The president’s announcement sent markets soaring and energy prices diving, as investors bet Iran’s blockade of a key shipping chokepoint could soon end.

Four years after the inception of the EU Global Gateway strategy and one year after Commissioner Jozef Síkela was tasked with scaling it up, the European Parliament's AFET and DEVE committees have examined its implementation, assessing its development impacts and its economic and geostrategic dimensions. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

During the March II plenary session, the European Parliament is due to vote on a package of proposals amending the bank crisis management and deposit insurance (CMDI) framework. The amendments aim to refine the framework so as to further deepen harmonisation and reduce the use of taxpayer funding to rescue failed banks. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

During its March II part-session, the European Parliament is expected to vote its negotiating position on the Digital Omnibus on AI – a set of amendments to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act. The proposal seeks to address specific implementation issues identified since the AI Act's adoption and to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden. The Council has agreed its general approach to the file. Once Parliament officially adopts its position, the EU co-legislators can launch trilogue negotiations. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Treating wastewater to remove harmful components prior to discharge into the environment is essential to protect human health and preserve water resources. On 26 March, Parliament will discuss the implementation of EU legislation, updated in 2024 to bring it into line with the EU's climate neutrality, circularity and zero pollution ambitions. The extended producer responsibility scheme (EPR) introduced by the recast directive to cover the costs of advanced treatment for micro-pollutant removal will be at the core of the debate. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

European Union Member States have a shared responsibility to give protection to asylum-seekers, to ensure they receive fair treatment and their cases are examined according to uniform standards. The common European asylum system (CEAS) establishes common standards for Member State procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection. A critical aspect of a common approach to international protection is the application of the 'safe country of origin' concept. In the context of refugees, the term 'safe country of origin' (SCO) has been used to refer to countries whose citizens should not, in theory, be granted international protection, since those countries are widely regarded as safe. The concept can refer to the automatic exclusion from refugee status of nationals originating from SCOs, or it can raise a presumption of safety that those nationals must rebut. Several international and regional human rights bodies have either raised concerns about the use of the SCO concept or proposed appropriate safeguards to ensure that the fundamental rights of persons in genuine need of international protection, but who originate from SCOs, are respected. At EU level, the concept has gradually developed as part of the CEAS, culminating in the adoption of the provisions on the common EU list of SCOs. Many Member States have already established national SCO lists. With the new asylum legislation, transposition of the SCO concept will be mandatory for all Member States, which will also be able to retain or introduce national SCO lists other than those designated at EU level. This is an update of a 2025 EPRS briefing. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

In 2024, nearly a third of global potash production came from Canada, according to Natural Resources Canada .

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday marked four years of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, emphasising its guiding mantra of development as well as heritage while fulfilling the dreams of the statehood agitators and the aspirations of the state's 1.25 crore residents.

US President Trump has paused planned strikes on Iran for five days following «productive» talks, a move Iran claims as a «backing down.» This de-escalation saw Brent crude fall sharply. Meanwhile, PM Modi highlighted the Middle East conflict's «unprecedented challenges» for India, as markets crashed, wiping out Rs 14 lakh crore amid surging oil prices and war fears.

A Tamil Nadu court convicted nine police officers for the 2020 custodial torture and deaths of father and son Jeyaraj and Beniks. The CBI investigation revealed the victims were subjected to brutal torture and evidence was destroyed to conceal the crime. The court's verdict brings a measure of justice for the victims.

The president’s announcement sent markets soaring and energy prices diving, as investors bet Iran’s blockade of a key shipping chokepoint could soon end.

[Capital FM] Nairobi -- Han Zheng, China's Vice President, arrived in Nairobi on Sunday for a four-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation with Kenya.

[allAfrica]

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Casey Means faces pushback from some Republicans over her refusal to forcefully recommend vaccines.

Trump said he had told the U.S. military to postpone strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure for five days, while talks proceed.

[Daily Trust] The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has strengthened Nigeria's presence in the regional energy market with the sale of 12 cargoes, totalling 456,000 tonnes (456KT) of refined petroleum products.

[Independent (Kampala)] Kikuube, Uganda -- Heightened and intensified patrols on the waters of Lake Albert in Kikuube District have helped curb attacks on Ugandan fishermen by suspected militiamen from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

[New Times] ADEPR's decision to strip 35 preachers of pastoral duties over links to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi is painfully and indefensibly late but it is still the right decision, and a significant one.

Singtel users reported service disruptions on Monday (March 23) afternoon, affecting both broadband and mobile internet services.In posts shared on Reddit, users said that both broadband and 5G services appeared to be down simultaneously at around 3.40pm.«Every website and messenger apps stopped working, but data still got through,» one user wrote. Another said: «WiFi has been patchy for me since about 10 minutes ago. Downdetector also shows others having the same issue.»According to outage tracking website Downdetector, there were more than 9,700 reports from Singapore at the peak of the latest disruption. About half of the reports were related to broadband internet issues, while 29 per cent involved mobile internet problems.In a Facebook post on Monday, Singtel said it was aware that some customers were experiencing connectivity issues and apologised for the inconvenience caused. 

Justice Valerie Thean has been appointed as deputy attorney-general from April 1, the Prime Minister's Office said on Monday (March 23).Justice Thean was appointed judicial commissioner in September 2014 and then Supreme Court judge in September 2017.She will resign from the office of judge effective March 31, and take on her new appointment the next day, joining deputy attorneys-general Lionel Yee, Tai Wei Shyong and Goh Yihan.A President's scholar, Justice Thean graduated with first class honours from Cambridge University in 1991, and did her Masters of Law from Harvard Law School in 1995.She joined the legal service in 1992 and has since held various appointments in the legal fraternity, including as assistant registrar at the Supreme Court, senior state counsel at the Attorney-General's Chambers and deputy secretary of the Ministry of Law. Justice Thean was appointed the first presiding judge of the Family Justice Courts on Oct 1, 2014, a position she held concurrently while serving as a judicial commissioner.

A bevy of six otters recently ganged up on a crocodile at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, delighting the internet as they forced the large reptile to retreat.Facebook user Rovena Chew shared on the Singapore Wildlife Sightings page that she had recorded the dramatic interaction at about 7.20am on Sunday (March 22).In the clip, a crocodile resting in the waters off a muddy bank suddenly lunges sideways and snaps at an otter, which speedily scampers away.The sudden splash attracts the attention of five other otters, which start circling the croc as it attempts to chase the first otter.As the reptile strikes at them twice with its jaws wide open, the sleek otters wiggle away twice.Finally, as the otters gather again, the crocodile slinks back in defeat and submerges itself beneath the water's surface. Following the minute-long confrontation, the otters are seen romping around the area, some with fish in their mouths.Chew's post has attracted over 1,400 likes and nearly 100 comments from amazed netizens.

Keir Starmer discussed the Iran war and how to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz with Donald Trump in a 20-minute call last night.

As the first rays of sunshine stretch across spring skies, many of us will be clambering to get by the sea. And where better to enjoy brighter days than a coastal bolthole, all of your own?

LIVE UPDATES: Follow the Daily Mail's live coverage of the US-Israel war. Donald Trump has threatened to blow up Iran's power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not fully reopened.

“This is simply done out of necessity, unfortunately,” says Magnús Hafliðason, CEO of N1, which has recently introduced parking fees at the gas station parking lot in Ártúnsbrekka.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Lok Sabha on the West Asian crisis, highlighting its negative impact on the global economy and India. He assured that the government is providing full support to the nearly one crore Indians living and working in the Gulf region, with missions in constant contact and advisories being issued.

Trans rights activists protested in Hyderabad against the proposed Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) amendment bill. They demanded its withdrawal and explicit recognition of transmen in all laws. Protesters also called for the removal of medical boards for transgender certificates. They warned of nationwide protests if their rights are not granted.

A major porridge brand has recalled some of its products because they may have been contaminated by mice at their manufacturing site.

Dans une élection marquée par une « pentagulaire », Evans Haumani a su tirer son épingle du jeu, mais sans éclat flagrant. Avec l’émergence de fortes oppositions, notamment celle de Christiane Kelley du Tavini ou de son ancien 1er adjoint Ataria Firiapu, le maire réélu devra composer avec une population divisée sur la stratégie de développement de la commune.

Vingt ans après, Tumaraa change de visage. La liste fusionnée Te reo o te nunaa menée par Gérard Goltz parvient à renverser Cyril Tetuanui au second tour des municipales 2026. Une victoire serrée, marquée par un contexte politique tendu et une fracture familiale inédite au sommet.