Top World News

Mar 15, 2026 - World

Far-right and radical left parties likely to increase their local presence in advance of next year’s presidential raceThe first-round of the French municipal elections have seen a strong showing for Marine Le Pen’s far-right the National Rally (RN), as well as for Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s radical left, with both parties likely to increase their local presence ahead of next year’s French presidential race.The French local elections, which now go to a final round runoff on 22 March, are seen as a crucial test of the political temperature before next year’s presidential election. Emmanuel Macron’s two terms in office come to an end in spring 2027 and there is uncertainty about who will next lead the EU’s second-largest economy. Continue reading...

Mar 15, 2026 - World

An international law expert was astounded on Sunday as the Trump administration quietly "rewarded" a country for helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions. Last week, the Trump administration approved a settlement with Turkey's state-owned Halkbank, which laundered money from Iranian oil back to the Iranian regime while the country was under maximum sanctions by the U.S. In all, the fine for the case could have surpassed $40 billion, according to Sinan Ciddi, senior fellow and director of the Turkey Program at Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Cinan argued in an op-ed for The Hill that the Trump administration was undermining the credibility of the U.S. by letting Turkey off the hook with such a lenient settlement. Cinan discussed the settlement with Adam Klasfeld on a new episode of the "All Rise News" podcast on Sunday. "I still continue to understand that the Turkish government is insisting that there will be no formal admission of guilt to the outcome of this," he said. "Basically, in common everyday language, they're walking away from this with zero or very minimal damage to reputation, or any sort of accountability for what they've done. And it's disappointing."Cinan described the settlement as a "reward" for Turkey, although it remains unclear what they're being rewarded for. Turkey is a NATO ally and may have been involved in returning the October 7 hostages to Israel, Cinan noted. "I don't necessarily think that Turkey should be rewarded for doing the bare minimum, which is the right thing," Cinan said. "But, if it is playing an outsized role in, for example, bringing the Iranian regime to its knees, or it's going to play a proactive role in securing a ceasefire in Iran or something that is of material value, I don't know necessarily if that meets the bar of letting off the hook a country that has done so much damage our sanctions regime on Iran."

Mar 15, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump's latest move in the war in Iran alarmed a supply chain analyst on Sunday. Over the weekend, Trump called on other countries to help the U.S. clear the Strait of Hormuz, which the Iranian regime has fortified in response to the coordinated bombing campaign conducted by the U.S. and Israel that began in late February. About 20% of global liquefied natural gas and oil trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran has said U.S. and Israeli ships can no longer transit the waterway. That call for reinforcements came as U.S. forces struck Kharg Island, a main oil export hub for the Iranian regime. Iranian forces have also attacked multiple ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports. CNBC Supply Chain Analyst Lori Ann LaRocco warned in an interview on Sunday that the Trump administration's inability to make the Strait of Hormuz safe for international trade could have long-lasting implications. "A lot of people that I've talked to, a lot of tanker owners, they're very afraid of being a target," LaRocco told MS NOW's Alex Witt on Sunday. "We've already seen a tanker on fire. This is not a very easy remedy."LaRocco mentioned that prices for goods ranging from fertilizer to semiconductors have skyrocketed due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. "There's so much that we're not even thinking about that's going to slap us in the pocketbook, not only now, but in the months to come," LaRocco said.

Mar 15, 2026 - World

Tehran lashed out across the Middle East again Sunday, launching four ballistic missiles and six drone attacks against the United Arab Emirates and striking Israel, Iraq and other U.S. allies as the Trump administration reiterated the president's call for global powers to join the fight to secure the critical Strait of Hormuz.

Mar 15, 2026 - World

Mexico City set a world record on Sunday with the largest soccer class ever, with 9,500 participants in the capital’s Zocalo square as the country prepares to host the opening match of the World Cup in June