MOGADISHU, March 26 (Reuters) - Drivers of tuk‑tuk taxis in Somalia’s capital are abandoning their livelihoods as fuel prices surge, pushed up by disruptions to oil shipments linked to the Iran conflict.
With fares rising, passengers have dropped away and many drivers in Mogadishu say they can no longer keep their three-wheelers on the road.
ISLAMABAD, March 26 (Reuters) - Pakistan is continuing military operations against Afghanistan after the end of a temporary pause announced for the Islamic festival of Eid-al-Fitr, the spokesperson of Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Thursday.
Fighting between the allies-turned-foes started last month, with Kabul saying more than 400 people were killed in a Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in the Afghan capital last week before the neighbours suspended fighting.
March 26 (Reuters) - The Pentagon is weighing whether to redirect weapons originally meant for Ukraine to the Middle East, as the war in Iran strains supplies of some of the U.S. military's most critical munitions, the Washington Post reported Thursday, citing three people familiar with the matter.
The weapons that could be redirected include air defense interceptor missiles purchased through a NATO initiative launched last year, under which partner countries buy U.S. arms for Kyiv, the report said.
US President Donald Trump has pushed back his deadline for strikes on Iran's energy assets, saying talks on ending the war were "going very well" as Israel announced fresh strikes on Tehran early Friday.
As the conflict that has roiled energy markets nears its second month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said G7 nations should help push for the reopening of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, in remarks before arriving in France on Friday for a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers.
BEIJING, March 26 (Reuters) - China on Thursday urged parties to the Middle East conflict to "create conditions for starting truly meaningful and sincere peace talks".
"The pressing priority is to actively promote peace talks, seize the opportunity of peace and promote the cessation of the war," Lin Jian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular briefing when asked if China was aware of any ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States.
European lawmakers cleared the way Thursday for tougher penalties for irregular migrants and their potential deportation to so-called "return hubs" outside the bloc.
The measures, criticised by human rights groups, are part of a tightening of Europe's immigration rules in response to pressure across the 27-nation bloc to curb migration.
The European Parliament approved the package with support from centre-right and far-right groups in a 389 to 206 vote in Brussels -- bringing it a step closer to final approval.
SAMUT SAKHON, Thailand, March 26 (Reuters) - A surge in diesel prices triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war onIran is pushing Thailand's multibillion-dollar fishing industry towards a standstill, with fishermen warning that their boats could be idled within days unless the government steps in.
At the country's largest fishing port in a central province along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, over half of the fishing trawlers are already docked and those still operating would likely stop work within days, said Jumpol Kanawaree, president of the Samut Sakhon Fishmonger Association.
Israel launched strikes across Iran on Thursday, hours after US President Donald Trump said Tehran wanted a deal to end the nearly four-week war despite its top diplomat rejecting any talks with Washington.
The conflict has mushroomed to draw in nations around the Middle East, sending energy markets into a tailspin and threatening to torpedo the global economy.
YAOUNDE, March 26 (Reuters) - Trade ministers will meet in Cameroon on Thursday for crucial discussions on reforming the World Trade Organization, as some diplomats and trade officials warn that without an agreement, countries may set trade rules outside the organisation.
The four-day gathering in Yaounde comes amid concerns over the impact of the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran on global trade, following a year of tariff turmoil triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump's weaponization of trade measures.
By Parisa Hafezi, Alexander Cornwell and Kanishka Singh
DUBAI/TEL AVIV/WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran was desperateto make a deal to end nearly fourweeks of fighting, contradicting the Iranian foreign minister who said his country was reviewing a U.S. proposal but hadno intention of holding talks to wind down the conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said while there had been no dialogue or negotiation with the U.S., various messages had been exchanged through intermediaries.
