Tests conducted in Germany have revealed that children and adolescents are contaminated with banned and potentially toxic plasticizers. These chemicals are ubiquitous in items such as clothing, cosmetics, and food packaging, posing risks to human health.
Social media has been circulating claims that so-called 'acid clouds' have formed over Iranian territory and could reach Central Asian countries through precipitation. Uzbekistan's Hydrometeorological Service (Uzhydromet) has officially stated that these claims lack scientific basis.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney struck a tone of thoughtful statesmanship at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January, with his speech receiving reverent approval for its serious approach to global responsibility. He warned of the perils of geopolitical brinkmanship, spoke about restraint, and urged the world's most powerful governments to resist the seduction of reckless escalation. This performance was ostensibly meant to position Canada as a moderating force in a chaotic world.
The Kenyan government has reported that at least 42 people have been killed in floods triggered by heavy rains that began across several regions of the country on Friday. Public Service and Special Programmes Minister Geoffrey Ruku told reporters on Sunday that police had documented 42 deaths since then, including 26 in the capital, Nairobi.
A fatal accident occurred at a steel plant in Sosan, South Korea, on the evening of March 8, resulting in the death of a 50-year-old Uzbek citizen. According to the Yonhap news agency, citing local law enforcement, the worker was struck by a forklift that was maneuvering within the plant's premises.
Powerful explosions and fires erupted at oil infrastructure facilities in the Iranian capital Tehran and its surroundings following a series of attacks. Thick clouds of black smoke rose over the city, with residents in some districts reporting unusual precipitation known as "black rain" caused by combustion byproducts. These events occurred against the backdrop of a sharp escalation in the Middle East, leading global oil prices to exceed $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022.
The Israeli military announced early Monday that it had begun an "additional wave" of strikes against "regime infrastructure" in central Iran. These actions are part of daily attacks that have continued since February following the killing of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Simultaneously, Israel struck sites belonging to the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in Beirut.
Global energy markets are experiencing sharp volatility as oil prices have surged past $100 a barrel for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, driven primarily by the widening fallout from the United States and Israel's war on Iran. Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose by as much as 20% on Sunday, topping $111 a barrel, amid growing fears of prolonged disruption to global energy supplies. This escalation highlights the deepening instability in key energy-producing regions, with the conflict threatening to exacerbate existing economic pressures worldwide.
Iran's Assembly of Experts has selected Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the country's new supreme leader. The 88-member assembly made the decision on March 8, just over a week into a fierce conflict with the United States and Israel. Mojtaba Khamenei, born on September 8, 1969, in Mashhad, assumes the highest office following his father's death in an Israeli strike on February 28.
Guinea's government has dissolved 40 political parties, including the country's three main opposition groups, in a move that critics say marks the final step toward a one-party state under President Mamady Doumbouya. The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation issued the decree late on Friday, citing the parties' failure to meet their legal obligations.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has stated that an “improvised explosive device” was thrown during a protest outside the home of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, with two men taken into custody. The statement on Sunday came a day after the incident outside the mayor’s residence, Gracie Mansion, where far-right, anti-Muslim demonstrators, led by activist Jake Lang, clashed with counterprotesters, highlighting the deep societal divisions within the US regime.
Former US President Donald Trump announced in a post on his Truth Social account that he will not sign any other legislation until Congress passes a bill to impose stricter identification requirements for US voters. This statement underscores Trump's continued focus on election administration ahead of the US midterm elections in November, even as the US-Israeli war continues to dominate headlines.