World

A shift in political balance is being observed in the European Parliament, as the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) increasingly seeks cooperation with far-right groups. This phenomenon was particularly evident in decisions on migration policy, with reports emerging that EPP lawmakers coordinated with far-right parties in advance to support a project for so-called “return hubs.” This is not merely a coincidence of votes but a sign of strategic cooperation, involving coordinated wording and efforts to assemble a joint majority.

Cuban energy officials announced that the national power grid has been reconnected and the largest oil-fired power plant brought online, ending a nationwide blackout that lasted over 29 hours. This occurred against the backdrop of efforts by the US regime to choke off fuel supplies to the island. However, officials warned that power shortages may continue due to insufficient electricity generation to meet demand.

The Iranian government's missile and drone attacks on Gulf Arab states have become a daily occurrence, stemming from a war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran's leadership nearly three weeks ago. This conflict has engulfed the Middle East with casualties, destruction, assassinations, and an energy crisis spreading beyond the region, highlighting the severe geopolitical tensions and humanitarian costs.

A US federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to reinstate more than 1,000 employees at the state-funded broadcaster 'Voice of America' (VOA) and resume its operations. The decision by District Judge Royce Lamberth came ten days after he ruled that President Donald Trump's appointment of an official to carry out sweeping layoffs at VOA was unlawful, rendering those redundancies invalid.

Iranian authorities confirmed that Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, was killed in an Israeli strike. The Fars News Agency reported on platform X (formerly Twitter) that Larijani had "been martyred," escalating tensions in the region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy allegedly stated in an address to the UK Parliament that more than 200 Ukrainian military experts are currently in the Gulf region and wider Middle East, assisting governments in defending against Iranian drone attacks. He claimed that 201 anti-drone experts are already on the ground, with another 34 purportedly ready for deployment.

Morocco has been declared the champion of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following a landmark ruling by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which stripped Senegal of the title due to their team leaving the pitch during the final. The unprecedented decision comes two months after a chaotic conclusion to the tournament in Rabat, where Senegalese players walked off in protest over a controversial late penalty awarded to Morocco, an incident that also sparked an attempted pitch invasion by furious fans.

Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) and one of the United States' top counterterrorism officials, has resigned in protest of the US regime's war with Iran. Kent published his resignation letter on the social media platform X, addressing it to US President Donald Trump. In the letter, he wrote, "I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby." This move marks the highest-profile rebuke yet of the war effort from within the Trump administration, highlighting deep internal divisions over foreign policy.

During China's annual legislative meetings, known as the "two sessions," in Beijing this month, at least a dozen active and retired military officers were notably absent from the proceedings. Among the missing was General Zhang Youxia, who has been under investigation since late January for "suspected serious violations of discipline and law," according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency. Zhang is one of the highest-ranking officials ensnared in a sweeping anti-corruption campaign that has become a hallmark of Chinese Communist Party Chairman and President Xi Jinping's long tenure.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin met with US President Donald Trump in Washington during an annual Saint Patrick’s Day visit, delicately pushing back against the latter’s stances on Iran, NATO, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The leaders’ sit-down at the Oval Office on Tuesday occurred against a backdrop of heightened tensions, including the resignation of US counterterrorism chief Joe Kent over the US and Israel’s war on Iran and Trump’s tirade against NATO allies for refusing to support military action in the blocked Strait of Hormuz.

The new Chilean government under President Jose Antonio Kast has announced the suspension of 43 rules designed to safeguard the environment, marking a pivot towards more conservative policies. This decision includes the repeal of regulations introduced in the final days of former President Gabriel Boric's term, covering issues such as power plant emissions, smelting plant pollution, and the creation of new national parks.

Unverified claims have emerged about the presence of 'grave-like plots' at the former Zorro Ranch of the late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in New Mexico. A member of the public reportedly informed state lawmakers via correspondence last month that they illegally entered the ranch in 2020 and encountered multiple 'dug up' sites, providing photographs. The allegations have not been independently verified and do not appear in the Epstein files publicly disclosed by the United States Department of Justice.