WORLD Radio News - WORLD Radio News: 3-12-26 (3/3)

Episode Date: March 12, 2026

The latest headlines in three minutes from WORLD updated three times throughout the day.Sign-up for the daily Sift email at thesift.org.Support sound journalism, grounded in facts and Biblical truth at wng.org/donate.Additional support comes from WatersEdge. Competitive rates and supporting churches. 4.55% APY on a 13-month term investment. WatersEdge.com/invest

With World Radio News on Kat Covington. Iran's new Supreme Leader released his first statement since taking the place of his late father. 56-year-old Ayatollah Moshdaba Khamanai, who Israel suspects was wounded in the opening salvo of the conflict, did not appear on camera. Instead, his words were read by a state TV news anchor. He said Iran would keep up its attacks on its Gulf Arab neighbors and continued to effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz as leverage against. the United States and Israel. He also vowed revenge for the airstrikes within Iran thus far, but some have doubts about the regime's ability to fully back up those threats going forward

as the U.S. and Israel continue to devastate Iran's ability to wage war. U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Michael Waltz. Command and control decimated, three layers down. Ballistic missile, both production and current. We've seen a 92% drop-off. He said the strikes are also destroying Iran's nuclear program, including its uranium enrichment and other key aspects. In Bucharest, Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Romanian president, Dikushor Don shook hands after signing a new defense cooperation agreement that pact calls for joint drone production in Romania.

Zelensky says the deal will help to meet the large-scale threat of Russian drones. The agreement comes even as Ukraine is still waiting to hear back from the White House on major U.S. drone agreement, Kiev proposed last year. Iowa has enacted a law that prohibits cities and counties from creating special local protections based on gender identity. World's Benjamin Iker has more. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law this week. It ensures that civil rights protections remain consistent statewide,

limited to established categories in state law, such as race and sex. The law prevents activist-driven local expansions, which Republican lawmakers said could confuse employers, schools, and service providers. The legislation came after the state in 2025 expressly prioritized biological sex over subjective identity claims. Numerous cities, including the capital of Des Moines, had inserted gender identity provisions into local codes. For World, I'm Benjamin Eicher. An official in Ethiopia says at least 50 people were killed and 125 others are missing after landslides following a week of heavy rain. Authority said one person was pulled out of the mud alive during a rescue operation.

Mudslides and floods triggered by heavy rainfall are common in Ethiopia, particularly during the rainy season. For World Radio, I'm Kent Covington. For more sound journalism grounded in facts and biblical truth, visit world radio.com. Additional support comes from Waters Edge, competitive rates, and supporting churches. 4.55% APY on a 13-month-term investment. Watersedge.com slash invest.