live Strait of Hormuz closed as U.S. and Iran have talked 'indirectly' - Friday 27 March
Iran's guards have said the important Strait is closed and anyone passing through will face "harsh measures". U.S. President ...
Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation remained severe throughout 2025, with millions still struggling to meet basic needs, according to a new report by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The organisation said it supported more than 1.2 million primary healthcare consultations over the course of the year, underscoring the scale of ongoing need across the country.
In its annual operational update, the ICRC said it backed 47 primary healthcare centres run by the Afghan Red Crescent Society, where more than 1.26 million patients received treatment, around 64% of them women and girls.
Summarising its work, the organisation said it “continued to monitor the humanitarian situation of the civilian population” and raised concerns with authorities“to help prevent harm and ensure people’s safety and dignity.”
The report said the figures reflect the scale of needs across the country, where years of conflict, economic decline and natural disasters have strained already fragile public services.
Delivering essential medical supplies
According to the ICRC, more than 337,000 routine vaccine doses were administered at supported clinics, while hundreds of healthcare workers received technical training and financial support to improve services.
The organisation also said it delivered essential medicines and supplies to hospitals treating emergencies, outbreaks and returnees, helping more than 107,000 people access treatment.
Beyond healthcare, the report pointed to wider humanitarian pressures. More than 15,000 households received cash assistance for urgent basic needs, mainly among returnees, earthquake-affected communities and displaced families.
In both rural and urban areas, more than 775,000 people gained access to clean drinking water through repairs to hand pumps, solar-powered systems and other infrastructure projects.
Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most severe crises, with millions dependent on aid as poverty, unemployment and climate shocks continue to affect daily life.
Israel said it had killed Alireza Tangsiri, the Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Navy, on Thursday, as confict in the Middle East continued.
Iran has rejected a U.S. proposal to end the war, insisting any ceasefire will occur only on its own terms and timeline, according to a senior political-security official speaking to state-run Press TV on Wednesday.
Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN), said on Wednesday that the U.S. had “clearly made a mistake” in launching strikes on Iran, arguing Washington misjudged the resilience of the Iranian regime.
Russia’s Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga, major export terminals, suspended loadings of crude oil and refined products on Wednesday after large-scale Ukrainian drone attacks triggered a blaze, sources told Reuters.
Northern European countries must significantly boost military drone production to help Ukraine defeat Russia, Latvia’s Prime Minister has said, warning that victory would be “impossible” without greater support.
Iran’Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has rejected an offer of negotiations from the U.S. President, Donald Trump, amid the ongoing Israel–U.S. war with Iran, describing the proposal as a “contradiction” in Washington’s words and actions.
Former rapper turned politician Balendra Shah, was sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister on Friday, becoming the youngest leader in decades and the first Madhesi - from the southern plains bordering India - to hold the country’s top office.
The United Arab Emirates has told the U.S. and other Western allies that it is willing to participate in a multinational maritime taskforce aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would pause attacks on Iran's energy plants for 10 days at Tehran's request and said talks with Iran were going "very well," although an Iranian official dismissed a U.S. proposal for ending nearly four weeks of fighting as "one-sided and unfair."
The Trump administration is reportedly reviewing plans to deploy up to 10,000 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East, raising tensions even as Washington engages in delicate negotiations with Iran.
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