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As a quarter of Kenya’s population faces severe food shortages, up to 40% of food produced is lost or wasted each year.

Lebanese soldier killed after Israeli raid in south Lebanon Lebanon’s army says one of the soldiers wounded in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon has died from his injuries. In a statement carried by the National News Agency, the Army Command confirmed the death following an earlier announcement that five soldiers had been wounded in the Qaqaiyat al-Jisr area in Nabatieh. The army said the casualties resulted from a “hostile Israeli raid” targeting the area.

War Escalates as Israel Claims It Killed Iran’s Security Chief  Bloomberg.com

Israel says it killed Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official, in strike  The Washington Post

Damascus authorities ban alcohol sales in non-Christian areas Alex MacDonald on Tue, 03/17/2026 - 09:12 Officials say restrictions come after complaints from locals and crackdown on 'practices contrary to public morals' An employee of Arados brewery works on the production line at the company's plant in the northwestern Syrian town of Safita on November 15, 2017 (AFP) Off Authorities in the Syrian capital Damascus have announced a city-wide ban on alcohol with the exception of a number of Christian neighbourhoods. In an announcement issued on Monday, the city of Damascus announced that "the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in restaurants and nightclubs throughout the city". It cited "numerous" complaints and requests from locals and said the new ban was aimed at "eliminating practices contrary to public morals". It added that the sale of alcohol would be permitted in the Christian neighbourhoods of Bab Touma, Qassaa, and Bab Sharqi, and then only in establishments specifically designated for the purpose by a commercial building permit and only "sealed" for takeaway. Any businesses still selling alcohol must also be located at least 75 metres from mosques, churches, schools, and cemeteries, and at least 20 metres from police stations and administrative buildings. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); They have three months to comply with the new regulations. Since overthrowing Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, the government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa – whose now liquidated group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham was a former al-Qaeda affiliate – has largely refrained from imposing social restrictions on the population. However, a number of recent announcements, including a January ban on female public sector employees wearing make-up and mandatory full-body swimsuits on public beaches last year, have raised concerns that this could be changing. Although the majority of Syria is composed of conservative Sunni Muslims who largely refrain from drinking alcohol for religious reasons, many secular Sunnis and other religious and ethnic minorities see an alcohol ban as a threat to civil liberties. Some also criticised the exemptions made for Christian neighbourhoods as entrenching a sectarian approach to the city's communities. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "The decision effectively segregates between Muslims and Christians. It implies that Christians should stay in their areas and Muslims in theirs," wrote Syrian analyst Jihad Yazigi on X.  "Even during the late Ottoman period, this type of segregation was starting to disappear." Post-Assad tensions The transitional government has struggled to contain unrest and violence at home, attacks by Israel, and managing relations with erstwhile allies and enemies. Australian families released by SDF forced to 'head back' to camp in Syria Read More » In October, the government held parliamentary elections in which Sharaa hand-picked a third of the seats, while the remaining two-thirds were chosen by local committees made up of government appointees. The process bypassed the Druze-majority Sweida province and the country's Kurdish-held northeast with their 32 seats remaining empty.  According to a temporary constitution announced in March, the parliament will exercise legislative functions until a permanent constitution is adopted and new elections can be held at the end of a five-year transitional process. The new interim authorities say popular elections are unworkable in the wake of Syria's 13-year war, which saw hundreds of thousands killed and millions displaced both internally and externally. But the selection process dismayed many Syrian pro-democracy campaigners who had hoped for change after the ousting of Assad. Inside Syria News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Gas prices continue to climb in the US as Strait of Hormuz remains threatened  WESH

That $11.3bn doesn’t include any estimate of repairing facilities or replacing losses Generally speaking, when you bomb another country, and that country retaliates, you call it a “war”. Very simple word. Three letters. Even Donald Trump knows how to spell it. But be careful about calling the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which have expanded into an Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon, a “war”. The geniuses in the White House can’t seem to figure out what the hell they’re doing. House speaker Mike Johnson announced on 5 March that “we are not at war” and that the US has “no intention of being at war”. Some lawmakers, such as senator Cynthia Lummis, meanwhile, are arguing that the US has been in “forever war” with Iran for decades. Continue reading...

Business - Gulf states seek to bypass Strait of Hormuz for oil exports via pipelines  France 24

The Disappearing Off-Ramp in Iran  The Atlantic

Fed officials huddle under pressure from Iran war, Trump’s rage  The Hill

How the Iran War Ignited a Geoeconomic Firestorm  Council on Foreign Relations

Where does Germany stand on the Iran war?  dw.com

Energy UK said latest projections from suppliers suggested customers could face an increase of as much as £250 on their annual bill.

Iran says Hormuz tensions tied to US-Israeli war Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says instability in the Strait of Hormuz cannot be separated from the ongoing Israeli-US war against Iran. In a message posted on Telegram on Tuesday, Araqchi said he raised the issue directly with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, warning that maritime disruptions in the strategic waterway stem from the broader conflict. Araqchi also urged governments and international organisations responsible for safeguarding global peace and security to take a clear stance and condemn the illegal war on Iran.

The U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran has plunged global aviation into chaos

German investor confidence plunges as Israeli-US war rattles markets Investor confidence in Germany has dropped sharply as the Middle East war unsettles financial markets across Europe. A survey released on Tuesday by the ZEW economic research institute showed sentiment among investors about Germany’s economic outlook fell steeply over the past month. The indicator dropped by 58.8 points, marking its lowest level in nearly a year. The decline reflects growing concern among investors as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East following the Israeli-US of choice on Iran that has a resulted in a spike in energy costs.

Open-ended war: IDF suggests no timeline for end, despite global pressure  News24

Iran war shows how AI speeds up military ‘kill chains’  The Conversation