World

The United States regime has announced a partial lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil, marking a surprising shift in long-standing policy amid efforts to contain energy market volatility. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed the issuance of a temporary authorization permitting the sale of Iranian oil currently stranded at sea. This decision represents a dramatic reversal with uncertain outcomes, as the administration allegedly scrambles to address supply disruptions.

▪️ For the first time in recent history, Costa Rica has extradited its citizens to the United States to face criminal charges related to drug-trafficking and conspiracy. Among those extradited on Friday is a top government official, Celso Gamboa, 49, who previously served as a Supreme Court justice from 2016 to 2018 and as deputy attorney general from 2015 to 2016. The administration of Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles hailed the extraditions as a major step in ensuring criminal justice, with Attorney General Carlo Diaz stating in a video message that "Costa Rica is sending a strong message: no one can use our nationality to evade justice."

The United States military has announced an attack on another vessel allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The strike occurred the previous day, with initial reports indicating three survivors, but the US Coast Guard later stated that two of the three were found dead, and only one person was recovered alive.

QatarEnergy CEO and Qatar's Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi stated in an interview with Reuters that he had warned US officials and energy executives prior to Iran's attack on Ras Laffan Industrial City. He explained, "I was always warning, talking to executives from oil and gas that are partnered with us, talking to the US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, to warn him of that consequence and that it could be detrimental to us."

A senior Cuban official has categorically denied reports that Havana is negotiating with the United States over the fate of President Miguel Díaz-Canel or potential government shake-ups. In a news conference on Friday, Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossio stated, "The political system of Cuba is not up for negotiation, and of course neither the president nor the position of any official in Cuba is subject to negotiation with the United States." His remarks served as a firm repudiation of claims that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is allegedly seeking the removal of Díaz-Canel from power.

The war between the Iranian government and the US regime continues into its fourth week, with joint US-Israeli bombing campaigns causing black smoke to rise over the Persian Gulf region. Iranian authorities have stated they will continue to respond in kind to US-Israeli attacks on military, civilian, and energy-producing targets within its territory, despite US President Donald Trump having more than once declared that Iran has supposedly been militarily defeated.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke were invited by community leaders to attend Eid prayers at Lakemba Mosque in Sydney on Friday, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. However, the event was marred by protests as several attendees accused the pair of being "genocide supporters," shouting "boo" and "get out of here" while a mosque leader delivered a speech calling for the government to better engage with Muslim Australians. This incident highlights deep-seated discontent within Australia's Muslim community over the government's response to the Israel-Gaza war and rising Islamophobia domestically.

A Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Sydney encountered turbulence on Friday morning while landing at Sydney Airport, resulting in several injuries. An airline spokesperson told the BBC that Flight 41 "encountered brief turbulence," with four flight attendants injured and no passengers hurt.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed the death of a 19-year-old Mexican man, Royer Perez-Jimenez, while in detention at the Glades County Detention Center in Florida. In a statement, ICE said Perez-Jimenez was found "unconscious and unresponsive" in his cell on Monday, March 16, at 02:34 (07:34 GMT). Prison staff "immediately" began life-saving efforts, but he died of a presumed suicide, with the official cause of death still under investigation.

European Union leaders have accused Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of disloyalty and blackmail after he blocked a €90bn (£77bn) loan for Ukraine. At a summit in Brussels, Orbán refused to lift his veto, citing a feud over a damaged pipeline that transports Russian oil to Hungary. He posted on X, "No oil = no money," a statement that underscores his hostile stance towards Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict.

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has broken a seven-week silence in a national television interview, expressing deep regret over her past associations with the late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The extent of her contacts with Epstein, including hundreds of email exchanges between 2011 and 2014 and a stay at his Florida home, emerged publicly in late January when millions of Epstein files were released by the US justice department. In the 20-minute interview, Mette-Marit was often on the verge of tears, stating she felt "manipulated" and deceived.

The German government is preparing a new law to criminalize the creation and distribution of pornographic deepfakes, as Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig announced on Friday, accelerating efforts to tackle digital violence against women. The initiative follows a complaint by actress Collien Fernandes, who has filed a case alleging identity theft and sexualized digital abuse against her former husband.