "rules-based" system against threats and must determine if its institutions and systems help or hinder its credibility, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday.

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Iran President: Mojtaba Khamenei appointment marks new era  Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian welcomed the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader, calling it the start of a “new era of dignity and strength” for Iran. In a statement reported by the Fars news agency, Pezeshkian said the decision by the Assembly of Experts reflected the will of the Iranian people and strengthened national unity. Iran’s armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and several senior officials have also pledged allegiance to the new leader. Among them were parliament speaker Mohammed-Bagher Qalibaf and former parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani.

Ministry's legal aide tells court that Gali Baharav-Miara's subordinate, State Attorney Amit Aisman, is the 'most senior official' who can oversee case; petitioning group blasts move The post Citing conflict of interest concerns, Justice Ministry won’t hand Sde Teiman leak probe to AG appeared first on The Times of Israel.

Top Iranian officials back Iran's new supreme leader High-profile members of the Iranian government have backed the country's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf welcomed the Assembly of Experts’ decision and said that following Khamenei is Iranians’ “definitive religious and national duty”. Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, called for unity around the new leader and thanked the assembly for its “clear” decision.

Army tells UN and aid workers to leave as forces close in on one of the last opposition strongholds.

Herzog said Israel is a sovereign state that follows the rule of law after Trump urged him to grant Netanyahu a pardon.

Iran selects new supreme leader The Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for selecting Iran's new supreme leader, has announced it has reached a decision. "The vote to appoint the leader has taken place and the leader has been chosen," Ahmad Alamolhoda, a member of the Assembly of Experts, told Iran's Mehr news agency.  He said the leader's name will be announced later on Sunday.

DUBAI, March 8 (Reuters) - The clerical body that will choose Iran's next supreme leader, succeeding the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has more or less reached a majority consensus, Assembly of Experts member Ayatollah Mohammadmehdi Mirbaqeri said on Sunday. The Mehr news agency quoted him as saying "some obstacles" still needed to be resolved regarding the process. On Saturday, a senior cleric in the Assembly of Experts said its members would meet "within one day" to choose the leader.

Mothin Ali said he received death threats after it was claimed in parliament that he attended a rally in support of the Iranian regime