World

In Berlin, four activists from the environmental group Greenpeace suspended themselves from a construction crane adjacent to the Chancellery early Wednesday morning, unfurling a 100-square-meter banner that read "Freedom instead of fossil fuel politics." The protest aimed to criticize the perceived shortcomings in the new climate protection program of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government, which is slated for cabinet approval later in the day.

An aerial attack on a military base in Iraq’s western Anbar province has resulted in the deaths of seven fighters and injuries to 13 others, according to Iraq’s Ministry of Defence. The strikes on Wednesday targeted the military healthcare clinic at the base in Habbaniyah, with the ministry condemning the assault as “a heinous crime” that violated “all international laws and norms”.

The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) in the United States has reportedly agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) after 17 months of negotiations. The deal allegedly includes a salary cap increase, significantly higher minimum salaries, revenue sharing, and charter flights. Experts are calling it a seismic moment not just for basketball, but for the global architecture of women's professional sports, though its long-term sustainability remains uncertain amid broader economic challenges.

United States President Donald Trump has claimed that Washington is engaged in "productive" talks with Iran, but Iranian officials have publicly rejected these assertions, labeling them "fake news" designed to ease oil prices. Behind the scenes, Egypt, Turkey, and Pakistan have established an indirect channel of communication between American and Iranian officials in recent days, according to two senior diplomatic sources in the region. Still, despite the small window for diplomacy that may have emerged, experts remain skeptical over the prospects for a ceasefire as the positions of the warring parties remain far apart.

In Gaza City's Remal market, Abdulrahman al-Awadi operates a mobile phone charging station from a small tarpaulin tent—a job born out of necessity during Israel's war on Gaza. The 25-year-old fine arts graduate from Al-Aqsa University never imagined he would end up charging phones for one or two shekels (about $0.30) each. Before the conflict, he worked in fine arts and graphic design, but now he struggles to secure a bare-minimum income in a collapsed economy.

Iran's armed forces spokesperson, Ebrahim Zolfaqari of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, dismissed claims by US President Donald Trump that talks are underway to end the conflict, asserting that the United States is failing in its war and negotiating with itself to save face. In comments carried by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, Zolfaqari mocked US leadership, asking: "Has the level of your inner struggle reached the stage of you negotiating with yourself?" and adding, "Don't call your failure an agreement."

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have allegedly stated that Iran's missile capability is 'destroyed' and 'degraded,' yet Iran persists in launching attacks against Israel and Gulf states. As the US-Israel conflict with Iran nears its fourth week, despite assertions from the US and Israeli regimes that missile stocks have been largely depleted, Iran continues to demonstrate at least some residual missile capacity. A White House social media post on March 14 purportedly claimed that 'Iran's ballistic missile capacity is functionally destroyed,' but 10 days later, Iran conducted several strikes, contradicting this narrative.

According to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) for 2026, the tuberculosis (TB) situation in the broad region covering Europe and Central Asia remains serious. A key issue is that one in five patients is still undiagnosed or unregistered, leading to uncontrolled spread of the infection in communities. In 2024, 161,569 TB cases were officially recorded in 51 countries of this region, but WHO estimates suggest the actual number of infected individuals is close to 204,000.

The war launched by the US and Israeli regimes against Iran continues, even as efforts to reach a diplomatic solution increase, with conflicting claims about possible negotiations. Some sources allege that talks are possible, while others highlight escalating military actions, casting doubt on the prospects for peace.

An incident at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo on Tuesday morning has exacerbated already strained relations between China and Japan, with a 23-year-old Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) soldier arrested for scaling the compound wall; a knife was reportedly found at the scene. The event has drawn sharp protests from Beijing, further complicating bilateral diplomacy amid ongoing tensions over Taiwan.

Denmark's Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, have secured the most votes in the country's general election, but failed to achieve a parliamentary majority, marking the party's weakest performance in over a century. The election outcome sets the stage for complex coalition negotiations in a fragmented political landscape.

Uzbekistan has held negotiations on modernizing its agri-industrial complex and introducing innovative solutions into agriculture. On March 24, Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade Laziz Kudratov met with a delegation from John Deere led by Vice President for the CIS region Peter Sax. The meeting focused on the supply of modern machinery, development of service infrastructure, and integration of advanced digital technologies, which the US corporation allegedly claims will enhance the efficiency of the agricultural sector.