UN Food Agency Warns Millions Pushed Into Hunger By Prolonged Iran War The United Nations food agency is sounding a catastrophic alarm on the macroeconomic fallout of the ongoing conflict in Iran and the Persian Gulf region. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), millions of people are actively being plunged into acute hunger due to the war - realizing a grim trajectory the agency previously...
UN Food Agency Warns Millions Pushed Into Hunger By Prolonged Iran War The United Nations food agency is sounding a catastrophic alarm on the macroeconomic fallout of the ongoing conflict in Iran and the Persian Gulf region. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), millions of people are actively being plunged into acute hunger due to the war - realizing a grim trajectory the agency previously warned would occur if the Middle East crisis stayed prolonged and global oil prices remained elevated. Fragile economies are feeling the most pain, with WFP analysis of three highly vulnerable nations revealing that an additional 2.5 million people in Somalia, 2.3 million in Afghanistan, and 1.3 million in Sri Lanka are currently struggling to meet their most basic daily nutritional needs. Back in March, the WFP estimated that a staggering 45 million people globally could be pushed into severe food insecurity by the end of June , compounding the over 300 million people globally who were already facing critical food shortages before the war erupted. via EPA The Rome-based UN agency issued a new detailed assessment at the end of this past week, describing how that the Middle East crisis is actively generating "significant spillovers" - by driving up the cost of food and fuel while heavily disrupting global trade networks. Crucially, the agency warned that the economic bleeding will not stop immediately, even if a diplomatic breakthrough occurs. "These impacts are expected to intensify in the coming months, even if the crisis in the Middle East de-escalates ," it wrote. "We remain by that prognosis," WFP’s acting Executive Director Carl Skau informed a UN press briefing. "That’s mainly because the correlation between the prices of energy and food is so tight in many places, and also that in the poorest countries people are already spending all their money on food, and hence when food prices rise, they eat less ." Even prior to the Iran war's start, near the beginning of the w...
Hong Kong’s new status as the world’s top cross-border wealth hub, overtaking Switzerland, alongside a recovering local housing market and strong initial public offerings (IPOs), is translating into a boom for high-end malls, with landlords enjoying improved revenues and rents. Hard luxury and jewellery segments have posted consecutive months of robust growth, though the era of traditional high-st...
Hong Kong’s new status as the world’s top cross-border wealth hub, overtaking Switzerland, alongside a recovering local housing market and strong initial public offerings (IPOs), is translating into a boom for high-end malls, with landlords enjoying improved revenues and rents. Hard luxury and jewellery segments have posted consecutive months of robust growth, though the era of traditional high-street dominance has ended. Industry experts said the market was increasingly defined by targeted...
Six years after the Ladakh crisis erupted in May 2020, triggering the worst military confrontation between India and China in decades, the two countries are attempting something that once seemed improbable: a diplomatic reset. The latest indication came late last month when officials met in Beijing for the 35th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Borde...
Six years after the Ladakh crisis erupted in May 2020, triggering the worst military confrontation between India and China in decades, the two countries are attempting something that once seemed improbable: a diplomatic reset. The latest indication came late last month when officials met in Beijing for the 35th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs. The message emerging from the talks was positive. The two sides reaffirmed their...
As the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has climbed from one all-time high to another over the last year, many investors have probably seen very strong returns for their portfolios. The benchmark index has climbed 27% over the past 12 months, with AI stocks leading the way. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) is up an impressive 39% in the same period. But the strong performance of stock...
As the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has climbed from one all-time high to another over the last year, many investors have probably seen very strong returns for their portfolios. The benchmark index has climbed 27% over the past 12 months, with AI stocks leading the way. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) is up an impressive 39% in the same period. But the strong performance of stocks over the past year hasn't been matched by other asset groups. For example, U.S. long-duration bonds, such as those held by the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ: TLT) , have returned close to nothing over the past year. As a result, many portfolios may be unbalanced. Instead of waiting, investors should consider rebalancing right now. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading