A London-based media and marketing agency, Here&Now365, has launched a campaign called “The Missing” on International Women’s Day. The campaign highlights concerns about gender imbalance in births among Indian-origin families in the UK. The campaign is based on analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. It shows that between 2021 and 2025, about 118 boys were born for every 100 girls to Indian mothers in the UK. The national average across all communities is about 105 boys for every 100 girls. Experts say ratios above 107 may indicate possible sex-selective practices. Here&Now365 Founder Manish Tiwari said the campaign aims to start discussion within communities. “When statistics begin to show a worrying imbalance, silence is no longer an option,” he said. Tiwari added that communicators must also raise social issues. “Girls deserve the same chance to be born, loved and celebrated,” he said. Labour MP Virendra Sharma also spoke about the issue. “What is most needed is that the woman carrying the child must feel supported by society and the system,” he said. He added that if women face pressure, they should be able to seek legal protection. UK law does not allow abortion only because the baby is a boy or a girl. Guidance issued by the Department of Health and Social Care in 2014 confirms that terminating a pregnancy solely because of the child’s sex constitutes a criminal offence in England and Wales. 

US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed Iran has “lost” and “surrendered” to its Middle East neighbours after recent tensions in the region.   Trump made the remarks on Truth Social after Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to neighbouring countries and said Iran would not attack them unless it was attacked first.   “Iran… has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors,” Trump wrote.   He said Iran made the promise only because of “relentless U.S. and Israeli attack”.   Trump also claimed Iran is “no longer the bully of the Middle East”.   His comments came as strikes and air raid alerts continued in parts of the Gulf region. (PC: X)

The war in Ukraine is seeing growing use of armed ground robots called uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs). Both Ukrainian and Russian forces are deploying them on the battlefield. Some UGVs carry machine guns or explosives and are used to attack enemy positions. Ukrainian troops say these robots have helped repel Russian assaults and protect frontline areas. “Robot wars are already happening,” said Maj Oleksandr Afanasiev of Ukraine’s K2 brigade. He said the machines can move and detect targets, but humans still decide when to fire. Russia is also building similar systems. Experts say clashes between combat robots from both sides may soon take place. (PC: BBC)

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted a US air combat centre and a satellite communications hub at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates amid the escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict. The base near Abu Dhabi hosts American military forces and is a key facility for regional air operations. Iranian officials described the strike as retaliation for US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Gulf states have heightened air defences, with several missiles and drones intercepted in the region. The attack marks a significant escalation, as Iran expands its strikes against US military installations across the Middle East during the ongoing conflict. (PC: India Today)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has apologised to neighbouring countries for missile and drone strikes launched from Iranian territory during the ongoing Middle East conflict. In a televised address, he said Iran holds no hostility toward regional nations and announced that the country will halt attacks on neighbouring states unless they initiate aggression against Iran. The decision was approved by Iran’s interim leadership council amid escalating tensions involving the United States and Israel. Pezeshkian also rejected calls from the U.S. for Iran’s unconditional surrender, asserting that the country will defend itself if provoked. The statement is seen as an attempt to ease regional tensions. 

India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the Indian Ocean was “caught on the wrong side of events” after the United States sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena near Galle during the escalating Iran–US conflict. The frigate, which had earlier participated in a naval exercise in Visakhapatnam, was torpedoed by a US submarine about 40 nautical miles off Sri Lanka on March 4. Around 87 sailors were reported dead while dozens were rescued. Jaishankar said India responded to the situation from a humanitarian perspective, allowing another Iranian vessel facing technical issues to dock at Kochi. (PC: NDTV)

Operations at Dubai International Airport partially resumed after a brief suspension triggered by security alerts linked to the escalating Iran–Israel conflict. Flights were temporarily halted as missile alerts and regional tensions disrupted airspace across the Gulf. Authorities confirmed that safety protocols were activated before gradually allowing aircraft movements to restart. Meanwhile, Emirates issued updated flight schedules, advising passengers to check their flight status due to possible delays and rerouting. Several flights to and from Dubai were affected, as airlines closely monitor security conditions and airspace restrictions across the Middle East. (PC: Reuters)

At least seven civilians, including two children, were killed after a Russian missile struck a residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. The ballistic missile hit a five-storey apartment block, causing major structural damage and trapping residents under rubble. More than ten people were injured, including several children, while emergency teams launched rescue operations to search for survivors. The attack was part of a broader overnight Russian assault involving dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones targeting Ukrainian infrastructure across multiple regions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes and urged international allies to strengthen air-defence support for Ukraine.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that Tehran will halt military strikes on neighbouring countries unless attacks against Iran originate from their territory. The statement came after Iranian missile and drone strikes targeted several Gulf states hosting U.S. military assets during the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. Pezeshkian also apologised to neighbouring nations for the recent attacks, stressing that Iran does not seek confrontation with regional countries. However, he warned that Iran would respond forcefully if those nations allow their territory to be used for strikes against Iran, signalling a conditional attempt to de-escalate tensions. (PC: Reuters)

Thousands of residents fled southern Beirut after intense Israeli airstrikes targeted areas believed to house Hezbollah infrastructure. The bombardment followed rocket attacks from Hezbollah into Israel, prompting large-scale retaliation and evacuation warnings from the Israeli military. Entire neighbourhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs were rapidly emptied as civilians rushed to escape the strikes. Reports indicate that more than 500,000 people have been displaced, with hundreds killed and many injured as buildings and infrastructure were destroyed. Lebanon’s government has struggled to accommodate the influx of displaced residents, while shelters in safer regions quickly filled. The escalating violence has deepened fears of a wider regional war and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis. (PC: X)