world
Aggregate consumption of tax-paid alcohol in South Africa increased by 24.2% between 2017 and 2024, according to a University of Cape Town analysis released in August 2026. The figures challenge industry claims about a surging illicit market as the National Treasury considers higher excise taxes on alcoholic beverages. South Africans became poorer between 2017 and … Read more
A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the Pacific coast of El Salvador on Wednesday evening, sending tremors through Honduras and Nicaragua. Pacific Epicenter and Depth Details Recorded by USGS and Local Observatories The earthquake struck at 18:30 local time on Wednesday, originating off the Pacific coast of El Salvador in the department of Usulután. According to … Read more
Europe is bracing for its fifth heat wave of 2026, with extreme temperatures prompting water-use restrictions for millions and fueling wildfires across the continent. According to Copernicus data and national weather agencies, July 2026 was the hottest month on record for nearly 120 million people in the region. Extreme Heat and Water Restrictions in Britain … Read more
The Lebanese parliament passed a general amnesty law on Wednesday to ease severe prison overcrowding that reached 300 percent. The legislation follows months of political gridlock, military objections, and debates over exceptions for detainees, drawing immediate controversy across the country. Lebanese lawmakers approved a general amnesty proposal by introducing modifications to the text, bringing an … Read more
Global oil benchmarks climbed on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, driven by fresh maritime attacks on cargo vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, alongside a stalled diplomatic track between the United States and Iran that heightened fears of enduring Middle East supply disruptions. Crude prices extended their upward trajectory in volatile Wednesday … Read more
US annual inflation slowed to 3.4% in July, marking the second month in a row of cooling. Annual inflation in the United States cooled for the second month in a row, dropping to 3.4% in July, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Consumer Price Index registered a 0.1% monthly … Read more
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on August 12, 2026, that Russia will respond in kind if European countries start to seize Russian merchant vessels. Speaking aboard a warship in Russia’s far east, Putin denounced the maritime enforcement measures as piracy. Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stark maritime warning during a visit to the far … Read more
Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, the sharp-tongued reformer who engineered China’s entry into the World Trade Organization and forced wrenching overhauls of state industry in the 1990s, has died in Beijing at the age of 97. Zhu passed away from illness at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Serving … Read more
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed in the Middle East for over eight months supporting operations against Iran. As the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln continues its combat deployment in support of operations against Iran, mounting distress among the crew has spilled over into public view. Deployed since November 21, … Read more
Ukraine has halted drone strikes against oil tankers using Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk following a request from U.S. The intervention came amid growing Washington concerns over the destabilization of global oil markets and financial damage to American energy companies. Ukraine suspended its maritime drone campaign targeting vessels operating near the Russian Black Sea … Read more