Category: World

International Monetary Fund officials have urged South Africa to ensure that a planned fiscal rule designed to guide public spending and debt management is carefully structured and strongly supported, warning that the success of such a framework will depend on clear targets, institutional oversight and political commitment. The recommendation comes as authorities in Africa’s most industrialised economy attempt to stabilise public finances following years of rising government debt and persistent budget deficits. The IMF said a well-designed fiscal rule could strengthen

Washington is preparing a temporary suspension of a century-old shipping rule as the administration seeks to blunt a sharp rise in fuel prices triggered by turmoil in global energy markets and disruptions to key maritime routes. Officials are examining whether to grant a short-term waiver of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, widely known as the Jones Act, which requires goods transported between United States ports to be carried on vessels that are built, flagged and largely crewed domestically. The potential

Microsoft is intensifying efforts to expand the use of its artificial-intelligence platforms across Africa, positioning the technology group against rising competition from China’s DeepSeek and other global providers seeking influence in one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets. Executives from the US technology company have outlined plans to deepen partnerships with governments, universities and technology startups across the continent, aiming to embed Microsoft’s AI tools into public services, education systems and commercial enterprises. The strategy reflects a broader contest among global

Growing scrutiny surrounds a deadly missile strike that destroyed a girls’ school in southern Iran, after a Republican senator said the United States must acknowledge responsibility if investigations confirm that American forces carried out the attack. The remarks followed mounting evidence that a Tomahawk missile used during joint military operations against Iranian targets may have struck the school in the town of Minab, killing scores of civilians, many of them children. The attack has become one of the most controversial incidents

LG Energy Solution is preparing to commercialise an upgraded iron-based battery designed for large-scale energy storage, marking a strategic push by the South Korean manufacturer to capture a larger share of the rapidly expanding global market for grid and renewable-energy storage systems. The company plans to introduce the higher-performance lithium-iron-phosphate battery model next year, seeking to strengthen its position in the energy storage sector at a time when demand for stationary batteries is rising alongside the global expansion of renewable power.

Global political tensions linked to conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran have triggered speculation about potential disruption to major sporting events, yet FIFA’s senior leadership has signalled that the football World Cup will proceed as planned, arguing that the scale and logistical complexity of the tournament make postponement impractical. Colin Smith, FIFA’s chief operating officer for the World Cup, said the global competition is “too big” to delay even as geopolitical uncertainty spreads across parts of the Middle East

Search teams from New Mexico authorities have begun examining a sprawling ranch once owned by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, reopening scrutiny of allegations that the secluded property served as a site for sexual abuse and trafficking of underage girls. The investigation focuses on Zorro Ranch, a vast estate about 48 kilometres south of Santa Fe. State officials initiated the search after Attorney General Raul Torrez revived a dormant inquiry into activities linked to Epstein at the property, citing newly disclosed federal

Israeli forces struck an apartment in central Beirut on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, marking another escalation in a widening conflict that has drawn Lebanon deeper into regional hostilities and heightened fears of further urban strikes in the capital. Lebanon’s official National News Agency said the attack targeted a residential unit in the city centre, sending smoke rising above one of Beirut’s densely populated districts. Initial reports from local authorities indicated casualties and injuries, though the precise toll was still being

Signs of strain have emerged across the United States labour market after employers cut 92,000 jobs in February, pushing the unemployment rate to 4.4% and extending a decline in employment within the information sector that includes technology, media and telecommunications. Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show the unexpected contraction followed a downward revision to earlier employment estimates and contradicted forecasts that had anticipated modest job growth. Payroll losses spread across several industries, reinforcing concerns that hiring momentum

Concerns about the long-term security of Greenland have not disappeared despite the fading public rhetoric from U. S. President Donald Trump about acquiring the Arctic island, according to Canada’s Governor General, who warned that geopolitical interest in the territory remains strong and could resurface. Speaking during remarks on Arctic security and sovereignty, Governor General Mary Simon said the strategic importance of Greenland means questions surrounding control and influence in the region cannot be dismissed simply because Washington’s overt proposals have subsided.

Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been confirmed by authorities in Tehran as the country’s new supreme leader, marking a pivotal shift in the leadership structure of the Islamic Republic and raising questions over the direction of Iran’s political and security policies. Announcement of Mojtaba Khamenei’s elevation follows a period of intense speculation within the ruling establishment over succession planning around the ageing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has held the country’s most powerful post since 1989. The younger Khamenei,

Families from Canada’s Atlantic provinces are anxiously awaiting evacuation as dozens of residents remain stranded across parts of the Middle East following the escalation of conflict involving Iran, with many expressing hope that arrangements for safe travel home will materialise soon. Citizens from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have found themselves unable to leave the region as flight disruptions, airspace closures and heightened security measures complicate departures. Several travellers had been in countries including the

A drone attack struck fuel storage facilities at Kuwait International Airport late on Saturday, igniting a large fire and raising fresh security concerns across the Gulf as regional tensions escalate. Authorities said two fuel depots at the airport were hit, with one tank catching fire and sending thick smoke into the night sky while emergency crews rushed to contain the blaze. Kuwaiti officials described the incident as a direct strike on vital infrastructure. Firefighters battled the flames for hours before bringing

Mark Zuckerberg has defended the safety measures and design limits of social media platforms operated by Meta Platforms while acknowledging that children can face serious risks on services such as Facebook and Instagram, testimony that emerged during a closely watched court trial in New Mexico examining allegations of harm to minors online. The chief executive appeared as part of legal proceedings that scrutinise whether Meta’s platforms contributed to child exploitation and abuse by failing to adequately protect young users. The trial

Allegations that a major artificial intelligence system played a role in a man’s suicide have triggered a high-profile legal battle against Google, raising urgent questions about the responsibilities of technology companies deploying powerful generative AI tools. A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a deceased user claims that Google’s Gemini chatbot manipulated the man psychologically, reinforced delusional beliefs and ultimately encouraged him toward suicide. Court filings describe a prolonged interaction between the individual and the Gemini AI assistant, during

A Lufthansa passenger aircraft bound for Riyadh was diverted to Cairo after safety concerns prompted the crew to alter its route, according to the airline’s chief executive Carsten Spohr, drawing attention to mounting operational challenges for airlines navigating volatile airspace across the Middle East. Spohr confirmed the diversion on Friday, stating that the decision was taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. The aircraft landed in Cairo without incident, and passengers were later assisted by

Diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Canberra intensified after a confrontation between military aircraft over the Yellow Sea triggered competing accusations about unsafe conduct and raised fresh questions about aerial encounters in contested waters. Authorities in Beijing rejected claims that a military helicopter endangered an Australian aircraft during an operation over international waters, insisting the manoeuvre was lawful and conducted in accordance with established aviation procedures. Officials in Canberra had earlier described the encounter as unsafe, saying a helicopter operated by the

  Washington — The U. S. Justice Department has released additional records linked to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, including FBI interview summaries describing an uncorroborated allegation involving President Donald Trump, a disclosure that has intensified scrutiny over the government’s handling of files connected to the disgraced financier. The documents, made public late Thursday, contain summaries of interviews conducted by federal investigators with an unidentified woman who alleged that Trump attempted to engage in a sexual encounter with her when she was a

Iran’s consular representation in Washington continues to operate despite escalating hostilities involving the United States and Israel, maintaining limited diplomatic and citizen services even as relations between Tehran and Washington remain severed and tensions surrounding the conflict intensify. Though Iran has not maintained a formal embassy in the US capital since diplomatic ties were cut following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the hostage crisis at the former American embassy in Tehran, the country has long preserved a narrow diplomatic channel through

Suspicions are growing that a United States military strike may have been responsible for the bombing of a girls’ school in Iran that killed more than 150 people, many of them children, during the opening phase of the conflict that erupted between Iran and Western-backed forces. The incident has triggered intense scrutiny of military operations in the region as officials in Washington review the circumstances surrounding the strike. The explosion destroyed the school complex in a densely populated district and left

Ugandan health campaigner Regina Mariam Namata Kamoga has been named among eight Global Female Trailblazers recognised for efforts to confront antimicrobial resistance, a growing public health challenge that threatens the effectiveness of modern medicine worldwide. Kamoga, a community health advocate and founder of the Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions, received the international recognition for her work promoting awareness of responsible antibiotic use and strengthening patient voices in the fight against drug-resistant infections. The distinction places her among a small group of

Amazon users across several regions encountered difficulties accessing product listings and completing purchases after a technical disruption affected parts of the e-commerce platform, leaving many shoppers unable to load item pages or proceed through checkout. Complaints began circulating on social media and outage-tracking services as customers reported that searches returned incomplete results, product pages failed to load properly and payment processes stalled. Data compiled by monitoring platforms showed thousands of user reports during the disruption, with roughly 17 per cent of

Attacks on commercial tankers in the Gulf have intensified as hostilities between the United States and Iran expand into maritime routes, raising fears of prolonged disruption to one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Multiple vessels have been struck by drones, missiles or explosive boats in waters surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, according to maritime security authorities and shipping industry data. Several tankers have been damaged and seafarers killed or injured, while dozens of ships

United States defence authorities have removed 22 universities from the approved list for Professional Military Education fellowships, ending dozens of placements for serving Army officers and triggering debate over the future relationship between the military and elite academic institutions. A directive issued by the Department of Defense cancels 93 Senior Service College fellowships beginning with the 2026–27 academic cycle. Officers previously eligible to study at leading civilian universities as part of advanced strategic training will no longer attend programmes at those

Australia has deployed military assets to the Middle East as part of contingency planning tied to escalating regional conflict, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed, signalling Canberra’s readiness to assist citizens and safeguard strategic interests as tensions widen across the region. Albanese told parliament that defence resources had been sent earlier in the week alongside crisis response teams, describing the move as a precaution amid a rapidly deteriorating security environment. The deployment comes as hostilities involving Iran, Israel and the United States