Category: World

Japan’s investors are being pushed back towards overseas yield trades as the war involving Iran unsettles the country’s traditional refuge assets, weakens the yen and lifts the cost of imported energy. What had looked like a steadier domestic backdrop at the start of 2026 has been disrupted by a surge in oil prices, renewed pressure on the currency and a sharp reassessment of where Japanese savers and institutions can still find acceptable returns.The immediate trigger is the energy shock

France is expanding its annual energy cheque scheme to an additional 700,000 households, widening a support measure that Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said would begin reaching 3.8 million households from this week as pressure on household budgets intensifies. The extra recipients are due to start receiving the aid from 1 May after the government used broader data matching to identify more eligible homes. Lecornu said the programme would deliver an average of €153 per household, with €600 million mobilised from

Electronic interference that had scrambled vessel tracking across the Persian Gulf eased over the weekend, allowing ships stranded in the war-affected waterway to show positions closer to their true locations and giving operators a clearer picture of navigation risks in one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Maritime security guidance issued on 29 March said GNSS, GPS and AIS disruption had moderated over the previous 24 to 48 hours and was now judged “sporadic and localised”, a marked change

South Africa’s Western Cape High Court has authorised life-saving surgery for a six-year-old girl after her parents withheld consent on cultural and religious grounds, in a ruling that is likely to sharpen debate over the limits of parental authority when a child’s survival is at stake. The case centred on Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, where doctors said urgent amputations were the only viable treatment to prevent further harm after the child developed severe complications from

North Korea has carried out a ground test of a newly upgraded high-thrust solid-fuel engine, with leader Kim Jong-un saying the development would strengthen the country’s strategic strike capability and advance its military modernisation drive. State media said Kim observed the test and described it as an important step in the ruling party’s five-year defence plan, a programme that has centred on building faster-launching missiles and a more survivable nuclear force.The reported test, disclosed by the Korean Central News

Tottenham Hotspur have parted company with Igor Tudor after only 44 days and seven matches in charge, deepening a season that has already lurched through managerial upheaval, poor results and growing fear over the club’s Premier League status. The north London side confirmed on Sunday that Tudor had left by mutual consent, with goalkeeping coach Tomislav Rogic and physical coach Riccardo Ragnacci also departing.Tudor had been appointed on 14 February after Tottenham dismissed Thomas Frank, but he was unable

Disneyland Paris has formally opened a new phase of its long-running expansion, using the March 29 debut of World of Frozen to relaunch its second gate as Disney Adventure World, a move the company says marks the biggest transformation in that park’s history. Official announcements from Disneyland Paris, backed by Reuters and Associated Press reporting, show the renamed park now centres on a large new Frozen-themed land, a reworked central promenade, new dining venues and a lake-based night show, while

Anger over the war with Iran has widened the scope of the anti-Trump “No Kings” protests across the United States, turning what began as a broad movement against executive overreach into a sharper rebuke of the White House’s foreign and domestic agenda. Demonstrations on Saturday spread through more than 3,100 locations across all 50 states, with organisers and news reports describing one of the largest coordinated days of protest since Donald Trump returned to office.The biggest focal point was

Tiger Woods was arrested in Florida on Friday after a rollover crash near his Jupiter Island home, with authorities saying he showed signs of impairment after his Land Rover struck a truck trailer while attempting to pass on a two-lane residential road. Officers said a Breathalyzer test found no alcohol, but Woods refused a urine test, leading to an additional misdemeanour charge under Florida law. He was later released after the minimum detention period required in the state for DUI

Intercontinental Exchange, the parent of the New York Stock Exchange, has expanded its push into prediction markets with a fresh $600 million investment in Polymarket, tightening a partnership that could take its total commitment to almost $2 billion and further pull event-based trading into the financial mainstream. ICE said the new cash injection forms part of a previously announced arrangement and does not expect to materially affect its financial results or capital return plans.The latest move comes after ICE

Zimbabwe has turned a long-signalled restriction on second-hand clothing into formal law, tightening its effort to shield domestic manufacturers even as economists and traders warn that the move could squeeze low-income consumers and deepen pressure on an already fragile apparel market. The measure is now enforced under Statutory Instrument 59 of 2026, which bars the import of second-hand clothes unless an importer holds a government permit issued under tightly controlled conditions.The legal step gives formal backing to a policy

 Gulf tensions are sharpening the risks for African health systems already reliant on imported medicines, as disrupted shipping routes, higher freight bills and delayed emergency supplies expose how vulnerable the continent remains to external shocks while governments push to expand local drug production.The strain has moved beyond theory. Aid officials said this week that cholera supplies for countries including Chad and South Sudan were being held up because stocks stored in Dubai were caught in a logistics backlog linked to

African Development Bank Group is set to launch the 2026 edition of its Africa’s Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook report on 30 March at its headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, placing the continent’s growth prospects, debt strains and inflation risks under fresh scrutiny at a time of heightened global uncertainty. The event is expected to draw policymakers, investors and development specialists looking for updated guidance on how African economies are navigating a difficult external environment while trying to sustain reform and

 Safe-haven demand pushed the US dollar towards its strongest monthly advance since July, as investors sought liquidity and relative shelter from a widening Middle East energy shock while also scaling back expectations for Federal Reserve easing this year. The dollar index was trading near 100.17 on March 27 and was up about 2.6 per cent for the month, a move that outpaced most major peers.Currency markets have been driven by a mix of geopolitics, oil and interest-rate repricing. Escalating tension

 Seychelles has used two high-level forums in Malabo to press for stronger backing for small island states and to elevate youth priorities within the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, with Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Minister Barry Faure taking a visible role in both meetings. The government said Faure addressed the Small Island Development States forum and later served as rapporteur at the youth forum, a position that gives Seychelles a hand in shaping recommendations for the summit of

A decision by Donald Trump to extend a pause on military strikes targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure into April has injected a fresh layer of uncertainty into a conflict that has already rippled across the Middle East, disrupted oil markets and heightened global inflation concerns.The move follows nearly four weeks of escalating hostilities involving Iran, regional militias and US-backed forces, with attacks on energy installations, shipping routes and strategic facilities intensifying fears of a broader regional war. Thousands of casualties have

Crowds are expected to gather across major cities this weekend under the banner of “No Kings”, a decentralised protest movement that organisers say could mark one of the largest coordinated demonstrations in years, driven by mounting political polarisation and public frustration over executive power.Activists behind the campaign describe it as a response to what they view as expanding authority within the executive branch and a perceived erosion of institutional checks and balances. Demonstrations are planned in Washington, New York, Los

Quebec’s National Assembly has unanimously demanded the resignation of Air Canada chief executive Michael Rousseau, intensifying political pressure after his failure to speak French in a public message addressing a fatal aviation incident linked to LaGuardia Airport.The 92–0 vote, adopted across party lines, marks a rare show of unity in Quebec politics and underscores the sensitivity of language rights in the province. Lawmakers argued that the airline’s leadership had fallen short of expectations for a company historically rooted in a

Kenya will incorporate nuclear energy into its electricity mix as part of a broader strategy to expand generation capacity to 10,000 megawatts, President William Ruto has said, signalling a shift in policy aimed at supporting industrial growth and stabilising long-term energy supply.The announcement reflects mounting pressure on the East African economy to secure reliable and affordable power as demand rises across manufacturing, digital infrastructure and urban expansion. Kenya’s current installed capacity stands at roughly 3,300MW, with a heavy reliance on

Escalating conflict across key maritime corridors has exposed the Middle East’s dependence on imported food, with shipping disruptions forcing governments and logistics firms to reassess supply chains under mounting pressure.The warning comes from Vincent Clerc, chief executive of A. P. Moller-Maersk, who signalled that instability in the Gulf is tightening global shipping capacity and complicating the steady flow of essential commodities into the region. He described a “pressing need” for imports, pointing to structural vulnerabilities that have long been masked

India has purchased its first shipment of liquefied petroleum gas from Iran in several years, following a temporary easing of United States sanctions on Tehran’s oil and refined fuel exports, signalling a cautious shift in regional energy trade flows.The cargo marks a notable development in India’s energy procurement strategy, which has been shaped by geopolitical constraints since Washington reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018. The latest transaction reflects a narrow window created by the US decision to relax restrictions under

Altérra has joined forces with General Atlantic to back Wireless Logic in a deal aimed at expanding infrastructure that supports connected devices across energy, transport and industrial systems, as investors increase focus on digital tools that can improve resource efficiency and emissions tracking.The investment underscores a broader shift in capital markets towards climate-linked digital infrastructure, where connectivity platforms are seen as critical enablers of data-driven optimisation. Wireless Logic, a UK-based provider of Internet of Things connectivity services, operates a platform

Police are investigating whether an arson attack on Jewish community ambulances in London is linked to Iranian state activity, as security officials warn of a persistent threat from hostile plots directed at the United Kingdom.Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said officers were pursuing “multiple lines of inquiry” following the incident, which targeted emergency vehicles used by a Jewish volunteer service. The attack has raised concerns among counter-terrorism units, with investigators assessing whether it forms part of a broader pattern of

New Zealand’s approach to easing the strain of elevated fuel costs has been tightly focused on working households, reflecting mounting concern within government ranks about rising public debt ahead of an election cycle. The policy stance has drawn scrutiny as it leaves beneficiaries and pensioners outside the core relief measures, even as transport costs continue to weigh heavily across income groups.Authorities have framed the targeted assistance as a calibrated response designed to balance immediate cost-of-living pressures with longer-term fiscal discipline.