Crude oil spikes, Brent near $100 as US announces indefinite extension of ceasefire with Iran
Crude oil futures spiked early on Wednesday, with Brent jumping 3.14% to $98.48 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rising 1.1% $90.66 as of 8.58 am Tokyo time on Wednesday (April 22, 2026). The rise is US crude oil futures coincides with Washington’s announcement of an indefinite extensio»»»
Nigeria signs $1bn steel investment deal with India's Rashmi Metaliks Group
Nigeria has signed a $1bn investment agreement with India’s Rashmi Metaliks Group as Abuja steps up efforts to rebuild domestic steel production, reduce imports and expand higher-value industrial output from its mineral resources, Leadership has reported. »»»
Developing countries skip landlines and go straight to mobile phones - OWID
The concept of “leapfrogging” is popular in development. It suggests that, as they develop, lower-income countries can skip intermediate technologies or systems and go straight to the modern equivalent, Our World in Data (OWID) reports. »»»
Middle Corridor in play
Squeezed by a sanctioned Russia to the north and a war prone Middle East to the south, the Middle Corridor that runs through Central Asia and the Caucasus is back in play as the main route connecting Europe to Asia by land and is already the only functioning corridor connecting the two by plane. »»»
Europeans fear Washington more than Beijing for the first time, Politico reports
For the first time in the history of transatlantic polling, more Europeans view the United States as a threat to their continent than view China in the same light, a seismic shift in public sentiment. A Politico Europ»»»
Chile’s Kast pushes sweeping tax and spending overhaul
Chile’s President José Antonio Kast has unveiled an ambitious package of more than 40 economic and regulatory reforms aimed at breaking what he described as a decade of stagnation, but the proposal has already triggered political resistance and street protests as it moves towards Congress. »»»
Argentina's Milei cements Israel alliance as self-declared world's most Zionist president
Argentine President Javier Milei signed a sweeping bilateral framework agreement with Israel and declared his unequivocal support for the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran during a three-day state visit to Jerusalem, as he received the country's highest civilian honour and planned to overse»»»
Panama Canal auction prices quadruple as Hormuz closure reshapes global energy flows
A Chinese-controlled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker paying $4mn to jump a queue is not the sort of detail that ordinarily surfaces in shipping intelligence reports. Yet the transit of the Gas Virgo, a Singapore-flagged vessel operated by Wanhua Chemical, through the Panama Canal on April 15 h»»»
US and Cuba talk in Havana but cannot agree on what was said
Cuba has confirmed that senior officials from Havana and Washington held face-to-face talks on the island in early April, in the highest-level diplomatic encounter between the two governments in nearly a decade, as the Trump administration's pressure campaign against the communist-run island shows »»»
Developing countries skip landlines and go straight to mobile phones - OWID
The concept of “leapfrogging” is popular in development. It suggests that, as they develop, lower-income countries can skip intermediate technologies or systems and go straight to the modern equivalent, Our World in Data (OWID) reports. »»»
Nigeria signs $1bn steel investment deal with India's Rashmi Metaliks Group
Nigeria has signed a $1bn investment agreement with India’s Rashmi Metaliks Group as Abuja steps up efforts to rebuild domestic steel production, reduce imports and expand higher-value industrial output from its mineral resources, Leadership has reported. »»»
Nigeria fintech Flutterwave denies $75mn government investment, imminent IPO plans
Nigerian fintech Flutterwave has denied reports that the country’s federal government plans to invest $75mn in the company, pushing back against claims that the move was linked to a potential initial public offering. Local»»»
Atomic Eagle reports 28.0mn lb uranium oxide reserve at Zambia project, bolsters board
Atomic Eagle Ltd (ASX:AEU; FRA:6QZ0) has strengthened its board and advanced its flagship asset in Zambia, reporting a maiden ore reserve of 28.0mn pounds of triuranium octoxide (U₃O₈) – the most commonly traded and quoted form of uranium in the nuclear fuel cycle –alongside key leadership appointm»»»
Argentina eases glacier protection in $40bn mining push despite environmental fears
Argentina’s Congress has approved a reform to the country’s glacier protection law, relaxing restrictions on mining in high-altitude regions in a move aimed at attracting billions in investment, while drawing criticism from environmental groups concerned about water security. »»»
Brazil bets on AI data hub ambitions as companies pour billions into smart logistics
Brazil's government unveiled plans to position the country as a major global hub for artificial intelligence data processing and storage, just as Brazilian and multinational companies race to automate their logistics networks in a sign of the country's broader digital transformation ambitions. »»»
Panama Canal auction prices quadruple as Hormuz closure reshapes global energy flows
A Chinese-controlled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker paying $4mn to jump a queue is not the sort of detail that ordinarily surfaces in shipping intelligence reports. Yet the transit of the Gas Virgo, a Singapore-flagged vessel operated by Wanhua Chemical, through the Panama Canal on April 15 h»»»
Peru scales up solar capacity as Sunny complex reaches 345 MW
Peru’s photovoltaic sector is moving from a pipeline of announced projects to tangible capacity additions, with recent developments indicating a structural acceleration in utility-scale solar deployment. The most imm»»»
Panama Canal auction prices quadruple as Hormuz closure reshapes global energy flows
A Chinese-controlled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker paying $4mn to jump a queue is not the sort of detail that ordinarily surfaces in shipping intelligence reports. Yet the transit of the Gas Virgo, a Singapore-flagged vessel operated by Wanhua Chemical, through the Panama Canal on April 15 h»»»
ISTANBUL BLOG: Message for the CHP. The number of jailed opposition mayors in Turkey has reached 24
The number of jailed main opposition party mayors in Turkey reached 24 as of April 18, according to data compiled by Intellinews. Official statistics covering the wide-scope operations are not available. (See sta»»»
UAE affirms importance of freedom of navigation, facilitating supply chains to secure agricultural inputs, stability of regional, global food security
DUBAI: The UAE reaffirmed that food security is a sovereign pillar and fundamental to national security, calling for "proactive and adaptive strategies" that strengthen supply chain resilience and shield regional and global food systems from the shocks of a volatile geopolitical and climatic landsc»»»
Truth or Fake - Was Donald Trump 'blocked' from using the nuclear codes against Iran?
Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson alleged on a podcast this week that President Donald Trump wanted to use the nuclear codes against Iran during an emergency White House meeting, but that he was stopped by General Dan Caine, Chairman of his Joint Chiefs of Staff. He described the interaction as "qui»»»
Saudi ambassador presents credentials to Kyrgyz President
BISHKEK: Saudi Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Iyad Hakim presented his credentials as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to President Sadyr Japarov of the Kyrgyz Republic. During the reception, Iyad Hakim conveyed the greetings of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and their wishe»»»
IRGC Aerospace Force: West Asia Oil Production to Be Crippled if Neighbors Aid US Attacks
The Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warns that if Iran’s southern neighbors aid potential American attacks against the Islamic Republic, the country’s retaliation will rob them of the capacity to continue producing oil. “And let the southern neighbors know: If their te»»»
European airline Lufthansa cuts 20,000 flights to save money, fuel - UPI.com
1 of 2 | A Lufthansa Airbus A330-300 is filled with supplies as it waits in June 2022 to leave St. Louis-Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. Lufthansa announced Tuesday that it will cut 20,000 flights because of the price of jet fuel. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo April »»»
Lebanon’s Christians support displaced amid ceasefire uncertainty
As Lebanese authorities work to extend the ceasefire, many people on the ground continue to live in deep uncertainty. The country’s Christian community is supporting those displaced by the conflict while also coping with its own grief and disappointment. Serge Berberi and Renee Davis report for Fra»»»