•South African flag South Africa’s economy shrank in the second quarter of 2026, snapping a nearly two-year growth streak as the war in Iran weighed on domestic demand, the national statistics agency said today. The contraction comes less than two months before local government elections, putting the country’s sluggish economy squarely in the ...
Polling stations opened across England early today for a host of crunch local elections likely to ratchet up the pressure on embattled Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The polls — a mix of council, mayoral and other local contests as well as a parliamentary by-election — are the last major ballot box test before a […]

