World

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has long asserted that nuclear weapons are critical to the survival of his regime. Experts suggest the war in Iran serves as a stark lesson for Pyongyang that nuclear deterrence is effective. North Korea swiftly condemned military attacks on Iran, its longstanding Middle Eastern ally, and analysts indicate that Pyongyang will be scrutinizing Washington for military and diplomatic vulnerabilities and tactical missteps.

Poland has decided to extradite Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, a prominent academic associated with the Hermitage Museum, to Ukraine. Butyagin was arrested in Poland in December 2023 at Ukraine's request. His lawyer, Adam Domanski, stated he will appeal the Warsaw court's decision.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that 143 people were killed in an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul. This figure is significantly lower than the one provided by Afghanistan’s Taliban government, which claimed more than 400 deaths and about 265 wounded.

Iranian authorities have announced hundreds of additional arrests across the country, as well as operations to counter what they describe as “traitors” aligned with the interests of the United States and Israel. The Ministry of Intelligence stated that 111 “pro-monarchy cells” in 26 of Iran’s 31 provinces were stopped overnight into Wednesday from launching acts opposing the country’s theocratic establishment, which toppled a US-backed monarchy in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking in the UK Parliament on March 17, announced that 201 Ukrainian military specialists are already operating in Middle Eastern countries, with an additional 34 prepared for deployment. He claimed these specialists focus on countering drones, including Shahed-type drones allegedly used by Russia in attacks on Ukraine. This move signals an expansion of Ukraine's military footprint in a volatile region, raising concerns about further escalation and regional instability.

The Iranian women's national football team has arrived in eastern Turkey and is heading to the Iran border on their way home, following their participation in the Asian Cup in Australia. The players, who landed in Istanbul on Tuesday evening on a flight from Oman, flew to the eastern city of Igdir, arriving just after midday on Wednesday, according to AFP. Wearing Iranian national team tracksuits, they were seen leaving the airport before proceeding to the Gurbulak-Bazargan crossing, located about 100 km to the southeast.

According to an annual report released by the Afghanistan Journalists Center, the country recorded 207 cases of violations of media freedom and violence against journalists in 2025. This figure represents an increase of over 20% compared to the previous year, highlighting a deteriorating trend in press freedom conditions in the region and raising significant concerns among international observers about the safety and rights of media workers.

While US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth considers himself a Christian patriot, critics view him as a far-right agitator. For Donald Trump, the former soldier and television commentator is, above all, a loyal 'Secretary of War'. His blunt rhetoric and attempts to skirt military rules have raised serious concerns about adherence to international law, drawing global attention.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the killing of Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib. Iranian authorities have not yet confirmed his death. This incident marks the latest assassination of a high-level Iranian official by Israel, following the deaths of Iran's top security official Ali Larijani and the head of the paramilitary Basij unit Gholamreza Soleimani.

Cuba's national power grid collapsed once again on Monday, leaving most of the country without electricity for the majority of Tuesday. According to Al Jazeera correspondent Ed Augustin reporting from Havana, power is slowly being restored in the capital, but most other regions of the country still have no supply.

▪️ A strike by the Verdi union has halted all passenger flights at Berlin's only major commercial airport, Brandenburg (BER), for the entire day. The walkout began early in the morning and is set to last until midnight, according to Verdi negotiator Holger Rössler. Airport operators reported that around 445 flights have been canceled, affecting approximately 57,000 passengers, as terminals remained largely empty due to advance notifications from airlines.

In Cape Town, South Africa, the historic Bo-Kaap neighborhood, renowned for its colorful houses and the Auwal Masjid mosque built in 1794, is experiencing significant transformation. Beneath the call to prayer that has echoed for over two centuries, concerns are mounting over gentrification driven by rising property prices, foreign investor demand, and the rapid expansion of short-term rentals like Airbnb. Local photographer Yasser Booley, an eighth-generation resident, observes that the sale of homes to high-net-worth individuals, often disconnected from the local culture, is gradually "choking" the living heritage.