US has spent $12bn on Iran war, White House economic chief says, as Pentagon signals escalation Kevin Hassett gives latest cost since Feb. 28 joint US-Israel strikes; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says bombing of Iran is “about to surge dramatically” Standfirst: The Trump administration faces growing questions over the war’s price tag and purpose. Markets remain on edge over possible Strait of Hormuz disruptions, while Senate Democrats warn of “mission creep.” The United States has spent $12bn on its war against Iran since…

Fujairah resumes oil loading after drone interception and fire at key UAE export hub FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates — Oil loading operations at the United Arab Emirates’ Fujairah emirate have resumed after a drone attack and fire on Saturday, an industry source based in Fujairah said, restoring activity at one of the world’s most important energy logistics hubs. Fujairah’s media office said smoke seen rising over the oil industry zone was caused by debris after air defenses intercepted a drone. The incident unfolded amid…

Iran launches missiles and drones across Gulf as tankers struck near Hormuz; oil prices surge Iran fired missiles and drones at targets across the Gulf on Wednesday, including what it said were two missiles aimed at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, as regional militaries scrambled to intercept incoming threats and maritime authorities reported commercial ships hit near the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation, which Tehran described as the 37th wave of attacks on day 12 of the U.S.-Israel war “on Iran,” deepened fears over energy…

DOHA, Qatar — Iran launched missiles and drones across the Gulf on Wednesday, claiming strikes on U.S. forces in Kuwait, as several Gulf states reported intercepts and casualties and maritime authorities said two commercial ships were hit near the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation comes hours before a United Nations Security Council vote on a Gulf Cooperation Council-backed resolution demanding Tehran halt attacks on its Arab neighbors. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it fired four missiles at the headquarters of…

Djibouti’s Red Sea dilemma: How the Middle East war could reroute trade and test a strategic hub PARIS — Tuesday, March 10, 2026 — The war in the Middle East is no longer just a battlefield story. It is a shock rippling through global trade routes and energy markets, with outsized consequences for small, strategic economies. At the mouth of the Red Sea, Djibouti’s position at Bab el-Mandeb has long been an asset. In a protracted crisis, it could become a vulnerability. This is a classic exposure problem. Djibouti has built a…

Somalia hunger crisis deepens as 6.5 million face severe food insecurity, UN and government warn Nearly 6.5 million people in Somalia are facing severe hunger as intensifying drought, conflict and global aid cuts accelerate a mounting humanitarian crisis, the federal government and U.N. agencies said Tuesday, citing new food security data. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis projects that 6.5 million people will face crisis or worse levels of food insecurity by the end of March.…

MOGADISHU — Hunger is surging across Somalia as four consecutive failed rainy seasons collide with steep reductions in humanitarian funding, pushing millions toward acute food insecurity, according to a new analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The report estimates 4.8 million people faced Crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity in January, with that figure projected to jump to 6.5 million between February and March — nearly double the number recorded a year ago. Aid groups say the trend…

At least 50 killed, women and children abducted in overnight attack on Zamfara village, authorities say ABUJA, Nigeria — Gunmen killed at least 50 people and abducted an unknown number of residents, including women and children, during an overnight attack on a village in northwestern Nigeria’s Zamfara State, authorities and residents said Friday. The assault began late Thursday and continued into Friday morning in Tungan Dutse village in the Bukkuyum area, where armed men on motorcycles set homes ablaze and seized residents…

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting at the Presidential Palace that formally opened a consultative conference with leaders of the Somali Future Council, launching talks aimed at resolving disputes over elections and constitutional reform. The government-opposition dialogue — expected to run several days — begins amid rising political tension and with fewer than three months left in the government’s term, a compressed timeline that has…

WOLVERHAMPTON, England — Arsenal squandered a two-goal lead at last-place Wolves and were pegged back to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday, a result that hands Manchester City a significant opening in a finely poised Premier League title race. Teenage debutant Tom Edozie crashed in a dramatic equalizer in the fourth minute of stoppage time at Molineux to complete Wolves’ comeback, after Arsenal had led 2-0 through Bukayo Saka and Piero Hincapie. The league leaders have now dropped points in back-to-back matches and see their advantage…