U.S. rolls out "reciprocal tariffs" amid widespread opposition

Amid widespread opposition, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order on the so-called "reciprocal tariffs," imposing a 10-percent "minimum baseline tariff" and higher rates on certain trading partners.

All imports would be subject to 10 percent additional tariffs, except as otherwise provided, the executive order said. This will take effect on April 5.

UN chief "deeply alarmed" by casualties in Gaza, calls for restoration of ceasefire

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "is deeply alarmed" by the human toll of the intensified hostilities in Gaza and calls for the immediate restoration of the ceasefire, his spokesman said on Wednesday.

"Guterres condemns the reported killing of over a thousand people, including women and children, since the collapse of the ceasefire," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said at a daily briefing.

Danish PM rejects U.S. bid to takeover Greenland

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Wednesday emphasized that Greenland should not be taken over by the United States, amid growing geopolitical attention on the Arctic region.

Speaking during her visit to Greenland, Frederiksen said the primary purpose of her trip is to discuss the foreign and security policy situation and how Denmark and Greenland can jointly respond to what she called "a very difficult task."

Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of strikes on energy facilities

Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday accused each other of hitting energy infrastructure despite a previous agreement to halt strikes on such facilities.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces attacked Russian energy infrastructure in the Kursk region twice over the past 24 hours.

Israeli PM says seizing additional territory in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that the military is seizing additional territory in southern Gaza to establish a new security corridor for Israel.

"Last night in the Gaza Strip, we shifted gears. The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is seizing territory, striking militants, and destroying infrastructure," Netanyahu said in a video statement.

He said the Israeli military is "taking control of" the area between the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah.

Myanmar earthquake claims 3,003 lives, injures 4,515

The deadly earthquake in Myanmar has resulted in 3,003 deaths, 4,515 injuries, and 351 people missing, the official media Myanmar Radio and Television reported late Wednesday.

WHO faces 2.5 bln USD funding gap as U.S. exits

The World Health Organization (WHO) is facing a budget gap of 1.9 billion U.S. dollars for 2026 and 2027, along with a 600-million-dollar deficit through 2025, according to media reports on Wednesday.

Health Policy Watch, a non-profit independent global health news outlet, reported that the 1.9-billion-dollar funding gap accounts for nearly 45 percent of its already slashed budget for the two-year period until 2027.