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Europe tops global arms imports amid Russia threat, SIPRI says

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 23:52:12 GMT

STOCKHOLM, Sweden: Europe has overtaken other regions to become the world's largest importer of arms over the past five years, as governments boosted military spending in response to Russia and concerns about the reliability of U.S. security guarantees, data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) showed.

European countries more than tripled their arm

Official: 'Under no circumstance' will Iran participate in World Cup

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:05:07 GMT

(Photo credit: West Asia News Agency via Reuters)

Iran's sports minister said there is no way that the nation's soccer team will compete in this summer's FIFA World Cup in North America.

Ahmad Donyamali addressed the situation in the wake of combined American and Israeli attacks against his Middle East nation in an interview with state television.

'Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated

Looks like the EU might have to pay Zelensky just to shut up

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:39:21 GMT

Brussels looks set to bypass Hungary's block on the 90 million "aid" package via accounting shenanigans

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky have a little something for the ladies for Women's History Month. They're apparently going to spend the entire time beaking each other off

USMNT chooses Irvine, Calif., for World Cup base

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 06:40:26 GMT

(Photo credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)

The U.S. men's national team will set up its World Cup training base at Great Park Sports Complex in Irvine, Calif., this summer.

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced the decision on Tuesday.

The Irvine location is less than 50 miles from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., where the USMNT will play two of its three group-stage matches. The other match will be pl

Why Zelensky should fear Trumps war with Iran

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 08:14:18 GMT

The outcome could redefine US dominance and leave Europe and Ukraine scrambling

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and his European partners have plenty of reasons to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East.

It's not just because US President Donald Trump is wasting valuable air defense missiles that the EU could have purchased for Ukraine. (Kiev has already voicedconcernsabout a s

Iga Swiatek, feeling at home in Indian Wells, back in round of 16

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 04:40:29 GMT

(Photo credit: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Iga Swiatek and Greece's Maria Sakkari met in the final of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif., in 2022 and 2024, and each time, the Polish star won in straight sets.

The pattern repeated again on Monday, when top-seeded Swiatek downed 32nd-seeded Sakkari 6-3, 6-2.

'We played two finals here, so it's funny (to se

Gulf oil production could stop in weeks Putin

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:27:43 GMT

Russia has warned that any attempts to destabilize the Middle East will lead to energy price hikes, the president has said

Oil production dependent on the Strait of Hormuz could come to a complete halt within a month, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. He warned about the serious risks that the US and Israel's conflict with Iran could pose to the global energy market.

Last year, aro

Hungary urges EU to lift Russian oil ban

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:04:39 GMT

Brussels should protect the interests of Europeans, not ideology, as the Middle East crisis escalates, Peter Szijjarto says

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has urged the EU to lift its ban on Russian oil and gas imports, as escalating Middle East tensions and attacks involving Iran have sent global oil prices soaring.

The latest US-Israeli attacks against Iran have sharply increa

Jon Rahm breaks title drought at LIV Hong Kong

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:19:17 GMT

(Photo credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images)

Jon Rahm captured his first individual tournament win since September 2024 on Sunday, carding a 64 for a three-stroke victory at LIV Golf Hong Kong.

Tied with Harold Varner III and Belgium's Thomas Detry entering the round, Rahm took over on the back nine with birdies on four consecutive holes, giving himself enough cushion to withstand a bogey at No. 18. His final

'Wagging the dog': Putin mocks EU-Ukraine relationship

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:01:44 GMT

The Russian president's comment comes as Kiev has halted oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline, jeopardizing energy security in the bloc

Russian President Vladimir Putin has likened the relationship between Ukraine and the European Union to "the tail wagging the dog," saying that despite the aggressive behavi

Wagging the dog: Putin mocks EU-Ukraine relationship

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:01:44 GMT

The Russian presidents comment comes as Kiev has halted oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline, jeopardizing energy security in the bloc

Russian President Vladimir Putin has likened the relationship between Ukraine and the European Union to "the tail wagging the dog," saying that despite the aggressive behavior of the government in Kiev, Brussels keeps supporting it.

The Ukrainian authoritie

OpTic Texas move to 7-0 at CDL Stage 2 Major qualifying

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 10:25:10 GMT

(Photo credit: CLIFFORD OTO/THE STOCKTON RECORD / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

OpTic Texas preserved their unbeaten record, sweeping FaZe Vegas in qualifying for the Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major during Week 4 on Saturday.

In the day's other matches, G2 Minnesota swept Paris Gentle Mates and Riyadh Falcons swept Toronto KOI, while Boston Breach took down Cloud9 New York 3-1.

The 12 Call of

Jessica Pegula extends win streak in opening match at Indian Wells

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 08:05:10 GMT

(Photo credit: Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The day was void of major upsets, but it certainly wasn't lacking for drama on Saturday at the PNB Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.

After receiving a bye in the first round, third-seeded and two-time champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan looked primed to cruise in her first match of the tournament after breaking American and 4

(SP)ITALY-CORTINA D'AMPEZZO-PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES-PARA ALPINE SKIING-WOMEN'S DOWNHILL-SITTING

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 15:17:52 GMT

(260307) -- CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, March 7, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Anna-Lena Forster of Germany celebrates during awarding ceremony for the para alpine skiing women's downhill sitting match at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Cortina D'ampezzo, Italy, March 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Belgium to investigate 'targeted' synagogue explosion in Liege

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:26:12 GMT

The Belgian federal prosecutors' office in charge oforganised crimeandterrorismsaid it will probe a blast that damaged asynagogueMonday in easternBelgium, with the local mayor denouncing an "anti-Semitic act".

"This is all intentional and targeted. We condemn this anti-Semitic act as strongly as possible," Willy Demeyer, the mayor of Liege, where the synagogue is located, told public broadcaster RTBF.

"We c

War of Distraction in Iran: Existential Anxiety and Strategic Failure

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:29:10 GMT

Robert L. Oprisko

Download PDF

Mar 9 2026

Triumph0828/Depositphotos

Anxiety over the existentially precarious position Israel occupies in the Middle East has persisted for thousands of years, though it has grown and intensified after World War II; genocide was no longer mere theory, it had been attempted. While existential anxiety can be alleviated, mitigated, and ultimately eliminated through dedicati

Roundup: China notches opening win over Mali, Czech Republic thrashes South Sudan in FIBA Women's World Cup qualifiers

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:18:49 GMT

WUHAN, March 11 (Xinhua) -- China kicked off its quest for a FIBA Women's World Cup spot with an 81-68 victory over Mali, while the Czech Republic crushed South Sudan 89-52 here on Wednesday.

Starting center Han Xu scored China's first nine points, but it was not until Yang Shuyu's jumper with 3:30 remaining in the first quarter that China built its first lead of the game. Towering teenager Zhang Ziyu's layup at

U.S.-Israel attack on Iran conflicts with int'l law, Italian PM says

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:15:20 GMT

ROME, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday said the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran were not in line with international law, and condemned the massacre of Iranian girls' school.

She made the remarks while addressing the Senate ahead of a European Union Council meeting on the Middle East crisis scheduled in Brussels on 19-20 March.

Meloni said that the U.S. and Israeli interv

China hopes for "fresh look" in FIBA Women's World Cup qualifiers

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:16:31 GMT

WUHAN, March 10 (Xinhua) -- With their battle for a FIBA Women's World Cup spot imminent, Chinese players hope to bring a "fresh look" to the court.

The FIBA Women's World Cup qualifiers will be held across four competition zones from March 11 to 17. China will face Belgium, Brazil, South Sudan, the Czech Republic and Mali in Wuhan. Belgium has qualified as the European champion, meaning there will be three spot

Dutch electricity exports reach record high in 2025

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:45:07 GMT

THE HAGUE, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Dutch electricity exports rose by nearly 25 percent in 2025 compared with 2024, reaching a record 30 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), according to Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on Monday.

Exports to Germany and Belgium recorded the largest increases. CBS said higher exports to Germany were largely driven by reduced wind power generation off the German coast, as well as lower electricit

Belgium synagogue hit by blast, causing no injuries

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:15:24 GMT

BRUSSELS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- An explosion occurred in front of a synagogue in Liege in eastern Belgium at around 4:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) on Monday, causing no injuries, local police said.

The windows of the synagogue and buildings across the street were damaged.

Liege Mayor Willy Demeyer denounced the blast as a criminal act and an act of antisemitism.

He expressed his "strongest condemnat

EU amps up nuclear energy as Iran war sends gas prices soaring

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:50:02 GMT

STRASBOURG, France (CN) - Fifteen years after the disaster at Fukushima pushed Europe away from nuclear power, a war in Iran is making the case for bringing it back. World leaders gathered in Paris Tuesday arguing that retreating from nuclear left the continent exposed to exactly the fossil fuel shock now unfolding.

"In hindsight, it was a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its back on a reliable, affordab

Belgium vows to fight antisemitism after synagogue blast

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:38:59 GMT

LIEGE, Belgium (AFP) - Belgium's prime minister vowed Monday to combat antisemitism after a predawn blast damaged a synagogue in the country's east, in what prosecutors said was being investigated as a suspected "terrorist" crime.

Police said the explosion took place around 4 a.m. (11 p.m. EDT) in front of the synagogue in the city of Liege, causing "material damage" but no injuries.

"An explosive

5 facts about Buddhists in the US - Pew Research Center

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:05:51 GMT

5 facts about Buddhists in the US - Pew Research Center

This is the story of Weda Bay and how nature is being sacrificed for mining - Mining

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 05:33:39 GMT

This is the story of Weda Bay and how nature is being sacrificed for mining - Mining