Peru extends emergency for 90 days amid COVID-19 resurgence

He highlighted India's role as a "first responder" for the Maldives, emphasising that India's support during critical periods has been fundamental to the stability and security of the island nation.

Pakistan's fruit and vegetable supply remains dominated by traditional middlemen and the "mandi" system, with digital platforms handling only 2-3% of trade. Restrictive provincial laws and lack of infrastructure force farmers into dependency on commission agents, stalling modern technological transformation in the agricultural sector.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has reported significant damage to civilian infrastructure across Iran following the ongoing military campaign by US and Israeli forces, which began on February 28, 2026. The IRCS said that more than 19,000 civilian units across the country have been damaged as a result of US-Israeli airstrikes.

North Korea is intensifying preparations for its upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for next week, including forming election committees and reviewing candidates for the Supreme People's Assembly, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency citing North Korean state media on Wednesday.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Wednesday announced the largest-ever release of emergency oil stocks in its history, making 400 million barrels of oil available to global markets to mitigate disruptions caused in the global energy supply by the ongoing West Asia conflict.

The European Union on Wednesday moved to intensify pressure on Tehran amid the conflict in West Asia by approving new sanctions targeting 19 Iranian regime officials and entities accused of serious human rights violations.

South Korea on Wednesday said its deterrence posture against North Korea would remain unaffected even if some military assets of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) are relocated from the Korean Peninsula amid the conflict in West Asia, Yonhap News Agency reported.

In the statement addressed to "fellow compatriots," Pahlavi warned that the situation had reached a highly sensitive point and urged people to prioritise their safety while maintaining unity through peaceful means of resistance.

According to the IRGC, the latest wave "was carried out over more than three hours, with continuous, multi-layered missile strikes, including the heaviest type of missiles."

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi held a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the latest regional developments and the security implications arising from what Tehran described as the military aggression of the United States and Israel against Iran.