News

Here are five of the biggest stories from around the world today

The Israeli strikes highlighted gaps between US and Israeli planning, and the attacks on oil infrastructure potentially threaten to limit Washington’s ability to influence a future Iranian government.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in shouting match with judge as trial begins Güldenay Sonumut on Mon, 03/09/2026 - 15:36 Detainees must review tens of thousands of pages of documents with just two hours of weekly computer access Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Dilek Imamoglu, wife of Ekrem Imamoglu, the jailed mayor of Istanbul and main rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, address the media, 9 March 2026 (Umit Bektas/Reuters) Off Temperatures rose quickly on the opening day of the mass corruption trial involving Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and more than 400 co-defendants, with the mayor challenging the judge and seeking permission to address supporters at the outset of the hearing. The judges did not allow Imamoglu to proceed, arguing that such a request was not part of regular court procedure, as the mayor’s supporters chanted slogans in his favour. Imamoglu walked towards the bench, asking to speak. The presiding judge ordered his microphone to be switched off. “You cannot continue like this,” the judge warned. Imamoglu responded: “Starting the trial in this way is very wrong. People who have been victimised here must be able to defend themselves.” Imamoglu, 55, faces more than 140 charges including corruption and running a criminal organisation. He and his party, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), deny the charges, which carry potential prison sentences ranging from hundreds to 2,340 years. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The trial carries significant political implications. Imamoglu, a leading opposition figure widely viewed as a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has become one of the most prominent political figures facing legal scrutiny in Turkey. He has been under arrest since March 2025.  Lawyers representing the Istanbul mayor, who is currently suspended from the office, accused the court of procedural irregularities, limited access to evidence and judicial bias, shaping the first hours of what is expected to become one of Turkey’s most consequential political trials in years. A vast trial The long-awaited proceedings began on Monday at the Silivri court complex, west of Istanbul, where one of the country’s largest courtrooms - capable of holding roughly 1,000 people - was assigned to accommodate the extraordinary scale of the case. In total, 407 defendants are being tried, including 107 currently in pre-trial detention, seven listed as fugitives, and nearly 300 released pending trial. Court officials indicated that the identity verification stage alone could take up to two days, highlighting the logistical complexity of the proceedings. 'Starting the trial in this way is very wrong. People who have been victimised here must be able to defend themselves' - Ekrem Imamoglu, suspended Istanbul mayor Before the hearing began, Dilek Imamoglu, the mayor’s wife, briefly addressed reporters. “I saw Mr Imamoglu last week. His morale was very good,” she said. “We requested that the hearings be broadcast live, but that request was rejected. We hope our request for release pending trial will also be considered.” Several high-ranking opposition politicians and members of parliament, including CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel, attended the hearing. Shortly afterwards, the first detained defendants were escorted into the courtroom by gendarmerie officers forming a security corridor. Some attempted to wave to relatives seated in the gallery, prompting brief protests when officers intervened. Support for the mayor As Ekrem Imamoglu entered the courtroom to loud applause from supporters, the mayor waved and blew kisses toward the audience. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); At one point, Istanbul’s Adalar district mayor, Ali Ercan Akpolat, shouted from the public gallery: “Istanbul and the guardians of the Republic are proud of you.” The courtroom erupted again in applause. Ekrem Imamoglu: The Istanbul opposition mayor arrested in Turkey Read More » As proceedings began, the presiding judge outlined the structure of the trial, stating that detained defendants would be heard first. Imamoglu, the most prominent figure in the case, is expected to testify last. The judge said the first phase of the trial, focusing on detained defendants, is expected to continue until the end of April, with hearings scheduled four days a week from Monday to Thursday. However, defence lawyers immediately objected that the list of defendants scheduled to testify had not been formally shared with defence teams. Several lawyers pointed out that while they had repeatedly requested the list from the court registry, they had been told it was not yet available. Yet the same list, they argued, had already appeared in the pro-government daily Yeni Safak, raising concerns among the defence about the handling of procedural information. Several lawyers argued that the hearing had begun without the formal verification of the identities of defendants and lawyers, calling it a fundamental procedural flaw. Others alleged judicial bias, citing one defendant whose judicial control measures had reportedly been lifted earlier. Defence missing evidence Defence lawyers also raised concerns about access to evidence. Nearly 100 pages of the indictment were reportedly missing from the electronic system, while detainees must review tens of thousands of pages of witness statements and supplementary documents with only two hours of weekly computer access. One lawyer described the task as “a titanic effort” for detainees attempting to prepare their defence. EU courts Turkey as it overlooks Imamoglu's arrest Read More » The court also rejected a defence request seeking the recusal of the prosecutor, allowing the proceedings to continue. According to the indictment, Imamoglu faces charges including “establishing a criminal organisation for the purpose of committing crimes”, “bribery”, “extortion (abuse of office)”, “laundering assets derived from criminal activity”, “bid rigging” and other offences.  The prosecution is seeking a total prison sentence ranging from 849 years to 2,430 years and six months. Imamoglu has already suffered a severe blow to his presidential ambitions. In January, a court rejected his lawsuit challenging the cancellation of his university degree, a qualification required of any presidential candidate. Erdogan, 72, has led Turkey as prime minister or president since 2003. Presidential and parliamentary elections are not scheduled until 2028, but if he wishes to seek a third term as president, he would need to call early elections, likely in 2027, unless constitutional term limits are changed. Turkey Politics Istanbul, Turkey News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

US Iran War News Live Updates: ‘Oil flow via Strait of Hormuz may halt by next month’: Putin warns amid West Asia tensions  Firstpost

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...

submitted by /u/SendStoreMeloner to r/worldnews [link] [comments]

Trump says Australia will give Iranian soccer players asylum amid war buildup  Politico

The Chancellor said she was ready to support a ‘co-ordinated release’ of international oil reserves.

French president says 'purely defensive' mission aims to gradually reopen key Gulf waterway amid spike in oil prices.

Top Democrats say Minab school bombing that killed at least 170 people 'must be fully and impartially reviewed'.

The US military claims six men killed in a strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

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.

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is considering whether to designate Afghanistan as a state sponsor of wrongful detention and could act as soon as Monday, according to a source familiar with the matter. (Reporting by Simon Lewis, editing by David Ljunggren)

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was "nowhere near" deciding whether to send U.S. troops into Iran to secure the stockpile of highly enriched uranium there. "We haven’t made any decision on that. We’re nowhere near it,” Trump told the New York Post when asked about reported discussions between Israel and the United States on possibly deploying special forces to Iran to seize and secure the material.

The Bazan Group refinery processes more than half of Israel's total domestic fuel supply. This is the second time it has been targeted in nine months — the first strike was in June 2025 and took the facility offline for two weeks. What's less reported is the broader energy situation surrounding this strike. Israel's offshore gas fields were already shut down as a precaution when the conflict started. Qatar has declared force majeure on LNG contracts. Kuwait halted crude exports entirely. And tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped from over 100 vessels per day to near zero for Western-linked ships within 72 hours of the conflict starting. Brent crude crossed $110 this weekend. The insurance situation around Hormuz is what I can't stop thinking about — there's a specific number from JPMorgan that reframes the entire conversation about how and when that strait actually reopens. It's not a question of naval presence alone. Been following this closely. Put together a detailed breakdown with sourced data for anyone who wants the full picture: What's the current read from people following this more closely than the headlines? submitted by /u/Think_Anything_6116 to r/MiddleEastNews [link] [comments]

Consumers expected little change in inflation before Iran war  USA Today

The United Arab Emirates decried Monday that it was being targeted "in a very unwarranted manner" in the Middle East war, stressing it would "not partake in any attacks against Iran". "The UAE does not seek to be drawn into conflict or escalation," said Jamal Al Musharakh, the UAE's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.

Hormuz under escort: market and geopolitical implications of US naval protection for tankers  Naval Technology

Strait Of Hormuz: Surging Energy Prices Are Only The Start Of The Pain (NYSEARCA:DIA)  Seeking Alpha

Hezbollah fires rocket attacks on Nahariya and Israeli forces near border Hezbollah said it launched rockets at targets in northern Israel and at Israeli troops close to the Lebanese border. The group said it fired a rocket barrage towards the Israeli town of Nahariya at around 14:55 local time, calling it a response to Israeli strikes on towns and cities in Lebanon. In another statement, Hezbollah said it also attacked Israeli soldiers near the border area around Markaba at about 15:30 local time.