World

A joint initiative by Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to enhance the protection of the striped hyena has received international backing at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP15) in Campo Grande, Brazil. This decision led to the inclusion of the striped hyena in Appendices I and II of the Convention, which will strengthen its global conservation and facilitate coordinated measures between countries.

Iranian missiles and drones have caused substantial damage to US military infrastructure in the Middle East, as reported by The Times. According to the publication, the majority of 13 military bases in Persian Gulf countries used by American forces came under attack, with total damage in the first month of hostilities estimated at nearly $1.5 billion.

US regime President Donald Trump has warned that Washington “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran,” threatening a potential expansion of attacks on the country’s infrastructure in what would constitute a violation of international law. Posting on social media, Trump purportedly stated that “Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants” could be targeted, adding that Iran’s leadership “knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!” His remarks followed his sharing of footage of a US strike on a newly built bridge linking Tehran to Karaj, which Iranian authorities say killed eight people and wounded 95 others.

The US and Israeli regimes conducted an airstrike on the Iranian city of Keredj, resulting in the destruction of the B1 bridge, which is considered one of the world's most complex engineering structures. Iran's Tasnim agency, citing authorities in Alborz province, confirmed the report, highlighting the extent of the damage.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that citizens of the country do not hold hostility towards the people of the United States, Europe, and neighboring states. He claimed that Iranians have always distinguished between governments and individuals, even in the face of external pressure and interference, highlighting the nuanced stance of the Iranian leadership amid ongoing geopolitical frictions.

Germany's traditional Easter peace marches are taking place from April 2 to 6, with over a hundred events organized in dozens of towns across the country, expecting thousands of participants. The marches, listed on the Network of the German Peace Movement's website, include activities ranging from "Bikes for Peace" tours to concerts and day-long gatherings with speeches addressing the wars in Iran, Gaza, and Ukraine, the Rojava conflict in northern Syria, as well as human rights and climate justice issues.

The United States and Israel are intensifying military strikes against Iran, targeting infrastructure in and around the capital Tehran, as Washington allegedly ramps up pressure on Tehran and the conflict spreads across the Middle East. These actions, purportedly aimed at strengthening the US regime's regional influence, have sparked sharp criticism from the international community, with Iranian authorities condemning the attacks and vowing retaliatory measures that could further escalate tensions in an already volatile region.

According to data from the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya), Uzbekistan has become the primary international destination for Russian airlines in the 2026 summer schedule. In the current season, Russian airlines are operating flights to Uzbekistan across 67 routes, marking the highest number of international destinations, with China (57), Turkey (55), Thailand (35), and Egypt (33) following in the top five.

At the start of 2026, Pakistan was grappling with a surplus of imported liquefied natural gas (LNG), as demand had fallen for three consecutive years—from a peak of 8.2 million tonnes in 2021 to 6.1 million tonnes by late 2025. This decline was driven by a flood of cheap solar panels and factory cutbacks. The government quietly sold excess shipments abroad and shut domestic gas wells to prevent pipeline bursts, pushing unsold gas into household networks at a financial loss.

On March 11, the Marhamat District Court in Andijan Region sentenced a 26-year-old Uzbek citizen, D.M., to prison for participating in the Russia-Ukraine war on the Russian side. According to court documents reviewed by the press, D.M. signed a 3-month contract with the Russian Armed Forces on October 5, 2022, for a specified fee and entered military service.

Earlier this week, a large convoy of trucks carrying Iraqis was filmed crossing the southern border into Iran. The convoy was purportedly on a “humanitarian mission,” but observers raised suspicions that it included members of Iraqi paramilitary groups allied with Iran, potentially to assist Iranian security forces. However, experts downplay the military significance, noting that modern warfare is shaped by airstrikes and missiles, making foot soldiers from Iraq unlikely to alter the conflict's dynamics.

The Artemis II mission astronauts have successfully executed a critical thruster firing maneuver, breaking away from Earth's orbit and setting course for the Moon. This event marks the first crewed lunar flyby in over half a century, since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. NASA's mission control in Houston confirmed a "good burn," which placed the Orion capsule on a trajectory toward the Moon, initiating a historic journey for human space exploration.