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Work from home, avoid air travel to deal with higher energy prices, IEA says

PARIS, March 20 (Reuters) - The International Energy Agency (IEA), which this month agreed a record release of oil from strategic stockpiles to deal with the effects of the U.S-Israeli war with Iran, outlined on Friday proposals to ease oil price pressures on consumers, such as working-from-home and avoiding air travel.

The U.S-Israel war with Iran has driven up energy prices, causing concerns over inflation across the world.

FILE PHOTO: Oil, miniatures of oil barrels, oil pump jack and U.S. dollar banknote are seen in this illustration taken, June 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Joint statement on Strait of Hormuz by European nations, Japan, Canada

LONDON, March 19 (Reuters) - Leading European nations, Japan and Canada issued a joint statement on Thursday saying they were ready to join appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and would take steps to stabilise energy markets.

This is the full text of the statement from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada:

FILE PHOTO: A map showing the Strait of Hormuz is seen in this illustration taken June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Turkey in cultural diplomacy push to bring history home

When an ancient bronze statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius landed back on Turkish soil after decades abroad, it was more than a symbolic homecoming.

It marked the latest victory in Turkey's increasingly assertive push to recover antiquities illegally taken abroad -- a campaign supported by a newly-developed AI tool for identifying cultural assets of Turkish origin.

The life-sized bronze, which dates back to the second- or third-century, was taken in the 1960s from the ancient city of Bubon near Turkey's southwestern Antalya resort.

Turkey's is waging an increasingly assertive campaign to recover antiquities illegally taken abroad

Australian mosque protesters heckle PM Albanese over Israel stance

SYDNEY, March 20 (Reuters) - Protesters heckled and booed Prime Minister Anthony ​Albanese on Friday during a visit to Australia's largest mosque for Eid al-Fitr prayers, voicing anger over his stance on ally Israel's offensive in Gaza.

Some in Australia's Muslim and Jewish communities are angry over a fine line walked by the centre-left government since the Gaza war began, expressing concern for Palestinians, repeatedly urging a ceasefire, and backing Israel's right to self-defence.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits Lakemba Mosque for Eid al-Fitr in Sydney, Australia, March 20, 2026. REUTERS/Hollie Adams

EU leaders call for moratorium on strikes against energy and water facilities in Middle East

BRUSSELS, March 19 (Reuters) - European Union leaders called on Thursday for a moratorium on military strikes on energy and water facilities in the Middle East, amid growing concerns about the impact of the Iran war on the global economy.

"The European Council calls for de-escalation and maximum restraint, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and full respect of international law by all parties," the leaders of the EU's 27 countries said in written conclusions of a summit in Brussels.

A gas flare burns at the Lanaz refinery after it was targeted by a drone strike, in Erbil, Iraq, March 14, 2026. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily/File Photo

Trump tells Israel not to repeat strikes on Iranian energy as crisis deepens

By Andrew Mills, Trevor Hunnicutt and Maayan Lubell

DOHA/WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM, March 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told Israel not to repeat its attacks on Iranian natural gas infrastructure as tit-for-tat strikes on energy plants sent energy prices spiraling, sharply escalating the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Smoke and fire rise near the South Pars gas field following an attack, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Bushehr Province, Iran, March 18, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. Social Media/via REUTERS

US, Israel tactics diverge on Iran as Trump's goals still 'fuzzy'

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both praise their relationship as excellent, but after three weeks of attacking Iran, their tactics are increasingly diverging -- the result, some experts say, of Trump's ill-defined goals.

Trump said Thursday that he told Netanyahu not to attack Iran's gas fields after an Israeli strike prompted Tehran to retaliate against a major energy hub in Qatar, sending global prices soaring further.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to destroy Iran's vast South Pars gas field

Russia issues fresh call for end to hostilities in Gulf

March 19 (Reuters) - Russia issued a fresh call on Thursday for an end to hostilities in the Gulf, starting with a halt to U.S. and Israeli attacks, and made a new offer to use its diplomatic leverage to help end the fighting.

"We call for the fastest possible cessation of hostilities, which resulted from the unprovoked aggression of the U.S. and Israel," the foreign ministry said in a statement on its website.

Smoke rises from a Lebanese village near the border with Israel, amid escalation between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, and amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from northern Israel, March 19, 2026. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

The Iran war and the cost of killing 'bad guys'

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that it "takes money to kill bad guys" when asked if the Pentagon had requested $200 billion in funding for the Iran war.

Exactly how much the war has cost so far has yet to be publicly disclosed, and the final bill will depend on how long the US-Israeli campaign against Iran launched on February 28 lasts.

But it could be substantial: The Pentagon's comptroller reportedly told lawmakers that the first six days of the war had cost $11.3 billion.

'It takes money to kill bad guys,' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday

French foreign minister Barrot to go to Israel on Friday

PARIS, March 19 (Reuters) - France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will go to Israel on Friday, in an unscheduled visit, after visiting Beirut as part of efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon.

The French foreign ministry added, as it announced Barrot's visit, that Barrot would discuss with Israeli authorities regional security and humanitarian aid issues, and attempts to de-escalate the conflicts in the Middle East.

(Reporting by John Irish;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)

FILE PHOTO: French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot speaks at a European Union Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels, Belgium February 23, 2026.  REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo