A Palestinian rights group has reported that more than half of the Palestinian children detained in Israeli prisons at the end of last year were being held without charge or trial, marking the highest proportion on record since monitoring began in 2008. The findings come amid mounting concerns over alleged abuses in Israeli detention facilities.
Oil prices jumped more than 5% following an Israeli strike on Iran's South Pars gas field, escalating the ongoing US-Israeli war against the country. The international benchmark Brent crude rose 5% to $108.66 a barrel on Wednesday, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 2.5% to $98.65, widening its discount to Brent to the largest since May 2019 amid fears of a prolonged conflict.
Suspected jihadi militants have intensified recent attacks in northeastern Nigeria's Borno State. Earlier this week, three alleged suicide bombings at a post office, market, and teaching hospital killed at least 23 people and wounded more than 100. While no group claimed responsibility for the bombings in Maiduguri, a city of around 1.2 million people, officials' suspicion fell on Boko Haram, which launched an insurgency 17 years ago with a radical interpretation of Sharia law.
Qatar's Ministry of Interior announced that civil defence teams are responding to a fire at the country's main gas facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City. This incident occurred following an Iranian attack, which is seen as a sign of escalating tensions in the region.
The US State Department has expanded its list of countries whose visa applicants must post bonds of up to $15,000 for entry into the United States, adding 12 new nations. This move is the latest under the Trump administration to restrict immigration, primarily from non-Western countries. The newly added countries include Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia. The bonds will be enforced starting April 2 and apply to B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourism) visas.
Washington, DC – US National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard stated in written testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee that Iran has not attempted to rebuild its nuclear enrichment capabilities following US and Israeli strikes in June 2025. This assessment reportedly undermines one of President Donald Trump’s key justifications for entering the war with Iran, which he allegedly based on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
A tragic accident occurred at the popular Engelberg ski resort in central Switzerland, resulting in the death of a 61-year-old woman. On Wednesday, a gondola cabin, certified to carry eight people, detached from its cable on a snowy mountain slope, crashed, slid down, and rolled over several times before coming to a halt against a bush. At the time of the incident, the gondola was carrying only the deceased woman, raising serious concerns about the reliability of safety systems at the resort, despite their certification.
After the sarcophagus of former Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great sustained damage in Magdeburg Cathedral, researchers decided to analyze its contents. They are now convinced that the remains inside are authentic, belonging to the 10th-century ruler.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has expanded the list of countries whose citizens must pay a bond when applying for visas, adding 12 more nations. The new requirement, effective April 12, primarily impacts African countries with high overstay rates, as the regime claims this measure targets nations where visa holders frequently remain in the US beyond their authorized periods.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed the killing of the country's intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib. He called the act a "cowardly assassination" and stated that Iran is "in deep mourning." This news comes after Israel announced on Wednesday that it had killed Khatib in an air strike on Tehran.
Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and the Taliban government in Afghanistan has been temporarily suspended to mark the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. Both sides announced the truce as conditional and reversible if violated, highlighting the instability of regional tensions.
The war initiated by United States President Donald Trump against Iran has sparked not only global condemnation but also a fierce domestic political battle. Opposition lawmakers, primarily Democrats, argue that Trump, a Republican, wrongly circumvented Congress to start the conflict and has failed to articulate its rationale or endgame. The Trump administration counters that it acted in "self-defence" against an "imminent threat" allegedly posed by Iran, though this claim is disputed by intelligence officials.