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The rising cost of fuel is beginning to be felt in Morocco due to the ongoing fighting in the Middle East that has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Finland has been named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year, according to the World Happiness Report 2026 published Thursday, which also highlights the stark decline in well-being among young people linked to heavy social media use.

The Sahel region of Africa, which has become the "global epicentre of terrorism," accounted for nearly half of all terrorism-related deaths for the third consecutive year in 2025, the Global Terrorism Report said Thursday.

Unlike crude from the middle east, a lot of African oil does not have to transit vulnerable corridors such as the Strait of Hormuz, where events like war can put a stop to shipping. But years of constrained investment meant African producers cannot pump more and fast enough to cover supply gaps

Thousands gathered at Enghelab Square in Tehran on 18 March for the funeral procession of national security chief Ali Larijani, Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani and dozens of sailors killed in recent strikes.

Pix of the Day, 19 March 2026

Staff at Nyíregyháza Zoo carried out a wellness programme for resident tortoises on Wednesday 18 March, providing cleaning, grooming and veterinary checks.

They say mines kill and maim a disproportionate number of children and that people cannot return to safety without addressing explosive hazards.

Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt partially reopened Thursday for the first time since Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, allowing a small number of Palestinian patients to leave the devastated enclave and stranded travelers to return.

An orphaned grey titi monkey was released back into the wild after rehabilitation at a wildlife centre in Antioquia, authorities said on 18 March.