World News

Merle Oberon, a Hollywood star of the black and white era, is a forgotten icon in India, the country of her birth.

Best-known for playing the lead in the classic Wuthering Heights, Oberon was an Anglo-Indian born in Bombay in 1911. But as a star in Hollywood's Golden Age, she kept her background a secret - passing herself off as white - throughout her life.

UNWTO has partnered with the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry (MECTHI) of Zimbabwe to launch the country’s first National Tourism Satellite Account (TSA). The Account shows the size and significance of the tourism sector for the Zimbabwean economy, based on the last available pre-COVID-19 data and on data gathered before the formal transition of national currency from US dollar into the Zimbabwean Dollar.

Priti Patel could face an exodus of staff from the Home Office following the announcement of a controversial immigration deal with Rwanda, unions have warned.

The deal, which has been deemed “unworkable” by the UN refugee agency, was signed off by the Home Secretary using a ministerial direction due to concerns raised by civil servants .

Leading rural insurer NFU Mutual has joined re-insurer Flood Re’s Build Back Better programme, reaffirming its commitment to supporting flood victims with resilient repairs able to withstand further flooding.

NFU Mutual launched its Flood Resilience Repair scheme in November 2017, which is available for all home insurance customers with buildings cover.

Recent international measures designed to cripple the Russian economy could stymie efforts by Jamaica to collect millions of U.S. dollars in future bauxite levy revenues from UC RUSAL at a time when the aluminum giant already has a backlog of monies owed.

Even before the invasion of Ukraine, the country’s mining ministry revealed that only late last year did the company begin settling its bauxite production levy debt to the Government of Jamaica that has been outstanding since 2018.

Mia Amor Mottley, QC, is a Barbadian politician and attorney who has served as Prime Minister of Barbados since 2018 and as leader of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) since 2008. Mottley is the eighth person to hold the office of Prime Minister in Barbados and the first woman to hold either position. She is also Barbados’ first prime minister under its republican system, following constitutional changes she introduced which abolished the country’s constitutional monarchy.

A group of 10 climbers are aiming to make history in a sport not known for its diversity as they look to be the first all-Black team to climb Mount Everest. Kenyan mountaineer James Kagambi is among the group, with the other nine members of the team being Americans.

At 62, Mr Kagambi is the oldest in the team of experienced mountaineers. He has summitted all the highest peaks in Africa, as well as the highest point in four continents, and hopes to become the first African to achieve all seven.

Scientists have presented a stunningly preserved leg of a dinosaur. The limb, complete with skin, is just one of a series of remarkable finds emerging from the Tanis fossil site in the US State of North Dakota. But it's not just their exquisite condition that's turning heads - it's what these ancient specimens purport to represent.

Jamaica is on the verge of receiving up to US$30 million dollar in investments following a high profiled meeting between Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and US Vice-President Kamala Harris.

It was the first of a series of meetings in the US capital; Washington DC. In the meeting the Vice-President announced a US$20 million investment in Jamaica to boost commerce and US$10 million towards investment in human capital and a violence reduction programme for at-risk youth.

Rwanda is a place to do business. When looking for investment opportunities, a chance to fulfil back office support, digital and tech development, or customer experience services then this is a place you should seriously consider.

If there’s any country in the world where initial perception is totally contradicted by reality, then this is it.

The DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, the World Jewish Congress and the Central Council of Jews in Germany will hold an event next week on combating antisemitism. The all-day conference, “Antisemitism and Professional Football: Challenges, Opportunities, Network” (Antisemitismus und Profifußball: Herausforderungen, Chancen, Netzwerk), will take place Wednesday, March 30, at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK, home to Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. 

San Franners are being asked to tackle pollution by ditching plastic during the SailGP race weekend. The Japan SailGP Team is calling on San Francisco residents to take the ‘plastic promise’ in a bid to combat plastic pollution during the race. 

The Japan entry in sailing’s pinnacle league currently sits third in the SailGP championship heading into the San Francisco race on 26 – 27 March with 51 points. 

Madeleine Albright, a Czech immigrant who went on to become the first female secretary of state in US history, has died aged 84.

A long-time foreign policy veteran, Albright became America's top diplomat in 1997 during the Clinton government. Often hailed as "a champion of democracy", she was instrumental in efforts to end ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.

The president of Turkey, South Korea’s prime minister and other officials inaugurated a massive suspension bridge Friday over the Dardanelles Strait that connects the European and Asian shores of the key waterway. With a 2,023-meter (6,637 feet) span between its towers, the “1915 Canakkale Bridge” becomes the world’s longest suspension bridge, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge created a mass stir when they visited the neighbourhood of Trench Town, in Kingston - where international reggae legend Bob Marley grew up. As part of the royal couple’s Caribbean tour, during their stop-off in Jamaica, and whilst in the St. Andrew’s parish, The Duke – Prince Williams – played football with some of the locals, with a special appearance made by Jamaica-born England international, Raheem Sterling before visiting the Trench Town Culture Yard museum - which celebrates reggae music.

The United States House of Representatives passed the CROWN Act, which would ban hair-related discrimination on March 18th 2022. Measure H.R. 2116 passed 235-189 in a vote along party lines - which was introduced by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Democrat – New Jersey.

“CROWN” stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, and the act prohibits “discrimination based on an individual’s texture or style of hair.” The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration, debate and a vote.