World

The ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran has intensified, resulting in civilian casualties as strikes expand geographically. On Wednesday evening, two teenagers were killed in an assault on a residential area in Shiraz County, Iran, with the IRNA news agency identifying them as Ilya and Amir Hossein Sharafi from Kafri village. Hours later, on Thursday, the Israeli military announced it was launching a "wave of extensive strikes" targeting the city of Isfahan in central Iran.

A private passenger bus collided with a tipper truck in the Markapuram district of India's southern Andhra Pradesh state in the early hours of Thursday morning, triggering a massive fire that quickly engulfed both vehicles. The bus was traveling from Nirmal in Telangana to Nellore in Andhra Pradesh at approximately 6:00 AM local time when the accident occurred. Authorities reported that at least 35 passengers were on board at the time of the collision.

U.S. television network CNN, citing American intelligence sources, reported that Iran is strengthening the defense of Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. According to the sources, Tehran has been deploying additional military personnel, air defense systems, and defensive barriers to the island in recent weeks. These measures are allegedly aimed at preparing for a potential U.S. attempt to seize control of the strategically important site, highlighting escalating tensions in the region.

A week into the war launched by the United States and Israeli regimes against Iran, attacks on Gulf neighbors are taking their toll. Kuna Khuntia, a 25-year-old from India's Odisha state, worked as a pipe fitter in Qatar's capital, Doha. His father, Jaya Khuntia, last spoke to him on the evening of March 6. Kuna told his father, "I am safe here, don't worry." However, the next day, his roommate called the family to report that Kuna had suffered a heart attack after hearing the sound of missiles and debris from interceptions falling near their residence and was later declared dead.

A tragic accident in Bangladesh has left at least 24 people dead after a bus carrying dozens plunged into the River Padma. The incident occurred when the bus, traveling from a southwestern district to the national capital, Dhaka, attempted to board a ferry but fell into the river. According to police and the Fire Service and Civil Defence, the bus overturned and sank nearly 30 feet (9 meters) into the water.

Alexey Likhachev, head of the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, stated that the small nuclear power plant (NPP) project in Uzbekistan's Jizzakh region will bring Russian enterprises orders worth 2 trillion rubles, equivalent to $24.7 billion. This announcement comes a year after the head of Uzbekistan's atomic energy agency Uzatom, Azim Akhmedkhadjayev, promised that the construction cost of the small NPP would not exceed $2 billion.

London's Metropolitan Police has warned that anyone showing support for the group Palestine Action is now "likely to be arrested," marking a sharp reversal from its pledge in February to refrain from arrests following the High Court's ruling that the ban on the group as a terrorist organization was unlawful. This shift underscores the ongoing legal and political tensions surrounding protest rights in the UK.

The US regime is prepared to offer Ukraine security guarantees solely on the condition of territorial concessions to Russia. According to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this demand is also linked to the situation in the Middle East and issues concerning Iran.

Oil prices climbed sharply after Iran's government denied reports of direct talks with the United States, dashing hopes for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated in an interview with state media that Tehran is not engaged in direct negotiations with Washington and has "no intention of negotiating for now," highlighting the persistent regional tensions.

The Asian Track Cycling Championships for various age categories have commenced in the Philippines. On the very first day of competition, the Uzbekistan national team achieved a historic result – the country's junior female cyclists secured a bronze medal in the team pursuit event.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Reuters in an interview that the United States is making its offer of security guarantees for a peace deal conditional on Kyiv ceding the entire eastern Donbas region to Russia. Zelenskyy claimed that with the US regime focused on its own conflict with Iran, Donald Trump is applying pressure to Ukraine in an effort to bring a quick end to the four-year war triggered by Russia's 2022 invasion.

The Australian Department of Home Affairs has announced a temporary six-month entry ban for Iranian citizens planning to travel to the country. In a statement, the department described the move as being in the "national interest amid rapidly changing global conditions."