Australia: Australian trade in jeopardy as Middle East ‘war risk’ costs surge<\/span><\/a> Cambodia: Cambodia protests Thailand\u2019s \u2018illegal\u2019 constructions around Preah Vihear and contested areas<\/a><\/span> China: China and US begin fresh round of trade talks in Paris<\/a><\/span> Indonesia: Indonesia delays D8 summit as Mideast war rages on<\/a><\/span> Myanmar: Mideast war risks dramatically deepening Myanmar crisis: UN expert<\/a><\/span> North Korea: Russia shares technical standards with North Korea, a boon for cooperation<\/a><\/span> Singapore: Singapore\u2019s energy is secure despite disruptions from Middle East conflict: Tan See Leng<\/a><\/span> South Korea: Seoul under pressure as Trump calls for naval support in Hormuz<\/a><\/span> Belarus: ICC prosecutor opens probe into Belarus over deportations into Lithuania<\/a><\/span> Europe: European leaders reject military involvement in Strait of Hormuz<\/a><\/span> France: France threatens to block funds for India over climate inaction<\/a><\/span> Italy: Italy ruling tells millions with Italian roots they have lost the right to citizenship<\/a><\/span> Russia\/Kenya: Kenya and Russia agree no Kenyans will be recruited for Ukraine war<\/a><\/span> Spain: Spain\u2019s King Felipe VI acknowledges that there were \u2018many abuses\u2019 in the colonization of America<\/a><\/span> Turkey\/Iran: Iran \u201cnot taking responsibility\u201d for missile fire on Turkey<\/a><\/span> Ukraine\/United States: Sean Penn Skipped Oscars to Meet President Zelenskyy in Ukraine<\/a><\/span> United Kingdom: UK plans to send minesweeping drones to reopen strait of Hormuz<\/a><\/span> Iran: Iran’s new supreme leader vows to block Strait of Hormuz in first statement<\/a><\/span> Iran: U.S. at Fault in Strike on School in Iran, Preliminary Inquiry Says<\/a><\/span> Iran: Iran-linked group says it hacked US company in retaliation for Minab school bombing<\/a><\/span> Iraq: All 6 U.S. crew members killed after refueling plane crashes in Iraq<\/a><\/span> Lebanon: UN warns of widening crisis as Israeli attacks displace 816,000 in Lebanon<\/a><\/span> Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia cuts oil output 20% to 8 million bpd amid Iran war, sources say<\/a><\/span> United Arab Emirates: Tourists, expats and influencers detained in UAE over digital content showing Iran war impacts, activist says<\/a><\/span> DR Congo: UN aid worker killed in drone strike in Goma<\/a><\/span> DR Congo: Over 200 killed in massive landslide at Rubaya coltan mine<\/a><\/span> Ethiopia: Heavy rainfall and landslides kill at least 64 in Gamo Zone<\/a><\/span> Equatorial Guinea: Vision 2030 strategy launched to eradicate malaria<\/a><\/span> Eritrea: Government denounces Ethiopian claims of troop presence<\/a><\/span> Eritrea: Satirical cartoonist “Cobra” released after 15 years without charge<\/a><\/span> Ghana: Sliding-scale gold royalty hike sparks industry backlash<\/a><\/span> Guinea: Ruling junta dissolves 40 political parties, including major opposition<\/a><\/span> Mozambique: Minister denies that new telecom rules will restrict internet use<\/a><\/span> Nigeria: New insurgency corridor emerges in the northwest and central borders<\/a><\/span> Senegal: Parliament approves bill doubling prison terms for same-sex acts<\/a><\/span> Somalia: Government warns against reported Israeli military base in Somaliland<\/a><\/span> South Africa: Middle East conflict threatens energy security and inflation<\/a><\/span> West Africa: Regional shipping lines risk losing routes to European markets<\/a><\/span> Afghanistan: Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of air attacks on homes in Kabul, Kandahar<\/a><\/span> Bangladesh: How much crude oil is in stock, how long can petrol and octane production continue?<\/a><\/span> Bhutan: Government says key election pledges impractical, unveils alternative measures<\/a><\/span> India: How Israel-US war on Iran puts $50bn in Indian remittances at risk<\/a><\/span> Kazakhstan: What is the purpose of the ongoing constitutional reforms in Central Asia?<\/a><\/span> Nepal: Challenges of Nepal’s new leadership<\/a><\/span> Nepal: Nepal\u2019s new prime minister is a 35-year-old former rapper<\/a><\/span> Pakistan: Pakistani airstrikes cause civilian casualties in Kabul, Taliban and UN say<\/a><\/span> Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka holds talks with Russia on fuel purchase<\/a><\/span> Tajikistan: From the gathering of militants to regime change. “New threats” to Tajikistan<\/a><\/span> Turkmenistan: Officers in Turkmenistan are being offered to serve in their regions to stop layoffs<\/a><\/span> Uzbekistan: How war in Middle East could affect Uzbekistan\u2019s economy<\/a><\/span> Canada: Canada secures renewed market access with China to boost exports and strengthen economic collaboration<\/a><\/span> Canada: Trump threat to blow up trade deal puts Canada\u2019s auto town on the spot<\/a><\/span> Chile: Chile’s Kast sworn in as president in biggest right-wing shift in decades<\/a><\/span> Costa Rica: Costa Rica Accuses China-Linked Group of Cyber Espionage Attack on ICE<\/a><\/span> Costa Rica: Costa Rica Rejects U.S. Bid to Extradite Caribbean Drug Boss<\/a><\/span> Cuba: Protestors in Cuba attack Communist party in rare riot over blackouts<\/a><\/span> Ecuador: US and Ecuador forces launch operation to fight drug trafficking<\/a><\/span> El Salvador: El Salvador\u2019s mass arrest policy may have led to crimes against humanity, study shows<\/a><\/span> Honduras: Cuban doctors leave Honduras as Trump pushes to isolate the island<\/a><\/span> Trinidad and Tobago: Trinidad and Tobago extends state of emergency for another three months<\/a><\/span> Venezuela: US embassy in Venezuela reopens as Trump pushes for access to resources<\/a><\/span> Western Hemisphere: \u201cShield of the Americas\u201d Annual Summit<\/a><\/span> The SHU World Review is produced by the Student Research Assistants of the\u00a0DiploLab<\/a><\/span>\u00a0at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University. Some summaries may be copied from article text. Back issues are available in\u00a0Seton Hall\u2019s repository.\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" East Asia & the Pacific Australia: Australian trade in jeopardy as Middle East ‘war risk’ costs surge ABC News (Australia)\u00a0 Australian exporters are struggling to get products into the Gulf and further into Europe as the war in the Middle East continues.\u00a0They are facing increased costs due to emergency freight surcharges.\u00a0Economists say surging shipping costs will be passed onto consumers,\u00a0pushing\u00a0inflation further and raising the risk of higher interest rates. Cambodia: Cambodia protests Thailand\u2019s \u2018illegal\u2019 constructions… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5878,"featured_media":180,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[53,5],"tags":[31,6,127,174,109,54,110,180,8,154,100,163,46,181,177,178,112,144,73,140,179,43,71,80,120,148,107,32,24,63,98,58,150,113,11,34,18,135,168,161,141,29,59,85,142,93,182,175,157,19,176,74,136,35,47,126],"class_list":["post-174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-53","category-issues","tag-afghanistan","tag-australia","tag-bangladesh","tag-belarus","tag-bhutan","tag-cambodia","tag-canada","tag-chile","tag-china","tag-costa-rica","tag-cuba","tag-dr-congo","tag-ecuador","tag-el-salvador","tag-equatorial-guinea","tag-eritrea","tag-ethiopia","tag-europe","tag-france","tag-ghana","tag-guinea","tag-honduras","tag-india","tag-indonesia","tag-iran","tag-iraq","tag-italy","tag-kazakhstan","tag-kenya","tag-lebanon","tag-mozambique","tag-myanmar","tag-nepal","tag-nigeria","tag-north-korea","tag-pakistan","tag-russia","tag-saudi-arabia","tag-senegal","tag-singapore","tag-somalia","tag-south-africa","tag-south-korea","tag-spain","tag-sri-lanka","tag-tajikistan","tag-trinidad-and-tobago","tag-turkiye","tag-turkmenistan","tag-ukraine","tag-united-arab-emirates","tag-united-kingdom","tag-united-states","tag-uzbekistan","tag-venezuela","tag-west-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5878"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":181,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174\/revisions\/181"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nABC News (Australia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nAustralian exporters are struggling to get products into the Gulf and further into Europe as the war in the Middle East continues.\u00a0They are facing increased costs due to emergency freight surcharges.\u00a0Economists say surging shipping costs will be passed onto consumers,\u00a0pushing\u00a0inflation further and raising the risk of higher interest rates.<\/p>\n
\nKhmer Times (Cambodia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nPhnom Penh lodges a formal objection to the \u2018unlawful\u2019 development activities of Thai forces in border areas, warning the activities defy international rulings and risk deepening the long-running feud between the two neighbors.<\/p>\n
\nSouth China Morning Post (Hong Kong)\u00a0<\/em>
\nSenior officials from China and the United States have started a new round of trade talks in Paris, as the two sides seek to pave the way for US President Donald Trump\u2019s expected visit to Beijing later this month.<\/p>\n
\nThe Jakarta Post (Indonesia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nJakarta decided to postpone the summit of eight Muslim-majority developing countries grouped under the D8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, which was scheduled to be held in mid-April, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
\nMyanmar Now (Burma)\u00a0<\/em>
\nMyanmar\u2019s spiraling rights and humanitarian crises risk getting \u201cmuch worse\u201d as global attention focuses on the Middle East war and aid dwindles further, the top United Nations expert on the Asian country warned.<\/p>\n
\nNK News (South Korea)\u00a0<\/em>
\nNorth Korea has\u00a0acquired\u00a0access to a Russian database of international technical standards that covers everything from programming languages, railway systems and cement to Vietnamese noodles, a potential boon for economic and military cooperation between the two sides.<\/p>\n
\nThe Straits Times (Singapore)\u00a0<\/em>
\nSingapore’s energy supply is secure despite Middle East conflict-related price increases, with “four lines of\u00a0defence” including diverse natural gas sources. Singapore and Japan agreed to deeper collaboration in areas such as cross-border electricity imports and low-carbon technologies. Singapore diversifies its energy portfolio, investing in solar energy, while exploring nuclear energy options to enhance resilience.<\/p>\n
\nThe Korea Herald (South Korea)<\/em>
\nSouth Korea faces growing pressure to contribute naval forces to safeguard shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after US President Donald Trump called on major oil-importing countries to help keep the vital energy corridor open, placing Seoul at the center of a widening geopolitical test.<\/p>\nEurope & Eurasia<\/h3>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)<\/em>
\nProsecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have opened an investigation into Belarus over the suspected forced deportation of government opponents. The ICC prosecutor\u2019s office said on Thursday that it had found \u201ca reasonable basis to believe crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court have been committed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nLeaders and officials from the Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, and other countries stated there would be no consideration of involvement of their respective militaries in the Strait of Hormuz, while countries like Lithuania and Estonia emphasizes the need for greater clarity about the US\u2019s goals in the region before their governments would offer military support.<\/p>\n
\nFrance24 (France)\u00a0<\/em>
\nFrance’s ecological transition minister Monique\u00a0Barbut\u00a0said that the European Union should take a firmer stance against climate inaction and favor a “more transactional” approach in negotiations with\u00a0emerging\u00a0economies, highlighting a planned package of 500 million euros to be sent to India under the EU\u2019s larger climate goals.<\/p>\n
\nCNN (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nOn\u00a0Thursday\u00a0the Constitutional Court said it would rule in favor of the government and its controversial 2025 law that restricted citizenship for those born abroad. The law, which was issued last March via\u00a0emergency\u00a0decree, had been challenged by four judges, who questioned its constitutionality.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nRussia has agreed to stop recruiting Kenyan citizens to fight with its army in Ukraine, Kenya\u2019s foreign minister has said. More than 1,780 citizens from 36 African countries are believed to be fighting alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine, according to Ukraine\u2019s estimates in February.<\/p>\n
\nEl Pais (Spain)\u00a0<\/em>
\nSpain\u2019s King Felipe VI acknowledged on Monday morning, during a visit to the exhibition Half the World: Women in Indigenous Mexico, organized jointly by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Mexican Ministry of Culture, that \u201cthere was much abuse\u201d during the colonization of the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors.<\/p>\n
\nFrance24 (France)\u00a0<\/em>
\nTurkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he had spoken with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi after NATO defense systems on Friday shot down another ballistic missile from Iran, the third in nine days, and the country still claims no involvement in the attacks.<\/p>\n
\nVariety (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Ukrainian leader posted a photo of them together on X,\u00a0thanking the actor and activist. Penn had previously made comments about the importance of film activism highlighting modern\u00a0conflict, and\u00a0had previously worked on documentary work about his encounters with Zelenskyy.<\/p>\n
\nThe Guardian (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nMinisters are drawing up plans to send minesweeping drones to the\u00a0Strait\u00a0of Hormuz amid concerns in Whitehall that\u00a0complying with\u00a0Donald Trump\u2019s demand to send ships could escalate the crisis.<\/p>\nNear East<\/h3>\n
\nBBC (United Kingdom)<\/em>
\nIran will continue blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the world\u2019s busiest oil shipping channel, according to a statement attributed to Iran\u2019s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. His message was broadcast on Iranian state TV, but Khamenei did not appear in person. His message was instead read out by a newsreader.<\/p>\n
\nNew York Times (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nAn ongoing military investigation has\u00a0determined\u00a0that the United States\u00a0is responsible for\u00a0a deadly Tomahawk missile strike on an Iranian elementary school, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the preliminary findings. The Feb. 28 strike on the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school building was the result of a targeting mistake by the U.S. military, which was conducting strikes on an adjacent Iranian base of which the school building was formerly a part, the preliminary investigation found. Officers at U.S. Central Command created the target coordinates for the strike using outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency, people briefed on the investigation said.<\/p>\n
\nThe Guardian (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nAn Iran-linked group said it hacked a US medical company, causing \u201cglobal disruption\u201d to its systems, in retaliation for the bombing of the Minab school in Iran, in an attack seen as widening the Middle East into the cyber realm.\u00a0Handala, a hacker group, claimed responsibility for the attack on Wednesday on the Stryker Corporation, which makes medical devices and is based in Michigan. It affected thousands of employees using the company\u2019s Microsoft systems.<\/p>\n
\nNBC (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nAll six U.S. crew members have been confirmed dead after their military refueling plane crashed in Iraq while taking part in Iran war operations, the U.S. military said Friday. U.S. Central Command said in a post on X early Friday that the KC-135 plane went down at approximately 2 p.m. ET Thursday in western Iraq, with four crew members initially confirmed dead. That statement\u00a0said\u00a0“rescue efforts continue.” In a\u00a0subsequent\u00a0post, CENTCOM confirmed that all six crew members “are now confirmed\u00a0deceased.”<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nLebanon faces \u201ca moment of grave peril\u201d as Israel continues to launch deadly attacks across the country, forcibly displacing hundreds of thousands of people, the United Nations humanitarian chief has warned. Speaking to the UN Security Council in New York on Wednesday, Tom Fletcher said \u201cmass displacement is accelerating\u201d across Lebanon\u00a0as a result of\u00a0the Israeli attacks.<\/p>\n
\nReuters (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nTop oil exporter Saudi Arabia has cut oil production by some 2 million barrels per day to around 8 million bpd after reducing output from two major offshore fields amid the Iran \u200cwar, two sources told Reuters. Middle East Gulf oil producers have had to shut vast volumes of production due to the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, since the U.S. and Israel began airstrikes on Iran on February 28. Iran has said \u2060the world should prepare for oil prices at $200 a barrel.<\/p>\n
\nCBS (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA growing number of social media users, including foreigners, are facing charges in the United Arab Emirates under the Gulf state’s broad cybercrime laws for sharing or\u00a0possessing\u00a0digital content that depicts or comments on the impact of ongoing Iranian attacks, the advocacy group Detained in Dubai has warned. The arrests highlight the strict regulations around online content in the UAE, which has expressly forbidden anyone from taking or sharing imagery that shows Iranian drone or missile impacts or efforts to intercept the weapons.<\/p>\nSub-Saharan Africa<\/h3>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)<\/em>
\nA French UNICEF employee, Karine\u00a0Buisset, and two civilians were killed when a “combat drone” hit a residential building in the city of Goma. M23 rebels, who currently control the city, blamed the Congolese government for the attack, while the Congolese military recently reported downing two Rwandan drones in the same region.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)<\/em>
\nA landslide triggered by heavy rains has killed more than 200 people, including approximately 70 children, at the strategic\u00a0Rubaya\u00a0coltan mine in eastern DRC. While miners have recovered over 200 bodies, the M23 rebels who control the site have disputed the death toll, claiming the collapse was caused by “bombings” rather than rain.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nTorrential rains in southern Ethiopia\u2019s Gamo Zone have resulted in at least 64 confirmed deaths, with 128 people reported missing. Most victims were found buried in mud, and regional authorities have urged residents in highland and flood-prone areas to evacuate as the rainy season continues. Scientists warn that human-driven climate change is increasing the severity of such extreme weather events in East Africa, following a similar 2024 disaster that killed over 250 people in the same region.<\/p>\n
\nThe Independent (Uganda)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nEquatorial Guinea has unveiled an ambitious $116 million roadmap, Vision 2030, to\u00a0eliminate\u00a0malaria within five years. The strategy\u00a0utilizes\u00a0next-generation R21\/Matrix-M vaccines, drone-based mosquito detection, and potentially genetically modified mosquitoes to interrupt transmission. The plan aims to\u00a0build on\u00a0a 75% reduction in malaria prevalence achieved on Bioko Island over the last two decades.<\/p>\n
\nAhram Online (Egypt)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nEritrea has rejected accusations from Ethiopia that its troops are present on Ethiopian soil, calling the claims “false and fabricated”. Relations between the two countries\u00a0remain\u00a0tense, with Addis Ababa demanding a full withdrawal of Eritrean forces and accusing Asmara of supporting insurgents in the Amhara region.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica (South Africa)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nSatirical artist Biniam Solomon, known as Cobra, has been released from an Eritrean prison after being detained since 2011. Solomon was held for 15 years without trial or official charge, and the authorities provided no explanation for his release or his decade-and-a-half-long imprisonment.<\/p>\n
\nDW News (Germany)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nGhana has introduced a new “sliding-scale” royalty system for gold mining, raising rates from a flat 5% to up to 12% when prices exceed $4,500 per ounce. While the government argues the move will recover billions in lost revenue, mining giants like Newmont and Gold Fields warn it could deter future investment and make Ghana less competitive compared to neighboring countries.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Guinean government has issued a decree dissolving 40 political parties, including the three main opposition groups: UFDG, RPG, and UFR. The move, which strips the parties of their legal status and assets, has been condemned by critics as the\u00a0final step\u00a0toward\u00a0establishing\u00a0a one-party state under President Mamady Doumbouya.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica (South Africa)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nMinister of Communications Am\u00e9rico Muchanga has\u00a0stated\u00a0that new telecommunications regulations are intended to fight cybercrime and guarantee state security, not\u00a0restrict\u00a0internet use. However, civil society groups and the national Ombudsman have criticized the laws as unconstitutional, warning they could allow for arbitrary internet shutdowns under the guise of national security.<\/p>\n
\nDW News (Germany)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nSahelian militant groups like JNIM and IS Sahel are\u00a0establishing\u00a0a presence in the “Kebbi-Kainji-Borgu triangle” bordering Niger and Benin. Experts warn this new corridor allows jihadis to collaborate with local bandits and use ungoverned forest reserves, such as Kainji Lake National Park, as operational bases to stage cross-border attacks.<\/p>\n
\nDaily Nation (Kenya)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nSenegalese lawmakers passed a bill that doubles the maximum prison term for same-sex sexual acts to 10 years and criminalizes the promotion of homosexuality. The legislation, which fulfills a campaign promise by the current government, specifies that “acts against nature” include homosexuality, bisexuality, and “transsexuality”.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nSomalia has issued a warning that its territory cannot be used for “external confrontations” following reports that Israel plans to\u00a0establish\u00a0a military base in the breakaway region of Somaliland. Mogadishu\u00a0maintains\u00a0that the Federal Government is the only legal authority to\u00a0enter into\u00a0international security arrangements, while Somaliland officials\u00a0state\u00a0they are pursuing a strategic relationship with Israel.<\/p>\n
\nThe Independent (Uganda)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nStrategic researchers warn that the escalating US-Israel-Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz will severely\u00a0impact\u00a0the South African economy. With 20 percent of the world’s oil passing through the strait and Qatar halting LNG shipments, South Africa faces a spike in fuel prices and general inflation, potentially requiring a complete reassessment of the national budget.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica\u00a0(South Africa)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe maritime industry warns that Nigeria and West Africa risk losing major shipping lines as the Middle East crisis drives up operational costs. Shipping firms face massive War Risk Insurance surcharges, between $3,000 and $4,000 per container, due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and risks in the Red Sea.<\/p>\nSouth & Central Asia<\/h3>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\nAfghanistan\u2019s Taliban government has accused Pakistan of targeting civilian homes in overnight air attacks, killing four people in the capital and two in the east, as fighting between the two neighbors entered its third week, overshadowed by the United States-Israel war on Iran igniting the Middle East.<\/p>\n
\nProthom Alo (Bangladesh)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe ongoing war situation in the Middle East along with rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz has created uncertainty over the movement of crude oil tankers.\u00a0The situation has become more uncertain after a vessel carrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia\u2019s Ras Tanura terminal was forced to halt its journey.<\/p>\n
\nKuensel\u00a0(Bhutan)<\/em>
\nAt the 25th\u00a0Meet-the-Press session, the government acknowledged several campaign pledges made during the election that cannot be implemented as originally proposed. This includes the health sector, development of domestic airports, and education loans. With, Health Minister Tandin Wangchuk said the government\u2019s pledge to place a doctor in every gewog was not\u00a0feasible\u00a0given the country\u2019s human resources and logistical constraints. Instead, the Ministry of Health has turned into an alternative approach aimed at strengthening primary healthcare services in remote communities.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)<\/em>
\nAs the United States-Israeli war on Iran completes it has triggered a global energy crisis, but one country could face a double whammy if the conflict intensifies: India, the world\u2019s fourth-largest economy, depends on the Gulf for its energy needs and also for remittances sent by a vast workforce resident in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
\nRadio\u00a0Azattyq\u00a0(Kazakhstan)<\/em>
\nIn recent years, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, and before that, Tajikistan, have held referendums on constitutional changes. The Central Asian countries’ authorities have explained this as a political necessity. Analysts say that these changes were primarily intended to strengthen the position of those who\u00a0initiated\u00a0the initiative.<\/p>\n
\nThe Kathmandu Post (Nepal)<\/em>
\nThe uprisings in South Asia have produced interesting results. Nepal\u2019s Gen Z uprising has paved the way for ousting old politicians from power and electorally decimating them. This has revealed how the people have lost faith in their promise of \u2018naya\u00a0Nepal\u2019 that neither\u00a0delievred\u00a0on political stability nor on a polity free of corruption. With Balendra Shah as the new Prime Minister, will be faced with many challenges in balancing the interest of India and China while also moving in the direction of Nepal developing its own aspirations under its new leadership.<\/p>\n
\nThe Economist (United Kingdom)<\/em>
\nBalendra Shah, popularly known as Balen will be Nepal\u2019s next prime minister. Balen, as mayor since 2022, has proven to have a decent\u00a0track record\u00a0having dealt with Kathmandu\u2019s sanitation issues and evicted illegal businesses from central areas. With Balen joining the RSP, a four-year old party that has appealed heavily to the youth of Nepal. He promises to wipe out corruption and focus on governances and\u00a0seeks\u00a0to make a \u201cbridge\u201d between India and China. He has also promised to create 1.2 million jobs and double GDP. However, there are concerns that he might\u00a0fail to\u00a0meet the outsize expectations of cleaning up the corrupt system of Nepal\u2019s government and his governing style, which is viewed as aggressive.<\/p>\n
\nReuters News (United Kingdom)<\/em>
\nPakistan bombed the fuel depot of private airline Kam Air near Afghanistan’s airport of Kandahar, the ruling Taliban said on Friday, stepping \u200cup the\u00a0neighbors’\u00a0worst conflict in years, despite China’s efforts to mediate.<\/p>\n
\nDaily Mirror (United Kingdom)<\/em>
\nMinister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath held discussions with the Ambassador of Russia to Sri Lanka, Levan S.\u00a0Dzhagaryan, on the possibility of\u00a0purchasing\u00a0Russian fuel. Ambassador\u00a0Dzhagaryan\u00a0agreed to\u00a0immediately\u00a0convey Sri Lanka\u2019s request to the Russian government and assured that he would coordinate with the relevant Russian institutions to\u00a0facilitate\u00a0the necessary arrangements.<\/p>\n
\nOzodi\u00a0(Tajikistan)<\/em>
\nTajik authorities say that after the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, militants have gathered in Afghanistan, posing a “serious threat” to the stability and security of the country. This point is made in the draft “Strategy for the Prevention of Extremism and Terrorism in Tajikistan until 2040.” in hopes of\u00a0establishing\u00a0stronger security and propaganda efforts. However, critics argue that the Tajik governments have slow and ineffective responses to these extremist threats.<\/p>\n
\nTurkmen News (Netherlands)<\/em>
\nTurkmenistan\u2019s Defense Minister, Begench Gundogdyev is attempting to stop the mass layoff of officers and is offering them the opportunity to transfer to their home region and return to duty there. However, this measure has not had much of an effect since many officers due to financial security.<\/p>\n
\nGazeta News (Uzbekistan)<\/em>
\nThe escalation of the conflict in the Middle East has already led to an increase in global prices for energy and safe-haven assets. Economist\u00a0Mirkomil\u00a0Holboev\u00a0examines what the crisis could mean for Uzbekistan\u2019s economy, including trade,\u00a0logistics\u00a0and gold prices.<\/p>\nWestern Hemisphere<\/h3>\n
\nGlobal Affairs Canada (Canada)\u00a0<\/em>
\nOn March 1st, Canada and China mutually repealed tariffs that were limiting markets in both nations. China has reduced tariffs on Canadian canola seed, canola meal, peas, lobster, and crab and Canada has lifted surtaxes on electric vehicles, steel, and aluminum products. Canada has embarked on these deals to diversify trade partnerships and secure new growth opportunities.<\/p>\n
\nThe Washington Post (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nOn March 8th, several businesses in the auto- industry\u00a0established\u00a0in Canada have begun to report lower levels of business and large employee layoffs. These dips come from the rising tensions between the U.S. and Canada,\u00a0largely due to\u00a0the tariffs and the threat of blocking the new Detroit-Windsor bridge. With the review of the USMCA coming soon, Canadians in the auto-industry worry that these statistics will only get worse and their businesses will take larger hits.<\/p>\n
\nReuters (United Kingdom)<\/em>
\nOn March 11th, Jose Antonio Kast was sworn in as Chile\u2019s president, ushering in the country\u2019s sharpest shift to the right in decades. Recently, alarmed by rising insecurity, voters across Latin America have backed a broader conservative turn. In Kast\u2019s first address to the country, he described Venezuela as riddled with organized crime and weak finances and painted his administration as an emergency government aiming to fix those problems.<\/p>\n
\nThe Tico Times (Costa Rica)<\/em>
\nOn March 12th, the Costa Rican Electricity Institute reported a security attack, with 9 gigabytes of internal emails pulled from a server in the Institute. A preliminary investigation links the attack to an international hacking group who focuses on espionage and is linked to China. Marco Acuna, the Institute\u2019s president, calls the attack a crime both in international law and Costa Rican law.<\/p>\n
\nThe Tico Times (Costa Rica)<\/em>
\nOn March 9th, Costa Rica rejected the U.S.\u2019s request to extradite\u00a0Gilberth\u00a0Hernan Bell Fernandez,\u00a0a\u00a0notorious drug trafficker known by the name \u201cMacho Coca\u201d. The court rejected the appeal since\u00a0the crimes brought forward by the U.S. were carried out before the nation\u2019s constitution allowed\u00a0extradition for certain drug crimes. The U.S. must now file a local case\u00a0in order to\u00a0get their crimes\u00a0tried in court.<\/p>\n
\nReuters (United Kingdom)<\/em>
\nOn March 14th, anti-government protestors attacked a Communist party office in central Cuba, according to a state-run newspaper. This marks a rare outburst of dissent incited by blackouts that have been\u00a0exacerbated\u00a0by a U.S. oil blockade. Social media videos showed a large fire and people throwing rocks through the windows of a building amidst shouts of \u201cliberty\u201d.<\/p>\n
\nBBC (United Kingdom)<\/em>
\nOn March 4th, join operations by Ecuadorean and U.S. forces were carried out\u00a0in order to\u00a0target drug trafficking. The U.S. embassy in Quito announced that, with the help of their Ecuadorean counterparts and European international police agency Europol, they had dismantled a large drug-trafficking network linked to the Los Lobos gang.<\/p>\n
\nThe Guardian\u00a0(United Kingdom)<\/em>
\nOn March 11th, a legal study has revealed that El Salvador\u2019s\u00a0president, Nayib Bukele, has\u00a0possibly committed\u00a0crimes against humanity due to his policies. Bukele is known for his tough crackdown on crime and gangs in El Salvador, carrying out mass incarcerations. Individuals caught in the round ups are sent to CECOT, a mass prison who has the source of controversy. Inmates report grim conditions and ill treatment inside the prison, with many lacking ties to gang members.<\/p>\n
\nAP News (United States)<\/em>
\nOn March 4th, more than 150 Cuban medical staff\u00a0boarded\u00a0a plane to Cuba and\u00a0departed\u00a0from Honduras as their\u00a0program with the nation was\u00a0terminated. U.S. officials claim the Cuban brigade program was human trafficking and officials in Honduras explain that the government evaluated the program and decided it no longer fit their needs. Samuel Santos, president of the Honduran Medical Association, assured the public that this will not hamper Honduras medical growth in any way, shape, or form.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)<\/em>
\nOn March 14th, Trinidad and Tobago moved to extend its state of emergency as part of a campaign to crack down on crime. This three-month extension, which passed by a margin of 26-12 in the country\u2019s House of Representatives, grants expansive powers and restricts key civil liberties. Trinidad and Tobago has now been under a state of emergency for about 10 of the last 14 months, yet members of the opposition party say that\u00a0in spite of\u00a0the emergency state, the government has failed to bring violent crime under control.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)<\/em>
\nOn March 14th, United States said it has reopened its embassy in Venezuela in the capital of Caracas after a seven-year hiatus. The raising of the flag over the embassy is a ceremonial step that signals the resumption of diplomatic activities in Venezuela, as President Donald Trump deepens ties with the South American country\u2019s new government.<\/p>\n
\nForeign Policy (United States)<\/em>
\nOn March 7th, Donald Trump met with 12 of Latin America\u2019s far right-wing leaders to discuss the recently signed multilateral regional declaration, where Donald Trump in a speech expressed their joint commitment to use \u201clethal\u201d military force against \u201cnarcoterrorism\u201d in the region. The declaration in question details intelligence sharing, military cooperation, and defense partnerships taking place for the year to come.<\/p>\n
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