World

Hundreds of tankers sit idle on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz as Iran has effectively closed the strategic waterway, pushing global oil prices above $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022. The strait, through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes, has seen traffic plunge following attacks by Israel and the United States on Tehran on February 28. Asian countries, including India, China, and Japan, as well as some European nations, source large portions of their energy needs from the Gulf. A disruption in supply threatens to rattle the global economy.

According to Iran's state media, the captain of the Iranian women's football team, Zahra Ghanbari, has withdrawn her bid for asylum in Australia and is expected to return to Iran from Malaysia within hours. This marks the fifth member of the delegation to reverse such a decision following the team's participation in the Asian Cup, as three players and one backroom staff member had previously withdrawn their asylum applications and traveled from Australia to Malaysia.

UEFA announced in an official statement that the 'Finalissima' match between Spain and Argentina, scheduled to be held in Qatar, has been cancelled. The game, pitting European champions Spain against Copa America winners Argentina, was set for March 27 at Doha's Lusail Stadium but was called off due to conflicts in the Middle East, highlighting the region's escalating instability.

Nearly three years into the war in Sudan, peace remains elusive. In recent days, waves of drone strikes have killed dozens of people across White Nile state and the Kordofan region. Earlier this week, a drone struck a pickup truck carrying mourners to a funeral in West Kordofan, reportedly killing about 40 people, many of them women, according to AFP. Neither of the warring sides – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) nor the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – nor any of their allies claimed responsibility for these attacks.

Former Japanese footballer Keisuke Honda has stated that he lost an advertising deal with a US-based company after voicing support for the Iranian national team's participation in the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Honda, without naming the sponsor, revealed on Saturday that an advertisement from an American company had been "put on hold" following his post on X where he wrote that he wants Iran to compete in the tournament co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada.

The war launched by Israel and the United States against Iran has concluded its second week, a period filled with extensive news coverage, propaganda, and speculation that has saturated global media. Politicians and pundits from both sides have presented contradictory information and analyses, obscuring ground realities and overwhelming the international public. As the conflict enters its third week, careful observation can still identify new and critical dynamics that may shape its outcome, the future of the Middle East, and potentially global confrontations and conditions.

The decision by former United States President Donald Trump to launch a war against Iran has left many international law experts questioning whether the post-World War II global order is effectively functioning. During his second presidential term, Trump has allegedly wielded power without restraint, while the system of checks and balances enshrined in the US Constitution appears to be failing to limit his authority. Since his inauguration in January 2025, Trump has ordered unprovoked attacks on independent states Venezuela and Iran, threatened to annex Greenland, strained traditional alliances with Europe, undermined the United Nations, and rattled international trade with sweeping tariffs.

Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi has traveled to Moscow to pressure Russian authorities to end the forced recruitment of Kenyan citizens into the Russian military for the war against Ukraine. Kenyan intelligence services reportedly believe over 1,000 nationals have been lured to Russia with promises of well-paid civilian jobs, only to be press-ganged into becoming soldiers with limited training and sent to the front lines.

United States President Donald Trump has threatened additional military strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island and called on allies to deploy warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy supplies. In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump claimed that previous US strikes “totally demolished” much of the oil export hub and warned of more attacks on the island, adding that the US “may hit it a few more times just for fun.” These remarks mark an escalation from Trump, who had previously stated the US was targeting only military sites on Kharg, raising concerns about the inconsistent and provocative policies of the US regime that could heighten regional instability.

On a humid afternoon in Lagos, a shoot for a comedy skit is underway on a set that resembles a small film production. Dozens of people mill about: lighting assistants, a sound engineer, a makeup artist, and even a content creator recording behind-the-scenes footage. At the centre is Broda Shaggi, born Samuel Animashaun Perry, who issues instructions, rehearses lines, and performs caricatures. According to Olufemi Oguntamu, CEO of Penzaarville Africa, a Lagos-based media agency that manages Broda Shaggi, behind the punchlines and viral memes lies significant hard work.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met in Paris at the OECD headquarters to hash out trade issues between the world's two largest economies. The discussions are seen as setting the stage for an expected summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing later this month, although Beijing has yet to confirm the dates in line with its usual practice.

Tashkent's inefficient transport system results in annual losses of $343 million, equivalent to 1.27% of the city's gross regional product, as announced by the Road Traffic Organization Center (RTOC) at a press conference on March 12. The center, established to implement a unified policy replacing dozens of previously existing transport agencies, highlighted that the issues stem from the city's rapid development and increasing load on the transport network. In current conditions, a transition to managing road traffic based on systematic data and analysis is deemed necessary.