Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Gwanda gets US$1,5m lithium rail siding to boost exports – herald

Mthabisi Tshuma, mthabisimthire@gmail.com
Gwanda South Member of Parliament Dr Omphile Marupi has called on communities to embrace Zimbabweans returning from South Africa and give them space to rebuild their lives, in line with President Mnangagwa’s directive that no returnee should be left behind.

In the past month, a Government-led repatriation and reintegration programme has assisted nearly 100 000 Zimbabweans returning home amid anti-migrant unrest and growing hostility towards foreigners in parts of South Africa.

Speaking during a community engagement, Dr Marupi who is also the Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services said local structures have a key role in ensuring a smooth return.

“Following the anti-migrant unrest, I am appealing to every returnee from Gwanda South to register their names with local and traditional leadership — chiefs, councillors, village heads and kraal heads — so that they can be assisted to access communal land for homesteads and farming,” he said.

“This is important because we know some homesteads were abandoned and those who remained may have used the space. Registering will help us avoid conflicts in communities and ensure everyone is accounted for.”

Dr Marupi said Government is rolling out some social protection and economic development safety nets from ward level to support returnees. The packages are being coordinated through councillors and traditional leaders working with line ministries.

“Once you register, you will be captured into the ward database. From there, you can be linked to food assistance, health services, agricultural inputs and other support programmes.

“The goal is to help returnees find their feet quickly,” he said.

He added that President Mnangagwa has directed that communities must welcome returnees and treat them with dignity.

“These are our brothers and sisters. They left to seek opportunities and are coming back under difficult circumstances. As a community we must open our doors and walk with them as they restart,” said Dr Marupi.

The MP also urged returnees with technical skills to take part in the Government’s skills audit and registration exercise underway at the Beitbridge Reception and Support Centre. The exercise is being coordinated by the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development.

“Those with hands-on professions — builders, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, welders, fitters and turners — please keep your ear to the ground,” said Dr Marupi.

“We are working with stakeholders to ensure those eligible get trade testing opportunities. Your skills are needed for national development.”

He said data from the audit will help the Government match returnees to employment, vocational training and empowerment programmes, including the Women Development Fund and Community Development Fund.

At the Beitbridge Reception Centre, the Ministry of Women Affairs continues to provide psychosocial support, referrals and protection services, with a focus on women and children.

Over 2 200 returnees have so far received counselling, while hundreds have been referred to health and social welfare departments.

Government, working with UN agencies and partners, says the priority now is to move from emergency response to sustainable reintegration — with land, skills and livelihood support delivered through local leadership.
“Let us receive our people, register them, and give them opportunities to work and contribute,” said Dr Marupi.
“That is how we turn a difficult moment into a chance to rebuild families, wards and the nation.”

The post Gwanda gets US$1,5m lithium rail siding to boost exports  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Harare – A profound legal and political maelstrom has engulfed Zimbabwe, as a daring challenge to the recently enacted Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Act, 2026, threatens to unravel President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bid for an extended term. At the heart of this unfolding drama is Vhurande Mahlupeko, a National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) National Executive […]

The post The “Constitutional Coup”: Inside the Legal Battle to Declare Constitutional Amendment No. 3 NULL and VOID! first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.

Harare – Godfrey Karembera, known to his fervent followers and the apprehensive state alike as Madzibaba Veshanduko, has once again found himself at the centre of a political maelstrom in Zimbabwe. Despite a recent acquittal that saw him walk free after eight months in pre-trial detention, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has issued a fresh […]

The post Police’s Hunt for Madzibaba Veshanduko: Why Some Govt Officials are Afraid of a Man in a Yellow Robe first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.

BANGKOK — European shares mostly fell and Asian shares advanced on Thursday, while the intensifying war with Iran pushed Brent crude to over $98 a barrel.

The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.4%.

Germany’s DAX lost 0.6% to 24,999.26 in early trading and the CAC 40 in Paris shed 1.1% to 8,349.33. Britain’s FTSE 100 edged 0.2% lower, to 10,696.31.

Asian shares mostly rose, led by South Korea’s Kospi, which gained 4.4% to 7,096.89.

Investors’ appetite for stocks related to artificial intelligence revived despite a retreat on Wall Street, as Samsung Electronics gained 3.7%. Memory chipmaker SK Hynix advanced 4.9%.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 picked up 0.5% to 66,422.60. Technology companies led gains, with stocks in SoftBank Group climbing 3.8%.

The U.S. dollar was trading at 163.36 yen as the Japanese currency wavered near its lowest level in 40 years. Expectations that the gap between U.S. interest rates and Japanese interest rates will widen due to higher inflation in the U.S. have helped to drive the dollar higher against the yen.

Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.3% to 25,210.81. The Shanghai Composite index bounced back from earlier losses to gain 0.3%, closing at 3,876.78.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.2% to 8,839.00.

Taiwan’s Taiex edged 0.1% higher and the Sensex in India fell 0.6%.

On Wednesday, U.S. stock indexes barely budged as oil prices rose 3%.

The S&P 500 edged 0.1% lower and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was nearly unchanged.

The Nasdaq composite fell 0.6% as Alphabet Inc., parent company of Google, sank 1.5% ahead of its earnings report, which arrived after trading ended. The company posted stronger-than-expected results for its second quarter, a sign that its massive artificial intelligence spending spree is paying off so far. However, its share price fell another 3.5% in premarket trading.

Tesla’s share price dropped 1.3% on Wednesday and another 5.6% in after-hours trading after the car company run by Elon Musk said its profits fell last quarter as it shoveled more money into research and development, cutting into earnings from a sharp increase in vehicle sales.

Investors are looking for signs that the deluge of dollars going into processors, computer memory and other building blocks of the AI boom will yield enough profits to make the investments worthwhile. Such worries have kept AI stocks at the center of Wall Street’s swings for weeks.

Rising oil prices are weighing on stock prices since they raise costs for most businesses and erode their profits. They also can dent consumer spending.

Early Thursday, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, was up 4.3% at $98.16, its highest level since early June.

It had fallen to less than $72 earlier this month, roughly where it was before the war with Iran. But continued fighting is preventing oil tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz to exit the Persian Gulf. Normally, a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded passes through the narrow strait.

U.S. benchmark crude gained 3.6% to $89.91 a barrel.

The U.S. military announced Wednesday that it was conducting a 12th night of strikes against Iran as both sides increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure.

Higher oil prices are threatening a reacceleration of inflation, which could push the Federal Reserve and other central banks to raise interest rates, slowing economies and undercutting prices for stocks and other investments.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.65% from 4.63% late Tuesday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran began. It’s already helped bring long-term U.S. mortgage rates to their highest levels in nearly a year.

In other dealings early Thursday, the euro was unchanged at $1.1414.

Source: AP

The post World shares are mixed and Mideast tensions push Brent crude past $98 appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.

NEW YORK — U.S. stock indexes barely budged on Wednesday after oil prices climbed another 3% as fighting continues in the war with Iran.

The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1%, coming off its best day in three weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 6 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.6%.

Despite the modest moves for indexes, stocks had some big swings underneath the surface. Philip Morris International rallied 3.3% after the seller of Marlboro cigarettes reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than expected. Its shipments of smoke-free products rose 7.5%.

AT&T climbed 3.5% after reporting a stronger profit than analysts expected. CEO John Stankey also said the telecom is accelerating plans to send roughly $10 billion to its shareholders this year through the buybacks of its stock.

Super Micro Computer soared 19.8% after the seller of AI servers said it expects to report stronger profit margins for the latest quarter than it had earlier forecast. It, though, also said that revenue will likely come in at the low end of its forecasted range of $11 billion to $12.5 billion.

On the losing side of the market was GE Vernova, which fell 8.7% after reporting a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Alphabet sank 1.5% ahead of its earnings report, which arrived after trading ended for the day.

Anticipation was high, and not just because the parent company of Google is one of the largest stocks on Wall Street. It’s also one of the biggest spenders on artificial-intelligence technology.

Investors are looking for signs that the deluge of dollars going into processors, computer memory and other building blocks of the AI boom are producing enough profits to make the investments worth it. If Alphabet and other “hyperscalers” say that isn’t the case, stocks of chip companies and other AI winners would look very expensive following their monumental moves higher.

Such worries have kept AI stocks at the center of Wall Street’s swings for weeks, and they helped drag the market up and down Wednesday.

Micron Technology swung between a loss of 3.6% and a gain of 1.2% before finishing with a drop of 1.2%. That’s after it jumped 14.4% in the first two days of this week to reclaim nearly all its 13.3% plunge from the week before. It’s still up 236% for the year so far.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 10.24 points to 7,498.96. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 6.06 to 52,218.58, and the Nasdaq composite sank 146.30 to 25,690.90.

Stocks broadly also felt pressure from continuing climbs for oil prices, which raise costs for most businesses and erode their profits.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose 3.4% to $94.07 and briefly topped $95 in the morning to touch its highest level in nearly six weeks. That’s up from less than $72 early this month, which is roughly where it was before the war with Iran.

Rising oil prices are threatening a reacceleration of inflation. That in turn could push the Federal Reserve and other central banks to raise interest rates, which would slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.65% from 4.63% late Tuesday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran began. It’s already helped bring long-term U.S. mortgage rates to their highest levels in nearly a year.

Oil prices have climbed as fighting in the Middle East keeps oil tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz to exit the Persian Gulf. Normally, a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded passes through the narrow strait.

The auto club AAA said Wednesday that the average price for a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. jumped again overnight to $4.06. That’s still below highs of around $4.56 per gallon in May, but it had been below $3 before the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

In stock markets abroad, indexes climbed in Europe following a mixed session in Asia.

London’s FTSE 100 rose 1.2%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

Source: AP

The post Oil prices rise another 3%, while Wall Street drifts in mixed trading appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.