World

Reports of Pakistan positioning itself as a mediator to broker an end to the US-Israeli war against Iran have sparked criticism from the Indian opposition targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claims of global leadership. According to a Financial Times report on Monday, Pakistan's Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir spoke to US President Donald Trump on Sunday, pitching Islamabad as a possible venue for talks, citing people briefed on the call. This development comes as Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday, with negotiations potentially beginning as early as this week.

A military plane crash in southern Colombia has resulted in the deaths of 66 security force personnel, with four individuals currently reported missing. The accident occurred near the border with Peru when a Hercules C-130 transport plane, en route from the town of Puerto Leguízamo to Puerto Asís, crashed shortly after takeoff. Local residents were the first to arrive at the scene, pulling dozens of injured survivors from the burning wreckage and transporting them to hospitals on the backs of their motorcycles.

US President Donald Trump's instincts to end the current engagement with Iran as soon as possible are reportedly correct, as he allegedly employs both a 'carrot' and a 'stick' approach to achieve this outcome. The carrot purportedly involves sparing Iran's electricity grid and energy industry from further destruction, while the stick entails more bombing and a potential ground invasion. However, analysts suggest he should lean more toward the carrot, as escalating military action could have severe repercussions.

The government of the Republic of Cyprus has called for an "open and frank discussion" regarding the future of British sovereign bases on the island, following a March incident where an Iranian-made drone crashed into the Akrotiri base. President Nikos Christodoulides labeled the bases a "colonial consequence" at an EU summit, where fellow leaders endorsed Cyprus's push for talks with Britain. This event has reignited long-simmering debates about the UK's presence, with locals arguing it exposes Cyprus to security risks due to its alignment with US and Israeli interests.

Russian forces launched a massive overnight aerial bombardment across Ukraine, killing at least five people and injuring dozens in one of the most severe attacks in ten days. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the assault involved seven ballistic missiles, 23 cruise missiles, four air-launched guided missiles, and 392 drones. Air defense units managed to intercept 25 missiles and 365 of the drones, though significant damage was inflicted on civilian infrastructure in eleven regions.

A new UN report highlights that fish species undertaking long migrations through rivers, lakes, and ponds are facing combined threats from dams, pollution, and overfishing, preventing them from reaching breeding grounds. Flagship species such as the golden mahseer and goonch catfish are among 30 priority fish identified for global conservation efforts.

Concrete pouring work has officially commenced at the construction site of Uzbekistan's first nuclear power plant (NPP) in the Jizzakh region. This event marks the project's transition into an active implementation phase. The work is based on key documents on long-term cooperation and project development signed by the agency "Uzatom" and the state corporation "Rosatom" on March 24, 2026.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul criticized the US and Israeli attacks on Iran at a ceremony in Berlin, calling the war a "breach of international law" and a "politically fateful mistake." The event marked the 75th anniversary of the post-war reformation of the German Foreign Ministry, established in 1951 after the founding of West Germany.

A report by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir has revealed that three of the world's four most polluted cities are in India. Loni in Uttar Pradesh state was ranked the most polluted city globally in 2025, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 112.5 micrograms per cubic meter—22 times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) safe limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter. Byrnihat and the capital, New Delhi, also featured prominently. The report further indicated that all of the world's 25 most polluted cities are located in India, Pakistan, and China, with Pakistan being named the most polluted country overall.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has reported that the United States-Israeli military campaign against Iran has triggered the largest oil supply disruption in history, surpassing even the 1973 oil embargo. The agency, founded in direct response to that earlier crisis, detailed how Iran's stranglehold on transit through the critical Strait of Hormuz has halted the flow of over 20 million barrels of oil per day—roughly one-fifth of global petroleum consumption. This compares to the 1973 shortage of 4.5 million barrels daily, highlighting the unprecedented scale of the current crisis.

Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that it has withdrawn accreditation from the Iranian ambassador and declared him persona non grata, demanding his departure from the country by Sunday. This decisive diplomatic move highlights a sharp deterioration in relations between the two nations amid ongoing regional instability.

Australia and the European Union (EU) have signed a trade agreement that removes tariffs on nearly all exports of Australian critical minerals, a move driven by concerns over China's dominant position in rare earth supply chains. China controls roughly 90% of global processing for rare earths, which are essential for producing technological equipment such as electric cars, lithium-ion batteries, LED televisions, and camera lenses.