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Source: Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research & Technology (SMART)

A common bacterium, Enterococcus faecalis, can suppress the body’s early warning system in wounds, causing infections to persist and create an environment that allows other bacteria to take hold
The bacterium releases large amounts of lactic acid in the wound, which lowers pH, weakens immune cells and prevents them from fighting an infection
These findings could help develop better ways to treat stubborn wounds – such as diabetic foot ulcers and post-surgical infections – which could lead to faster healing

Singapore, 12 March 2026 – Researchers from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research & Technology’s (SMART) Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) interdisciplinary research group, along side collaborators from SCELSE, at Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and University of Geneva (UNIGE), have made a breakthrough discovery revealing how a common bacterium, Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), releases lactic acid to acidify its surroundings and suppresses the immune-cell signal needed to start a proper response to infection. By silencing the body’s defences, the bacterium can cause persistent and hard-to-treat wound infections. This study explains why some wounds struggle to heal even with treatment and why infections involving multiple bacteria are especially difficult to eradicate.
 
Chronic wound infections are notoriously difficult to manage because some bacteria can actively interfere with the body’s immune defences. In wounds, E. faecalis is particularly resilient – it can survive inside tissues, alter the wound environment and weaken immune signals at the injury site. This disruption creates conditions where other microbes can easily establish themselves, resulting in multi-species infections that are complex and slow to resolve. These persistent wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers and post-surgical infections, place a heavy burden on patients and healthcare systems, and sometimes lead to serious complications such as amputations.
 
In a paper titled “Enterococcus faecalis-derived lactic acid suppresses macrophage activation to facilitate persistent and polymicrobial wound infections”, recently published in Cell Host & Microbe, the researchers documented how E. faecalis releases large amounts of lactic acid during infection, acidifying the tissue environment. This acidity suppresses the activation of macrophages – immune cells that normally help to clear infections – and interferes with several important internal processes that help the cell recognise and respond to infection. As a result, the mechanisms that cells rely on to send out “danger” signals are suppressed, leaving the macrophages unable to fully activate.
 
Researchers found that E. faecalis uses a two‑step mechanism to achieve this. Lactic acid enters the macrophages through a lactate transporter called MCT‑1 and also binds to a lactate-sensing receptor, GPR81, on the cell surface. By engaging both pathways, the bacterium effectively shuts down downstream immune signalling and blocks the macrophage’s inflammatory response, allowing E. faecalis to persist in the wound much longer than it should. Specifically, the lactic acid prevents a key immune alarm signal, known as NF-κB, from switching on inside these cells.

A mouse wound infection model demonstrated that wounds infected with E. faecalis had dampened immunity, allowing E. faecalis to persist and even enabling co-infecting bacteria like E. coli to thrive. The model allowed researchers to study how lactic‑acid‑driven immune suppression promotes persistent, polymicrobial infections. (Photo: SMART AMR)
 
This was proven in a mouse wound model, where strains of E. faecalis that could not make lactic acid were cleared much more quickly, and the wounds also showed stronger immune activity. In wounds infected with both E. faecalis and Escherichia coli (E. coli), the weakened immune response caused by lactic acid also allowed E. coli to grow better. This explains why wound infections often involve multiple species of bacteria and become harder to treat over time, particularly since E. faecalis is among the most common bacteria found in chronic wounds.

Mouse wound infection model showing a circular punch‑biopsy wound used to study how bacterial infections progress over time. Researchers tracked how E. faecalis persists in these wounds and how immune responses change during infection. (Photo: SMART AMR)

“Chronic wound infections often fail not because antibiotics are powerless, but because the immune system has effectively been ‘switched off’ at the infection site. We found that E. faecalis floods the wound with lactic acid, lowering pH and muting the NF‑κB alarm inside macrophages – the very cells that should be calling for help. By pinpointing how acidity rewires immune signalling, we now have clear targets to reactivate the immune response,” said Dr Ronni da Silva, Research Scientist at SMART AMR, SCELSE-NTU Visiting Researcher and first author of the paper.
 
“This discovery strengthens our understanding of host-pathogen interactions and offers new directions for developing treatments and wound care that target the bacteria’s immunosuppressive strategies. By revealing how the immune response is shut down, this research may help improve infection management and support better recovery outcomes for patients, especially those with chronic wounds or weakened immunity,” said Prof Kimberly Kline, Principal Investigator at SMART AMR, SCELSE-NTU Visiting Academic, Professor at UNIGE and corresponding author of the paper.
 
By identifying lactic‑acid‑driven immune suppression as a root cause of persistent wound infections, this work highlights the potential of treatment approaches that support the immune system rather than rely on antibiotics alone. This could lead to therapies that help wounds heal more reliably and reduce the risk of complications. Potential directions include reducing acidity in the wound or blocking the signals that lactic acid uses to switch off immune cells.
 
Building on their study, the researchers plan to explore validation in additional pathogens and human wound samples, followed by assessments in advanced preclinical models ahead of any potential clinical trials.
 
The research was partially supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) programme.

Source: James Cook University

New James Cook University-led research warns that the future of Pacific small-fishing communities may be compromised by ambitious marine conservation targets set by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The warning comes as countries work towards the ‘30 by 30’ target, established by the CBD’s Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which focuses on area-based management and commits more than 190 nations to protecting 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030.

The goal is widely seen as a critical response to the global biodiversity crisis. However, an international study, led by JCU, cautions that the target may compromise the rights and well-being of coastal communities the Pacific.

“There’s a big push from international organisations and governments to lock up large areas of the ocean for protection,” explained JCU lead researcher Professor Amy Diedrich.

“This poses a risk that the needs of small-fishing communities, who rely on fisheries for their food and income, will be overlooked.”

Drawing on marine management case studies of the Solomon Islands, the team created a roadmap to help guide area-based marine conservation initiatives that affect coastal communities in the Pacific.

“Rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all solution, our roadmap focuses on national circumstances, good governance and respecting existing tenure,” said Prof Diedrich.

“It also sets out practical steps to build on what communities are already doing to manage marine resources, set ethical targets, and ensure conservation efforts are sustainable over the long term.”

Co-author David Boseto, the Director of Ecological Solutions Solomon Islands, said collaborative planning demonstrates how global targets can be achieved without sacrificing livelihoods.

“Local fishers are mapping their most important fishing grounds and cultural sites, and instead of blanket restrictions, they’re helping design zones that protect biodiversity while allowing sustainable fishing,” he said.

“The result is stronger local ownership, better compliance and more resilient communities. It shows that by genuinely involving small-scale fishers, we can meet the 30 by 30 target in a way that safeguards both ecosystems and livelihoods.”

Co-author Ms Margaret Fox, Pacific Community Adviser on Gender and Social Inclusion for Fisheries, said Pacific peoples have long managed marine resources sustainably.

“For generations, Pacific communities have relied on small-scale fishing and have managed marine resources in ways that sustained both people and ecosystems.

“They are not just resource users — they have deep ecological knowledge and are long-standing custodians of biodiversity,” she said.

Ms Fox stated that recognising and strengthening the methods of local stewardship will determine the success of the 30 by 30 target in the Pacific.

“If small-scale fishers are meaningfully included, conservation can support biodiversity and human wellbeing together,” she said.

“Without that inclusion, well-intentioned global targets risk harming the very communities most closely connected to the sea and dependent on marine resources for their survival.”

The researchers concluded that coastal communities should not be made to shoulder the burden of meeting global conservation commitments –– and that equity, effectiveness, and sustainability must be the foundation, not the afterthought, of marine conservation in the Pacific.

Source: deVere Group

March 12 2026 – Markets are facing a “double whammy” of energy volatility and trade tensions flaring up again, warns the CEO of one of the world's largest independent financial advisory organizations.

The warning from deVere Group's Nigel Green comes as oil markets surge amid escalating conflict involving Iran, while the Trump administration simultaneously launches sweeping new trade investigations targeting many of the world's largest economies.

Brent crude spiked sharply on Thursday, briefly pushing above $100 per barrel after Iranian attacks on energy infrastructure and shipping routes across the Gulf intensified fears of supply disruption.

 The surge came despite the International Energy Agency announcing the largest emergency release of oil reserves in history — around 400 million barrels — including roughly 172 million barrels from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Nigel Green says: “Oil surging back to $100 a barrel shows that energy markets are reacting to a genuine geopolitical shock.

“Iranian attacks on tankers, ports and infrastructure across the Gulf have suddenly raised the risk of major disruption to one of the most critical oil arteries on the planet.”

Roughly one fifth of global oil flows normally move through the Strait of Hormuz, making any instability in the corridor immediately significant for global supply and pricing.

“Even partial disruption to shipping through Hormuz has enormous consequences for markets.

“Energy traders price risk immediately. Every strike on infrastructure, every tanker attack, every threat to shipping feeds directly into oil prices.”

Recent market moves highlight the scale of the anxiety. Brent crude has surged more than 30% since the conflict began, reflecting the rapidly rising risk premium attached to Middle East supply.

On Wednesday evening, the International Energy Agency, which works with countries around the world to shape energy policies for a secure and sustainable future, agreed to release 400 million barrels from its emergency oil reserves in the biggest-ever discharge, after the Middle East war caused prices to spike

The deVere CEO continues: “Markets have watched the largest emergency oil release ever announced and still pushed prices sharply higher.

“That tells you the geopolitical risk currently outweighs the stabilizing effect of those reserves.”

The energy shock alone would be enough to unsettle investors.

But, at the same time, a second pressure point has emerged through trade policy.

The Trump administration has launched new investigations into sixteen major trading partners as it attempts to rebuild its tariff framework after the US Supreme Court ruled earlier reciprocal tariffs unlawful.

Countries under investigation include China, the European Union, Mexico, Japan, India, South Korea, Switzerland and Norway, among others.

Nigel Green says the scope of the move signals a renewed escalation in global trade tensions.

“Washington has opened another broad front across global trade. Investigations covering major economies send a strong signal that tariff disputes are, once again, coming back to the centre of economic policy.”

The administration has imposed temporary tariffs while the investigations proceed, with officials aiming to construct a new long-term tariff structure to replace measures struck down by the court.

According to Nigel Green, the simultaneous escalation in energy risk and trade disputes creates a particularly difficult environment for markets.

“Energy volatility drives inflation pressure and increases production costs across the entire global economy,” he explains.

“Trade conflicts disrupt supply chains, investment flows and international commerce. Experiencing both forces at the same time creates a far more complex risk environment.”

Global equities have already reacted cautiously as investors weigh the implications for growth, inflation and corporate profitability.

“Oil prices rising quickly place immediate pressure on transportation, manufacturing and logistics costs.

“Add expanding tariff disputes into the mix and companies face a sharp increase in uncertainty about supply chains, pricing and demand.”

Businesses with cross-border supply networks face particularly difficult calculations if tariffs spread while energy costs rise.

“Corporate decision-making becomes significantly more complicated. Energy shocks influence operating costs while trade tensions reshape supply chains. Many multinational firms could face both pressures simultaneously.”

Financial markets historically struggle during periods where commodity shocks intersect with protectionist trade policy.

“Energy instability alone can unsettle markets,” Nigel Green comments. “Trade disputes alone can weaken growth expectations.

“Together they create exactly the kind of double whammy investors are confronting right now.”

Nigel Green concludes: “Markets are dealing with two powerful global forces moving at the same time.

“Energy volatility driven by geopolitical conflict and a renewed surge in trade tensions represent a serious challenge for investors and policymakers alike.”

deVere Group is one of the world's largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients.  It has a network of offices around the world, more than 80,000 clients, and $14bn under advisement.

Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

February marks the first monthly decline since September 2024 as spending begins to soften.

Thursday, 12 March 2026 – Australian household spending has fallen for the first time since September 2024, marking a significant shift after more than a year of steady growth, according to the latest CommBank Household Spending Insights (HSI) Index.

The Index declined 0.5 per cent in February, with spending falling across half of the 12 categories measured. Annual growth also slowed to 4.9 per cent, the weakest pace since August 2025.

“Spending has been remarkably resilient over the past year, supported by stronger household incomes. A decline after 17 months of growth is notable and suggests households may be starting to pull back,” CommBank Head of Australian Economics Belinda Allen said.

“It’s too early to say whether February marks the start of a sustained slowdown, but we are seeing softer momentum in discretionary categories. That’s typically where households adjust first when budgets come under pressure,” added Allen.

Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

New Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) – UN Women data shows women remain far from having equal political power, holding just 22.4% of cabinet posts and 27.5% of parliamentary seats worldwide.

New York, USA, 11 March 2026: Across the world, women remain vastly under-represented in political leadership, with the most powerful decisions still overwhelmingly made by men. In 2026, only 28 countries are led by a woman Head of State or Government, while 101 countries have never had a woman leader, according to the latest data released by the IPU and UN Women.

When women are shut out of political leadership, decisions that shape peace, security and economic priorities are made without half of the world's experience at the table. The new global data reveals stagnation, and in some cases regression, in women's political leadership, particularly in executive government.

Key findings from the data released by IPU and UN Women include:

• Women hold just 22.4% of cabinet minister positions globally, down from 23.3% in 2024, marking a reversal after years of gradual progress.
• 14 countries have achieved gender parity in cabinet, demonstrating that equal representation is possible, yet eight countries still have no women ministers at all.
• Women hold 27.5% of parliamentary seats worldwide, up slightly from 27.2% in 2025. The increase of just 0.3 percentage points marks the second consecutive year of the slowest growth recorded since 2017, highlighting how slowly women are advancing in political decision-making.
• Women are also losing ground in parliamentary leadership. As of January 2026, 54 women serve as Speakers of Parliament globally, representing 19.9% of all Speakers. This represents a nearly four-percentage-point decline from the previous year and the first drop in women Speakers in 21 years.
• Women in politics face rising hostility and intimidation from the public, both online and offline. 76% of women parliamentarians surveyed reported experiencing intimidation by the public, compared with 68% of men, a trend that deters women from seeking office and is slowing progress toward equal political power.
• Even when women reach leadership positions, they are often concentrated in a narrow range of portfolios traditionally linked to social sectors.
• Women lead 90% of gender equality ministries and 73% of ministries responsible for family and children's affairs, reinforcing long-standing gender stereotypes in political leadership. Men almost exclusively continue to lead ministries like defence, home affairs, justice, economic affairs, governance, health and education.

“At a time of growing global instability, escalating conflicts and a visible backlash against women's rights, shutting women out of political leadership weakens societies' ability to respond to the challenges they face,” said Sima Bahous, UN Women Executive Director. “Women bring perspectives and experience that are essential for making better decisions, preventing conflict and building lasting peace. When women are fully involved in political leadership, countries are more stable, policies work better for people, and societies are better prepared to face the crises shaping our world today.”

“Parity is a moral imperative, because women have an equal right to shape the decisions that govern their lives. But it is also the smart thing to do. Institutions make better decisions when they reflect the societies they serve. They are better able to identify bias, design fairer responses and earn public trust when women from all backgrounds are present, and influential, at every level,” said IPU President Tulia Ackson.

“The IPU has constantly proven that well-designed quotas and strong political will are essential to speed up change and ensure that women's voices are heard in democratic decision making. At the same time, men and women must work together as equal partners to transform political culture, challenge stereotypes, and build inclusive parliaments that reflect the people they represent,” said IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong.

Despite the slow pace of change, women around the world continue to push boundaries and assert their place in political life. Removing structural barriers, including discriminatory laws, violence against women in politics and unequal access to resources, as well as challenging negative social norms, will be critical to ensuring women's equal political leadership in the years ahead.

This year's 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women – the United Nations' highest-level intergovernmental body that sets global standards for women's rights and gender equality, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reverse the rollback of women's rights. The future of democracy will be stronger, fairer and more resilient when women are equally represented in decision-making at all levels.

About the IPU

The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments. It was founded in 1889 as the first multilateral political organization in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations. Today, the IPU comprises 183 national Member Parliaments and 15 regional parliamentary bodies. It promotes peace, democracy and sustainable development. It helps parliaments become stronger, younger, greener and more gender-balanced. It also defends the human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated committee made up of MPs from around the world.

About UN Women

UN Women exists to advance women's rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. As the lead United Nations entity on gender equality, we shift laws, institutions, social norms and services to close the gender gap and build an equal world for all women and girls. We keep the rights of women and girls at the centre of global progress – always, everywhere. Because gender equality is not just what we do. It is who we are.

Source: Amnesty International

In response to reports of cooperation between Thai and Vietnamese authorities that led to the arrest and detention of anti-corruption activist Le Chi Thanh, currently held at Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre in Thailand, Amnesty International’s Co-Regional Director Montse Ferrer said:

“The detention of Le Chi Thanh is the latest troubling instance of transnational repression by Thai and Vietnamese authorities. The arbitrary revocation of Le Chi Thanh’s passport is alarming, indicating an attempt by Vietnamese authorities to coerce an activist living in exile into returning and then facing persecution.

“The Thai authorities must immediately release Le Chi Thanh and refrain from returning him to Viet Nam, where he could face serious human rights violations. We also call on the international community to publicly condemn the Vietnamese government for its ongoing cross-border efforts to silence peaceful dissent.

“No one should be returned to a country where they are at real risk of serious human rights violations. Any such return will breach the principle of non-refoulement as laid out in international human rights.”

Background

Thai immigration police arrested Le Chi Thanh and detained him at Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) on 6 March 2026. Amnesty International received credible reports that personnel from the Embassy of Viet Nam in Thailand undertook a visit to the IDC on the same day.

According to Le Chi Thanh’s legal representative, the activist lawfully entered Thailand using a valid Vietnamese passport set to expire in 2031 and subsequently obtained a Thai work permit. Despite this, Thai authorities arrested him and claimed his work permit had become invalid due to the Vietnamese authorities’ cancellation of his passport. Thanh had never been informed by the Vietnamese authorities of this decision prior to the arrest.

Le Chi Thanh is a former police officer and prominent activist who used social media platforms to speak out against reports of corruption and misconduct within the public security sector. In April 2021 he was arrested for allegedly “resisting officers” during an encounter with traffic police in Thu Duc City. He was sentenced to two years in prison in January 2022, then received an additional prison sentence of three years for “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on State and individuals’ legitimate rights and interests,” under Article 331 of Vietnam’s Penal Code due to his Facebook posts which criticized Vietnamese authorities.

During his court hearing, Thanh reported being tortured to coerce confessions in pre-trial detention, including being beaten and hung by his arms and legs for seven days. In November 2022, UN experts sent a letter to the Vietnamese government raising concern over his claims of torture. His case echoes Amnesty International’s past findings that Vietnamese prisoners of conscience, including human rights defenders, face systemic risks of torture and other ill-treatment in detention.

UN experts have previously documented a pattern in which Vietnamese officials visited Montagnard and Hmong refugees held in Thai detention facilities to pressure them into ‘voluntarily’ returning to Viet Nam. These incidents raise serious concerns about Thailand’s ability and willingness to provide effective protection to Vietnamese refugees, who remain especially vulnerable to intimidation and coercion by Vietnamese officials.

Civil society groups and UN experts have repeatedly warned of growing cooperation between Thai and Vietnamese authorities to target dissidents. Their concerns are reinforced by a series of alarming incidents, including the enforced disappearance of Thai activists in Viet Nam in January 2019, the abduction of Vietnamese blogger Truong Duy Nhat in Thailand later that month and the enforced disappearance of Vietnamese independent journalist Duong Van Thai in April 2023. Most recently, in February 2026, Thai authorities forcibly returned Indigenous Montagnard human rights defender Y Quynh Bdap to Viet Nam, underscoring an escalating pattern of cross-border repression.

Source: Equinor

11 MARCH 2026 – Bio-methanol from Equinor will help fuel some of the giants on the oceans. The Wallenius Wilhelmsen group is a market leader in roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) shipping and vehicle logistics, managing the distribution of cars, trucks, rolling equipment and breakbulk to customers all over the world. Their new generation vessels have a capacity to take up to 11,700 cars.

Equinor has entered into a 2-year bio-methanol supply agreement with Wallenius Wilhelmsen, a major global player in shipping and vehicle logistics, supporting a growing marine segment for low-carbon fuels.

Soon bio-methanol from Equinor will fuel ships that are bringing cars and machinery from points of production to markets. Wallenius Wilhelmsen is a market leader in roll‑on/roll‑off (RoRo) shipping and vehicle logistics and will use the bio‑methanol as bunker fuel for its upcoming dual‑fuel methanol vessels.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen will receive the bio-methanol bunkers at the Ports of Zeebrugge and Antwerp, positioning the partnership within key European maritime hubs. Supplies will commence in late 2026.

“We continue to see increasing interest in bio-methanol as a practical, scalable solution for decarbonisation of shipping. This partnership with Wallenius Wilhelmsen marks a substantial step forward in bringing Equinor’s bio-based methanol to the growing marine segment for low carbon fuels. Equinor has previously signed supply agreements for bio-methanol with Maersk and NCL, and we are progressing several leads for both bio and conventional methanol supply agreements”, says Alex Grant, senior vice president of Crude, Products and Liquids (CPL) in Equinor.

The use of bio-methanol will enable substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from ships that use the fuel and help Wallenius Wilhelmsen provide net zero logistics solutions to their customers.

“Signing this deal with Equinor marks an important milestone for us at Wallenius Wilhelmsen. Securing low-carbon bio-methanol supports the decarbonization of our ocean operations, while strengthening our ability to deliver lower emission end-to-end logistics for customers. Partnerships like this are essential to scaling alternative fuels and moving from ambition to execution,” says Xavier Leroi, chief operating officer Shipping Services at Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

How it works

Equinor’s supply of bio-methanol is based on a combination of methanol produced at Equinor’s facility at Tjeldbergodden, Norway, and biogas certificates stemming from captured biogas from manure and other biomass in accordance with the EU Renewable Energy Directive.

The methanol is produced from the biomethane in the gas grid on a mass-balance basis. This way, bio-methanol can be produced in existing facilities using existing infrastructure and plants, enabling quick production while also allowing for less pressure on pristine land, natural resources and the environment. The method also enables capture of methane emissions that would arise from the manure feedstock if left untouched.

Facts about methanol from biogas:

Biomethane is produced from organic materials. Before methanol synthesis, biomethane needs to be purified by removing impurities and increasing the methane content. This is often done using various upgrading technologies. To produce hydrogen (H₂) required for the reaction, the CO₂ present in the biomethane can be converted via reforming processes

Methanol is synthesized using methane and carbon dioxide with hydrogen. The process results in the production of methanol from the original biomethane.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) aims to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping to net zero by or around 2050. Transitioning to methanol can be part of strategies to meet these targets.

About Wallenius Wilhelmsen

The Wallenius Wilhelmsen group is a market leader in roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) shipping and vehicle logistics, managing the distribution of cars, trucks, rolling equipment, and breakbulk to customers all over the world.

The company operates around 127 vessels servicing 15 trade routes to six continents, a global inland distribution network, 70 processing centers, and eight marine terminals.

With its head office in Oslo, Norway, the Wallenius Wilhelmsen group has about 12,000 employees in 28 countries worldwide.

Read more at www.walleniuswilhelmsen.com

Source: GlobalData

The escalating war between the US, Israel, and Iran is creating the most severe disruption to global energy markets since the 1970s. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed oil prices briefly above $110 per barrel within days, while the shock is spreading to shipping, aviation, and trade, raising global recession and inflation risks, according to GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.

The operational profile of the war is widening beyond direct military targets and is now materially impacting commercial activity. The US and Israel have conducted more than 5,000 strikes inside Iran, targeting air defenses, naval infrastructure, and ballistic missile facilities. Iran has retaliated by targeting Israel and the US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan. This has created an elevated threat environment for critical infrastructure and cross-border trade routes in the Gulf.

Energy and maritime logistics drive immediate economic shock

The most immediate macroeconomic impact is being transmitted through energy supply and maritime shipping. The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed to most traffic after Iranian threats and tanker attacks, leaving nearly 200 vessels stranded. Markets have repriced rapidly: oil has jumped from roughly $70 to above $110 per barrel in days, while Asian LNG spot prices have more than doubled. Higher fuel costs are feeding directly into transportation and distribution, with US diesel reaching a two-year high of $4.04 per gallon—raising the probability of renewed inflation pressure across multiple economies.

Ramnivas Mundada, Director of Companies and Economic Research at GlobalData, comments: “Corporate disruption is already severe across several sectors. Qatar Energy and several Gulf refineries have suspended production or declared force majeure due to direct strikes and logistical blockades. Major shipping groups such as Maersk have halted Gulf operations, with many vessels rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope and adding 10–15 days to journeys alongside sharply higher fuel burn. Aviation has also been hit hard, with airlines including Emirates grounding thousands of flights due to airspace closures in the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait, triggering immediate losses for airlines and downstream tourism economies.”

Insurance and financial markets amplify the hit

Risk pricing is intensifying the shock. War-risk insurance premiums for vessels have reportedly surged from around 0.05% to more than 0.5% of ship value, rendering some routes uneconomical and further tightening available shipping capacity for both energy and container trade. Equity markets have turned volatile; early in the conflict, the Dow Jones fell more than 400 points in a single session (March 2, 2026), reflecting investor concern over margin pressure, input-cost inflation, and broader geopolitical spillover.

Most exposed sectors

Energy (LNG, refining, petrochemicals): highest risk from physical disruption, force majeure, and shipping constraints.
Shipping, ports, and freight forwarding: rerouting, capacity shortages, higher bunker fuel costs, and schedule instability.
Aviation and tourism: airspace closures, cancellations, and demand shocks across hub markets.
Manufacturing supply chains (autos, electronics, chemicals/plastics): feedstock shortages and freight cost inflation driving delays and margin compression.
Marine and trade insurance: premium spikes, coverage restrictions, and increased counterparty risk.

Mundada concludes: “The balance of risks remains firmly to the downside if disruptions persist. Iran faces a potential GDP contraction exceeding 10% over the next three to 12 months as infrastructure damage accumulates. Israel's 2026 growth outlook, previously projected at 4.3% is, now faces downside risk amid higher defense spending and weaker investment. Major energy importers, including India, China, Japan, and South Korea, are particularly exposed via deteriorating trade balances and persistent inflation. If the war continues beyond two to three months, the probability of a global recession and more entrenched inflation pressures rises materially, elevating stagflation risk across multiple regions.”

Notes

Quotes provided by Ramnivas Mundada, Director of Companies and Economic Research at GlobalData
The information is based on GlobalData's Macroeconomic Database, “Country Analytics Overview – GlobalData”

About GlobalData

GlobalData Plc (LSE:DATA) operates an intelligence platform that empowers leaders to act decisively in a world of complexity and change. By uniting proprietary data, human expertise, and purpose-built AI into a single, connected platform, we help organizations see what is coming, move faster, and lead with confidence. Our solutions are used by over 5,000 organizations across the world's largest industries, providing tailored intelligence that supports strategic planning, innovation, risk management, and sustainable growth.

Source: AMES

Five women from multicultural communities have been recognised for their contributions to building the capacity of their own communities and to bolstering broader social cohesion.

The AMES Australia 'Women of Impact' initiative, now in its third year, recognises grass roots community leaders who are making a difference in the lives of members of their communities.

Coinciding with International Women's Day, the initiative is aimed at celebrating the contributions of migrant and refugee women.

This year's 'Women of Impact' are:

Maru Jarocky is a leader in the Australian Ukrainian community.

An architect and artist, she is part of a group raising funds for Ukraine and supporting Ukrainians who have arrived in Melbourne since the Russian invasion.

Maru was also a driving force behind the creation of the Ukrainian museum and gallery in North Melbourne.

Palwashi Aslami is a champion of women's sport. She has a passion for encouraging women and girls from culturally diverse communities, especially those from her own Afghan community, to play sport.

As an Under-15 girls' soccer coach, she is shaping a generation of aspiring players.

Informed by her own experience and journey, she has set out to attract more women and girls to join the world game.

Khadija Karimi is an Afghan refugee who volunteers with AMES Australia as a way of giving back to the country that gave her refuge when she had to flee the Taliban's takeover of her homeland.

Sponsored by her sister and brother-in-law, both doctors working in regional Victoria, she arrived in Australia in 2005.

Khadija has been a dedicated AMES Volunteer Tutor at the Dandenong site for 18 years, beginning her service in 2008. She is deeply loved and respected by students and teachers alike for her kindness, generosity, and unwavering commitment to helping others.

Dr Batool Albatat came to Australia with her family as an 11-year-old, fleeing the Gulf War. Place

After being rescued from a foundering vessel in the Indian Ocean, the Albatats were eventually accepted by Australia as refugees.

Today, Dr Albatat is giving back to the community that welcomed her. After working as a surgical resident at Melbourne's Northern Hospital, she is currently practising as a GP in Melbourne. She is passionate about community health and is committed to improving health literacy within diverse communities.

She recently launched social media platforms dedicated to sharing health education and awareness in both English and Arabic.

Joselyne Majambere, is a Burundian community leader in Mildura. She helped establish Food Next Door, a social enterprise which allows members of local African communities grow their own food.

The 'Food Next Door' garden is a place where people can meet and support each other. Joselyne has also established a choir in Mildura which performs regularly.

The initiative also recognised, for the first time, a 'male champion of changs' in Jun Bin Lee.

Jun is a writer and creative producer who works across theatre, music and animation.

In his work, Jun often engages with issues of gender, power and social justice, including within the Prevention of Violence Against Women (PVAW) space.

He has developed animated video series that engage migrant and refugee communities in conversations about positive male role models.

And his original musicals examine gender-based violence, institutional failure and everyday systems that shape power and silence.

AMES Australia Chair Vanda Fortunato said the 'Women of Impact' initiative was aimed at celebrating the contributions of migrant and refugee women.

“These are women from multicultural communities who are making significant contributions to their own communities and to broader social cohesion,” Ms Fortunato said.

“It is important to recognise women who are doing great things, but we also need men to join the journey in achieving true gender equity,” she said.

“The women we are celebrating come from a range of backgrounds, fields of endeavour and locations but they all have in common the fact they are making a difference in other people's lives.

“And we are recognising them in conjunction with International Women's Day, which is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality.

“As a way of promoting a fresh paradigm and new ways of thinking, we are also recognising a man who has been a champion of change,” Ms Fortunato said.

Source: Sinch

Stockholm, Las Vegas – March 10, 2026 – Sinch AB (publ) today announced at Enterprise Connect new innovations across its Enterprise Voice platform, including Voice Relay, a new capability that enables developers to connect text-based AI agents directly to live phone calls. The announcement introduces Voice Relay in early access release, alongside AI-ready voice infrastructure, enhanced branded calling protection and expanded global network capabilities designed to help enterprises build secure, scalable customer conversations.

While conversational AI models have advanced rapidly, deploying AI agents in real-time voice interactions introduces complex challenges related to latency, telecom infrastructure, and fraud protection. Sinch provides the communications infrastructure that enables enterprises to bring AI-powered conversations to the global telephone network.

“Voice remains one of the most powerful channels for customer engagement, and enterprises are increasingly looking to bring AI into those interactions,” said Julia Fraser, EVP Americas at Sinch. “Voice Relay allows developers to connect AI agents to the global telephone network quickly and reliably, helping them automate routine calls, reduce wait times and resolve issues faster without having to build and manage complex voice infrastructure themselves.

Many interactions take place over the phone, where real-time conversations remain crucial for high- stakes or high-priority resolution. Leveraging AI for voice interactions has historically required the management of complex audio streaming infrastructure, speech recognition services, text-to-speech systems and latency optimization. Voice Relay simplifies this process by allowing developers to connect AI agents built on large language models directly to live voice calls.

With Voice Relay, Sinch manages the real-time conversational loop during a call, including speech recognition, voice synthesis and interruption handling. Developers can integrate AI agents with Sinch’s global voice network using a simple interface while Sinch handles the underlying complexity of real-time voice interactions.

“Enterprises want the freedom to choose the AI models that power their agents,” said Daniel Morris, Chief Product Officer at Sinch. “Voice Relay provides the infrastructure that connects those agents to the global voice network, delivering the real-time media, reliability and control required to run AI-powered voice interactions in production.”

About Sinch
Sinch’s vision is to connect every business with every customer, everywhere in the world. With the industry’s most trusted foundation for intelligent customer communications, Sinch powers over 900 billion customer interactions annually for more than 200,000 customers across the globe. Leading global companies, including AI innovators, rely on Sinch to strengthen customer relationships and deliver seamless experiences across messaging, email and voice. Profitable since its founding in 2008, Sinch generated net sales of USD 3 billion (SEK 27 billion) in 2025 and has over 4,000 employees in more than 60 countries, with headquarters in Stockholm. Sinch is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (XSTO: SINCH). Visit us at sinch.com.