The Green Party has narrowly won the state election in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, according to provisional results, securing 30.2% of the vote compared to the Christian Democratic Union's (CDU) 29.7%. This outcome casts uncertainty over the future of the coalition that has governed the southwestern state for the past decade, with both parties now facing complex negotiations to form a new government.
Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), the country's oldest political force, is facing an existential crisis as it grapples with historically poor electoral performances. In the recent state election in Baden-Württemberg, the SPD barely crossed the 5% threshold for parliamentary representation with just 5.5% of the vote, marking its worst result in post-war history. This setback is part of a broader trend: since 2021, the party has recorded single-digit results in four other federal states, while at the federal level, its support has languished between 13% and 16%.
The price of oil surged to nearly $120 a barrel on Monday following Israeli strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure over the weekend and Tehran's de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This escalation in the 10-day-old conflict sent fresh shockwaves through global energy markets, with Brent crude reaching $119.50 before retreating to around $100.
Israeli strikes on fuel depots and petroleum logistic sites in Tehran on Sunday resulted in apocalyptic scenes: a river of fire from spilled oil and thick black smoke blanketed the capital of 10 million people, leaving streets and vehicles covered with soot.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran without prior warning or United Nations approval, targeting and killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This aggressive move risks escalating into a wider regional conflagration, potentially drawing in Gulf states, disrupting global energy supplies, and pushing fragile economies into recession, highlighting the urgent need for a robust international response.
The government of Uzbekistan is planning to sell non-liquid assets of the corporate group comprising Enter Engineering, Eriell Group, and Sanoat Energetika Guruhi (Saneg) to settle debts owed to employees, the budget, and banks. This follows a Cabinet of Ministers resolution dated January 22, whose informational note circulated on social media and was confirmed by government sources. According to the document, the group's wage arrears for 38,700 employees amount to $131 million, highlighting a significant corporate debt issue in the country.
Walid Khalidi, the esteemed Palestinian historian and diplomat renowned for his meticulous documentation of the Nakba and his contributions to Palestinian scholarship, has died at the age of 100 in Massachusetts, United States. His death was announced in an obituary issued by the Institute for Palestine Studies (IPS), a research center he co-founded in 1963.
At least 14 people have been killed after an inflatable boat carrying migrants or refugees collided with a Turkish coastguard vessel off the southwestern province of Antalya, according to a statement from the coastguard service.
In Nigeria's Kano State, hundreds of Shiite Muslims held a mourning ceremony following the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli attack and the appointment of his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as his successor. Attendees, including young men wiping away tears, chanted prayers, with religious leaders hailing the son's ascension as ensuring "the continuation of his father's resistance" against Western and Israeli pressures.
The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Israel has issued an emergency appeal to its compatriots in response to the escalating situation in the region. The diplomatic mission highlighted an increase in casualties from rocket fragments within the country and urged citizens to exercise maximum vigilance and strictly adhere to safety measures.
The Uzbekistan women's national football team secured a decisive 4-0 victory over Bangladesh in their final group stage match of the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026, marking a historic first-ever qualification for the tournament's knockout stage. This win not only solidified their group standing but also placed them second among the best third-placed teams, earning a spot in the quarter-finals.
The war in Ukraine has led to a more than threefold increase in imports of major arms by European states over the past five years compared to the previous five-year period, yet it may also be helping to transform Europe into a growing arms manufacturer and exporter, according to new research. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) stated in its annual Arms Transfers report released on Monday that European imports surged during 2021-2025, coinciding with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.