海角大神

Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation into a strike near a girls鈥� school in Iran. The Feb. 28 strike reportedly killed about 170 people, most of them children. The push comes after new video footage suggests that the school was struck by a Tomahawk missile, a U.S.-made munition that Israel and Iran do not possess. The Pentagon must 鈥減rovide clear answers鈥� about the incident, six lawmakers said in a joint statement. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the incident is under investigation.
Our coverage: US investigates fatal air strike on Iranian girls鈥� school

A court complaint said two men who brought explosives to a protest said they were inspired by the Islamic State. Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi were awaiting arraignment Monday on charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. The complaint says Mr. Kayumi blurted out as he was being arrested Saturday outside New York City鈥檚 mayoral mansion that 鈥淚SIS鈥� was the reason for his conduct. The homemade devices did not explode. They were thrown Saturday during counterprotests against an anti-Islamic demonstration led by a far-right activist. 鈥� The Associated Press

Rumbles of a return to civil war in South Sudan grew louder. Civilians and humanitarian workers fled the eastern town of Akobo over the weekend after the country鈥檚 armed forces ordered the evacuation in advance of a planned assault on the area. Akobo is one of the last strongholds of insurgents linked to suspended Vice President Riek Machar. The attack is part of a wider breakdown of the 2018 peace agreement between Mr. Machar and President Salva Kiir, which ended a five-year civil war.
Our coverage: Is the world鈥檚 youngest country about to go to war 鈥� again?

AI company Anthropic is suing the Trump administration. It is asking federal courts to reverse the Pentagon鈥檚 decision designating the artificial intelligence company a 鈥渟upply chain risk鈥� over its refusal to allow unrestricted military use of its technology. Anthropic filed two separate lawsuits Monday, one in California federal court and another in the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. 鈥� The Associated Press

Croatia instituted mandatory military service for the first time since 2008. About 800 young recruits began two months of basic training. One in 10 are women. Government officials say the move comes as security concerns grow in Europe after Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine. Each year, about 4,000 recruits will learn expertise ranging from 鈥渢raditional skills鈥� to 鈥渂asic drone control and drone protection skills.鈥� Croatia is one of 10 NATO countries that have brought back compulsory service.

Uber added a feature that lets women riders and drivers match with each other. The feature, now available across the United States, is meant to improve safety and comfort. It lets women riders request female drivers, and women drivers choose to serve female passengers. The rollout comes as the company faces a class-action lawsuit from drivers who argue the policy discriminates against men. Rival ride-hailing company Lyft is facing a similar lawsuit.

Australia has granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women鈥檚 soccer team. They were in the country for a tournament when the Iran war began. The women were transported from their hotel 鈥渢o a safe location鈥� by Australian federal police officers early Tuesday morning local time.聽鈥� AP

鈥� Compiled by Monitor writers around the world

Choosing continuity amid war, Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father, despite President Donald Trump鈥檚 criticism and Israel鈥檚 threats. He has a hard-liner鈥檚 pedigree, but will his tenure be confrontational, or聽aimed at broadening聽internal support for the regime?

Oil prices retreated below $100 a barrel on Monday, on investor hopes that the conflict in Iran will end relatively soon. But energy costs remain elevated, and volatile markets are a sign of uncertainty for the global economy.

The 17 candidates competing in Tuesday鈥檚 special election for Georgia鈥檚 14th Congressional District run the gamut from a trash hauler to a hot dog slinger. The large field reflects a somewhat splintered Republican coalition, as former Representative Greene keeps lobbing a steady stream of criticism against her onetime ally, President Donald Trump.

President Donald Trump has urged Iranians to 鈥渢ake over鈥� the country once the bombing stops. But among Iranians who live abroad, the U.S.-Israel war is surfacing nuanced and differing visions on what kind of government it should have.

Once dismissed as a political novice, Balendra Shah is on track to become Nepal鈥檚 next prime minister. His bold leadership style has helped mobilize young voters, but could be a challenge when it comes to governing a nation.

In the thin Himalayan mountain air of Nepal, the unambiguous results of the March 5 national elections are breathing new vitality into hopes for clean and effective governance in one of the world鈥檚 least-developed nations.

The relatively new Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has so far won about 74% of the 165 directly elected seats in the legislature. Its sweeping success positions Balendra Shah, the capital city鈥檚 youthful, antiestablishment mayor (and ex-rap star), to become prime minister.

Nepal is the third South Asian country in recent years 鈥� after Sri Lanka and Bangladesh 鈥� to demand both democratic and generational change in political systems characterized by entrenched leadership, nepotism, and inefficiency. In all three nations, youth-led street protests resoundingly called for honesty and accountability, and ousted longtime political leaders, including 鈥� last September 鈥� Nepal鈥檚 four-term Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.

Until the RSP came along, the same major parties had dominated politics for nearly three decades.

鈥淧eople want change very badly,鈥� as one political activist told Monitor contributor Aakash Hassan. 鈥淏ut transforming the system will be much harder than winning an election,鈥� he noted.

An engineer by training, Mr. Shah has often indicated 鈥� largely through social media 鈥� that he wants to overhaul, if not overturn, 鈥渢he system.鈥� As a teenage rapper, his songs such as 鈥淪adak Balak鈥� (street child) and 鈥淏alidan鈥� (sacrifice) called out corruption, pervasive poverty, and lack of services in this landlocked nation sandwiched between India and China. The country ranks in the bottom 25% of the United Nations Human Development Index. And more than 10% of its nearly 30 million people have sought employment in foreign countries.

Last month, Mr. Shah鈥檚 party issued a 鈥淐itizen Contract,鈥� tying itself to a 鈥�100 Days, 100 Works鈥� list of rapid actions to be taken on assuming office.

This 鈥渂inding pact,鈥� noted the Nepal News portal, differs from typical election manifestos that lack 鈥渞obust ways to ensure compliance or continuation.鈥� The contract, the outlet said, outlines public updates and progress assessments, putting a 鈥渟potlight on openness and verifiable accomplishments.鈥�

Even as some critics are concerned about Mr. Shah鈥檚 go-it-alone style, his direct approach and focus on transparency 鈥� along with the relatively peaceful election process 鈥� inspire hope among many young Nepalis that deeper change is possible.

鈥淚 would love to be remembered as an honest guy, rather than a musician, an engineer, or a mayor,鈥� Mr. Shah said in an online interview in 2024.

鈥淭here is huge potential in our country,鈥� youth activist Yujan Rajbhandari told the Monitor just before last week鈥檚 vote. 鈥淥ur only real hope is democracy in the true sense.鈥�