„No country can ever have a 100% interception rating, that just doesn‘t really exist,“ Elizabeth Dent, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told CBS News, but that „was a hell of a one to miss.“
Saudi Arabia spent $83 billion on defense last year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute — far more than any other country in the Middle East, including Israel.
So why has the kingdom struggled to stop the Houthi barrage?
Hohe Lebenshaltungskosten, geringe Gehälter, Missstände an Schulen: In Frankreich haben landesweit Massenproteste begonnen. Zehntausende Demonstranten werden erwartet.
President Trump signed an executive order on Friday night exempting Russia from a new sanctions measure that Congress passed last month, offering another economic lifeline to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin as the United States turns to Russia for help in lowering gas prices.
Trump’s unexpected decision comes a week after he stunningly said the U.S. had agreed to purchase diesel from Russia to try to bring down global energy prices, despite that potentially hurting Ukraine in its war with Russia.
An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll published Oct. 1 found that Americans disapprove of the president’s handling of the Iran war and blame him for higher prices.
The move to temporarily restrict the vital communications system came as President Donald Trump has pressured Kyiv to stop its attacks on Russian refineries, which he has blamed for the soaring energy prices that are denting his Republican Party‘s prospects in the November midterm elections.
But experts say that surge in energy costs is mainly the result of the US-Israeli war with Iran, which brought Iranian attacks on energy facilities and has largely shut the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The unrest is not being organised as a single Europe-wide movement. The grievances are different from country to country, but the concerns are strikingly similar. Students are increasingly questioning whether governments are putting enough money into education at a time when schools and universities are struggling with staff shortages, infrastructure problems and higher costs.
Worries about a potential debt crisis in France boiled over last week, leading to a selloff in French bonds and a sharp rise in yields.
The spread between French and German bond yields expanded to its widest level since 2012. That difference in yields means investors are demanding much higher returns to hold debt from France compared with Germany, which is deemed a safer alternative.
The French bond rout has sparked fears of spillovers to other high-yield European debt markets, with some analysts drawing parallels with the eurozone debt crisis of the early 2010s.
Yesterday‘s key developments:
• More than 5,000 people have been detained since student protests erupted in France last month, 87 percent of whom are minors, the French justice ministry said.
• At least 589 schools throughout France have been disrupted, and more than 215 students have been injured as protests against underfunding and overcrowding continue.
• A 15-year-old student protesting in the northern French town of Lens had his hand blown off after he picked up a police grenade.
Nach § 38 SGB VI haben Versicherte Anspruch auf die Altersrente für besonders langjährig Versicherte, wenn sie das 65. Lebensjahr vollendet und eine Wartezeit von 45 Jahren erreicht haben. Für ältere Geburtsjahrgänge gelten übergangsweise niedrigere Altersgrenzen.
Der Jahrgang 1962 kann diese Rente nach geltendem Recht mit 64 Jahren und acht Monaten erhalten. Beim Jahrgang 1963 sind es 64 Jahre und zehn Monate, während ab dem Jahrgang 1964 das Alter von 65 Jahren gilt.
Die oft verwendete Bezeichnung „Rente mit 63“ führt deshalb inzwischen in die Irre. Tatsächlich konnten nur deutlich ältere Jahrgänge diese Rentenart bereits mit genau 63 Jahren abschlagsfrei beziehen.
„Bezogen auf den Bundeskanzler begann die Vertrauenskrise mit der Diskussion um die Schuldenbremse und der Frage: Warum passiert kurz nach der Wahl das Gegenteil von dem, was Friedrich Merz noch Tage vorher als rote Linie bezeichnet hat?“, fragte er.
Hintergrund: Als Kanzlerkandidat hatte Merz eine Lockerung der Schuldenbremse bis zum Tag der Wahl ausgeschlossen, um danach aber mit den Stimmen von SPD und Grünen das Gegenteil einzuleiten.
War der Beitritt zur EU vor zwanzig oder dreißig Jahren schon eine schlechte Idee, so ist er heute eine unendlich viel schlechtere. Denn die EU von 2026 ist nicht einmal mehr die EU von 2008. Die oligarchische Maschinerie des Blocks – die Sparpolitik, die Technokratie, die Verachtung der Demokratie – hat sich zu etwas weitaus Monströserem gewandelt: zu einer voll entwickelten Kriegsmaschine. Eine Einschätzung von Thomas Fazi zum Ausgang des Referendums in Island zur EU.
Als Reaktion auf die Energiepreisexplosion hat die ägyptische Regierung eine landesweite Geschäftssperrstunde verhängt. Ab dem heutigen Samstag müssen Geschäfte, Restaurants, Cafés und Einkaufszentren unter der Woche um 21 Uhr schließen. Donnerstags und freitags dürfen sie bis 22 Uhr geöffnet bleiben.
Zunächst wird die Maßnahme für ein Monat verhängt. Ministerpräsident Mostafa Madbouly begründete den Schritt mit den gestiegenen Energiepreisen. .
Saudi Arabia has exported 4.355 million barrels per day of crude so far in March, data from analytics firm Kpler showed, down from 7.108 million bpd in February.
The producer is trying to boost crude exports via Yanbu to offset the Strait of Hormuz disruption, with loadings seen rising to record volumes in March. China‘s top refiner Sinopec (600028.SS), opens new tab is set to load about 24 million barrels of Saudi crude from Yanbu in March.
In mid-March, Beijing banned exports of nitrogen-potassium fertiliser blends and certain phosphate varieties, sources told Reuters.
The ban, which has not been formally unveiled, was reported earlier this week by Bloomberg News.
Added to existing bans and export quotas for urea, only a handful of fertilisers – notably ammonium sulphate – can be exported, five sources said. That would mean between half and three quarters of China‘s exports last year are restricted, potentially up to 40 million metric tons, according to a Reuters estimate.
Der Krieg geht unvermindert weiter, wobei Israel nicht nur den Iran angreift, sondern auch den Libanon und weiter in Gaza Völkermord begeht sowie in der Westbank gegen dort seit Jahrhunderten ansässige Palästinenser vorgeht. Die Straße von Hormus ist weiter geschlossen, Energiepreise steigen und es drohen steigende Lebenmittelpreise sowie in manchen Teilen der Welt auch Hungersnöte, da auch die Ausfuhr von Düngemitteln gestoppt ist, die 35% des Welthandels ausmachen.
Besonders Asien ist durch die Energiekrise, die der US-israelische Angriff auf den Iran ausgelöst hat, hart getroffen. Am ganzen Kontinent werden Spar- und Rationierungsmaßnahmen von Regierungen verordnet.
Premierminister Anutin Charnvirakul hat staatliche Behörden angewiesen, ihren Energieverbrauch deutlich zu reduzieren. Eine der ersten Maßnahmen: Viele Staatsbedienstete sollen vorübergehend von zu Hause aus arbeiten. Damit sollen Pendelverkehr, Stromverbrauch in Bürogebäuden und andere energieintensive Abläufe reduziert werden. Ausgenommen von dieser Regelung sind lediglich Mitarbeiter, die im direkten Kontakt mit Bürgern arbeiten und deren Präsenz in Behördengebäuden notwendig ist.
Zusätzlich hat die Regierung ihre Angestellten dazu aufgefordert, Treppen statt Aufzüge zu benutzen, um den Stromverbrauch in öffentlichen Gebäuden zu senken. Auch wenn diese Maßnahme eher symbolisch wirkt, soll sie Teil eines umfassenderen Programms sein, mit dem staatliche Institutionen ihren Energiebedarf möglichst schnell reduzieren.
MBIE data from Monday showed New Zealand had a 58-day supply of petrol, 50 days of diesel, and 47 days of jet fuel, meaning 43 days as of today.
While a further supply to the country was on its way, Stuff reported earlier on Thursday that we may already be down to 17 or 18 days left by the time it arrives.
KATHMANDU, March 12: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has enforced a rationing system for cooking gas, directing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottlers to sell only half-filled cylinders. The decision comes amid a surge in demand driven by panic buying from consumers, fueled by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
According to NOC, there are approximately 150,000 LPG cylinders currently in circulation across the country.
(today)
The Chinese government has moved to ban all fuel exports amid a worsening supply crunch because of the severe disruption in tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The ban covers gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, unnamed sources told Reuters.
The restrictions will take immediate effect, applying to all cargoes that had not passed through customs as of March 11, the sources also said.
RAMALLAH, December 28, 2025 (WAFA) – Deadly Israeli attacks continue in Gaza despite the ceasefire, as Israel has killed 401 Palestinians in the Strip, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed since the genocide began to 70,925, according to the Government Communication Center at the Prime Minister’s Office in Situation Report No. 68, covering the period between December 22 and December 29, 2025, until 08:00 a.m.
– Ceasefire in Place, Yet Israeli Violations Persist: Eighty days after the ceasefire, Israel continues large-scale military operations in Gaza, including systematic demolitions, airstrikes, blockade, and restrictions on humanitarian access, resulting in additional Palestinian casualties and widespread destruction.
– Continued Humanitarian Collapse: Severe food insecurity, winter exposure, blocked reconstruction, and restrictions on temporary housing continue to place hundreds of thousands of Palestinians at risk, underscoring Israel’s ongoing collective punishment of civilians.
……………..
Vieira said that „the map posted by President Milei needs an urgent update“ and presented data favorable to Brazil without directly mentioning Argentina. The minister highlighted that under President Lula, the country „is modernizing and addressing its social problems,“ has a „growing economy, the lowest unemployment levels, international reserves of US$ 360 billion,“ and has exited the Hunger Map.
Vieira also noted that Brazil has had a „stable currency for 30 years“ and does not owe „a single cent to the IMF,“ while a government source pointed to Argentina’s financial difficulties.
In 2024, Milei’s first year in office, poverty in Argentina surged to 52.9%, later falling to 31.6% in the first half of the year—still higher than Brazil’s 23.1%. The IMF extended a US$ 20 billion loan to the country.
(December 8, 2025)
Mass protests over Bulgaria’s 2026 budget have plunged the country into yet another political crisis, with Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s minority government facing a no-confidence vote, a mass petition demanding its resignation and the prospect of an eighth early parliamentary election in five years.
The dispute comes just weeks before Bulgaria is due to adopt the euro on 1st January 2026 and risks overshadowing what was intended to be a landmark step in the country’s European integration.
The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Trump administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the government shutdown, even though residents in some states already have received the funds.
During the meeting, emphasis was made on „the depth of the partnership between Lebanon and the World Bank for nearly seventy years and the pivotal role the WB has played in supporting Lebanon throughout various difficult stages, from wars to economic and social crises.“
The President of the Republic thanked the delegation for „the continuous support that the World Bank provides to Lebanon,“ and presented the progress achieved so far in terms of the ongoing reforms, particularly with regard to strengthening governance and cooperation with the International Monetary Fund to rebuild confidence in the country’s financial sector and attract investments.
McConnell, in a written order on Sunday, gave the U.S. Department of Agriculture two options.
One option was to make the full payment of SNAP benefits for November by the end of the day Monday by using Section 32 Child Nutrition Program fundings and other unspecified funds.
The other option was to “make a partial payment of the total amount of the contingency fund and … expeditiously resolve the administrative and clerical burdens it described in its papers, but under no circumstances shall the partial payments be made later than Wednesday.”