World

In a quiet church courtyard in El Rosario, El Salvador, 16-year-old Sarita sits with her grandmother, wearing a Saint Benedict medallion—a Catholic symbol of protection. For her grandmother, Sara de Perez, it holds a different meaning: her son, Sarita's father, was arrested two years ago as part of El Salvador's ongoing state of emergency, and they have been denied contact since. He is among the more than 90,000 Salvadorans detained under the measure, which marks its fourth anniversary on March 27, 2026, having been introduced in 2022 to combat gang violence.

As the US-Israel war with Iran intensifies, satellite imagery has emerged as a critical battleground in the information war, with manipulated or AI-generated aerial images increasingly blurring the line between fact and fiction on the ground. This trend poses significant challenges for public understanding and media verification in a highly charged geopolitical context.

Israel's Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir issued a stark warning to the country's cabinet this week, stating that unless urgent measures are taken, the Israeli army is on the brink of collapse. According to a report by Israel's Channel 13, Zamir told ministers he was "raising 10 red flags," urging the government to move quickly on long-delayed legislation to alleviate the strain on its "exhausted" military forces.

Psychotherapy waiting lists in Germany are at a breaking point, with patients often facing delays of over a year for treatment. This crisis highlights deep-seated issues in the healthcare system, as approximately 17.8 million adults—roughly one in three—are affected by mental illness annually, yet only 18.9% seek help each year. The case of Nia*, a patient who struggled to find a therapist during a depressive episode, underscores the human toll: after months of futile calls and consultations, she was repeatedly turned away, exacerbating her condition and leading to a traumatic search process.

Uzbekistan's real estate market is undergoing a fundamental transformation in 2026, moving away from the investment frenzy of previous years. The foundation that supported rapid, speculative gains has disappeared. Buying apartments in Tashkent for future appreciation without analysis now more often leads to frozen capital rather than profit. The market has not collapsed, but it has become significantly more complex and professional.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed on March 25 that Islamabad is relaying a 15-point US ceasefire proposal to Tehran, with Turkey and Egypt providing additional diplomatic support. This development comes as the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran enters its second month, highlighting Pakistan's renewed role as a key intermediary in a highly volatile regional conflict.

The Norwegian government has announced plans to increase defense spending to 3.5% of its gross domestic product, citing rising military equipment costs and the need to adjust to lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told reporters on Friday that this increase involves "allocating a significant increase in resources to the long-term plan, while also carefully weighing the priorities needed to rapidly strengthen Norway’s defense capabilities."

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held meetings in Washington, DC, with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Scott Bessent. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Friday that the talks reviewed ways to strengthen the “close strategic cooperation” between Doha and Washington, “especially the defence partnership in light of the conditions the region is experiencing.”

As most of Europe prepares to set clocks forward an hour on March 29, millions will experience the biannual ritual of Daylight Saving Time (DST), a practice primarily observed in temperate regions where the contrast between long summer and short winter days makes time-shifting seem beneficial. Globally, only about one-third of countries adhere to DST, with most of Africa, Asia, and tropical regions skipping it entirely. Even within DST-practicing nations, participation can be inconsistent; for instance, in the US, the states of Hawaii and Arizona, which receive ample sunshine year-round, do not observe DST, leading to peculiar situations like the “Arizona Daylight Saving Donut,” where time zones shift within the state due to differing policies on Native American reservations.

In Nepal, former rapper and political newcomer Balendra Shah (Balen) was sworn in as the country’s prime minister on Friday, capping months of political upheaval in the Himalayan nation following a Gen Z-led uprising last year that toppled the previous government. At 35 years old, Shah is one of Nepal’s youngest-ever leaders, and his rise to power reflects widespread discontent with the traditional ruling elite.

As the war waged by the US and Israeli regimes against the Iranian government enters its fourth week, oil and gas markets in the Persian Gulf are under severe strain. The near-total halt of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on key energy facilities in the region have destabilized global energy supply chains.

The UN General Assembly has adopted a landmark resolution declaring transatlantic chattel slavery "the gravest crime against humanity," following an initiative led by Ghanaian President John Mahama. The resolution passed with decisive support from 123 states, but the position of the Western bloc stood in stark contrast: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and European Union member states all abstained in the vote.