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Intrigue

Daily flyovers

Latest news for 17 March 2026

Quick hits of consequential news from all corners of the world.

  1. 01

    MALAYSIA

    Null and void.

    Malaysia has become the first to declare its Trump-era tariff deal “null and void” after the Supreme Court struck down most blanket US tariffs last month. (Yahoo)

    Comment: Capitals all over will now watch for Trump’s response before calibrating whether to follow suit. And the White House will presumably factor this contagion risk into how it answers Malaysia. Watch this space.

  2. 02

    PAKISTAN

    Strike on Kabul.

    Pakistan has denied Afghanistan’s claims it killed 400 people by bombing a drug rehab hospital in Kabul, insisting the strike actually targeted “military installations and terrorist support infrastructure”. (Independent)

    Comment: This kind of high-casualty attack is a significant escalation in what’s been a *relatively* low-intensity conflict this time around.

  3. 03

    AZERBAIJAN

    Frenchman jailed.

    A court has jailed a French national for 10 years on spying charges. (BBC)

    Comment: There’s limited visibility of the details, but France and Azerbaijan have been locked in a beef for years: France (home to Europe’s largest Armenian diaspora) has long backed Armenia, prompting rival Azerbaijan to weigh into France’s New Caledonia separatism headache in retaliation.

  4. 04

    BELGIUM

    Defeatist or pragmatist?

    Prime Minister De Wever has called on the EU to normalise ties with Russia and regain cheap energy, arguing that without full US backing to defeat Putin’s expansionism, Europe is left “losing on all fronts”. (Guardian)

    Comment: His own foreign minister has distanced himself from the remarks, hinting at the strain on Belgium’s fragile coalition let alone any broader EU unity. Putin will hope this Iran war only adds to Western fatigue, easing the way for his ambitions (which risk just being fuelled by any normalisation with Europe, btw).

  5. 05

    MYANMAR

    We’re back.

    Myanmar’s parliament has ✌️convened✌️ for the first time in nearly five years, though the ruling junta has packed it with pliant rubber-stampers. (Independent)

    Comment: Paired with recent ✌️elections✌️, it’s all about rebuilding legitimacy in hopes of dismantling sanctions and maintaining momentum in its civil war.

  6. 06

    ECUADOR

    Show of force.

    Ecuador has deployed 75,000 soldiers and police as part of a joint two-week US operation against organised crime, with the interior minister describing the situation as a “war”. (BA Times)

    Comment: The aims include reasserting control over Ecuador’s major port, Guayaquil — in addition to supplying the US and China with shrimp, bananas, and other perishables, Ecuador’s ports now handle an estimated 70% of the world’s cocaine supply. Its oil exports mostly reach market via other terminals.

  7. 07

    KENYA

    No more recruiting?

    A meeting between the Kenyan and Russian foreign ministers has elicited a Russian promise not to allow more Kenyan nationals to enlist in Putin’s war. (Al Jazeera)

    Comment: Kenya’s government made the push amid the home scandal of 1,000+ Kenyans already ending up duped into the frontlines. The chances of Moscow honouring its promise to solve a problem it denies even exists…?