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Iran denied on Monday that it had engaged in negotiations with the United States, after President Donald Trump postponed a threat to bomb Iran’s power grid because of what he described as productive talks with unidentified Iranian officials.
A European official said that ​while there had been no direct negotiations between the two nations, Egypt, Pakistan and Gulf states were relaying messages. A Pakistani official and a second source told Reuters that direct talks on ending the war ‌could be held in Islamabad as soon as this week.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the U.S. and Iran had held “very good and productive” conversations about a “complete and total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East”.
As a result, he said, he was postponing for five days a plan to hit Iran’s energy grid. His announcement sent share prices higher and oil prices sharply lower to below $100 a barrel, a sudden reversal to a market swoon caused by his weekend threats and Iran’s vows to respond.
Trump later told reporters his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who had been ​negotiating with Iran before the war, had held discussions with a top Iranian official into the evening on Sunday and would continue on Monday.

“We have had very, very strong talks. We’ll see where they lead. We have major ​points of agreement, I would say, almost all points of agreement,” he told reporters before departing Florida for Memphis.
In Memphis, he said Washington had been negotiating with Iran “for a long time, ⁠and this time they mean business,” adding: “I think it could very well end up being a good deal for everybody.”
He did not identify the Iranian official in touch with Witkoff and Kushner, but said: “We’re dealing with the man who I believe is ​the most respected and the leader.”
An Israeli official and two other sources familiar with the matter said the interlocutor on the Iranian side was Iran’s powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

‘FAKENEWS’, SAYS IRAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

Qalibaf said on X that there had been no such ​talks with the United States, and ridiculed the suggestion as an attempt to rig financial markets.

“No negotiations have been held with the U.S., and fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets and escape the quagmire in which the US and Israel are trapped,” he wrote.
“Iranian people demand complete and remorseful punishment of the aggressors. All Iranian officials stand firmly behind their supreme leader and people until this goal is achieved.”
Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they were launching fresh attacks on U.S. targets, and described Trump’s words as “psychological operations” that were “worn out” and having no ​impact on Tehran’s fight.

The IRGC said late on Monday it targeted several Israeli cities, including Dimona and Tel Aviv and a number of U.S. bases. It said it was “negotiating” with the “aggressors through impact-focused operations.”
Israel’s military said it had detected missiles launched from ​Iran on Monday night for the first time since Trump’s earlier comments, and at least one interception blast was heard from Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement that he spoke with Trump on Monday and that Israel would press on with attacks ‌in Lebanon and ⁠Iran.
But Netanyahu said Trump believed there was a possibility of “leveraging the mighty achievements obtained by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) and the U.S. military, in order to realize the goals of the war in a deal – a deal that will preserve our vital interests.”
Although there was no immediate confirmation that talks had taken place as described by Trump, Iran’s foreign ministry described initiatives to reduce tensions.
It said Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi reviewed developments related to the Strait of Hormuz with his Omani counterpart and agreed to continue consultations between the two countries.
Iran has effectively closed the key Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows. Trump has demanded Iran open the strait, but Tehran says it will not do so until the United ​States and Israel call off their attacks.
The Pakistani official said ​U.S. Vice President JD Vance, as well as Witkoff ⁠and Kushner, were expected to meet Iranian officials in Islamabad this week, following a call between Trump and Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir.
The White House confirmed Trump’s call with Munir. When asked about a possible visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Islamabad, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said:
“These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the U.S. will not negotiate through the press. This is a ​fluid situation, and speculation about meetings should not be deemed as final until they are formally announced by the White House.”
The Pakistani prime minister’s office and foreign ministry did not ​immediately respond to requests for comment.
Iranian ⁠media reported that Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed the impact of the war on regional and global security.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-threatens-retaliate-against-gulf-energy-water-after-trump-ultimatum-2026-03-23/

The US Commission on Fine Arts approved the design during its March 19 meeting. The coin will be minted once the final dimensions are determined.

US President Donald Trump is set to be featured on a 24-karat gold commemorative coin marking the United States’ 250th anniversary, a move that has sparked debate over its legality.

The design shows Trump leaning on the Resolute Desk with clenched fists and would mark only the second time a sitting US president has appeared on a coin.

The first instance was in 1926, when the 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, appeared alongside George Washington on a commemorative coin celebrating 150 years of US independence.

The US Commission on Fine Arts approved the design during its March 19 meeting. The coin will be minted once the final dimensions are determined.

“As we approach our 250th birthday, we are thrilled to prepare coins that represent the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, and there is no profile more emblematic for the front of such coins than that of our serving President, Donald J Trump,” US Treasurer Brandon Beach said in a statement to FOX Business.

US federal law bars living presidents from appearing on circulating currency. Beach, however, said the commemorative coin would not fall under that category and that the Treasury secretary holds sole authority over the final design and approval for minting.

Democrats have criticised the proposal, calling the Trump-themed coin inappropriate and contrary to American values.

“Monarchs and dictators put their faces on coins, not leaders of a democracy,” Sen Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) was quoted as saying by The Washington Post.

The coin would be part of a broader set of special-edition currencies and medals the Treasury plans to release to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence.

The United States Mint has also announced that the nation’s Semiquincentennial (SemiQ) will bring one-year-only design changes to familiar coins such as the dime, quarter and half dollar.

For that year, the Mint will produce collectible coins carrying features such as the dual date “1776 ~ 2026″, a Liberty Bell privy mark, and other commemorative elements, according to information on its website.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/donald-trump-to-feature-on-24-karat-gold-coin-for-us-250th-anniversary-ws-l-9991483.html

Israeli officials said on Saturday that Iranian forces had for the first time fired long‑range missiles, expanding the ​risk of attacks beyond the Middle East, even as an Iranian strike injured dozens of people not far from Israel’s nuclear site.
Iran launched two 4,000-kilometer-range ballistic missiles at the U.S.-UK military base Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, Israeli ‌military chief Eyal Zamir said. The Israeli military said it was the “first time” Iran had used long‑range missiles in the conflict, marking its first expansion beyond the Middle East since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28.

“These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range reaches European capitals — Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range,” Zamir said in a statement.
A source at Britain’s defence ministry said the attack had occurred before the government gave specific authorisation on Friday for the U.S. to use British military bases to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites.
More than 2,000 people have been ​killed in Iran since the U.S. and Israel began their attacks. In Israel, 15 people have been killed in Iranian strikes since the war started.
Late on Saturday, Iranian missiles struck the southern Israeli cities of Dimona and Arad, injuring dozens of people, ​including children, in separate strikes. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement early Sunday that they targeted “military installations” and security centers in southern Israel.

Israeli army spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a ⁠post on X that the country’s air defenses were functioning but did not intercept the strikes. “We will investigate the incident and learn from it,” he said.
Israel’s secretive nuclear reactor is about 13 kilometers southeast of Dimona. Both cities lie near several military sites, including Nevatim ​Air Base, one of the country’s largest.
“This has been a very difficult evening in the battle for our future,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office following the strike on Arad.
“We are determined to continue striking our enemies on all ​fronts,” the statement said.

TRUMP CONSIDERS ‘WINDING DOWN’

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday posted that Washington was considering “winding down” its military operation against Iran.

In a social media post, Trump said the U.S. was close to meeting its goals but insisted that other countries should take the lead in policing the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping lane whose near-closure threatens a global energy shock.
“We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump and his administration have sent mixed messages about U.S. goals throughout the war, ​now entering its fourth week, leaving traditional U.S. allies struggling to respond.

Trump has suggested the war could wind down as the Iranian threat was being eliminated, while at the same time U.S. Marines and heavy landing craft head to the region.
American voters appear increasingly concerned ​at signs the war could expand. Energy price shocks are fuelling inflation, hitting consumers and businesses hard – a major political liability for Trump as he seeks to justify the war to the U.S. public before November elections in which he could lose control of Congress.
Trump had also accused NATO allies of cowardice over ‌their reluctance to ⁠help open the strait. Some allies have said they will consider it, but most say they are reluctant to join a war that Trump started without consulting them.

IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITE HIT

Iranian media said U.S.-Israeli forces had attacked the Shahid Ahmadi-Roshan Natanz enrichment complex on Saturday morning. Technical experts found no radioactive leaks had occurred and nearby residents were not at risk. Israel said it was unaware of such a strike while the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it was investigating.
Iranian media later reported strikes on a passenger terminal in the southern port of Bushehr and an empty passenger ship at nearby Kharg Island. The island, where Iran loads nearly all its oil exports, is seen as a potential target if Washington decides to hit Iranian energy or to use ground troops to seize it.
Iran said it ​fired drones at U.S. bases in the UAE and Kuwait used ​to stage attacks on Iranian islands in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia ⁠on Saturday ordered Iran’s military attaché and four other Iranian diplomats to leave the country, declaring them persona non grata.
Israel also attacked Beirut, saying it was targeting the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia, part of the deadliest spillover from the war on Iran. Hezbollah fired on Israel in support of Tehran on March 2.
Israel said its aircraft attacked ballistic missile production sites around Tehran. Three members of a family were killed in ​a strike on a residential building in the city of Ramsar, Iranian media reported.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-attacks-tehran-beirut-us-sends-marines-middle-east-2026-03-21/

Iran’s remarks come amid the West Asia war. Iran has been under attack from Israel and the United States and has responded with counterstrikes since February 28.

Iran has said it is ready to protect Greenland from US President Donald Trump, adding “just ask… we’ll come”.

“Trump first threatened the European Union, then begged them. Today he said if you don’t come, we will come and take Greenland. I want to tell the European Union, if you cannot keep your Greenland, just ask us, we will come to protect it,” the Iranian spokesperson said.

Iran’s remarks come amid the West Asia war. Iran has been under attack from Israel and the United States and has responded with counterstrikes since February 28. Tehran has also moved to shut the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation. Since then, Trump has urged NATO and EU allies to help the United States secure the key oil route.

Trump has also threatened to capture Iran’s key oil hub, Kharg Island.

Trump’s Greenland push

Trump revived his plan to acquire Greenland earlier this year, calling for “immediate negotiations” on national security grounds. No agreement has been reached as Denmark and Greenland have refused.

Trump also threatened tariffs of 10-25 per cent on European Union goods, including those from Denmark, Norway and Sweden, unless a deal was reached. He shared maps and AI images showing US flags over Greenland.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/iran-offers-to-protect-greenland-from-trump-amid-war-with-us-just-ask-well-come-9990529.html

US President Donald Trump called allies of America “cowards” for not heeding his demand for military assistance against Iran to control the Hormuz Strait shipping route.

US President Donald Trump called allies of America “cowards” for not heeding his demand for military assistance against Iran to control the Hormuz Strait shipping route.

“COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!” he posted on his Truth Social platform.

Trump wrote how the allies “complain” about rising oil prices but are not ready to help open the Strait of Hormuz. The Republican leader has been pressing allies to help safeguard the critical waterway to ease a chokepoint on the region’s oil exports, fumed that the US is not getting support “despite the fact that we helped” NATO “so much”, and said that it was in allies’ interest to prevent Iran from securing a nuclear weapon.

Oil Prices Surge

Brent crude oil, the international standard, has soared during the fighting and was around $108 per barrel Friday, up from roughly $70 per barrel before the war began.

Surging fuel prices come at a moment when many world leaders were already struggling to bring down high prices of food and many consumer goods. Asia is getting hit hard, as most of the oil and gas exiting the Strait of Hormuz is transported there.

But the price shocks are reverberating throughout the world economy. Key raw materials — like helium used in making computer chips and sulphur, a raw material in fertiliser — have been obstructed and could be in short supply soon, raising the prices of goods all the way down the supply chain.

Countries Agree To Join Efforts For Safe Passage Through Hormuz

However, in a joint statement, leading European nations and Japan agreed to join “appropriate efforts” to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and said that they would take steps to stabilise energy markets.

Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan condemned the attacks by Iran in the statement and urged it to halt its actions immediately.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/iran-war-live-news-cowards-well-remember-trump-slams-nato-allies-for-not-joining-iran-war-11244067?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The British government gave authorisation on Friday for the U.S. to use military bases in Britain to carry out ​strikes on Iranian missile sites that are attacking ships in the Strait ‌of Hormuz.
British ministers met on Friday to discuss the war with Iran and Iran’s blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Downing Street statement.

“They confirmed that the agreement ​for the U.S. to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of ​the region includes U.S. defensive operations to degrade the missile ⁠sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of ​Hormuz,” the statement said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on ​X that Starmer was “putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran,” adding “Iran will exercise its right to self-defense.”
Starmer said this week Britain would ​not be drawn into a war over Iran. He initially rejected a ​U.S. request to use British bases for the strikes on Iran, saying he needed to ‌be ⁠satisfied that any military action was legal.
But the prime minister modified his stance after Iran conducted strikes on British allies across the Middle East, saying that the United States could use RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-UK base in ​the Indian Ocean.

President Donald ​Trump has repeatedly attacked ⁠Starmer since the conflict started, complaining he was not doing enough to help him.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/uk-approves-us-use-british-bases-strike-iran-missile-sites-targeting-ships-2026-03-20/

With U.S.-brokered Ukraine peace talks on hold due to the war in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to try to expand his military gains via new offensives against his neighbor that could put even more pressure on Kyiv.

Windfall revenues from surging global oil prices are filling Moscow’s war coffers and U.S. air defense assets are being drained quickly by Iranian attacks across the Gulf, raising concerns that little will be left available for Ukraine in the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Ukraine’s European allies have promised to maintain their steadfast support, but continuous bickering over a major 90 billion-euro ($106 billion) European Union loan to cover Kyiv’s military and economic needs for two years has reflected the mounting challenges.

The refusal by NATO allies to commit naval assets to help restore tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has drawn an angry rebuke from President Donald Trump, highlighting another emerging fault line that is fraught with potential repercussions for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sought to hold Washington’s attention by offering its expertise in defending against Iranian Shahed drones, sending over 200 military experts to the Gulf. Trump, however, has shrugged off Zelenskyy’s offer of help, saying the U.S. doesn’t need Kyiv’s assistance.

As new signs of a rift emerge in Western alliances, Putin and his generals are pondering plans for the spring and summer campaign across more than the 1,200-kilometer (about 750-mile) front line.

A possible new push from Russia

Russia’s military appears to be readying for a renewed push to claim the part of the eastern Donetsk region that remains under Ukraine’s control, as well as possible offensives in several other sectors.

Analysts have observed that Moscow has been building up reserves and its operations are expected to gain tempo as the spring warmth dries the terrain.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, or ISW, has noted that Russian troops have stepped up artillery barrage and drone strikes, seeking to weaken Ukrainian defenses before ground attacks.

Ukraine has sought to derail the Kremlin’s plans by launching counterattacks in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, where Russian forces have sought to carve out bridgeheads with an aim to advance toward the regional capitals, which are key industrial hubs.

The ISW said in a recent battlefield assessment that Ukraine’s successful retaliation in the Dnipropetrovsk region will likely continue to force Russia to “choose between defending against the Ukrainian counterattacks and allocating manpower and materiel for offensive operations elsewhere” on the front, possibly spoiling the anticipated Russian offensive.

It also noted that Ukrainian forces have stepped up their midrange strikes against Russian logistics, military equipment and manpower to try to derail the expected offensive

Russian war bloggers warn that Moscow would need to bolster its forces drastically to conduct any major offensive, something that raises challenges for the Kremlin.

After the widely unpopular “partial mobilization” of 300,000 reservists early in the war that prompted hundred of thousands to flee the country to avoid being drafted, the Russian military has changed tactics, relying on volunteers and recruiting foreign fighters attracted by reasonably high wages and other benefits.

Putin said Russia has about 700,000 troops fighting in Ukraine, about the same number that Ukraine reportedly has.

‘Slow war of attrition’

After quick maneuvers by large numbers of tanks and mechanized infantry early in Russia’s 2022 invasion, the fighting has morphed into a war of attrition in which small groups of soldiers fight grinding, house-to-house battles in the ruined towns and villages of eastern Ukraine. The ubiquitous drones have restricted the concentration of troops for any big moves.

Russia also has relied on long-range missiles and drones to pummel Ukraine’s energy facilities and other vital infrastructure.

For the past year, Russia has been able to infiltrate and undermine Ukrainian defensive positions due to the “growing lethality” of Moscow’s attacks and Kyiv’s dwindling troop strength, said analyst Jack Watling of the Royal United Services Institute.

“Russia is likely able to maintain its current rate of recruitment, despite the punishing rate of casualties” inflicted by Ukraine, he added.

As part of preparing for new offensives, Russia increasingly has sought to enlist students into its newly formed Drone Forces, offering relatively high pay and deployment at a safe distance from the front.

Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. director of national intelligence, told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday that “Russia has maintained the upper hand in the war against Ukraine.”

She said the U.S.-led talks between Ukraine and Russia “are ongoing. Until such an agreement is met, Moscow is likely to continue fighting a slow war of attrition until they view their objectives have been achieved.”

Entrenched positions

Several rounds of negotiations have produced no visible breakthrough as the parties remain sharpy divided on key issues.

Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the four regions that Russia has illegally annexed but never fully captured, renounce its bid to join NATO, sharply cut its army and drop restrictions against Russian language and the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church -– demands Zelenskyy has rejected.

Zelenskyy has called for a ceasefire, U.S.-backed security guarantees to prevent Moscow invading again and has rejected claims over Ukrainian territory.

Kyiv’s European allies accuse Moscow of dragging out the talks in hopes of making more gains and insisted that Europe must be present at the negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected their participation, saying “we don’t consider it necessary or expedient.”

Moscow says it won’t allow any European troops to monitor a prospective ceasefire and will view them as legitimate targets.

Zelenskyy said he sent a team of negotiators for talks in the U.S. on Saturday, but Peskov said Russia won’t join them, adding that the time and venue for another round of trilateral negotiations haven’t been set yet.

Sam Greene, a professor at King’s College London, said in a commentary that Moscow’s strategy was obvious -– “engaging with Washington just enough to prevent Ukraine from getting what it needed to shift the balance on the ground, and just enough to keep the Europeans at bay, but not enough to make real progress.”

Source : https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-iran-war-putin-trump-zelenskyy-2b863bc22e97006846e7351e19401f9f

Belarus freed 250 political prisoners in its largest release yet — a move celebrated as a humanitarian breakthrough and tied to the easing of US sanctions. However, many remain behind bars.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the release of 250 political prisoners on Thursday in exchange for easing sanctions from Washington, according to the US embassy in nearby Lithuania.

It is reportedly the largest one-time release of its kind so far, as Belarus is ramping up efforts to normalize ties with the United States.

Led by Lukashenko since 1994, the former Soviet state has faced widespread sanctions for its crackdown on human rights and permitting Moscow to use its territory to invade Ukraine in 2022.

Thursday’s move follows a meeting between Belarus’ leader and US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, John Coale, in Minsk.

Coale celebrated the decision as a “significant humanitarian milestone” and told reporters that the United States would lift sanctions on two Belarusian state banks and the country’s finance ministry, as well as top Belarusian potash producers.

Journalists, activists, and protesters are amongst those freed. One of them is Marfa Rabkova, the coordinator of a Belarusian human rights group’s volunteer network. She was arrested more than 5 years ago and had been serving a nearly 15-year sentence for charges of “extremism,” which she has denied.

A US embassy spokesperson said that 15 of those released would be taken to Lithuania, while the rest would stay in Belarus.

‘Many still behind bars,’ says opposition leader

However, concern persists for the political prisoners who remain in captivity. Prior to Thursday’s decision, Belarusian human rights organization Viasna said that over 1,100 political prisoners were held in the country.

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya reacted positively to the latest release as “a moment of great relief and hope” and thanked the Trump administration.

“But we must be clear: many people are still behind bars,” she added in a statement. “Our goal remains unchanged — to free them all and to put a final end to repression.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/belarus-releases-250-political-prisoners-as-part-of-us-deal/a-76442237

One year after his arrest on terrorism and corruption charges, thousands of supporters of jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu gathered to protest. In a pre-written message, Imamoglu slammed a “corrupt mindset.”

Thousands of supporters of jailed Turkish opposition politician Ekrem Imamoglu gathered on Istanbul’s Sarachane Square on Wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of his arrest and the start of nationwide protests.

Former Istanbul mayor Imamoglu, regarded as a potential challenger to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had his university degree revoked on March 18, 2025, before being arrested on terrorism and corruption charges a day later.

He was officially removed from the mayoralty on March 23 and has spent the last year in pre-trial detention in Istanbul’s Silivri district.

Imamoglu’s trial finally got underway earlier this month with prosecutors seeking to have him jailed for 2,430 years.

Turkey: Imamoglu slams ‘corrupt mindset’

“The aim of this case is not to seek the truth or to ensure justice, but to escape the anxiety of electoral defeat,” Imamoglu was quoted as saying in a message read out at the rally, which was organized by his Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The message said the behind-closed-doors trial was “the product of a corrupt mindset that is mortally afraid of free and fair elections and has taken refuge behind the judiciary to eliminate its political rival.”

Current CHP leader Ozgur Ozel, who also attended the demonstration, claimed that “hundreds of thousands” of Imamoglu’s supporters were present — an exaggerated figure, but thousands of people did chant slogans such as “President Imamoglu!” and “Tayyip, resign!” while waving flags and banners amid a heavy police presence.

Since the CHP won a resounding victory in March 2024 in local elections against Erdogan’s conservative, Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP), it has faced a sweeping legal crackdown. Imamoglu is one of fifteen CHP mayors currently behind bars.

“Imamoglu was a presidential candidate and he was one step ahead,” one 63-year-old female protester told the AFP news agency.

“He’s been in jail for a year for no reason,” she said. “Nothing holds up. It’s all political.”

Will Imamoglu be able to stand for election?

Analysts say Imamoglu almost certainly will not be able to contest the next presidential election, scheduled for May 2028 at the latest.

Even if he were cleared of graft charges, another lawsuit is challenging the validity of his university degree, a constitutional requirement for candidates in Turkey.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/turkey-thousands-of-imamoglu-supporters-rally-in-istanbul/a-76422495

 

Umberto Bossi, a gravel-voiced populist leader who pushed for independence for northern Italy and shook up national politics, died on Thursday at a hospital in Varese, in the north of the country, family and party sources told Reuters.
He was 84 years old. The cause was not immediately known.

“Umberto Bossi, with ​his political passion, marked an important phase in Italian history and made a fundamental contribution to the formation of the first center-right ‌coalition,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reacted on social media platform X. “In this moment of great sorrow, I express my thoughts to his family and his political community.”

Famous for his blunt language and political agility, Bossi founded the secessionist Northern League party in 1989, giving a voice to discontented taxpayers in the wealthy north.
“Thieving Rome” became a party rallying cry as Bossi railed against government corruption in ​the Italian capital.
But his own career was undone by allegations that he and his family had misappropriated party funds. He stood down as the head of ​the Northern League in 2012.
He was convicted of fraud in 2017 and sentenced to two years and three months in jail. ⁠But the verdict was annulled in 2019 because the high court ruled that the statute of limitations, which imposes time restrictions on legal cases, had kicked in.

To ​his often fanatical supporters, Bossi was the fearless protector of northern Italian rights. To his critics, he was a foul-mouthed, rabble-rousing racist.
“When I see the Italian flag ​I get bloody mad,” Bossi said during a 1997 rally. “I wipe my arse with that flag.”
It is illegal under Italian law to insult the national flag. He was given a 16-month suspended prison term for the slur.
Famous for addressing his followers in his vest while chomping on a cigar, Bossi forged an unlikely alliance with Silvio Berlusconi in 1994, helping to propel the billionaire media mogul ​into power just months after he entered politics.

‘UNGUIDED MISSILE’

The often cantankerous Bossi swiftly pulled the plug on the government, but the two men later patched up their ​differences. They forged an electoral alliance which won them power in 2001, and again seven years later.

“He is an unguided missile,” then-Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini told Reuters in 2004, urging then-Prime Minister Berlusconi to keep their provocative ‌ally on ⁠a tight leash.
Bossi initially demanded independence for a place he called “Padania” – an ill-defined geographical area that encompassed wealthy regions around the Po River Valley from Turin to Venice.
But as it embedded itself in the fabric of national politics, the Northern League quietly dropped its secessionist ambitions and sought instead greater autonomy for its heartlands.
The party evolved still further when current leader Matteo Salvini took over as leader in 2013 and dropped “Northern” from its name in a push to turn the group into a fully fledged national ​force – a move that initially saw its ​support surge, but which was roundly ⁠condemned by Bossi.

Underscoring his disapproval, Bossi voted for Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party at a 2022 parliamentary election, although he remained a member of the League.
Salvini, who is now deputy prime minister, stayed faithful to some old League battles. These included the fight against migrants, whom ​Bossi once called “bingo bongos”, and the European Union, which he denounced as “a new form of fascism”.
Bossi spearheaded a tough ​immigration law, passed in ⁠2002, that included measures to fingerprint new arrivals and boost patrols of Italy’s long shoreline. He suggested more extreme measures might yet be needed.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/umberto-bossi-firebrand-founder-italys-northern-league-party-dies-84-2026-03-19/

 

Analysts say the Islamic Republic is designed to endure such losses, and Ali Larijani’s replacement is likely to have a more hardline stance.

The death of Iranian security chief Ali Larijani strikes at the heart of the country’s leadership, but analysts said the Islamic Republic is designed to endure such losses.

They warn that his replacement is likely to be more hardline, a shift that could further escalate the conflict with the United States and Israel.

Larijani, 68, was among the most powerful figures in the Islamic Republic.

He was the right-hand man to the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and was expected to play a major role under the new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Many believed Larijani was running the country as US and Israeli strikes drove Iran’s leadership underground.

“Larijani has been the central player in maintaining the continuity of the Iranian government for several months, and in particular since June 2025,” said David Khalfa, co-director of the Middle East Observatory at the Jean Jaures Foundation think tank.

“He has effectively been the figure in charge of the regime’s survival, its regional policy and its defence strategy. This assassination also sends a message to the Iranian population. Larijani played an absolutely central role in the repression in January.”

A key figure in Iran’s foreign and domestic policy, Larijani spearheaded policies in four major areas – the current war, suppressing internal unrest, managing Tehran’s regional ties, as well as Iran’s nuclear programme and negotiations with the West.

“He was also widely viewed as a pragmatist, and so essentially, in killing Larijani, it may have also been not only an attempt to deal a body blow to the Iranian regime but also to ensure that whatever back-channelling diplomatic efforts to end the war may have been going on, that they come to an end,” said Dr James Dorsey, adjunct senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

SYSTEM BUILT TO WITHSTAND SHOCKS

Despite the scale of the loss, analysts said that Iran’s political and military system is designed to endure such blows, likely with succession plans in place.

The country has proven to be “very resilient” despite attacks by the US and Israel, said executive director of the Centre for Contemporary Arabic Studies Haizam Amirah-Fernandez.

“The Iranian political system, the political regime, the military has kept the capacity to respond, to act in a way with the chain of command,” he added.

Dr Dorsey noted that Iran has built its system to withstand blows to its leadership, adding that he believed the country was prepared for the security chief’s death.

“I think (Larijani) was definitely prepared. I have no doubt about it, and I also believe that his succession is prepared,” Dr Dorsey said.

He pointed to Larijani’s presence at a pro-government rally on the streets of Tehran in recent days, with no visible armed bodyguards.

“He could have been attacked at any given moment … but nonetheless he was there without bodyguards,” Dr Dorsey told CNA.

“And I think that’s something that’s noteworthy in terms of what the Iranians expected, and certainly what the Iranian leaders are willing to accept.”

He also noted reports of four layers of succession among senior officials, implemented to ensure the Iranian system’s survival.

“I have no doubt that (Larijani) was anticipating this, or, in any case, accepting that it was a possibility,” Dr Dorsey added.

This layered structure allows authority to be redistributed quickly when key figures are removed.

HARDLINE SHIFT LIKELY

Despite his unswerving commitment to the late leader’s absolute rule, Larijani was viewed as relatively pragmatic – he was open to diplomacy and was more measured in handling domestic opposition.

He was working to avert an attack on Iran until shortly before the war began.

“In my view, this issue is resolvable,” Larijani told Oman state television early this year, referring to the talks with the US. “If the Americans’ concern is that Iran should not move toward acquiring a nuclear weapon, that can be addressed.”

He was also reportedly Washington’s most favoured transitional candidate last year, according to CNN, citing a source familiar with private plans and discussions.

But Washington later denounced him for his role in crushing mass protests in January, and Israel turned its sights on him in early February.

Iran is likely to replace Larijani with someone with a more hardline stance, and the war could potentially escalate with power in the hands of more radical leaders, experts said.

“What we’ve seen certainly in the replacements of commanders of the military, the security services, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, is that those that replace those that have been assassinated are largely far more hardline,” Dr Dorsey said.

RISK OF ESCALATION

Dr Dorsey pointed out that there may also be a hardening of the lines on both sides of the war following the security chief’s death.

“You could see Israel, the United States, seeing this as a major body blow that sets the stage for trying to finish Iran off,” he said.

Already, Iran has retaliated for the assassination of its security chief, targeting Tel Aviv with missiles carrying cluster warheads, which are difficult to intercept.

Larijani’s death is also likely to lend more power to the more radical leaders and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said Dr Mehran Kamrava, professor of government at Georgetown University Qatar.

“As an insider with deep connections within the Islamic Republic’s deep state and with impeccable revolutionary credentials, he would have been indispensable to any decision to end the current war,” Dr Kamrava told CNA.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/ali-larijani-iran-security-chief-death-hardline-6000951

Oil prices rose above $110 (£82.78) a barrel after Iranian media reported an airstrike hitting a facility on the world’s largest natural gas field.

The Brent crude oil benchmark hit $112 a barrel in early Thursday trade in Asia, more than 5% higher than Tuesday’s prices. The price has since fallen slightly.

The benchmark UK gas price also jumped by 6% to 143.53p a therm before falling back to around the 140p mark.

The surge followed reports Iran’s petrochemical complex on the South Pars gas field had been hit. Several hours later, Qatar reported that there was “extensive damage” at the Ras Laffan industrial site following threats from Iran.

While the price of both oil and gas spiked, they remained below highs seen earlier in the conflict.

Oil reached $116.78 a barrel on 9 March, while UK gas reached 162.55p a therm on 3 March.

Iran’s oil ministry said a fire at the petrochemical complex was under control, according to Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iran’s military warned it would take “decisive action” in response to the strike on its energy infrastructure.

“As previously warned, if the fuel, energy, gas, and economic infrastructures of our country are attacked by the American-Zionist enemy, in addition to a powerful counterattack against the enemy, we will severely strike the origin of that aggression as well,” the military said in a statement published by Tasnim.

“We consider targeting the fuel, energy, and gas infrastructures of the countries of origin legitimate and will retaliate strongly at the earliest opportunity.”

Qatar also operates facilities on the gas field, which it calls North Dome.

But the country, which produces a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas, had halted production earlier in March in response to the conflict.

Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said strikes against energy infrastructure “constitutes a threat to global energy security”.

Just after 1815 GMT, the Qatari interior minister said it was responding to “a fire in the Ras Laffan area following an Iranian targeting”. Qatar’s petrol firm QatarEnergy later said there was “extensive damage” at the site.

The interior minister said just after 1900 GMT that it had “initially brought the fire in Ras Laffan under control, with no injuries reported”.

Ras Laffan was among the sites listed by Iran in a warning that it would take “decisive action” after its South Pars gas field facilities were reportedly hit by Israeli strikes.

The incidents mark yet another escalation in hostilities in the region and follow a string of attacks targeting oil and gas infrastructure in recent days.

A Qatari complex housing the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export plant suffered “extensive damage” amid a sharp escalation of attacks on energy facilities across the Persian Gulf.

The Ras Laffan Industrial City, home to the LNG plant that accounted for about a fifth of global supply before production was halted earlier this month, was hit by an Iranian missile after four others were intercepted, authorities said late Wednesday. Hours later, Abu Dhabi shut its Habshan gas facilities after they were hit by falling debris from an intercepted strike.

A subsequent attack on Ras Laffan early on Thursday led to a fire, which Qatari authorities said they were dealing with.

The incidents mark yet another escalation in hostilities in the region and follow a string of attacks targeting oil and gas infrastructure in recent days. Crude and natural gas prices surged earlier in the day after Israel attacked Iran’s giant South Pars gas field. Tehran responded with a warning that several energy sites in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates had become “legitimate targets.”

“A retaliatory attack on Ras Laffan is exactly what the global natural gas market feared the most,” said Tom Marzec-Manser, Europe gas and LNG director at consultancy Wood Mackenzie Ltd. “We’re yet to know which part of the industrial complex has been damaged, but either way it’s going to be bullish for gas prices when the market opens on Thursday.”

Brent oil futures extended gains after the attack, rising as much as 8% on Wednesday to $111.90 a barrel.

State-controlled QatarEnergy said all personnel were accounted for at its LNG facility, which had been evacuated hours earlier. Qatar’s interior ministry said the fire caused by the strike was under control.

Qatar “considers this aggression a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of the state’s sovereignty, as well as a direct threat to its national security and the stability of the region,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a social media post. It later ordered Iranian military and security attaches as well as affiliate staff to leave the country within 24 hours.

The Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a post on X that no injuries were reported at Habshan. Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. operates one of the world’s largest onshore gas processing facilities there, with 14 trains able to produce more than 6 billion cubic feet of gas a day, enough to supply South Korea.

The Saudi Defense Ministry also said the country had thwarted a drone attack targeting a gas facility in its eastern region. In a separate incident, shrapnel from a ballistic missile fell near a south Riyadh refinery.

Ras Laffan Industrial City covers 295 square kilometers in area (114 square miles), about one-third the size of New York City. As well as LNG processing, it’s also home to other gas-related facilities, including a gas-to-liquids plant, LNG storage, and condensate splitters, as well as an oil refinery.

The site was effectively cut off from the rest of the world by the throttling of tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz following US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Production was halted earlier this month after an Iranian drone attack, leading QatarEnergy to declare force majeure on deliveries, throwing the global LNG market into turmoil and sending buyers scrambling for alternative supplies.

The market impact has been particularly severe in Asia and Europe, as both regions rely on imported gas for power generation. The latest attacks have raised questions about how long supply will be impacted even once the strait reopens.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/middle-east-war-worlds-largest-lng-plant-in-qatar-hit-in-latest-attack-on-energy-infrasructure-11235937?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Afghanistan spinner Allah Ghazanfar issued an emotional message to the international community following a strike on a rehabilitation center in Kabul.

Afghanistan spinner Allah Ghazanfar issued an emotional message to the international community following a strike on a rehabilitation center in Kabul. Allah spoke about the implications of the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In one of the deadliest airstrikes on Afghanistan by Pakistan, at least 400 people were killed while around 250 were injured. Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said the airstrike hit a drug rehabilitation hospital and destroyed major portions of the 2,000-bed facility. However, the allegations were denied by Pakistan. Ghazanfar said that the hospital supports a lot of people and these strikes can be devastating for the common people.

“The people there don’t have money for treatment,” Ghazanfar told News18. “And now, they’ve targeted that place as well; they’ve martyred those people. This is not acceptable to the people of Afghanistan.”

Ghazanfar condemned the attack and even questioned the motive behind the military strikes.

“I don’t know what they’re trying to prove. They come and target ordinary people, and we simply cannot accept this. Afghanistan cannot accept this,” he said in the interview.

“Everyone knows Afghanistan’s history,” he warned. “If that history repeats itself, it will be very bad for Pakistan.”

The Afghanistan spinner, who will represent Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, concluded by saying that India is a ‘close friend’ to Afghanistan and urged the international community to come together and support them. He added that the authorities need to work together because the conflict is not good news for anyone involved.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/afghanistan-star-allah-ghazanfar-sends-message-to-india-after-deadly-air-strikes-by-pakistan-11229933

In the latest video, Netanyahu can be seen walking and chatting with US’s Ambassador, Mike Huckabee, who joked that Trump had sent him to check on him.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has once again dismissed online rumors about his death, this time appearing in a video alongside US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Doubling down on his effort to quash viral conspiracy theories circulating on social media claiming he was killed amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, Netanyahu can be seen mocking the rumours with a confirmation — “Yes, I am alive”.

In the latest video shared by Netanyahu on X, Huckabee is seen walking with the Israeli Prime Minister through his office and joking that US President Donald Trump had sent him to check on Netanyahu.

“Donald Trump wanted me to come and make sure you were ok,” Huckabee said with a laugh. To which, Netanyahu responded, saying, “Yes, Mike, I’m alive.”

Continuing the banter, Huckabee said Trump wanted to be sure because “you guys get along too well”, prompting Netanyahu to add a jab at one of the more bizarre online claims: “We shake hands with five fingers in each hand.”

Soon ending the joke, Netanyahu referred to ongoing Israeli strikes against Iran’s leadership, saying, “Today, I erased two names on the punch card.”

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/netanyahu-quashes-death-rumours-with-video-alongside-us-ambassador-yes-im-alive-9983325.html

IRAN’S new Ayatollah “cheated death” by going for a walk outside just moments before the missile strike which killed his father and wife, new audio has claimed.

New supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei “had to go out to the yard to do something” in the seconds before the Ayatollah’s Tehran HQ was razed to the ground on February 28.

The shocking “insight” into Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and many of his commanders final moments come from leaked audio obtained by The Telegraph.

In a private meeting on March 12, a top Iranian aid described it as “God’s will” that Mojtaba was outside when missiles from US and Israel’s joint operation Epic Fury struck the building.

“Mojtaba was outside and sustained only a minor injury to his leg,” Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol for Khamenei’s office, claimed.

Sources told The Sun the 56-year-old son of assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lost at least one leg and has also suffered serious stomach or liver damage.

Hosseini added that Mojtaba’s wife was martyred instantly.

Iran military chief Mohammad Shiraz was apparently found “blown to pieces – they could find nothing from him, and at the end they found a few kilos of flesh and identified it as his body”.

In the audio, Hosseini said at least three missiles were used to strike Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound.

“The missile was so powerful that it went downstairs where Mr Misbah [Ali Khamenei’s brother-in-law] was… the missiles hit in a way that his head was cut in half,” he said.

Khamenei’s eldest son and his wife survived the attack “unharmed”, Hosseini claimed.

Israel and the US worked closely together in the run up to operation Epic Fury – with the CIA passing information to Israel to help launch its long-planned pinpoint attack.

They followed the dictator’s every move for months, carefully observing his patterns, sources told the New York Times.

The plan was to take Khamenei out at night, under the cover of darkness.

But when the CIA learnt that the Ayatollah would chair a meeting of top Iranian officials at a leadership compound in the heart of Tehran on Saturday morning, they knew it was time to strike.

Israel’s spies infiltrated Khamenei’s regime and knew where and when three meetings were taking place.

Fighter jets took off at around 6am in Israel, starting an operation that would send shockwaves through the Middle East.

Around 9.40am, the IDF’s long-range missiles hit Khamenei’s compound.

The IDF killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior officials “in just half a minute in the opening strike”, Israel’s Channel 12 news reported.

Operation Epic Fury was unleashed in daylight — knowing the targets would be suspecting night attacks, like previous raids.

And the Ayatollah suffered an inglorious death – with the warped tyrant’s body found in a pile of rubble.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16094400/iran-ayatollah-cheated-death-missile-strike-killed-father-wife/

Organisations worldwide are racing to develop a universally recognised label for “human-made” products and services as part of the growing backlash against AI use.

Declarations like “Proudly Human”, “Human-made”, ‘”No A.I” and “AI-free” are appearing across films, marketing, books and websites.

It is in response to fears that jobs or entire professions are being swept away in a wave of AI-powered automation.

BBC News has counted at least eight different initiatives trying to come up with a label that could get the kind of global recognition that the “Fair Trade” logo has for ethically made products.

But with so many competing labels – as well as confusion over the definition of “AI-free” – experts say consumers are in danger of being left confused unless a single standard can be agreed on.

“AI is creating significant disruption and competing definitions of what is ‘human made’ are confusing consumers,” says consumer expert Dr Amna Khan from Manchester Metropolitan University.

“A universal definition is essential to build trust, clarification and confidence” she told BBC News.

The movement to create AI-free certification systems follows generative AI tools being used to replace human work and creativity in range of industries including fashion, advertising, publishing, customer services and music.

The organisations trying to come up with the labels include companies as well as non-profits, based in the UK, Australia and the US.

Pakistan rejects Afghanistan claim as ‘false’ and ‘misleading’ and ‌says it ‘precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support ​infrastructure’.

At least 400 people were killed and 250 injured in an air strike by Pakistan on a ⁠drug users’ rehabilitation hospital in the Afghanistan capital Kabul, a spokesman of the Afghan Taliban government said ⁠on Tuesday.

Pakistan rejected the claim as false and misleading and ‌said it “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support ​infrastructure” on Monday night, according to a Reuters report.

Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesman for the Taliban, said the air strike took place at 9 p.m. (1630 GMT) on Monday and targeted the Omid 2,000-bed drug rehabilitation hospital.

“Large parts of the hospital have been destroyed, and there are fears of heavy casualties,” he ​said in a post on ⁠X. “Sadly, the number of those killed has so far reached 400, with up to 250 others injured.”

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The Pakistani military regime carried out an airstrike at approximately 9:00 PM this evening on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility dedicated to the treatment of drug addiction. As a result of the attack, large sections of the hospital have been destroyed,…

— Hamdullah Fitratحمدالله فطرت (@FitratHamd) March 16, 2026

Rescue teams were at the scene working to control the fire and recover the victims, he added.

The news agency reported that the number of casualty could not be independently verified.

The Pakistani Information and Broadcasting Ministry said the Afghan Taliban claim was “misreporting of facts”.

In an overnight post on ‌X, it said that Pakistan targeted military installations and “terrorist support infrastructure”, including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage of the ⁠Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban militants in Kabul and Nangarhar that were being used against Pakistani civilians.

No collateral damage: Pakistan 

“Pakistan’s targeting ‌is precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted,” ‌the post said. “This misreporting of facts as drug rehabilitation facility seeks to ‌stir sentiments, covering illegitimate support to cross-border terrorism.”

Fierce fighting between the South Asian neighbours, ‌who were close allies earlier, erupted last month with Pakistani air strikes in Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds.

Afghanistan called the strikes a violation of its sovereignty that targeted civilians and launched its own attacks.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/world/asia/at-least-400-killed-250-injured-in-pakistan-air-strike-on-kabul-hospital-3934505

A Palestinian family of four has been killed after Israeli forces opened fire on a vehicle in the occupied West Bank. In Gaza, a family of three and a teenage neighbor were killed in an apparent Israeli strike.

The Palestinian Red Crescent on Sunday said its teams recovered the bodies of two adults and two children from a car that Israeli soldiers shot at in the northern West Bank town of Tammun.

Palestinian officials said the incident was not “isolated” but part of what it described as a broader and systematic pattern of Israeli attacks within the occupied West Bank.

In Gaza, also on Sunday, a pregnant woman, her son and partner were killed along with another boy in a reported Israeli airstrike.

What we know about West Bank killings

The Israeli military and police said in a joint statement that security forces opened fire during an operation after perceiving the vehicle as “an immediate threat.”

Authorities said the car accelerated toward the forces, prompting the gunfire that killed the four people inside the vehicle. The incident is under investigation.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah said the victims were a 37-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman, and their sons, aged 5 and 7. The bodies were taken to the Turkish hospital in the town of Tubas.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa said two other children in the vehicle, aged 8 and 11, were injured by shrapnel. Images showed dozens of relatives gathering in Tammun to mourn the victims.

Child survivor says Israeli soldiers beat him

Israel’s military and police said that, before the forces opened fire on the family, they were pursuing people whom they accused of “terrorist activity.”

One of the surviving children told reporters that the Israeli soldiers “pulled me out and started jumping on my back. Then they took me to a corner and asked me what happened and who was with me in the car.”

“I told them it was my father and mother. They said I was lying and started beating me,” he added. He said the soldiers had shouted “we killed dogs” before they started beating him.

According to Palestinian authorities and the United Nations, deadly attacks in the West Bank have increased in recent days, many attributed to Israeli settlers.

Israel has illegally occupied the West Bank since 1967. Attacks by settlers and Israeli security forces on Palestinians have escalated sharply since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza.

Two parents, two boys killed in Gaza strike

The Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah said the strike in Gaza hit the Sawarha area, west of the Nuseirat refugee camp, which is outside of the zone controlled by Israeli forces under the current ceasefire agreement.

Three of the victims were members of the same family: a man and woman in their 30s and their 10-year-old son. Hospital officials said the woman was pregnant at the time of her death.

The fourth fatality was a 15-year-old boy who was their neighbor.

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the strike hit an area with a high concentration of civilians. There was no immediate response from Israel to the report.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/israeli-troops-kill-4-in-palestinian-family-in-west-bank/a-76366659

During the video, Netanyahu also raises both hands and shows his fingers to the camera.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video on X after conspiracy theories circulated on social media claiming he had been killed in an Iranian strike.

In the clip, Netanyahu is seen ordering coffee at a cafe and joking about the rumours.

“I am dead… for coffee,” he said, using a Hebrew phrase that roughly translates to loving something to death. “You know what? I’m “dying” for my people. How they are behaving is fantastic,” he added.

During the video, Netanyahu also raises both hands and shows his fingers to the camera.

Earlier, some posts on social media had suggested that footage from his Thursday press conference showed him with six fingers on one hand and was generated using artificial intelligence

“Do you want to count my fingers? You can see them here… and here. See? Very nice,” Netanyahu said.

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אומרים שאני מה? צפו >> pic.twitter.com/ijHPkM3ZHZ

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 15, 2026

In his message to the Israeli citizens, Netanyahu said, “Go out and get some fresh air, but stay near a protected space. Your resilience is amazing; it gives strength to me, to the government, to the IDF, and to the Mossad. We are doing things that I cannot… at this moment, but we are hitting Iran very hard, even today. Are you telling me to keep going? I tell all of you: you keep going too.”

He added, “Continue to listen to Home Front Command instructions at all times—listen to Home Front Command and also to city mayors—to always be near a protected space. We will ease restrictions as much as possible. And thank you for the coffee, it’s excellent. I don’t know about the calories… it looks like…”

Earlier, Iran on Sunday vowed to “pursue and kill” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“If this child-killing criminal is alive, we will continue to pursue and kill him with full force,” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement.

This comes as the war between Israel and Iran has entered its 16th day. The conflict escalated after the United States and Israel carried out joint strikes on Iran last month. The attacks killed Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggered a wider conflict across the Middle East.

In response, Iran launched attacks on Israel and on US military bases located in Gulf countries, while Israel and the United States have continued striking Iranian targets. Reports say the war has already killed more than 2,000 people, most of them in Iran.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/israel-iran-war-live-updates-i-am-dead-for-coffee-netanyahu-six-fingers-responds-to-death-rumours-in-new-video-11219208?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

Pakistan’s military said it intercepted “rudimentary drones” from Afghanistan. It comes a day after Pakistan launched deadly strikes on Kabul as well as strikes in Kandahar Province.

Pakistan said on Saturday that it shot down a number of drones fired by the Taliban in Afghanistan amid an ongoing war between the neighboring countries.

Some of the drones targeted Pakistan’s military headquarters in Rawalpindi, near the capital, Islamabad.

Debris from the downed drones injured two children in the southwestern city of Quetta, plus a civilian each in Kohat, south of Peshawar, and Rawalpindi.

What did Pakistan say about the Taliban drone attacks?

“Afghan Taliban launched few rudimentary drones to harass the brave people of Pakistan,” the military said. “The drones… did not reach their intended targets.”

“These attacks were aimed at inducing fear in the public and remind us of the terrorist mindset which drives the Afghan Taliban,” Pakistan’s military added.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said he “strongly condemned the drone attacks on Pakistani civilian areas, saying the Afghan Taliban crossed a red line” in a post on X.

“Pakistan will not tolerate its civilians being targeted. Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism against neighbours. Pakistan will defend its people,” he added.

Pakistani strikes kill 4 in Afghanistan

The Taliban had vowed to respond after Pakistan launched strikes on the Afghan capital Kabul overnight on Thursday and Friday. It said Pakistan’s attacks “would not go unanswered.”

The Pakistani strikes killed at least four civilians in Kabul and injured 14 others, including women and children, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

They also hit a fuel depot in Kandahar Province used by Afghan civilian airline Kam Air as well as by UN flights, the Taliban said.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar claimed the strikes targeted militant camps and “terrorist support infrastructure.” Pakistan’s military said on Saturday that the fuel depot was used by the Taliban “for sponsoring terrorism.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-taliban-drone-attack-afghanistan-war/a-76359740

South Korea’s military said that it detected about 10 ballistic missiles fired from North Korea’s capital region toward the eastern sea.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un (centre, right) and his daughter attend a live-fire test of multiple rocket launch systems, at an undisclosed place in North Korea on Mar 14, 2026. (Photo: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

South Korea’s military said on Saturday that it detected about 10 ballistic missiles fired from North Korea’s capital region toward the eastern sea. South Korea’s national security council called the launches a provocation that violated UN Security Council resolutions that bans any ballistic activities by North Korea.

KCNA cited Kim as saying that the drill would expose enemies within the 420km striking range, to “uneasiness” and give them “a deep understanding of the destructive power of tactical nuclear weapon,” KCNA said. He apparently referred to South Korea and US troops stationed in South Korea.

“If this weapon is used, the opponent’s military infrastructure within its striking range can never survive,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

KCNA photos showed Kim and his daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and aged about 13, walking near huge olive-green launch trucks and looking at weapons being launched from them.

The girl has been accompanying her father at numerous high-profile events like missile tests and military parades since late 2022, stoking outside speculation that she’s being groomed as his heir.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/north-korea-kim-jong-un-missiles-weapons-5994266

The United States on Friday destroyed military targets on Iran’s main oil hub of Kharg Island, President Donald Trump said, threatening to strike its oil infrastructure if Iran continues attacks that have halted most ship traffic in the Strait of ​Hormuz.
The island serves as the export terminal for 90% of Iran’s oil shipments. In a social media post, Trump wrote the U.S. military “totally obliterated every MILITARY target” on Kharg while leaving oil infrastructure intact.

“However, should Iran, or ‌anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump wrote, a warning that could further roil markets already dealing with what the International Energy Agency has called the biggest oil supply disruption in history.
Iran had no ability to defend against U.S. attacks, the president added. “Iran’s Military, and all others involved with this Terrorist Regime, would be wise to lay down their arms, and save what’s left of their country, which isn’t much!” he said.
Oil prices have been whipsawing on Trump’s changing comments ​on the likely duration of the Iran war, which has prompted Iran to attack vessels in the strait, the conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil. Although he has previously said the war would last only weeks, the ​president on Friday declined to publicly project an end date for the conflict.

“I can’t tell you that,” Trump said to reporters. “I mean, I have my own idea, but what good ⁠does it do? It’ll be as long as it’s necessary.”
Kharg is 16 miles (26 km) from Iran’s coast, about 300 miles (483 km) northwest of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran continued to export crude oil while other producers in the Gulf halted their shipments due ​to fear of Iranian attacks.
Multiple very large crude oil tankers were loading at Kharg Island on Wednesday, according to satellite imagery reviewed by TankerTrackers.com. Iran exported between 1.1 million barrels per day and 1.5 million bpd from February 28 when the war ​began to Wednesday.
Markets will watch closely for any sign the U.S. strikes damaged the island’s intricate network of pipelines, terminals and oil storage tanks. Even minor disruptions could further tighten global supply, adding pressure to an already volatile market.

Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group, said Trump’s comments on Friday “will focus the market’s mind on pathways that this energy disruption, already history’s largest, could expand and last longer.”
Some energy industry observers expressed doubts that Kharg’s oil facilities would stay intact.
“Bombing Kharg Island but not the oil infrastructure is like going to McDonald’s and getting a hamburger ​with no meat,” said Josh Young, chief investment officer at Bison Interests. “What’s the point?”

IRAN’S NEW LEADER VOWS TO KEEP STRAIT SHUT

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first public comments on Thursday, vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut and urged ​neighbouring countries to close U.S. bases on their territory or risk being attacked themselves.

Trump said on Friday the U.S. Navy will “soon” start escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
European powers are trying to work out how to defend their interests, and France has been consulting ‌with European, Asian ⁠and Gulf Arab states over the past week with a view to putting together a plan for warships eventually to escort tankers through the strait, French officials said.
With gasoline and diesel prices rising at pumps in the United States and around the world, the U.S. on Thursday issued a 30-day licence for countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products already at sea.
The move was welcomed in Moscow but left Kyiv and its allies angry that the proceeds could help the Kremlin fund its war effort in Ukraine.
“Six members of the G7 expressed a very clear opinion that this was not the right signal,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told a press conference in Norway. “We then learned this morning that the American government has apparently decided otherwise.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said ​the move could provide Russia with $10 billion, adding: “It certainly does not ​help peace.”

WAR ON IRAN EXTENDS ACROSS MIDDLE EAST

After nearly ⁠two weeks of war, 2,000 people have been killed, most in Iran, but many in Lebanon and a growing number in the Gulf, which has for the first time in decades of Middle East conflicts found itself on the front line.
Several million people have been displaced from their homes. As Israeli warplanes pounded Beirut’s suburbs with air strikes, Lebanon’s interior minister said authorities were ​unable to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of people who have sought refuge in the capital.
Israel also dropped leaflets threatening Gaza-scale devastation as it deployed more troops to fight Iran-backed Hezbollah ​and warned of more attacks on ⁠Lebanon’s infrastructure.
U.S. forces have also suffered casualties. The U.S. military confirmed that all six crew members aboard a refuelling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq were dead.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/both-sides-dig-iran-war-approaches-two-week-mark-2026-03-13/

Eleven Indian nationals have been arrested in the United States for allegedly conspiring to carry out staged armed robberies to obtain immigration benefits. The accused have been charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud.

Eleven Indian nationals have been arrested in the United States for allegedly conspiring to carry out staged armed robberies to obtain immigration benefits. The accused have been charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud.

According to federal investigators in Boston, Massachusetts, the group staged robbery incidents at various businesses, enabling the employees working there to portray themselves as victims of a crime, a key requirement for securing a specific visa.

The United States offers the “U-Visa”, which is granted to individuals who have been victims of serious crimes and who cooperate with law enforcement investigations.

Investigative agencies said the accused orchestrated at least six staged robberies at convenience stores, liquor shops, and fast-food restaurants.

They said that the entire charade was meticulously planned. One individual would assume the role of a fake robber, entering the shop while brandishing an object resembling a firearm. He would take cash from the counter and then flee to the scene.

They would ensure the entire incident was recorded by the establishments’ CCTV cameras to ensure it appeared to be a genuine crime.

The investigation also revealed that following the staged robbery, the accused present in the shop would not immediately contact the police. They would deliberately wait five minutes or longer before alerting the authorities, allowing the “robber” to make an easy escape and lending further credibility to the staged incident.

It is alleged that those participating in the scheme would pay money to be involved in these staged robberies, thereby enabling them to falsely portray themselves as victims. It is alleged that the organiser received funds, which they then distributed to shop owners to facilitate the staging of these fraudulent robberies at their establishments.

Six of the accused – Jitendrakumar Patel, Maheshkumar Patel, Sanjaykumar Patel, Amitabahen Patel, Sangitaben Patel and Mitul Patel – were arrested in Massachusetts and released following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston earlier today. While others – Rameshbhai Patel, Ronakkumar Patel, Sonal Patel and Minkesh Patel – were arrested and made their initial appearances in Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio. They will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

All the accused were presented before the court and further proceedings are scheduled to take place in a federal court in Boston.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/11-indians-stage-fake-robbery-in-us-for-u-visa-arrested-11213539?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The reward also applies to 10 officials linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the US State Department website.

The United States offered a reward of up to $10 million ( ₹92.6 crore) for information on senior Iranian military and intelligence officials, including the country’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Mojtaba Khamenei recently succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, as Iran’s supreme leader after the elder Khamenei was killed along with several other top Iranian officials in joint US and Israeli strikes that began on February 28.

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Got information on these Iranian terrorist leaders?

Send us a tip. It could make you eligible for a reward and relocation. pic.twitter.com/y7avkqdGWw

— Rewards for Justice (@RFJ_USA) March 13, 2026

The younger Khamenei, believed to have been injured in the attacks, has not appeared in public since, though he released his first statement on Thursday.

Other Iranian officials on US list

Along with the supreme leader, the US is seeking information about Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and two officials working in Khamenei’s office.

Larijani appeared on Friday in videos verified by Reuters alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi while attending a rally in Tehran. His appearance came despite a claim by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran’s leadership was “cowering” underground.

The reward website also lists four other officials, including the IRGC commander and the secretary of the defense council, though their names and photographs have not been published.

“These individuals command and direct various elements of the IRGC, which plans, organizes, and executes terrorism around the world,” the State Department said.

Where is Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei?

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is wounded and likely disfigured, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Friday, questioning Khamenei’s ability to govern after nearly two weeks of US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

No images of Khamenei have been released since an Israeli strike at the beginning of the war that killed several members of his family, including his father and wife.

His first remarks came in a statement read by a television presenter on Thursday. In the statement, he vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and called on neighbouring countries to shut US bases on their territory or risk Iran targeting them.

“We know the new so-called not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured. He put out a statement yesterday. A weak one, actually, but there was no voice and there was no video. It was a written statement,” Hegseth told a briefing.

“Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders. Why a written statement? I think you know why. His father – dead. He’s scared, he’s injured, he’s on the run and he lacks legitimacy.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/926-crore-uss-big-bounty-for-intel-on-iran-s-supreme-leader-mojtaba-khamenei-irgc-officials-101773456288796.html

 

The U.S. and Western allies clashed with Russia and China ​on Thursday over Iran’s nuclear intentions, as Washington sought at the United Nations to further justify the war it ‌launched on Iran two weeks ago.
At a meeting of the 15-member U.N. Security Council, which is chaired this month by the U.S., Russia and China moved unsuccessfully to block a discussion about a committee established to oversee and enforce U.N. sanctions on Iran. They were overruled 11-2 with two ​abstentions.

Addressing the council, U.S. envoy to the United Nations Mike Waltz accused Moscow and Beijing of seeking to protect ​Tehran by blocking the work of the so-called 1737 Committee.
“All member states of the United Nations ⁠should be implementing an arms embargo against Iran, banning the transfer and trade of missile technology, and freezing relevant financial ​assets,” Waltz said.
“The U.N. provisions to be re-imposed are not arbitrary, but instead, narrowly scoped to address the threat posed by Iran’s ​nuclear, missile and conventional arms programs and Iran’s ongoing support for terrorism,” he said.

Waltz said both China and Russia did not want a functional sanctions committee “because they want to protect their partner, Iran, and continue to maintain defense cooperation that is now once again prohibited.”
Waltz noted that last ​week the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency had reiterated that Iran was the only state in the world without nuclear ​weapons to have produced and accumulated uranium enriched up to 60 percent, and had refused to provide the IAEA access to this stockpile.
Russia’s U.N. ‌ambassador ⁠Vasily Nebenzya accused the U.S. and its allies of whipping up “hysteria surrounding supposed plans Iran had to get a nuclear weapon” that were never corroborated by IAEA reports.
“This was done in order to undertake yet another military venture against Tehran and to ensure great escalation of the situation in the Middle East and beyond,” he said.

China’s representative, Fu Cong, called Washington the “instigator” of the ​Iranian nuclear crisis and said ​it had “resorted to blatant use ⁠of force against Iran during the negotiation process, which rendered the diplomatic efforts futile.”
Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, told reporters later on Thursday that Iran’s nuclear program “has always been exclusively ​peaceful,” and Tehran would not recognize any attempt to enforce sanctions against it.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-allies-clash-with-russia-china-over-iran-nuclear-program-2026-03-12/

Netanyahu also criticised Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. He described him as a “puppet of the Revolutionary Guards” and said the leader cannot appear in public.

Iran Israel US War : Benjamin Netanyahu said top Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in Israeli strikes as the West Asia war entered its 14th day. Speaking at a news conference, the Israeli Prime Minister confirmed that several leading scientists were among those killed during the attacks.

“We did the same regarding the nuclear project – including a mortal blow to senior Iranian scientists. They were the ones who led the development of the nuclear bombs intended to destroy us. They are no longer. And by the way, we hit a few more just now,” said Israel PM said in a post on X.

Netanyahu on Iran’s new Supreme Leader

Netanyahu also criticised Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. He described him as a “puppet of the Revolutionary Guards” and said the leader cannot appear in public.

His comments came hours after Iranian state television aired a statement said to be from Khamenei on Thursday. Khamenei has not been seen publicly since being chosen as Iran’s new supreme leader. Reports say he was injured at the start of the war.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/top-iranian-nuclear-scientist-killed-in-israeli-attack-says-netanyahu-9957874.html

 

In a post on social media platform X, the Iranian president said the conflict could only end if Iran’s “legitimate rights” are acknowledged, compensation is paid for damages and strong international guarantees are provided to prevent future attacks.

Tehran has outlined the three conditions for ending Iran’s ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel. Laying out the terms, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said any resolution must recognise Iran’s legitimate rights and guarantee that the country will not face future attacks.

In a post on social media platform X, Pezeshkian also demanded compensation for damages incurred during the war.

“Talking to leaders of Russia and Pakistan, I reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to peace in the region. The only way to end this war–ignited by the Zionist regime and US–is recognising Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression,” he wrote.

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Talking to leaders of Russia and Pakistan, I reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to peace in the region. The only way to end this war—ignited by the Zionist regime & US—is recognizing Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm int’l guarantees against future aggression.

— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) March 11, 2026

Iran’s Oil Warning

 

Explosive-laden Iranian boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member on Wednesday, after projectiles struck four vessels in Gulf waters, said port, maritime ​security and risk firms.
The latest attacks on ships linked to the U.S. and Europe mark an escalation in the conflict between Iran and U.S.-Israeli forces, raising the number of ships struck in the region since fighting began ‌to at least 16.

Shipping in the Gulf and along the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which carries around a fifth of the world’s oil, has come to a near-standstill since the U.S. and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28, sending global oil prices surging to highs not seen since 2022.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have said that if attacks on Iran continued, they would not allow “one litre of oil” to be shipped from the Middle East to the U.S., Israel or their partners.
Trump warned Washington would strike Iran harder if it blocked oil exports, and said oil companies should use the ​strait because “just about all of (Iran’s) navy is gone.”

The vessels targeted in Wednesday’s late-night attacks in the Gulf near Iraq were the Marshall Islands-flagged Safesea Vishnu and the Malta-flagged Zefyros, which had loaded fuel cargoes in Iraq, two Iraqi ​port officials said.
Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) said the Safesea Vishnu was chartered by an Iraqi company contracted with SOMO, and that Zefyros was loaded with condensate products from ⁠Basra Gas Company. Both were attacked in the ship-to-ship loading area within Iraqi territorial waters, SOMO said.

IRAQI OIL PORTS CLOSED

Iraq’s oil ports have completely stopped operations following the assaults, while commercial ports continue to function, Iraq’s state news agency said, citing the ​head of the state-run General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI).
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the crew of one ship had been evacuated and were reported safe.

“A boat belonging to the Iraqi Ports Company rescued 25 crew members from the two ​vessels, and the fires are still burning on both ships,” Farhan al-Fartousi, GCPI’s director general, told Reuters.
Iraqi rescue teams continue searching for other seafarers.
“We recovered the body of a foreign crew member from the water,” one port security official said.
The Safesea Vishnu’s commercial operator and beneficial operator are Safesea Transport Group and Safesea Group, respectively, according to data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
Those U.S.-based companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
One Iraqi port security source said Zefyros is flagged in Malta and provided Reuters with a list of crew names.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence data showed UK-based Cygnus Tankers ​Limited as the commercial operator and the George & Vassilis Michael family group of companies, a key player in Greek shipping, as the beneficial owner of a tanker matching that name and flag registry.

Cygnus Tankers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ​Reuters was not able to immediately reach the beneficial owner.

REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS HAVE SAID SHIPS WILL BE TARGETED

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have repeatedly warned that any ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted.
Two projectiles of unknown origin struck the Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree dry bulk vessel ‌as it sailed ⁠through the strait earlier on Wednesday, causing a fire and damaging the engine room, the ship’s Thai-listed operator Precious Shipping (PSL.BK) said in a statement.

“Three crew members are reported missing and believed to be trapped in the engine room,” Precious Shipping said.
“The company is working with the relevant authorities to rescue these three missing crew members,” it said, adding that the remaining 20 crew members had been safely evacuated and were ashore in Oman.
Images provided by the Thai navy showed smoke pouring out of the back of the ship.
Iran’s Guards said in a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency that the ship was “fired upon by Iranian fighters”, suggesting the first direct engagement by the Guards who have previously fired missiles or drones.
The U.S. Navy has refused near-daily requests from the ​shipping industry for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz ​since the start of the war on Iran, saying ⁠the risk of attacks is too high for now,

Trump has said the U.S. is prepared to provide naval escorts whenever needed.

THREE OTHER SHIPS SUSTAIN MINOR DAMAGE

The Japan-flagged container ship ONE Majesty also sustained minor damage on Wednesday from an unknown projectile 25 nautical miles (46 km) northwest of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, two maritime security firms ​said.
Its Japanese owner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (9104.T), and a spokesperson for Ocean Network Express, its charterer, said the vessel was struck while at anchor in the Gulf and an inspection of ​the hull revealed minor damage above ⁠the waterline.
All crew are safe, they said, adding that the vessel remains fully operational and seaworthy. The owner said the cause of the incident remained unclear and was under investigation.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/cargo-ship-hit-by-projectile-strait-hormuz-crew-evacuates-2026-03-11/

Two tankers were ablaze in Iraqi waters on Thursday after what appeared to be Iranian strikes, the latest wave of attacks on oil and transport facilities across the Middle East, as ​Iran warned the world should be ready for oil to hit $200 a barrel.
Unleashed with joint U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran almost two weeks ago, the war has so far killed around ‌2,000 people and thrown global energy markets and transport into chaos. The conflict has spread across the Middle East and prompted plans for a record release of strategic oil reserves to dampen one of the worst fuel shocks since the 1970s.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said more than 1,100 children had been killed or injured.
At a campaign-style rally in Kentucky ahead of November midterm elections in which his Republican party is trailing badly, U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States had won the war but didn’t want to have to go back every two ​years.
“We don’t want to leave early do we?” he said on Wednesday. “We got to finish the job.”
Iran has made clear it intends to impose a prolonged economic shock, with the spokesperson for Iran’s military command ​saying in remarks directed at the U.S. on Wednesday: “Get ready for oil to be $200 a barrel, because the oil price depends on regional security, which you have destabilised.”

Oil prices, ⁠which shot up earlier in the week to nearly $120 a barrel before retreating, jumped almost 10% back above $100 a barrel in Asian trade on Thursday amid renewed fears about supply disruption. Wall Street’s main share indexes fell and stocks in Asia ​followed suit.
Iranian explosive-laden boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters setting them ablaze and killing one crew member after projectiles struck three merchant vessels in Gulf waters, port officials, maritime security and risk firms said.
“This appears ​to mark a direct and forceful Iranian response to the IEA’s overnight announcement of a massive strategic reserve release aimed at cooling runaway prices,” said Tony Sycamore, analyst at IG.
The International Energy Agency, made up of major oil consuming nations, on Wednesday recommended releasing 400 million barrels from global strategic reserves to dampen one of the worst oil shocks since the 1970s, the biggest such intervention in history.

Trump said the IEA decision “will substantially reduce oil prices as we end this threat to America and the world.”
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Trump ​had authorized the release of 172 million barrels from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve from next week.

CRUCIAL OIL ROUTE BLOCKED

Iran also targeted fuel tanks at a facility in Bahrain’s Muharraq, the interior ministry said, while drones struck oil storage facilities ​at Salalah port on Wednesday, Oman’s state news agency reported. Saudi Arabia said it had also intercepted several drones heading towards its Shaybah oilfield on Thursday.
So far there has been no sign that ships can safely sail through the Strait of Hormuz, the now-blockaded channel ‌along the Iranian ⁠coast that serves as a conduit for around a fifth of the world’s oil.
On Wednesday, an Iranian military spokesperson said the Strait was “undoubtedly” under Iran’s control and the G7 group of nations – the United States, Canada, Japan, Italy, Britain, Germany and France – agreed to examine the option of providing escort for ships so they can navigate freely in the Gulf.
Trump said U.S. forces had knocked out 58 Iranian naval ships and that Iran was “pretty much at the end of the line.”
He said the U.S. would now “look very strongly” at the Strait of Hormuz, adding: “The straits are in great shape. We’ve knocked out all of their boats. They have some missiles, but not very many.”
Trump said earlier ships “should” transit through the strait but sources ​said Iran had deployed about a dozen mines in the ​channel, further complicating the blockade.
Iranian weapons also struck elsewhere ⁠in the Gulf, with Kuwait reporting a drone hit a building in the south injuring two, while Dubai authorities responded to a drone that fell on a building near the vicinity of Dubai Creek Harbour.
Another container vessel reported being struck by an unknown projectile near the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, a maritime security authority said.
U.S. and Israeli officials ​have said their aim is to end Iran’s ability to project force beyond its borders and destroy its nuclear programme.
Trump and other officials have sent mixed messages about ​whether regime change was another goal ⁠after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in initial strikes and replaced by his son Mojtaba Khamenei, who an Iranian official said was lightly wounded.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-iran-signal-no-quick-end-war-tankers-burn-iraqi-waters-2026-03-12/

Officials from ​President Donald Trump’s administration estimated during a congressional briefing this week that the ‌first six days of the war on Iran had cost the United States at least $11.3 billion, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
That figure, from a closed-door briefing for senators on Tuesday, ​did not include the entire cost of the war, but was provided to ​lawmakers as they have clamored for more information about the conflict.

Several ⁠congressional aides have said they expect the White House to soon submit a request ​to Congress for additional funding for the war. Some officials have said the request ​could be for $50 billion, while others have said that estimate seems low.
The administration has not provided a public assessment of the cost of the conflict or a clear idea of its expected duration. ​Trump said during a trip to Kentucky on Wednesday that “we won” the war but that ​the United States will stay in the fight to finish the job.
The $11.3 billion figure was first reported ‌on ⁠Wednesday by the New York Times.

The campaign against Iran began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes and has so far killed around 2,000 people, mostly Iranians and Lebanese, as the conflict has spread into Lebanon and thrown global energy markets and transport into ​chaos.
Administration officials also have ​told lawmakers that $5.6 ⁠billion of munitions were used during the first two days of strikes.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-estimates-iran-war-cost-over-11-billion-six-days-source-2026-03-11/

The United States and Israel pounded Iran on Tuesday with what the Pentagon and Iranians on the ground called the most intense airstrikes of the war, despite global markets betting that President Donald Trump ​will seek to end the conflict soon.
Raising the stakes for the global economy, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would block oil shipments from the Gulf unless U.S. and Israeli attacks cease.

The Revolutionary Guards also said it fired missiles on Tuesday evening ‌at Qatar’s U.S.-operated Al Udeid base and the Al Harir base in Iraq’s Kurdistan. Those launches were followed by drone attacks targeting a gathering of U.S. troops at Al Dhafra air base in the United Arab Emirates and Juffair naval base in Bahrain.
Early on Wednesday, Iranian state media reported another round of attacks was unleashed on U.S. military installations in Bahrain.
Waves of Iranian missiles also were fired at central Israel early on Wednesday. The sound of explosions from air defenses intercepting the rockets punctuated the predawn darkness as air raid sirens blared and Israelis scrambled to safe rooms and shelters. There was no immediate word of whether any of the missiles reached the ground.

The latest attacks from Iran roughly coincided with a new Israeli ​barrage on Beirut aimed at rooting out the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, which has fired into Israel from Lebanon in solidarity with the Tehran government.
The White House on Tuesday reiterated Trump’s threat to hit Iran hard over moves to stop the flow of energy supplies through the Strait ​of Hormuz, where the war has effectively halted one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, and repeated his offer for the U.S. Navy to safely escort tankers.
“Today will be yet again, our most intense day ⁠of strikes inside Iran: the most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligence more refined and better than ever,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Pentagon briefing.

In a message posted to his Truth Social platform later in the day, Trump said, “Within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely ​destroyed” 10 of Iran’s “inactive” mine-laying vessels. He did not clarify where the strikes occurred.

‘LIKE HELL’

Tehran residents reached by Reuters described the war’s most intense night of bombardment.
“It was like hell. They were bombing everywhere, every part of Tehran,” a resident said by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. “My children are ​afraid to sleep now.”
In Tehran’s east, two five-storey residential buildings were hit on Monday, blasting out floors and walls and leaving a rickety concrete frame. Footage from Iran’s Red Crescent showed rescuers there carrying a victim in a body bag. Workers were still recovering bodies at the site on Tuesday when a missile struck a road intersection nearby.
Yet with Trump having described the war on Monday as “very complete, pretty much”, investors appeared convinced he would end it soon – before the disruption to global energy supplies caused a worldwide economic meltdown.
An historic surge in crude oil prices on Monday to nearly $120 a barrel was reversed as Brent crude settled back down below $90 on Tuesday. Asian and European share prices staged a partial recovery from earlier ​precipitous falls, and Wall Street bounced around its late February levels, before the war.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday that the American public will see oil and gas prices drop rapidly once the objectives of the joint Israeli-U.S. air war are fully achieved.
A source familiar with Israel’s war ​plans told Reuters the Israeli military wanted to inflict as much damage as possible before the window for further strikes closes, under the assumption Trump could end the war at any time.
Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said the war would proceed until his country and the U.S. determine the time had come to cease hostilities, but that ‌Israel was not ⁠seeking an “endless war.”
“We will continue until the minute that we, and our partners, think that it is appropriate to stop,” he said.

TRUMP PRESS CONFERENCE APPEARS TO REASSURE MARKETS

Iran has refused to bow to Trump’s demand that it let the United States choose its new leadership, naming hardliner Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader to replace his father, who was killed on the war’s first day.
But occasionally contradictory remarks from Trump at a Monday press conference seemed to reassure markets he would stop the war before provoking an economic crisis like those that followed the Middle East oil shocks of the 1970s. He said the U.S. had already inflicted serious damage and predicted the conflict would end before the four weeks he initially set out.
Trump has not defined what victory would look like, but on Monday did not repeat declarations that Iran must let him choose its leader.
Several congressional aides have said they expect the White House to soon request as much as $50 billion ​in additional funding for the war.
The U.S. used $5.6 billion in munitions in the first ​two days of strikes against Iran, a source familiar with the ⁠information said on Tuesday.

IRANIAN DEFIANCE

Several senior Iranian officials voiced defiance on Tuesday.
“Certainly, we are not seeking a ceasefire; we believe the aggressor must be struck in the mouth so that they learn a lesson,” Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, posted on X.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told PBS that Tehran was unlikely to resume negotiations with the U.S.
And a spokesperson for the Revolutionary Guards said Tehran would not allow “one litre” of Middle Eastern oil to reach the U.S. or its ​allies while U.S. and Israeli attacks continue.
“We are the ones who will determine the end of the war,” the spokesperson said.

QUICK END TO WAR COULD LEAVE IRAN’S LEADERS IN PLACE

Ending the war quickly would appear to ​preclude toppling Iran’s leadership, which held large-scale rallies ⁠on Monday in support of the new supreme leader.
Many Iranians want change and some openly celebrated the death of the elder Khamenei, weeks after his security forces killed thousands of people to put down anti-government protests. But there has been little sign of protest during the war.
Fearing a revival of anti-government demonstrations, Iran’s police chief Ahmadreza Radan warned that “anyone taking into streets at the enemy’s request will be confronted as an enemy not protestor.”
“All our security forces have their fingers on the trigger,” Radan told state television.
More than 1,300 Iranian civilians have been killed since the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes began on February 28, according to Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani. ⁠He said nearly 8,000 ​homes have been destroyed, along with 1,600 “commercial and service centers” and dozens of medical, educational and energy-supply facilities.
The intention of U.S. and Israeli strikes is “to terrorize civilians, massacre innocent people, and ​cause maximum destruction and suffering,” the ambassador said.
Scores have also been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon, while Iranian strikes on Israel have killed 12 people.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/iran-says-oil-blockade-will-continue-until-attacks-end-trump-threatens-hit-2026-03-10/

The announcement comes as the Trump administration pursues a policy of energy dominance, backing the production of oil, natural gas and coal.

US President Donald Trump has announced that the US will get its first new oil refinery in 50 years. Taking to Truth Social, the US president announced that this achievement comes with the help of investment from India’s Reliance Industries Ltd.

“I am proud to announce that America First Refining is opening the FIRST new U.S. Oil Refinery in 50 YEARS in Brownsville, Texas,” Trump said Tuesday in a post on Truth Social.

The announcement comes as the Trump administration pursues a policy of energy dominance, backing the production of oil, natural gas and coal. The refinery announcement also comes as world’s oil and gas supply has come to a halt with the conflict between Iran, US and Israel.

“THIS IS A HISTORIC $300 BILLION DOLLAR DEAL — THE BIGGEST IN U.S. HISTORY, A MASSIVE WIN for American Workers, Energy, and the GREAT People of South Texas! Thank you to our partners in India, and their largest privately held Energy Company, Reliance, for this tremendous Investment,” Trump wrote further.

The Republican leader added that the setting up of the new refinery comes due to his “America First Agenda” which has streamlined permits and lowered taxes, allowing “Billions of Dollars in Deals coming back to our Nation”.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/trump-announces-first-us-oil-refinery-in-50-years-with-reliance-backing-to-be-set-up-in-texas-101773182050376.html

 

Nearly seven months before Iranian drones began testing US defences in the Middle East, Ukrainian officials attempted to warn Washington and offered a solution.

Months before the Iran conflict escalated, Kyiv offered Washington battle-tested technology to counter Iranian drones. The proposal was dismissed, a decision some US officials now call a major “tactical error”, according to a report by Axios.

Nearly seven months before Iranian drones began testing US defences in the Middle East, Ukrainian officials attempted to warn Washington and offered a solution.

Kyiv even prepared a detailed PowerPoint presentation outlining how its battlefield-tested technology could help the US shoot down Iranian-made attack drones and protect American troops and allies in a potential regional conflict.

But the proposal was brushed aside by the Trump administration.

Now, as Iran’s Shahed drones increasingly challenge US air defences, Washington has quietly reversed course and reached out to Ukraine for help.

Why The Shahed Drones Are A Problem

During a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill last week, Trump administration officials told lawmakers that Iran’s Shahed attack drones pose a serious operational challenge and that US air defence systems may not be able to intercept all of them, a report by CNN mentioned.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine also acknowledged in the briefing that the drones have become a bigger problem than initially expected.

The drones are particularly difficult to intercept because they fly low and slow, which are characteristics that allow them to slip past traditional air defence systems more easily than ballistic missiles.

Some US officials now see Washington’s decision to reject Ukraine’s earlier proposal as a costly misstep.

Snubbing Kyiv’s offer ranks among the most significant tactical miscalculations since the United States began bombing Iran on February 28, two US officials told Axios.

Shahed Drones Linked To Deaths Of Seven US Troops

Iran’s inexpensive Shahed drones have already been linked to the deaths of seven US service members and forced the US and its regional allies to spend millions of dollars intercepting them.

“If there’s a tactical error or a mistake we made leading up to this [war in Iran], this was it,” a US official acknowledged.

Ukraine, which has spent years battling the same drones on its own battlefield, has become the world’s most experienced country in countering Shahed-style systems. Russia has used thousands of the drones, rebranded as Geran, during its invasion of Ukraine.

In response, Kyiv has developed a range of countermeasures, including a low-cost interceptor drone designed specifically to shoot down Shahed-style aircraft.

Zelensky Pitched Drone Defence Plan At White House

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky personally pitched the technology during a closed-door meeting at the White House on August 18, offering the interceptor drones to US President Donald Trump as part of a broader effort to deepen security ties and demonstrate appreciation for US support against Russia.

Kyiv also proposed creating a network of “drone combat hubs” in countries such as Turkey, Jordan and Persian Gulf states to defend against drone threats from Iran and its regional proxies.

“We wanted to build the ‘drone walls’ and all the things necessary like the radar, et cetera,” a Ukrainian official said.

But the plan never gained traction inside the administration.

Why US Did Not Adopt Ukraine’s Defence Plan

“At that meeting … in August, Trump asked his team to work on it, but they have done nothing,” the Ukrainian official said.

One US official who reviewed the presentation confirmed that Zelensky’s team shared the proposal with American officials. However, some within the administration reportedly viewed the Ukrainian leader as overly eager to promote his country’s role.

“We figured it was Zelensky being Zelensky. Somebody decided not to buy it,” the official said.

On Thursday, the US formally approached Kyiv for assistance in countering Iranian drones, according to The New York Times.

American officials maintain that US forces have intercepted the overwhelming majority of Iranian missiles and drones. So far, the seven US fatalities are significantly lower than early estimates, which predicted as many as 40 deaths in the initial phase of the conflict.

Cost Imbalance

Still, concerns remain about the cost imbalance in the fight.

An Iranian Shahed drone is estimated to cost between $20,000 and $50,000 depending on the model, while the interceptors used to shoot them down can cost millions.

The issue first emerged during US operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen and has persisted as Iran and its allies expand their drone capabilities.

On Friday, the US announced plans to deploy its own anti-Shahed system, called Merops, as regional allies complain about continued drone attacks.

But even within the administration, frustration over the response is growing.

One US official told the Associated Press that efforts to counter Iran’s drone campaign so far have been “disappointing”.

Another official acknowledged that Ukrainian technology could have helped if it had been deployed earlier, though they insisted that “our performance in theatre has been remarkable.”

Ukraine had structured its earlier proposal to appeal to Trump’s business instincts, presenting the drone-defence plan as a partnership that could create manufacturing jobs in the US.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/iran-war-live-us-tactical-error-ahead-of-iran-war-as-it-dismissed-ukraines-plan-11197088?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The UAE has no desire to be drawn into the Iran-Israel conflict and will not allow its territory to be used as a launching pad by either side, Hussain Hassan Mirza, the first UAE Ambassador to India, told NDTV today.

“To be honest, I’m not sure why we are involved. There is no reason for the UAE to be involved in this,” Mirza said.

Abu Dhabi is in a sensitive geopolitical position; it is a neighbour to Iran, and a partner to Israel under the Abraham Accords.

That position is precisely what makes the UAE useful, Mirza added. “We can negotiate between the two.”

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s outreach to the UAE leadership, Mirza said PM Modi commands respect not just among Gulf leaders but among the region’s public and business communities, and that credibility extends to both parties in the current conflict.

“One phone call from Mr Modi to the counterparts in Iran and Israel can solve this issue, can end this issue. One phone call,” Mirza told NDTV.

This confidence rests on PM Modi’s standing with both “warriors” – his word – currently fighting what he called a war being waged “on our soil”.

“They are fighting each other on our soil. That is unacceptable,” Mirza said.

He was careful to stay within civilian lanes. “I am not a military guy,” he said, and added that reports of minimal damage so far are accurate as per his assessment.

See more

#NDTVExclusive | “No reason for UAE for being involved in this. I’m totally confident that one phone call from Mr Modi to counterparts in Israel and Iran can solve this issue”: Hussain Hassan Mirza, First UAE Envoy to India, to @tejshreethought on the ongoing tensions in Middle… pic.twitter.com/St8zDYx8sc

— NDTV (@ndtv) March 9, 2026

The Iran-Israel war showed no sign of pausing for the transition of the new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Israel’s military launched a fresh wave of strikes on central Iran on Monday and hit Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/iran-israel-war-pm-narendra-modi-can-speak-to-iran-and-israel-to-end-war-uae-envoy-hussain-hassan-mirza-to-ndtv-11190307?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

The coded signal was reportedly transmitted after the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28.

Iran reportedly issued a possible “operational trigger” meant to activate “sleeper assets” overseas after the military conflict involving the United States and Israel began, according to an encrypted message intercepted by Washington.

Heavy airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iran have continued for more than a week, while Iran has carried out further attacks on Israel and Gulf countries. Meanwhile, Israel is also striking Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, while the militant group continues to launch rockets into Israel.

Iran activating sleeper cells?

According to the intercepted encrypted message, Iran may have sent out a possible “operational trigger” aimed at activating “sleeper assets” abroad, ABC News reported.

The coded signal was transmitted after the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28. The message appeared to contain directions for “covert operatives or sleeper assets,” the report said, citing a federal alert sent to law enforcement agencies.

The alert warned that the message could “be intended to activate or provide instructions to prepositioned sleeper assets operating outside the originating country.”

The intercepted transmission was encrypted and seemed to be intended for “clandestine recipients” who hold the required encryption key. Such messages are designed to pass instructions to “covert operatives or sleeper assets” without relying on the internet or mobile networks.

The warning from the United States said intelligence agencies had detected a broadcast station repeatedly sending the message to several countries outside Iran, ABC reported.

“While the exact contents of these transmissions cannot currently be determined, the sudden appearance of a new station with international rebroadcast characteristics warrants heightened situational awareness,” the memo said.

The alert also said that there is “no operational threat tied to a specific location.” However, it asked law enforcement agencies to step up monitoring of unusual radio-frequency signals.

US officials increase security

Notably, counterintelligence experts have raised concerns about the risk of revenge attacks inside the United States because of the war involving Iran.

“If ever there’s going to be a Hezbollah cell or a Hamas cell act in the United States in a violent way, it’s now,” Chris Swecker, a former assistant FBI director, told Fox News soon after the conflict broke out.

After the US carried out strikes on Iran on February 28, Kash Patel, the director of FBI, wrote on X that he had ordered “counterterrorism and intelligence teams to be on high alert and mobilise all assisting security assets needed”.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/iran-sent-operational-trigger-signal-to-activate-sleeper-cells-after-khameneis-death-report-101773109807347.html

Hundreds and hundreds of ships. But they’re all in the wrong place. “Oh my goodness,” says Michelle Wiese Bockmann, senior maritime intelligence analyst at Windward, a maritime AI company, as she checks the live positions broadcast by commercial vessels in waters off Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

“I’m up to… 35 different clusters,” she says, looking at a map of the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas.

The clusters she mentions are weird circles of icons layered over the map, with each icon representing a real ship.

But ships don’t bunch together in tight, unnaturally perfect circles. And they also don’t hover over land – which is where some of the clusters appear. No, their GPS coordinates have been disrupted, obfuscating their true location.

Wars are not just fought with bullets and bombs. Electromagnetic waves also do battle. Invisible to the naked eye, GPS jamming can cause significant disruption, hampered communications – and potentially deadly accidents.

In recent years, GPS jamming has affected aircraft in Europe, including a plane used by the President of the European Commission. And it is a daily feature of the war in Ukraine. Now that conflict has erupted in the Middle East, electronic warfare is spilling over yet more territory.

The interference currently affecting ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz is far from the first time that Bockmann has observed GPS jamming impacting vessels’ Automatic Identification Systems (AIS).

The same thing happened in this region last year during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, and electronic interference has also troubled vessel navigators in the Baltic Sea. But, she says, “This is next-level.”

“We can’t over-estimate the huge danger this places to maritime navigation and safety,” adds Bockmann. The National Hydrographic Office Pakistan has also warned about interference affecting shipping in the region.

Ships use AIS partly to avoid one another. It takes a long time for a 300m-long tanker carrying hundreds of thousands of tonnes of oil to turn or come to a stop – and vessels can travel potentially many kilometres before they fully adjust their course.

If you can’t be sure about where nearby vessels are, the risk of a collision goes up, especially at night or in poor visibility.

“That’s the problem,” says Alan Woodward at the University of Surrey. “Not you knowing where you’re going – it’s not knowing where everybody else is going.”

There is no official confirmation as to who is behind the jamming but military analysts strongly suspect Iran of causing disruption to vessels. Iran has also threatened to attack any ship attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or GPS jamming tools used by Iran are likely to be domestically produced or made with equipment sourced from Russia or China, says Thomas Withington, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a think tank.

He also suggests that US forces in the region are using jamming systems to protect their bases, personnel and vessels from drones and GNSS-guided weapons.

When approached, the US Department of War told the BBC: “Due to operations security we are not going to comment on the status of specific capabilities in the region.”

Sean Gorman is co-founder of tech company Zephr.xyz, which has analysed the extent of jamming in countries including Ukraine. Data from aircraft can reveal when GPS jamming is happening but with the airspace over Iran now closed, Gorman has had to find other sources.

In recent days, he used radar data from a satellite to detect jamming in Iran. While the BBC has not independently verified this data, Gorman says that jamming devices leave a trace of the interference they cause in radar signals, allowing him to reveal occurrences of GPS-jamming around the country.

In 2024, he and colleagues used smartphones strapped to drones to study GPS jamming in Ukraine. The drones would fly around while the smartphones recorded GPS information – picking up interference that could then be plotted on a map. “We were looking at the [GNSS] measurements of all those phones,” he explains. “You could triangulate to where the jammer was located.”

“I was just amazed [at] the level of jamming and how powerful it is,” says Gorman.

There are various technologies that offer to protect against GPS jamming. Mitigating the problem can include automatically detecting jamming or interference and switching to unaffected frequencies, for example.

Defence giant Raytheon makes a device called Landshield, which is about the size of an ice hockey puck in its smallest form. The company says this “anti-jam antenna system” can be installed on different kinds of vehicles – from cars to aircraft – and that it uses multiple channels to overcome jamming. “We’re seeing quite an increase in demand and capacity for our anti-jamming products at the moment,” says Alex Rose-Parfitt, engineering director of Raytheon UK.

Other companies have developed navigation tools that work around GPS’s flaws. Advanced Navigation, an Australia-based firm, has come up with a system that can determine a vehicle’s position based on readings from gyroscopes and accelerometers – the same kind of devices that your smartphone uses to detect when it has been turned sideways, for instance.

As for working out one’s geographic position, though, Chris Shaw, co-founder and chief executive of Advanced Navigation, says his firm’s tech can use alternatives when GPS proves unavailable or unreliable.

This includes matching optical imagery of one’s location to satellite imagery, or even through computer-based analysis of the position of stars overhead.

“The image processing is very advanced,” says Shaw. “Doing something like… star-mapping is very inexpensive.” Though, he adds, “It’s just not very accurate.” That is why multiple forms of location and position analysis might be necessary.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ewwlx9e1xo

Qatar’s Prime Minister said that Iran’s missile and drone strikes on Gulf countries were a “dangerous miscalculation” and a “betrayal,” while urging all sides to de-escalate.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has accused Iran of betraying Gulf nations after missile and drone strikes targeted countries across the region, warning that the escalation risks destabilising the Middle East and triggering global economic shockwaves.

Speaking to Sky News in his first media comments since Qatar came under repeated attacks, Al Thani described Iran’s strikes on Gulf countries as a “dangerous miscalculation” and urged all sides to step back from further military escalation.

“It is a big sense of betrayal,” he said.

“Just an hour after the start of the war, Qatar and other Gulf countries were attacked. We made clear that we were not going to take part in any wars against our neighbours.”

The Qatari Prime Minister said the country had entered what he called “a very difficult period”, but praised the professionalism of the country’s defence and security forces amid the ongoing attacks.

“All the attacks on the Gulf countries, we never expected this from our neighbour,” he said.

“We have always tried to preserve a good relationship with Iran, but the justifications and pretexts they are using are completely rejected.”

Al Thani also pushed back against claims that Iran’s strikes were aimed only at military targets.

“Twenty-five per cent of the attacks are targeting civilian facilities. What has this got to do with the war? What do they want to achieve?” he said.

Despite the criticism, he emphasised that further military escalation would only deepen the crisis and that diplomatic engagement remains essential.

“We continue to seek de-escalation,” he said.

“They are our neighbours, it’s our destiny.”

He also warned that the regional escalation could have wider consequences beyond West Asia.

Describing the Iranian strikes as a miscalculation, Al Thani said the attacks had “destroyed everything”, but insisted the answer now must lie in renewed negotiations.

EXPLOSIONS HEARD IN DOHA AS IRAN STRIKES GULF COUNTRIES

Meanwhile, several explosions were heard on Monday in the Qatari capital Doha as Iran expanded retaliatory strikes across the Gulf region.

Qatar has been targeted by waves of Iranian drones and missiles since Tehran launched a sweeping retaliation campaign following US and Israeli air strikes on the Islamic Republic.

Qatar’s defence ministry said its forces intercepted a missile attack on Monday.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said the kingdom intercepted and destroyed two drones heading towards the Shaybah oil field in the southeast of the country.

Kuwait’s defence ministry said its air defences were working to intercept missile and drone attacks, while authorities earlier reported that the country had been targeted by seven missiles and five drones on Sunday.

In Bahrain, several people were injured in an Iranian drone strike on the island of Sitra, the interior ministry said.

The United States has also ordered non-emergency embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia due to security risks, the State Department said in a travel advisory.

Iran has warned that it could strike neighbouring countries if their territory is used to launch attacks against the Islamic Republic.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran “will be forced to respond” against neighbours if their territory is used to attack Iran.

IRAN APPOINTS MOJTABA KHAMENEI AS NEW SUPREME LEADER

Iran has meanwhile appointed Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israeli strikes earlier in the conflict.

According to Iranian state television, the decision was made by the country’s 88-member Assembly of Experts, which selected the 56-year-old cleric as the Islamic Republic’s third supreme leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The announcement came nine days after strikes killed the elder Khamenei, an event that significantly escalated tensions across the region.

State media later broadcast images of a missile reportedly launched toward Israel bearing the slogan “At Your Command, Sayyid Mojtaba.”

Mojtaba Khamenei is widely seen as a hardliner closely aligned with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, which quickly pledged loyalty to the new leader.

WAR SPREADS ACROSS REGION AS OIL PRICES SURGE

The conflict has widened across West Asia, with Israel carrying out strikes on multiple targets in Iran and Lebanon.

Israeli strikes on oil facilities in and around Tehran triggered fires and thick smoke across parts of the capital, disrupting fuel distribution and prompting warnings that the air could be toxic.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/qatar-pm-sheikh-mohammed-bin-abdulrahman-al-thani-iran-betrayed-gulf-regions-middle-east-west-asia-conflict-ws-l-9949622.html

Iran on Monday named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the ​week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Mojtaba, a cleric with influence inside Iran’s security forces and vast business networks under his father, had been viewed as a frontrunner ‌in the lead-up to Sunday’s vote by the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics tasked with choosing Ali Khamenei’s successor.

“By a decisive vote, the Assembly of Experts, appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the third Leader of the sacred system of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Assembly said in a statement issued just after midnight Tehran time.
The position gives Mojtaba the final say in all matters of state in the Islamic Republic.
Mojtaba’s appointment will likely draw the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump, who said on ​Sunday that Washington should have a say in the selection. “If he doesn’t get approval from us, he’s not going to last long,” he told ABC News.
Israel, ahead of the announcement, threatened to target whoever was ​chosen.

In an interview with the Times of Israel after the new supreme leader was named, Trump declined to respond, saying only “We’ll see what happens,” according to the newspaper. ⁠Trump also said in the interview that ending the war would be a “mutual” decision with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mojtaba’s father, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was killed in one of the first strikes launched against Iran more ​than a week ago.
Washington on Sunday ordered the departure of non-emergency employees at its embassy in Saudi Arabia, the latest drawdown of U.S. diplomats as Iran has struck U.S. facilities in the region.
The U.S. military reported a seventh American ​has died from wounds sustained during Iran’s initial counter-attack a week ago, a day after Trump presided over the return to the United States of the remains of the six others killed.

The U.S.-Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and wounded thousands, according to Iran’s U.N. ambassador.

OIL OVER $100 A BARREL

The expanding war has severely impacted the oil trade and surging prices sparked a fall in share futures in Asia on Monday, amid fears of rising living costs. The dollar rose sharply against the euro and the yen.
U.S. crude ​futures rose more than 20% in early trade on Monday, hitting their highest since July 2022, amid fears of tighter supply and prolonged disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent jumped 17% to $108.73 a barrel, ​having already soared 28% last week.
On Wall Street, S&P 500 futures ESc1, shed 1.6%, while Nasdaq futures NQc1, dived 1.7%.

Trump, in a social media post, said oil prices “will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over,” and said the price ‌hike was “a very ⁠small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace.”

DEFIANCE FROM TEHRAN

Iranian state media said the leadership of Iran’s armed forces had pledged allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement they are ready to follow the new supreme leader.
The Assembly of Experts met on Sunday to elect a new supreme leader despite threats that the body would be targeted, Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, said on state TV after the announcement.
Mojtaba Khamenei could lead the country under the current sensitive conditions, Larijani said, calling for unity around the new leader.
Iran has launched strikes across the region in retaliation against U.S. and Israeli attacks. The U.S. State Department said on ​Sunday it had ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and ​their family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to ⁠safety risks, days after the embassy in the Saudi capital was damaged in a drone attack blamed on Iran.
Early on Sunday, the Saudi Defence Ministry said that it had shot down a drone that attempted to target the Diplomatic Quarter, a calm tree-lined neighbourhood on the city’s western edge that hosts most foreign missions including the U.S. embassy.
The ​U.S. has already raised its warning level for Saudi Arabia and allowed some personnel to leave the country, and has ordered the departure of staff at embassies ​in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and ⁠Bahrain since the outbreak of the war.
Israel continued to target senior Iranian figures, including Abolqasem Babaian, the recently appointed head of the military office of the supreme leader, saying he was killed in a Saturday strike.

‘DANGEROUS NEW PHASE’

As fighting escalated on Sunday, day nine of the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, thick black smoke hung over Tehran, residents said, after strikes on oil storage facilities, had lit up the night sky with plumes of orange flame.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the large-scale attack ⁠marked a “dangerous new ​phase” of the conflict and amounted to a war crime.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-rejects-settling-iran-war-raises-prospect-killing-all-its-potential-2026-03-08/

Oil prices surged about 20% on Monday, hitting their highest since July 2022, as the expanding U.S.-Israeli war with Iran ‌led some major Middle Eastern oil producers to cut supplies and on fears of prolonged disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint.
Iraq and Kuwait have begun cutting oil output, adding to earlier liquefied natural gas reductions from Qatar, as the war blocked shipments from the Middle East.

Analysts predict the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia will have to also cut output ​soon as they run out of oil storage.
The war could leave consumers and businesses worldwide facing weeks or months of higher fuel prices even ​if the week-old conflict ends quickly, as suppliers grapple with damaged facilities, disrupted logistics and elevated risks to shipping.
Brent crude futures ⁠rose as much as $18.35, or 19.8%, to $111.04 a barrel and were up $15.24, or 16.4%, at $107.93 as of 0014 GMT on Monday.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were ​up $16.50, or 18.2%, at $107.40 a barrel, after rising as much as $20.34, or 22.4%, to $111.24 earlier in the session.

Brent climbed 27% and WTI rose 35.6% last week, before ​the latest jumps.
“I think prices have rallied this morning on the reports that Middle East producers are now reducing output due to storage facilities filling up fast,” said Daniel Hynes, senior commodity strategist at ANZ.
“The next flag will be whether it eventually gets to a point where they have to start shutting in oil wells, which not only impacts output even further, it ​delays a response once the conflict eases as well. That would potentially sustain those prices for much longer,” Hynes added.
Iraqi oil production from its main southern oilfields ​has fallen by 70% to just 1.3 million barrels per day as the country is unable to export oil via the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war, three industry ‌sources said ⁠on Sunday. Crude storage has reached maximum capacity, said an official with the state-run Basra Oil Company.

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation began cutting oil output on Saturday and declared force majeure on shipments, though it did not say how much production it would shut.
Iran’s attacks on oil infrastructure across the region have continued. Fujairah Media Office said fire broke out in the UAE’s Fujairah oil industry zone resulting from debris falling, with no injuries reported. Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said on X it intercepted a drone heading to ​the Shaybah oilfield.

NEW LEADER

Iran on Monday named Mojtaba ​Khamenei to succeed his father Ali ⁠Khamenei as Supreme Leader, signalling that hardliners remain firmly in charge in Tehran a week into its conflict with the United States and Israel.
“With the appointment of the late leader’s son as Iran’s new leader, U.S. President Donald Trump’s goal of ​regime change in Iran has become more difficult,” said Satoru Yoshida, a commodity analyst with Rakuten Securities.

“That view accelerated buying, ​as Iran is expected ⁠to continue its closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on other oil-producing nations’ facilities, as seen last week,” he said, predicting WTI could rise to $120 and then $130 a barrel in a relatively short period.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-oil-prices-jump-supply-fears-amid-expanding-us-israeli-war-with-iran-2026-03-08/

The ex-depot price of petrol saw an increase of around 17%, while high-speed diesel was up 20%

In the first post-Iran war economic shock, Pakistan government in an overnight decision has increased petrol and high-speed diesel prices by PKR 55 per litre each, the highest-ever hike.

Addressing a press conference just before midnight, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced the hike with the consolation that the country has sufficient petroleum reserves.

As a result of the hike, the ex-depot price of high-speed diesel was fixed at PKR 335.86 per litre for the coming week, up by about 20% from PKR 280.86 per litre.

Likewise, the ex-depot price of petrol was revised to PKR 321.17 per litre from PKR 266.17 per litre, reflecting an increase of around 17%.

Mr. Malik said at the presser that the conflict in West Asia created uncertainty in the entire region, offsetting global energy supply and prices, the Dawn newspaper reported.

“The fire that started in a neighbouring country has spread across the entire region. We do not know how long this crisis will continue, and there is no clear timeline for its end,” he said.

He added that Pakistan was dependent on oil supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which were affected by the ongoing conflict.

The minister said that the government was monitoring the supply side and warned of strict action against hoarding and artificial shortages of petroleum products in the country.

He also shared that two Pakistani oil vessels were coming through alternative routes.

Petrol prices to be reviewed weekly

Mr. Malik said the government would now review petroleum prices on a weekly basis in view of the volatile international market.

“As soon as the situation improves internationally, we will reduce prices at the same speed,” he added.

Earlier, Mr. Dar said global oil prices had increased by 50 to 70% due to the crisis. “In many countries, prices increase automatically, but we tried to pass on the minimum possible impact to consumers and find a balanced solution,” he said.

Finance Minister Aurangzeb reiterated that Pakistan currently has “comfortable” petroleum reserves, and that the country’s economic situation remains stable. However, he stressed that policymakers would remain vigilant.

AT least 8 people have been killed as a series of monster tornadoes ripped through the central part of the US.

The terrifying twisters began across the Heartland region on Thursday and continued to tear across southern Michigan on Friday night with over 100 million Americans under an extreme weather alert.

Teacher Jodie Owens, 47, and her 13-year-old daughter Lexi have been confirmed dead after their van was caught in the path of a devastating tornado on Thursday night in Fairview, Oklahoma.

Their vehicle was lifted up by the powerful tornado and both were found dead inside at the scene of a crash that officials believe was caused by the twister.

Family members have said the terrified mother had been begging her children to stay at home when the storm hit as she watched the skies darken on her drive home.

“She could see a storm was coming,” Owens’ brother Justin Zonts told KOKH.

“She called her children who were still at home to say, ‘Hey you need to get into a cellar’. That’s actually when she got hit.

“She was on the phone with her daughter, who heard her mom and sisters’ last cry before the line went dead.”

Officials confirmed that two others were killed on Friday night in Beggs, Oklahoma, which is over 170 miles away from Fairview, as the severe weather system tore through the state, bringing with it hail the size of golf balls.

Four other fatalities have been confirmed so far in the Union Lake area of Michigan with shocking footage showing debris from torn up homes and vehicles being flung into the sky.

Three of these deaths were in Branch County where terrified residents called the tornado the “Godzilla of twisters”.

Parking lots, storefronts, homes, and power lines have all been reduced to mangled shells and rubble in the wake of the weather system with thousands without power as of Saturday morning.

Resident Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and filmed from the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formed and then dropped toward the ground. Trees were torn from their roots and debris flew into the air.

“Its lifting houses,” she said. As the devastation continued, she exclaimed: “Oh my heart is pounding. Oh, I hope they’re OK.”

Branch County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that as of 8pm local time on Friday, there were 12 reported injuries, with three taken to hospital, as well as three fatalities.

“Our thoughts are with those who have lost family, friends, and property during this incident,” Sheriff Frederick A. Blankenship said.

The fourth Michigan victim died after a tornado hit the Edwardsburg region, Cass County Sheriff Clint Roach confirmed as county officials declared a state of emergency.

Residents of all tornado-hit regions have been told to avoid the affected areas and to stay away from damaged or unstable structures.

Downed power lines, fallen trees and debris should also be avoided.

Additional severe weather is expected to continue through the weekend with many being awoken by sirens.

“Who else woke up to tornado sirens going off this am?!” one Kansas City resident said on X.

Another who saw footage of one of the twisters throwing debris around a Three Rivers parking lot called it “insane.”

“That video is insane—watching the debris just explode everywhere and the Menards roof peel off like it’s nothing,” she wrote, adding prayers to those in the region.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/16051508/tornado-michigan-oklahoma-dead-weather-alert-sirens/

Tens of thousands of high school students took to the streets of cities all over the country to protest against the reintroduction of military service. Many people believe that conscription is inevitable.

Young people gathered in Berlin’s central Potsdamer Square on Thursday and marched through the German capital to protest against the government’s plans to reintroduce military service. While the police counted around 3,000 participants, organizers claimed there were 6,000 demonstrators in Berlin and 50,000 in more than 130 towns and cities across Germany.

“I don’t think I’ll be dying for my friends, relatives or acquaintances, in the worst-case scenario,” 17-year-old Shmuel Schatz, spokesperson for the School Strike Committee, told DW’s Gasia Ohanes. “Rather, in the end, only for those who are put into the trenches for the interests of large corporations like Rheinmetall, ThyssenKrupp, and others, so they can line their pockets at the expense of war.”

The German government introduced a new military service law in December 2025. The law means all 18-year-olds will receive questionnaires this year, asking them about their motivation and suitability for the military and informing them about volunteering for the Bundeswehr. Responding will be mandatory for men.

Germany wants more soldiers

“People who go there voluntarily can fight for this, even if that does have its problems. But people should not be forced. Coercion is never a solution,” said 19-year-old Kiran Schürmann, another spokesperson for the protesters in Berlin.

If this drive to bring in more volunteers does not meet the targets specified in the new military service, the government’s plan is to reintroduce full conscription. The government said last year that it had set out a “growth path” to reach a total of around 260,000 soldiers — from a current 180,000 — plus some 200,000 reservists.

In his military report presented on Tuesday, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Henning Otte, of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), expressed “doubts about the prospects of success of the voluntary principle.”

The number of conscientious military objectors is rising

Many people believe that conscription is inevitable, and peace organizations have already seen a rise in inquiries about how to refuse military service on grounds of conscience. The German constitution, or Basic Law, enshrines people’s right not to join the military, and there are several offers for counseling for conscientious objection.

The number of conscientious objectors in Germany increased significantly in 2025. According to the Federal Office for Family Affairs and Civil Society (BAFzA), a total of 3,867 applications were submitted to the agency last year, a 72% increase compared to the previous year.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/german-high-school-students-protest-against-military-service/a-76236452

More than 38,000 Syrians flee Lebanon for Syria, as mounting violence causes displacement across the Middle East and beyond.

Israeli strikes have killed more than 100 people in Lebanon as Israel issued more leave-or-die threats to the suburbs of Beirut, and across vast areas of the country’s south.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health reported on Thursday that the death toll from the Israel-Hezbollah conflict has reached 102, with 638 wounded since Monday.

New strikes hit Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs early Thursday, with AFPTV footage showing smoke rising from the area.

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that an Israeli drone strike on an apartment in the Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli killed senior Hamas official Wassim Atallah al-Ali and his wife.

On Thursday, Israel expanded its forced evacuation threats to residents across hundreds of square kilometres of southern Lebanon, citing imminent military action.

The escalating conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 83,000 people within Lebanon. According to Syrian authorities and the UN refugee agency, at least 38,000 people, primarily Syrians, have fled Lebanon for Syria.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on X: “Urgent warning to residents of southern Lebanon: you must immediately continue evacuating to the north of the Litani river.” The warning specifically mentioned the cities of Tyre and Bint Jbeil.

Israel’s military announced on Tuesday it was establishing a buffer zone inside Lebanon to protect Israeli citizens. By Wednesday, it confirmed that three divisions comprising infantry, armoured and engineering units were operating inside Lebanese territory.

“Across the Middle East and beyond, a troubling displacement picture is emerging in the aftermath of the ongoing conflicts in the region,” UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch said Thursday.

On Thursday, the Israeli military extended forced evacuation orders to Beirut’s southern suburbs, instructing residents to “save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” indicating potential intensified bombardment amid the widening of the Iranian conflict.

‘Deliberately short-term measure’ only authorises transactions involving oil already stranded at sea

Amid the escalating conflict with Iran, the US has said it is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil.

“President Trump’s energy agenda has resulted in oil and gas production reaching the highest levels ever recorded. To enable oil to keep flowing into the global market, the Treasury Department is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday.

He said this “deliberately short-term measure” would not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government, as it only authorises transactions involving oil already stranded at sea.

See more

President Trump’s energy agenda has resulted in oil and gas production reaching the highest levels ever recorded.

To enable oil to keep flowing into the global market, the Treasury Department is issuing a temporary 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil.…

— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) March 6, 2026

“India is an essential partner of the United States, and we fully anticipate that New Delhi will ramp up purchases of US oil. This stop-gap measure will alleviate pressure caused by Iran’s attempt to take global energy hostage,” Bessent said in a post on X.

US President Donald Trump had imposed 25 per cent punitive tariffs on India for buying Russian oil, with the administration asserting that Delhi’s purchases were helping fuel Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Last month, the US and India announced they had reached a framework for an interim agreement on trade, and Trump issued an executive order removing the 25 per cent punitive tariffs on India, noting the commitment by New Delhi to stop importing energy from Moscow and increase purchasing American energy products.

A statement from the Department of Treasury titled ‘Authorizing the Delivery and Sale of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products of Russian Federation Origin Loaded on Vessels as of March 5, 2026 to India’ said that “all transactions prohibited … that are ordinarily incident and necessary to the sale, delivery, or offloading of crude oil or petroleum products of Russian Federation origin loaded on any vessel, including vessels blocked under the above listed authorities, on or before 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time, March 5, 2026 are authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time, April 4, 2026, provided that the delivery or offloading of such crude oil or petroleum products occurs at a port” in India and the purchaser of such crude oil or petroleum products is an entity organised under the laws of India.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/world/us/india-gets-30-day-waiver-from-us-to-purchase-russian-oil-amid-iran-war-3921558 

A U.S. judge granted preliminary approval on Tuesday to an ​agreement for Jeffrey Epstein’s estate to pay as much as $35 million to resolve a ‌class action lawsuit that accused two of the disgraced financier’s advisers of aiding and abetting his sex trafficking of young women and teenage girls.

Boies Schiller Flexner, a law firm representing Epstein victims, announced the settlement on February ​19. On Tuesday, Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said the agreement appeared fair. ​The judge scheduled a hearing for September 16 to consider granting final ⁠approval.

The deal would bring an end to a 2024 lawsuit filed against Epstein’s former personal ​lawyer Darren Indyke and former accountant Richard Kahn, who are co-executors of Epstein’s estate.

Epstein’s estate previously ​set up a restitution fund that paid out $121 million to victims. The estate also paid $49 million in additional settlements to victims.

Daniel Weiner, a lawyer for Indyke and Kahn, said neither man admitted wrongdoing or conceded misconduct as ​part of the settlement.

“Because they did nothing wrong, the co-executors were prepared to fight the ​claims against them through to trial, but agreed to mediate and settle this lawsuit in order to achieve ‌finality ⁠as to any potential claims against the Epstein Estate,” Weiner said in a statement.

Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer who brought the case, said in a statement, “We are pleased we could take another step forward on that long road for the survivors and provide some sort of justice.”

Epstein died ​in a New York ​jail in August 2019. ⁠His death was ruled a suicide.

Millions of documents released this year by the Justice Department from its investigation into Epstein have shed light on his ​social ties to wealthy and powerful people around the world.

In the 2024 ​lawsuit, lawyers ⁠at Boies Schiller Flexner said Indyke and Kahn helped Epstein create a complex web of corporations and bank accounts that let him hide his abuses and pay victims and recruiters. Indyke and Kahn were “richly compensated” ⁠for their ​work, the lawsuit said.

The Boies law firm previously helped ​obtain $365 million of settlements with JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank after accusing them of missing red flags about Epstein, once ​a lucrative client.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us-judge-preliminarily-approves-35-million-settlement-between-epstein-estate-2026-03-03

U.S. President Donald Trump sought to justify a broad, open-ended war on Iran in his most extensive public comments yet on an operation whose stated aims and ​timeline have shifted since it began over the weekend.

Trump said the U.S. and Israeli air attacks that began on Saturday had been projected to last four to five weeks but ‌could go on longer.

The military campaign has killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sunk at least 10 Iranian warships and struck more than 1,000 targets. Iran has responded by firing missiles and drones at neighboring Arab states and strangling shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for energy trade.

“We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections. But whatever the time is, it’s okay. Whatever it takes,” Trump said at the White House on Monday, during his first public event since the conflict began.

He made ​no mention of regime change, saying the fight was needed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, which Tehran denies seeking, and to thwart its long-range ballistic missile program.

“An Iranian regime armed ​with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be an intolerable threat to the Middle East, but also to the American people,” Trump said.

In a social media post ⁠overnight, Trump said there was a “virtually unlimited supply” of U.S. munitions and that “wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies.”

The remarks followed days of sometimes conflicting statements from the president, who had discussed ​the attacks in two brief videos and one-on-one interviews with select journalists over the weekend but did not give a televised address to the nation, as is customary in moments of military action. He took no questions ​from reporters at Monday’s event.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back on suggestions the administration’s messaging on the operation had been muddled.

On X, Leavitt said Trump had outlined “clear objectives,” including preventing Iran’s proxies from launching attacks and stopping production of roadside bombs like those used against U.S. forces after the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

VARYING MESSAGES

But U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s comments to reporters in Congress indicating that Israel’s determination to attack Iran effectively forced Washington to join the operation have only fueled ​the debate.

“The president made the very wise decision — we knew that there was going to be an Israeli action, we knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we ​didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,” Rubio said on Monday.

Days earlier, as Trump announced the strikes on Saturday, he urged Iranians to “take back your country,” implying regime change was a goal ‌for Washington.

On ⁠Sunday, Trump told The Atlantic he was open to talks with whoever emerged to lead Iran and told the New York Times his January operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was a model for Iran’s future.

In the case of Venezuela, former Maduro ally Delcy Rodriguez emerged as the new leader and has cooperated with Washington. In Iran’s case, U.S. and Israeli strikes have eliminated many of those who could step in to take power, Trump said.

Trump’s timeline for the Iran operation has also shifted since it began. He first told the Daily Mail it could take “four weeks, or less,” then told The New York Times four to five weeks. In separate ​remarks on Sunday and Monday, he left open the ​possibility that the operation could continue longer until ⁠its objectives are achieved.

In his notification to Congress about the Iran strikes obtained by Reuters, Trump did not provide any timeline.

“Although the United States desires a quick and enduring peace, it is not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary,” Trump wrote.

Jon Alterman of ​the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who has served as a State Department official focused on the Middle East, said Trump appeared to have deliberately ​left the war’s ultimate outcome ⁠undefined.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-he-ordered-iran-strikes-thwart-tehrans-missile-program-2026-03-02

Mojtaba was born in 1969 in the city of Mashhad. He grew up at a time when his father was involved in leading opposition to the Shah.

The son of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, has reportedly been elected as the new leader of the country by Iran’s Assembly of Experts. The appointment comes after days of speculation over who would step in after his father was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Saturday.

The 56-year-old, who is also Khamenei’s eldest son, was chosen to take charge of the country by Iran’s Assembly of Experts, Iranian International reported on Tuesday. The report, citing sources, also said that Mojtaba was elected under pressure from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

His selection, however, may raise questions, as the Islamic Republic has often criticised hereditary rule and presented itself as a fairer system. Khamenei himself reportedly did not include him in a list of possible successors he prepared last year. Within Iran’s Shia Muslim clerical establishment, succession from father to son is not viewed positively.

Who is Mojtaba Khamenei?

Mojtaba is not a high-ranking cleric. He has never held office and has no formal position in the regime. However, he is believed to hold considerable influence behind the scenes.

Notably, he also has close ties to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

He fought in the Iranian armed forces during the Iran-Iraq War. Mojtaba was among the Khamenei family members who survived, while the late supreme leader’s wife, daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law were killed.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/khamenei-son-mojtaba-elected-new-supreme-leader-of-iran-amid-us-israel-war-101772576619000.html

 

Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador in Geneva, insisted Tehran had no problem with its neighbours, but could not let US bases in the Gulf be used as launchpads for attacks on Iran.

The United States made a “totally stupid decision” to attack Iran while in negotiations, and betrayed Gulf nations by trashing their diplomatic efforts, Tehran’s UN ambassador said Tuesday.

Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador in Geneva, insisted Tehran had no problem with its neighbours, but could not let US bases in the Gulf be used as launchpads for attacks on Iran.

“War was not our option. War was imposed on Iran,” Bahreini told UN correspondents.

“Nobody should expect Iran to show restraint in front of aggression.

“We will continue our defence until the point that this aggression is stopped,” he said.

On February 26, Washington and Tehran held indirect negotiations in Geneva on Iran’s nuclear programme — with the Omani mediators reporting “significant progress”.

Bahreini was present for part of those talks and said “everybody was optimistic” and the US team “agreed to continue negotiations” in Vienna this week.

But Bahreini said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had convinced US President Donald Trump to destroy diplomacy and attack Iran, with strikes starting on Saturday.

“It was a totally stupid decision. They will know in the future how stupid this decision has been. Both of them will understand, because Iran will firmly determine the situation and the destiny of this war,” he said.

“All our neighbours are now disappointed with the betrayal of the United States because everybody was working for diplomacy, particularly Oman.

“The US betrayed everybody.”

– ‘Not a regional war’ –

Tehran has launched strikes against countries in the region that host US bases.

“I cannot accept labelling what we are doing as reprisal. What we are doing is a kind of self-defence,” said Bahreini.

The ambassador said Iran’s problem was not with its neighbours, describing the Gulf countries as friends.

“We are in daily dialogue with our neighbours to convey to them the message that this war is not a war against our neighbours.

“This is not a regional war.

“But we cannot ignore the fact that the US bases in their lands are operational against us.

“In no way we can allow those bases to be used to make military operations against Iran.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-took-stupid-decision-to-attack-while-in-negotiations-irans-un-envoy-11165338

Violent demonstrations erupted in several Pakistani cities over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Authorities sent in the army and imposed a curfew in the majority Shiite region of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Pakistan has deployed the military and imposed a three-day curfew in the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu following deadly protests against the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli attack.

At least 25 people have been killed and dozens injured across the country.

Thousands of Shiite demonstrators attacked UN offices in Skardu, in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, on Sunday. Meanwhile, in the city of Gilgit, protesters burned a police station and damaged a school, officials said.

Police said at least 12 people were killed and 80 others wounded in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Monday that Skardu’s UN Military Observer Group Field Station, which monitors the ceasefire along the disputed region of Kashmir, was vandalized when protesters turned violent nearby.

“The safety and security of UN personnel and premises throughout the region remain our top priority, and we continue to closely monitor the situation,” Dujarric said.

Protests in Karachi and other cities

Demonstrations also erupted in the southern port city Karachi, where protesters stormed the US consulate on Sunday, smashing windows and attempting to set the building on fire. Ten people died and more than 50 were injured in clashes with police.

Meanwhile, one person was killed in clashes in the capital, Islamabad.

Thousands also protested in the northern cities of Parachinar, Dera Ismail Khan and Peshawar, but no clashes were reported.

Pakistan is home to the world’s second-largest Shiite community after Iran. While Shiites are a minority nationwide, in some northern areas, including Gilgit-Baltistan, they constitute a majority.

Heightened security around US missions

In the wake of the weekend protests, Pakistani authorities have boosted security around US diplomatic missions across the country. Roads leading to the consulate in Karachi were blocked off by police, and similar measures were also in place in Lahore and Islamabad.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-curfew-khamenei-protests-gilgit-skardu/a-76191205

The French president wants more nuclear warheads as Europe becomes increasingly wary of its US ally. It would be the first time since 1992 that the French arsenal is expanded.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said France would be increasing the number of nuclear warheads in its arsenal.

The French leader was speaking from L’Ile Longue military base that houses the country’s nuclear submarines.

France is the only nuclear power within the EU. Macron has spoken before about France acting as a nuclear deterrent for the bloc amid an increasingly unreliable partnership with the US.

What did Macron say about France’s nuclear arsenal?

“An upgrade of our arsenal is essential,” Macron said from the Brittany base. “We are currently experiencing a period of geopolitical upheaval fraught with risk.”

“That’s why I ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads in our arsenal.”

“Whoever wants to be free must be feared. Whoever wants to be feared must be strong,” he added.

With around 290 nuclear warheads, France is the world’s fourth-largest nuclear power after the US, Russia and China.

However, Macron did not say by how many warheads the French arsenal would be expanded.

The change in France’s nuclear doctrine includes more cooperation with European allies, such as Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark, Macron said.

France currently has four nuclear-armed submarines, which can be hidden anywhere in the world’s seas, and have a range of around 10,000 kilometers. It also possesses Rafale fighter jets that can launch cruise missiles with nuclear warheads at a range of around 500 kilometers.

Why does France want to increase its number of nuclear warheads?

The announcement comes amid increasingly public concerns over how much European powers can rely on the US so-called nuclear umbrella — a policy aimed at protecting US allies, particularly in NATO, from nuclear threats.

France last added to its nuclear arsenal in 1992.

Tensions with the US reached a peak earlier this year when US President Donald Trump appeared unwilling to back down from pushing his aspirations to take control of Greenland from EU and NATO member Denmark.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/macron-says-france-to-increase-its-nuclear-arsenal/a-76187178

 

US government used AI tools from Anthropic during the air attack launched on Iran just hours after declaring that it would stop using technology from the AI startup. As per a report by The Wall Street Journal, commands around the world, including U.S. Central Command in the Middle East, used Anthropic’s Claude AI during the Iran attack.

Reportedly, the command used Anthropic’s AI for intelligence assessments, target identification and simulating battle scenarios. Prior to the Iran attack, another WSJ report had revealed that Anthropic’s AI was also used by the Pentagon during the capture of Venezuela president Nicolás Maduro.

The report noted that the use of Claude in high-profile missions is among the reasons why the US administration had said that it would take six months to phase out the technology from the AI startup.

In a Truth Social post about ending the deal with Anthropic, US President Donald Trump had gone on to call the company ‘leftwing nut jobs’ and ‘woke’ while claiming that ‘their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY.’

Trump had directed all federal agencies in the US to ‘immediately cease’ using Anthropic technology.

“We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again! There will be a six-month phase-out period for agencies like the Department of War who are using Anthropic’s products at various levels,” he wrote.

US and Anthropic feud over AI safety:

Pentagon and Anthropic had been arguing for months over how the company’s AI models are used in national defence. The AI startup said that it had allowed the US DoD to use Anthropic technology for purposes with two exceptions: mass domestic surveillance of Americans and fully autonomous weapons.

Anthropic has also challenged the US designation of the company as a ‘supply chain risk’ and said it will contest it in court.

Source : https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/amid-cancel-chatgpt-trend-anthropic-launches-feature-to-help-users-switch-to-claude-11772424188496.html

Demonstrations against the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran turned violent in Pakistan and Iraq on Sunday, while in other parts of the world Iranian exiles took to the streets to celebrate the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
At least 23 protesters were killed in clashes in Pakistan, including 10 in the port of Karachi where security guards at the U.S. consulate fired on demonstrators who breached the outer wall, 11 in the northern city of Skardu where the crowd torched a U.N. office, and two in Islamabad.

In Iraq, police fired tear gas and stun grenades to scatter hundreds of pro-Iranian protesters who had gathered outside the Green Zone diplomatic compound in the capital Baghdad, where the U.S. embassy is located.
But in Paris, a joyous crowd of thousands turned out to celebrate, waving flags of Iran’s pre-revolutionary monarchy, some carrying red roses and bottles of champagne.
Iran’s neighbours to the east and west, Pakistan and Iraq have the world’s largest Shi’ite Muslim populations after Iran, and were the scenes of some of the worst unrest from crowds angry at the U.S.-Israeli attacks.
Protesters in Karachi chanted “Death to America! Death to Israel!” at the consulate, where Reuters reporters heard gunfire and saw tear gas fired in surrounding streets.

Consulate security staff opened fire at a crowd who were pushed back after breaching the outer security layer, said Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, a local government spokesman. The demonstrators also set a vehicle ablaze outside the main gate and clashed with police, he said.
“We are in constant touch with consulate officials. They are all safe,” Hemnani added.
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said in a post on X it was monitoring reports of demonstrations and advised U.S. citizens to observe good personal security practices. The consulate in Karachi and embassy in Islamabad did not respond to Reuters requests for further comment.
Thirty-four people were injured, police said. Karachi’s Civil Hospital said all those killed and injured were hit with gunshots. The provincial government of Sindh ordered an inquiry.

UN OFFICE SET ON FIRE

Skardu, where the U.N. building was set ablaze, is in Gilgit Baltistan in the north, Pakistan’s only province where Shi’ites are the plurality.
“A large number of protesters have gathered outside the U.N. office and burned down the building,” local government spokesperson Shabbir Mir told Reuters. The figure of 11 killed was provided by a government official and an intelligence official, both on condition of anonymity.
Protesters also took to the streets in other parts of Pakistan, carrying black flags and chanting “Down with America!” and anti-Israel slogans. In the central city of Lahore, police said hundreds gathered outside the U.S. consulate. There were some small-scale clashes with police, who fired tear gas.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi urged protesters to remain peaceful. “We stand with you,” he said, adding that every Pakistani was as grief-stricken as the people of Iran.
In the capital Islamabad, all roads leading to the Red Zone, which houses diplomatic missions were blocked to traffic, police said. Police fired tear gas and live bullets when thousands of protesters tried to march toward the diplomatic enclave, killing two and injuring nearly 10, two officials said on condition of anonymity.
Elsewhere, protests took place in countries where Iran has influence. In Kano, a part of Nigeria with a sizable Shi’ite Muslim minority, thousands marched peacefully, waving Iranian flags and pictures of Khamenei.
But in Western countries and other areas with large populations of Iranian exiles, many came out to celebrate.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-police-fire-tear-gas-protesters-outside-us-consulate-reuters-witness-2026-03-01/

The assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has plunged the Islamic Republic into its most perilous crisis since the 1979 revolution – confronting it with war on its own territory, an unresolved succession, and mounting internal strain.
Despite the shock of Khamenei’s killing, five regional officials and analysts cautioned against assuming rapid collapse. Iran’s political order, they said, was deliberately constructed to avoid reliance on a single leader, dispersing authority across clerical institutions, the security apparatus and power networks.

“The Iranian system is bigger than one man – removing Khamenei could harden the regime rather than weaken it,” said Danny Citrinowicz of the Atlantic Council.
“Iran was built to survive the loss of a leader,” added Ali Hashem, a research affiliate at Royal Holloway, University of London. “The danger is not a vacuum. It’s whether war and pressure push the system past the point where that resilience holds.”
At the centre of that resilience is the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), long regarded as Iran’s true centre of gravity. The balance of power now hinges on whether the Guards emerge weakened by battlefield losses and internal frictions – or more entrenched, closing ranks around a harder, more security-driven approach to governance.

“The real question is whether Khamenei’s death takes the air out of the IRGC – the force that actually runs Iran – or whether they close ranks and harden,” said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. “If rank-and-file officials decide there is no future here, I’m not sure even the Guards can keep the regime together.”
Regional officials say the Guards are unlikely to transform ideologically because their identity and mandate are rooted in protecting the revolution. But they are capable of tactical evolution if the system requires it.
“They may evolve into a less hardline force…there are pragmatic mid-level members open to reducing tensions with the United States if necessary for the system’s survival,” said one regional official. That conditional pragmatism makes the IRGC both the system’s shield and its key barometer.

REGIME CHANGE?

Jonathan Panikoff, a former U.S. deputy national intelligence officer for the Near East, said Washington and Israel appear to be pursuing a strategy aimed not only at degrading Iran’s military response capabilities, but at destabilising the regime itself by removing its senior leadership and testing the loyalty of the rank and file.
The success of that approach, he said, would ultimately depend on whether security forces stand aside or defect if public unrest resurfaces.
In the immediate aftermath, officials say Tehran’s overriding priority is to project continuity. Operationally, Iran’s command structure continues to function, though under heavy pressure. Missile forces, air defences and top commanders have been hit, but the system has so far absorbed the blows.
Iran now faces three intersecting tests, officials say: whether its security state can hold under fire; whether its embattled elite can agree on a successor or pivot to a new governing formula; and whether a shaken public pushes the crisis toward a deeper political rupture.

Veteran Iranian politician Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, announced on Sunday that a temporary leadership council would oversee the transitional period after Khamenei’s death.
Figures such as Larijani and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the parliament speaker, are seen as potential bridge figures in such a phase, reflecting a security-oriented but pragmatic balancing approach.
Politically, Iran faces a succession process it has navigated only once before – and then under far more stable conditions. The constitution assigns the task to the Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body, but analysts say wartime pressures could push the process toward a more improvised outcome – either a quickly appointed successor or a temporary collective leadership centered on the security establishment.
They said Khamenei has sought to shape that outcome before his death. Following a 12-day war with Israel in June last year that targeted him and his inner circle, he nominated preferred successors and ensured key military posts were filled with backup commanders.
The candidates he favoured included judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i and Hassan Khomeini, a moderate cleric and grandson of the Islamic Republic’s late founder.
But officials say the clerical body may delay the selection of a successor to Khamenei for fear he will be killed.

FAR FROM OVER?

Externally, Israel is signaling the campaign is far from over. Two sources briefed on the operation said Israel intends to keep striking political and security institutions linked to Iran’s ruling establishment, as well as ballistic missile and launcher systems, in an effort to weaken the state and create conditions for regime change.
One source said Israel wants the campaign to continue at least until Iran’s missile capabilities are destroyed, but fears it could be cut short if Washington reaches an agreement with Tehran.
“The objective is very clear: to remove an existential threat to the State of Israel,” Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein told Reuters in Tel Aviv. “That threat is the Iranian regime. We have no quarrel with the Iranian people.”
A senior official with direct knowledge of joint Israeli-U.S. military planning said it was too early to predict what political order might emerge in Iran, noting that the campaign was still in its early stages and outcomes would depend on developments on the ground.
Iranians must take their destiny into their own hands, the official said, adding that this might be easier once the U.S. and Israel have achieved “air supremacy” over Iran.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/khamenei-killing-shatters-irans-order-triggers-high-stakes-succession-race-2026-03-01/

The Dubai airport suspended its operations for an indefinite period citing safety of people.

Dubai International Airport, which is the world’s busiest airport, was shut down on Saturday after a series of Iranian strikes in UAE and other Gulf regions.

The Dubai airport suspended its operations for an indefinite period citing safety of people.

“Dubai Airports confirms that all flight operations at Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) are suspended until further notice. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport at this time and to contact their respective airlines directly for the latest updates regarding their flights. We appreciate the cooperation of our guests. Further updates will be provided as we continue to monitor the situation,” the authorities said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Dubai’s famed man-made island The Palm also got hit in the Iranian strikes on Saturday.

India’s two major airlines Air India and IndiGo have also suspended their operations in the Middle East amid a wave of missile strikes.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/world/middle-east/worlds-busiest-airport-in-dubai-shuts-down-amid-iran-attack-3915644#google_vignette

More than 300 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed in the latest airstrikes and border clashes, according to Pakistan officials. Meanwhile, the Taliban claimed to have shot down a Pakistani jet.

Pakistan and Afghanistan continued to exchange strikes on Saturday, offering conflicting reports on their progress and discrediting each others’ versions of events.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday that over 331 Afghan Taliban forces had been killed and more than 500 wounded during ongoing airstrikes and clashes with Afghanistan.

He added that air attacks targeted infrastructure and arms stockpiles in 37 locations across Afghanistan. According to the minister, Pakistani forces destroyed more than a hundred Afghan posts, captured 22 others, and destroyed 163 tanks and armored vehicles.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s state-run media reported that the country’s air force carried out strikes targeting key military installations in several areas of eastern Afghanistan.

Pakistani authorities said that hundreds of residents living near the northwestern Torkham border crossing have sought refuge in safer areas. Pakistan has also recently transported dozens of Afghan refugees waiting at the Torkham crossing to return home to safer locations.

What did the Taliban authorities say?

Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday that Afghan forces attacked Pakistani military bases in Miranshah and Spin Wam overnight. The attacks destroyed military installations and caused heavy casualties in response to Pakistan’s ongoing airstrikes, the ministry added.

Mullah Taj Mohammad Naqshbandi, an Afghan commissioner on the Afghan side of the Torkham border, said in a statement that the “brave forces of the Islamic Emirate destroyed the Pakistani military regime’s commissariat, military units, and three important security towers.”

Afghan officials also claimed that their forces had shot down a Pakistani jet over Jalalabad and captured the pilot. However, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry called the claims “totally untrue.”

The Department of Information and Culture in eastern Afghanistan accused Pakistan of targeting civilian areas, destroying homes, and killing at least 11 people. Pakistan claims to target only military installations to avoid civilian casualties.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-says-hundreds-of-afghan-taliban-fighters-killed/a-76164044

Donald Trump announced that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in a joint military operation by the US and Israel.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s daughter, granddaughter, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law have been killed in strikes by the US and Israel, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

“After establishing contact with informed sources in the Supreme Leader’s household, the news of the martyrdom of the daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter of the Revolutionary Leader has unfortunately been confirmed,” Fars news agency and other Iranian media reported.

Khamenei reportedly has six children, including three daughters, and it was not immediately clear which one was killed.

The news came shortly after US President Donald Trump announced that 86-year-old Khamenei had been killed in the operation launched on Saturday.

“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS,” he posted on Truth Social.

“There was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,” he added.

Trump also said this is the “single greatest chance” for the Iranian people to “take back” their country.

He said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” will continue “uninterrupted” throughout the week.

“Or as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD,” he said.

“Many Signs” Khamenei Is Killed: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that there were “many signs” that Ali Khamenei is “no longer alive”.

“This morning we destroyed the compound of the tyrant Khamenei,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.

He said that for more than 30 years, Khamenei had “dispatched terrorism across the world, made his own people miserable, and worked constantly and tirelessly on a program to annihilate the state of Israel”.

“There are many signs that this tyrant is no longer. This morning we eliminated senior officials in the ayatollahs’ regime, Revolutionary Guards commanders, senior figures in the nuclear programme – and we will continue. In the next few days, we will hit thousands more targets of the terror regime,” Netanyahu said.

He also called on Iranians to “overthrow the regime and to secure your future.”

Iran’s state TV also confirmed the death of Ali Khamenei.

Two Iranian news agencies, Tasnim and Mehr, however, reported that Ali Khamenei, who led Iran since 1989, was “steadfast and firm in commanding the field.”

The Israeli army said that Ali Shamkhani, a top advisor to Khamenei, and the head of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Pakpour, were also killed.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/irans-supreme-leader-ayatollah-khameneis-daughter-son-in-law-irans-defence-minister-among-those-killed-in-israel-us-strikes-11152240?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers said on Friday they were willing to negotiate after Pakistan bombed their forces in major cities and said the allies-turned-foes were in “open war.”
Pakistan struck the Afghan capital Kabul, the city of Kandahar, where Taliban leaders are based, and other towns, a Taliban spokesman said. The attacks were its first directly targeting Afghanistan’s government over allegations it harbours militants seeking to overthrow the Islamabad government.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said there were civilian casualties on Friday but did not provide details.
In Kabul, thick plumes of black smoke rose from two sites and a huge blaze was also visible in video verified by Reuters. Reuters witnesses said many ambulance sirens could be heard following loud blasts and the sound of jets on Friday.
Kabul taxi driver Tamim said an ammunition depot was hit and explosions continued inside after the strikes as stored ordnance ignited.
“The plane came and dropped two bombs, then flew away again. After that, we heard explosions,” said Tamim, who was asleep when the strikes hit. “Everyone, in panic, ran down from the second floor of the house.”

Security sources in Pakistan said the strikes involved air-to-ground missile attacks on Taliban military offices and posts in response to Afghan attacks on Thursday.
The latest violence erupted after Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory last weekend triggered Afghan retaliatory attacks along the border on Thursday, escalating long‑simmering tensions over Pakistan’s claim that Afghanistan shelters Pakistani Taliban militants. Afghanistan denies this.
The Taliban said on Friday their leaders were ready to negotiate with Pakistan.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has always tried to resolve issues through dialogue, and now also we want to resolve this matter through dialogue,” Mujahid said.
Mujahid said Pakistani strikes hit parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia on Thursday night, and on Paktia, Paktika, Khost and Laghman on Friday.

That followed Afghan drone strikes that began late on Thursday on Pakistani military positions and installations in northwest Pakistan along their shared border.
Pakistani officials said the country’s strikes killed 274 Taliban officials and militants while Afghanistan said it killed 55 Pakistani soldiers – figures which Reuters was unable to verify.
Pakistan confirmed that 12 of its own soldiers were killed and Afghanistan said it had lost 13 Taliban fighters.

UN CHIEF URGES END TO FIGHTING, U.S. EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR PAKISTAN

For years, Islamabad has blamed Afghanistan for attacks inside Pakistan aimed at overthrowing the government, claiming the Taliban shelter Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan fighters.
Islamabad says TTP leaders operate from Afghan territory and use it as a safe haven to plan cross‑border assaults. While the United Nations has said the TTP and the Taliban in Afghanistan are linked, the Kabul government denies this and argues Pakistan is deflecting blame for its own security failures.

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply concerned by the escalation of violence” between Afghanistan and Pakistan and the impact that is having on civilian populations, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
“He calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and he reiterates his call on the parties to resolve any differences through diplomacy,” Dujarric said.
The United States on Friday expressed support for Pakistan.
“The United States supports Pakistan’s right to defend itself against attacks from the Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group,” a State Department spokesperson said.
“The Taliban have consistently failed to uphold their counterterrorism commitments, allowing violence to destabilize the region while terrorist groups use Afghanistan as a launching pad for their heinous attacks.”
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Saturday called for the countries to de-escalate and engage in dialogue.

“The EU reiterates that Afghan territory must not be used to threaten or attack other countries and calls on the Afghan de facto authorities to take effective action against all terrorist groups operating in or from Afghanistan,” Kallas said in a statement.

The strikes threatened to unleash a protracted conflict along the 2,600-km (1,615-mile) frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you (Afghanistan),” Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Friday.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry warned that any new Taliban provocations, or attempts by any “terrorist group” to target Pakistanis, would be met with a “measured, decisive and befitting response”.
Pakistan is nuclear-armed and its military capabilities are vastly superior to those of Afghanistan. However, the Taliban are adept at guerrilla warfare, hardened by decades of fighting with U.S.-led forces, before returning to power in 2021.
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi spoke by telephone on Friday with Qatar’s Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, the junior foreign minister, the Afghan ministry said in a statement.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-strikes-afghanistan-targets-clashes-intensify-2026-02-27/

US entrepreneur Bill Gates has apologized to the staff of his Gates Foundation for tainting the image of the philanthropic group through his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Bill Gates has acknowledged making a “huge mistake” in maintaining contacts with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, telling staff he takes responsibility for his actions.

A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation said Gates addressed the issue during a town hall meeting with employees, speaking candidly after the release of US Justice Department documents related to Epstein that mentioned him.

What did Bill Gates tell his employees?

According to a Wall Street Journal report citing a recording of the meeting, Gates apologized for spending time with Epstein and for involving foundation executives in meetings with him.

“I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” Gates told staff, according to the report.

Gates said he had two affairs with Russian women but denied any involvement in Epstein’s crimes or contact with victims, telling employees, “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit.”

The meetings with Epstein had been to discuss philanthropy, Gates said, to raise more money for issues like global health.

Gates said his relationship with Epstein began in 2011 — three years after the late financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. The tech entrepreneur said he knew of an “18-month thing” placing restrictions on Epstein’s travel, but that he did not check his background.

Gates said that, although his then-wife Melinda expressed concerns about Epstein in 2013, he continued the relationship for at least another year.

“Knowing what I know now makes it, you know, a hundred times worse in terms of not only his crimes in the past, but now it’s clear there was ongoing bad behavior,” Gates told staff.

What more do we know about Gates’ ties to Epstein?

Justice Department documents indicate Gates and Epstein met multiple times after Epstein’s prison sentence to discuss philanthropic initiatives. Images included in the files show Gates posing with women whose identities were redacted.

Gates last week cancelled an appearance at an artificial intelligence summit in India in light of the recent disclosures.

A previous Wall Street Journal report said that Epstein discovered that Gates had an affair with one of the Russian women and appeared to have used his knowledge to threaten the Microsoft founder.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/bill-gates-apologizes-over-ties-to-epstein/a-76132183

Anthropic fears the unrestricted military use of its AI systems by the US government may harm democracy. Military officials have threatened to invoke Cold War-era legislation to force Anthropic to comply.

The US artificial intelligence company Anthropic said on Thursday that it would not give in to pressure from the Pentagon to allow unrestricted military use of its technology for fear that it could be used for mass surveillance or in fully-autonomous weapons.

What did Anthropic say?

“Using these systems for mass domestic surveillance is incompatible with democratic values,” said chief executive Dario Amodei, adding that AI systems are not yet reliable enough to be trusted to power deadly weapons without a human in ultimate control.

“We will not knowingly provide a product that puts America’s warfighters and civilians at risk,” he said.

Anthropic – alongside OpenAI, Google and Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot – was commissioned by the Pentagon in 2025 to supply AI models for a range of military applications in a contract worth $200 million (€170 million).

Earlier this week, after a meeting with Amodei, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Anthropic an ultimatum: Open up its artificial intelligence technology for use in a “classified setting” by Friday, as the other companies have, or risk losing its government contract.

Military officials warned that they could go even further and designate the company as a supply chain risk, or invoke Cold War-era legislation called the Defense Production Act to give the military more sweeping authority to use its products.

“These threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request,” said Amodei, calling the threats “inherently contradictory” since they label Anthropic’s systems simultaneously a “security risk” and “essential to national security.”

“Anthropic understands that the Department of War, not private companies, makes military decisions,” he said, referring to the Trump administration’s title for the Department of Defense. “However, in a narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values.”

Pentagon: ‘No interest in using AI for mass surveillance’

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on social media Thursday that the military “has no interest in using AI to conduct mass surveillance of Americans (which is illegal) nor do we want to use AI to develop autonomous weapons that operate without human involvement.”

However, officials also confirmed one exchange between Anthropic and the Pentagon which had revolved around intercontinental ballistic missiles, underscoring the sensitivity of the topics at the heart of the dispute.

Parnell said opening up use of the technology would prevent Anthropic from “jeopardizing critical military operations,” warning: “We will not let ANY company dictate the terms regarding how we make operational decisions.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/ai-firm-anthropic-rejects-unrestricted-us-military-use/a-76143608

The Taliban claimed to have captured several Pakistani checkpoints in border areas, killing and capturing soldiers. Pakistan meanwhile said it launched “strong and effective response” with explosions reported in Kabul.

Both Afghanistan and Pakistan acknowledged fighting in border areas on Thursday, albeit disagreeing markedly on exact developments on the ground and the extent of each other’s losses and gains.

It’s the latest escalation of violence between the uneasy neighbors in tensions that can ultimately be traced all the way back to the Taliban reclaiming control of Afghanistan in 2021, but which were most recently evident last Sunday with Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.

Both sides also reported cross-border fire on Tuesday, but without casualties.

What did Afghanistan say about the fighting?

The Taliban’s government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid reported fighting in the border regions late on Thursday local time.

He portrayed it as a response to Sunday’s airstrikes that Afghanistan decried as an unauthorized incursion.

“In response to the repeated rebellions and insurrections of the Pakistani military, large-scale offensive operations were launched against Pakistani military bases and military installations along the Durand line,” Mujahid said in a post on X that began with what appeared to be a religious proverb.

The Durand line is the name for the two countries’ 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border, which Afghanistan has not recognized.

Mujahid followed this up with frequent posts, some including an image, but most simply text, claiming various military gains along the border.

Most followed a consistent formula, announcing the capture of a military facility or post in a given district and concluding with a stock sentence saying: “A large number of the enemy’s soldiers have been killed and wounded, and some have been captured alive.” Besides place names, and the occasional photo of what appeared to be casualties, very few precise details were offered.

Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said that operations were taking place in five provinces. The Taliban’s deputy government spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, said in an English language post that “up to 55” Pakistani soldiers had been killed, with the remains of 23 of them brought back to Afghanistan, and that an undisclosed number had been captured.

Pakistan said it hit Kabul, Kandahar and rejects Taliban claims

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar disputed both the claims on casualties and captures and of territorial losses.

Tarar said that two Pakistani soldiers had been killed and three wounded.

On X, he wrote that Pakistan was mounting a “strong and effective response” to what he called an unprovoked attack from Afghanistan, and said that Islamabad would continue to do so. Explosions were later reported in Kabul after the Pakistani statement.

Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, spokesman for Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said “a total of 133 Afghan Taliban are confirmed killed, more than 200 wounded. Many more casualties estimated in strikes in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar military targets.”

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan’s “patience has reached its limit” and said there is now “open war” with the Afghan Taliban.

Iran offers to ‘facilitate’ Pakistan-Afghanistan dialogue

Iran on Friday offered to help “facilitate dialogue” to resolve the escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the two sides to resolve their existing disputes.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready to provide any assistance in facilitating dialogue and enhancing understanding and cooperation between the two countries,” he said.

Russia also called on Islamabad and Kabul to immediately cease the ​cross-border ​attacks ‌and resolve their ‌differences ‌through diplomatic ​means, the country’s state-owned RIA ​news ⁠agency reported ​on ​Friday.

Simmering tensions for years, closer to the boil more recently

Long-testy relations between the neighbors deteriorated sharply in recent months, hitting a low point with the deadly fighting in October that killed more than 70 people on both sides.

Land border crossings have been largely shut since.

Several rounds of talks followed an initial ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey, but no lasting agreement has materialized in the conflict.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/afghan-taliban-attacks-met-with-pakistani-strikes-on-kabul/a-76143355

North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un said that the ball is in Washington’s court when it comes to relations with the United States. However, he added that Pyongyang has “absolutely no business” with South Korea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un brought the ninth congress of the ruling Workers’ Party to a close on Wednesday with a military parade and an announcement that relations with the United States depend entirely on attitudes in Washington.

“If the US withdraws its policy of confrontation with North Korea by respecting our country’s current status … there is ⁠no ​reason why we cannot get along ​well,” Kim said, according to state news agency KCNA.

Kim met US President Donald Trump on three occasions during the latter’s first term in office, but has so far rejected overtures for a fourth meeting.

The key party congress set out major policy goals for the rogue, nuclear-armed Asian nation for the next five years and culminated in a military parade in which Pyongyang showed off the capabilities of its armed forces.

“We have a prospective to strengthen our national nuclear force, and will ​on projects to increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand nuclear operational means and space for use,” Kim said, according to ​KCNA.

South Korea: ‘Most hostile enemy,’ says Kim

He also ruled out any discussions with South Korea which he described as Pyongyang’s “most hostile enemy.”

Kim threatened to “initiate arbitrary action” ​if Seoul were to conduct what he called “obnoxious behavior,” saying: “South Korea’s complete collapse cannot be ruled out.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/north-korea-us-relations-depend-on-washingtons-attitude/a-76127360

Indian Prime Minister Modi is on a two-day visit to Israel and gave a speech at the Knesset. Modi hailed the relationship between the two countries, with Prime Minister Netanyahu calling him a “brother.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told lawmakers in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on Wednesday that India stands with Israel “firmly with full conviction.”

Modi to Israel: ‘We feel your pain, we share your grief’

Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Israel, said he carries “the deepest condolences of the people of India for every life lost and for every family whose world was shattered in the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7.”

The October 7 terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian groups on Israel killed some 1,200 people, with 251 people taken hostage. In response, Israel launched a military operation that has lasted over two years in Gaza, with Israeli media reporting that Israel accepted the estimate from the Gaza Health Ministry that over 70,000 Palestinians were killed in the war.

“We feel your pain, we share your grief. India stands with Israel firmly with full conviction in this moment and beyond,” Modi said.

The Indian leader did not mention the loss of Palestinian life in the war during his Knesset address. A UN special committee and a commission of inquiry as well as outside academic experts have labeled Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide.” Israel denies this characterization.

At the Knesset, Modi said “countering terrorism requires sustained and coordinated global action,” and added that India “supports all efforts that contribute to durable peace and regional stability.”

Modi expressed support for the Israel’s normalization of relations with other Arab countries in the region, known as the Abraham Accords. He also affirmed his backing of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.

Modi highlights India’s rising economy, Israel’s status as a tech hub

In addition to security, Modi’s speech also touched on the close economic relationship between India and Israel.

“For the last few years, India has been the fastest growing major economy in the world,” Modi said. “At the same time, Israel is a powerhouse of innovation and technological leadership. This creates a natural foundation for our forward-looking partnership.”

A report from the State Bank of India released Tuesday said India’s gross domestic product will likely grow at a rate of 8.1% during the October to December 2025 fiscal quarter. India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

Israel, meanwhile, is a hub for tech startups, with a high rate of unicorn companies per capita. A unicorn is a privately held company valued at more than $1 billion (about €850 million).

“We are committed to expanding trade, strengthening investment flows and promoting joint infrastructure development,” Modi said. “I see a lot of synergies in areas such as quantum technologies, semiconductors and artificial intelligence. We are also working with Israel on creating cross-border financial linkages using our digital public infrastructure.”

Netanyahu hails ‘brother’ Modi’s visit to Israel

India is one of Israel’s closest allies.

The two countries both share neighbors with Muslim-majority countries with whom they have hostile relationships. India, for example, borders archrival Pakistan, whereas Israel borders two countries with whom it does not share diplomatic relations: Syria and Lebanon.

Modi received a warm reception from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, when the Indian leader touched down in Tel Aviv earlier on Wednesday.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/modi-india-stands-with-israel-with-full-conviction/a-76121546

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a Pakistan checkpost in Bhakkar district near the Dera Ismail Khan border, killing four Punjab police personnel and injuring several others.

A suicide bomber struck at a checkpost in Pakistan’s Bhakkar district at 7 pm on Tuesday as he blew himself up killing four policemen. The blast came just before dusk. The suicide bomber approached a police checkpost in Bhakkar district and detonated explosives, killing four Punjab police personnel and injuring others. The attack took place near the Dera Darya Khan bridge, a sensitive inter-provincial link connecting Punjab with Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

District Police Officer Shahzad Rafiq said officers were conducting routine checks when the attacker moved towards the barrier and blew himself up. “The suicide attacker came near the check post and detonated himself while we were engaged in search operations,” he told reporters at the scene. CCTV footage reviewed by investigators shows a man wrapped in a dark shawl walking steadily towards the post moments before the explosion.

Two of the deceased were identified as Muhammad Faheem and Muhammad Shehbaz. The injured were rushed to the district headquarters hospital as emergency teams cordoned off the area. By early Wednesday, the main highway between Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been sealed, with traffic suspended near the Dera Ismail Khan border while security personnel conducted combing operations.

While day-to-day life continues and flights are still operating, uncertainty about how the situation may unfold has left many students and their families concerned.

Amid soaring geopolitical tensions between Washington and Tehran, India has advised all its nationals, including students, in Iran to leave by any available transport as soon as possible. But for many students–torn between seeking safety and facing academic setbacks–departure is not an easy option. Missing crucial examinations scheduled in early March could delay their graduation and even jeopardise professional recognition of their degrees.

According to estimates, there are around 1,000 to 1,500 Indian students– a large proportion of them medical students from Jammu and Kashmir — enrolled at Iranian universities. Some of them have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for intervention after the advisory, which clashed with their university examination schedule.

The Plea

“We want to come back home. Our families are worried,” Bilal Bhat, an Indian medical student in Iran, said while talking to news agency ANI.

“But our exams are scheduled in March, and there is no clarity on postponement. If we miss exams, it will affect our academic year…If our exam gets postponed, we will leave as soon as possible,” he said.

According to Bhat, while day-to-day life continues and flights are still operating, uncertainty about how the situation may unfold has left many students and their families concerned.

Another student, Musafid, shared similar apprehensions, stating that they are constantly monitoring the situation. “Flights are operational, but we don’t know what may happen next. Our only concern is safety and our studies,” he said, highlighting the dilemma faced by many pursuing professional degrees abroad.

The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention to ensure the safety and academic future of Indian students currently in Iran.

Speaking to ANI, Mohammad Momin Khan, President of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of AIMSA, highlighted the concerns following a recent travel advisory from the Indian High Commission in Tehran, which has asked citizens to return.

“The Indian High Commission in Tehran issued an advisory, in which they have asked their citizens to return. However, we have received information from students that their exams are scheduled for March 5. Some students have already arrived in India, so it is not possible for them to return. The current situation is very tense, and their parents are also very worried,” Khan said.

Iran’s Exam Schedule

According to media reports, the basic sciences (Olum-e-Paye) examination and pre-internship test–both mandatory government assessments in Iran’s medical education system–are scheduled for March 5. The results of these exams determine whether a student can progress from pre-clinical study to clinical training and hospital postings. These exams are held only twice a year, and missing them could mean losing up to six months of academic progress, significantly delaying their five-and-a-half-year medical degree.

Situation In Iran

Iran’s foreign minister on Tuesday declared that a deal to avoid a military clash with the United States was within reach, two days before talks between the foes were due to resume in Geneva. Abbas Araghchi’s appeal came as Iran issued a muted warning to student protesters maintaining pressure on the government, against the backdrop of mounting US threats of action to halt Tehran’s nuclear programme.

“We have a historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement that addresses mutual concerns and achieves mutual interests,” Araghchi said in a social media post.

The minister added that a deal was “within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority.”

Tehran and Washington are due to hold a third round of negotiations on Thursday in Geneva, the latest since talks resumed earlier this month. The talks will be held following a heavy US military deployment in the region in recent weeks and threats by President Donald Trump of a strike on Iran if no deal is reached.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/matter-of-life-and-exam-why-indian-students-are-stuck-in-iran-amid-us-threat-11132723?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The Tarique Rehman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government has recalled Brigadier General Mohammad Hafizur Rahman, who was serving as the defence adviser at the Bangladesh High Commission in India.

Just days after Tarique Rahman took over as Bangladesh’s new prime minister, the South Asian nation’s military witnessed a major reshuffle at the top level, including the appointment of a new chief of general staff (CGS). The changes affect several key strategic commands as well as Bangladesh’s premier military intelligence agency, according to a report by Dhaka Tribune.

BNP bagged a two-thirds majority in the crucial February 12 elections. Rahman, 60, took oath on February 17, ending Muhummad Yunus’ 18-month rule. The changes, issued by Army Headquarters, came days after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s new government assumed power on February 17.

Who Gets What

A tip about drug lord Nemesio Oseguera’s romantic liaisons led Mexican authorities to the cartel leader’s hideout in a small town of Jalisco state where he was killed, Mexican authorities said on Monday in the first account of the ambush that spawned violence across much of Mexico.
At least 62 people died in the early Sunday raid on Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” and in ensuing violence – including 25 members of the National Guard military police and 34 suspected gang members – as cartel loyalists set cars ablaze in 85 roadblocks in more than a dozen states, authorities said.

President Claudia Sheinbaum early on Monday said the situation was normalizing and roadblocks were under control.
Still, Mexico beefed up security in Jalisco, the stronghold of Oseguera’s infamous Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), with the deployment of 2,000 troops, and Mexicans as well as tourists in the state’s famed coastal towns fretted over the quick spread of violence to far corners of Mexico.
Oseguera’s death is a blow to the CJNG, a highly diversified criminal enterprise, and a victory for Mexico’s government after pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to crack down on the cartels. Yet the victory could lead to further violence in a country already grappling with years of killings and disappearances at the hands of organized crime.

“Unfortunately, it’s not the first time we’re experiencing this, but this time it does seem a bit more worrying because there’s no successor to these cartels,” said Fabiola Cortes, a schoolteacher in Mexico City. “We hope that, truly, our president does something for us, protects us, because honestly, fear is everywhere on the streets.”
Oseguera, Mexico’s most-wanted cartel leader, was the mastermind of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, rival to the also infamous Sinaloa Cartel. The U.S. had offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
The U.S. provided intelligence to help pinpoint the exact location of the compound in the town of Tapalpa where Mexican authorities found the cartel boss, but Mexican officials underscored that they spearheaded the operation.
“There was no participation in this operation of U.S. forces. What there was, was an exchange of information,” President Sheinbaum said.

MILITARY OPERATION LED TO RETALIATORY SURGE IN VIOLENCE

Oseguera died in a helicopter after being injured in a military operation by Mexican special forces in a wooded area outside the town of Tapalpa in the western state of Jalisco, according to Mexico’s defense ministry.
Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla said information from a confidante of one of Oseguera’s romantic partners helped officials quickly plan the raid for the following day at the crime boss’ compound.
During the raid, Oseguera’s gunmen opened fire on security forces and the conflict moved to a cabin complex in a wooded area, where he was injured along with two of his bodyguards. The three were transported by helicopter to Mexico City but did not survive, Trevilla said.
“Unfortunately, they died on the way,” Trevilla said, speaking at the president’s daily press conference. He choked up while offering condolences to families of officers who died.
Rifles with grenade launchers, rocket launchers and mortar shells were found at the site of the raid, officials added.

Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office said it was carrying out proceedings across 14 states, nearly half of the country, and Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch said at least 70 people were arrested in seven states.
Throughout Sunday, suspected cartel members set fire to vehicles and businesses, blocking roads and disrupting travel, in protest of Oseguera’s killing.
According to the defense ministry, attacks in Jalisco were organized by Oseguera’s right-hand man and top financial chief known as “El Tuli,” who was also killed in a clash with security forces as they attempted to arrest him.
The cartel operative offered a 20,000 peso ($1,160) reward for the deaths of military personnel, according to Trevilla.
Garcia added that authorities were closely monitoring for a reaction or restructuring within the cartel that could unleash further violence. “There is already a specific surveillance of several leaders of this criminal organization,” he said.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT TO TOURISM

The flare-ups caused airlines to cancel flights on Sunday, and on Monday morning shares in Mexican airline Volaris and airport operators GAP and ASUR were down more than 4%. Airline Aeromexico on Monday said it was gradually resuming flights, while Air Canada said it would resume flights to the popular Puerto Vallarta beach resort on Tuesday, and flights to the Jalisco’s capital city of Guadalajara on Wednesday.
Ryan Davis was among the foreign tourists in Puerto Vallarta shocked by the violence on Sunday. “It was surreal because we’re going to the airport and we’re dodging burned-out cars in the middle of the street,” he recalled.
State oil firm Pemex said its operations were working normally and fuel supplies were guaranteed nationwide, after unverified video footage showed fighting and intense shooting at a Pemex gas station. Mexican conglomerate Femsa, which operates Mexico’s ubiquitous Oxxo convenience stores, reported over 200 incidents at its stores and gas stations.
Kimberley Sperrfechter, emerging markets economist at Capital Economics, said the immediate impact would hit tourism, but if the unrest drags on, it could also risk electronics and semiconductor manufacturing in Jalisco.
Besides electronics manufacturing, Jalisco is also an agricultural hub for products such as eggs, berries and avocados, as well as the birthplace and a leading producer of tequila.
“Beyond the macro implications, the killing shows that Mexico’s government is doing what it can to appease the Trump administration ahead of this year’s USMCA review,” she added, referring to the U.S.-Canada-Mexico free trade pact.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/least-25-soldiers-died-after-raid-mexicos-most-wanted-cartel-leader-2026-02-23/

Former British ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson was arrested by London police on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following revelations over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mandelson, 72, was fired from the most prestigious posting in Britain’s diplomatic service in September, when the depth of his friendship with Epstein started to become clear.

Police earlier this month began a criminal investigation into Mandelson after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government passed on communications between the former ambassador and Epstein.

“Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office,” London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement relating to an investigation into a former government minister. A separate statement later said the man had been released on bail, pending further investigation.
Earlier in the day, Mandelson was filmed leaving his central London home accompanied by plainclothes officers wearing body cameras, before being driven away in a car.
The arrest means police suspect a crime has been committed but does not imply any guilt.
There was no immediate response from Mandelson’s lawyers.

EMAILS SHOWED MANDELSON AND EPSTEIN CLOSER THAN THOUGHT

Emails between Mandelson and Epstein, released by the U.S. Department of Justice in late January, showed the two men had a closer relationship than had been publicly known, and Mandelson had shared information with the financier when he was a minister in former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government in 2009.
Mandelson, who this month resigned from Starmer’s Labour Party and quit his position in parliament’s upper chamber, has previously said he “very deeply” regretted his association with Epstein. But he has not commented publicly or responded to messages seeking comment on the latest revelations.
Mandelson’s homes in London and west England were searched by police earlier this month.
“He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, 23 February and has been taken to a London police station for interview,” the police statement said.

Ghana’s President Mahama has received the African Union’s backing in pushing the United Nations to recognize transatlantic slavery as the ‘gravest crime against humanity.’ But will the motion pass?

Ghanaian President John Mahama wants to push the proposal, which is supported by 40 African Union (AU) members, at the United Nations in March. He says the initiative is “firmly grounded in international law” and, together with the endorsement of the African Union, Ghana will formally table the resolution before the UN General Assembly.

The resolution is just the first step, Mahama said on the sidelines of the recently concluded AU summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. With wide support amongst AU nations, Mahama says the “truth about the story of the transatlantic slave trade must be told” and recognized as the “gravest crime against humanity.”

The ‘gravest crime’ in human history

There is broad historical consensus that the transatlantic slave trade between the 15th and 19th centuries, which involved the kidnapping, enslavement and transport of millions of Africans to the Americas and the Caribbean, was one of the biggest tragedies in human history.

It’s estimated that over 400 years, 15 million men, women and children were forcibly transported. Other sources say 12 to 12.8 million were enslaved. About 10.7 million arrived in the Americas alive, while between 1.5 and 2 million died during the crossing, also known as the Middle Passage.

In Addis Ababa, Mahama said: “People jumped out of ships, who preferred to die. People who were too ill or sick and were thrown overboard to be eaten by sharks.”

Historical and legal validity

Kojo Asante from the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) told DW the crime “definitely” has “historical and legal validity.”

He says the transatlantic slave trade has significantly shaped affected nations to this day. African states have fought for recognition, or at least an apology, from former slave trading nations. For some governments, this has been a decades-long battle, Asante tells DW.

In Ghana, the subject has long been on the agenda. Mahama is not the first president to champion this initiative, says Asante: Nana Akufo-Addo, his predecessor, also championed reparations.

Next step: Demands for reparations?

The AU declared 2025 “The year of reparations: Justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations.” The resolution sees reparations as future mechanism to assist development efforts.

Mahama made it clear that it’s about recognizing historical truth, rather than discussing monetary compensation. Financial questions would be discussed in future.

Western resistance

Asante says there is evidence of a resistance movement in ultra-conservative circles in the United States. Sources close to Donald Trump are said to argue against being held accountable for the actions of their ancestors regarding slavery.

The transatlantic slave trade is a politically sensitive and debated question – especially in nations that benefitted economically from slavery and colonialism.

Support for initiative among younger people

Asante says that especially history oriented young people support the initiative, even if the topic remains somewhat abstract.

At the same time, Asante warns against a strong fixation with the past.

“I think people don’t want to be too romantic about this because they want their leaders in Africa to still govern well,” he tells DW.

“What you do today with power, what you do today with your opportunities is also important. And there are many challenges, governance deficits in many African countries perpetrated not by colonial masters, by leaders on their own citizens,” Asante says.

A competition?

Mahama’s assertion that the slave trade is the “gravest crime against humanity” has drawn criticism. Some critics have asked if other historical crimes are being relativized.

Asante pushes back.

“This is not a competition. I think it’s just more a question of acknowledging the transatlantic slave trade for what it was,” he told DW.

He adds the ongoing effects and incidences of racismshow how current the issue is.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/ghana-takes-transatlantic-slavery-case-to-un/a-76042626

Donald Trump had said he was sending “a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there”.

Denmark and its territory Greenland, on Sunday (Feb 22) rejected Donald Trump’s offer to send a naval hospital ship to the Arctic island coveted by the US leader.

A day earlier, Trump said he was sending “a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there”.

But Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who heads the autonomous territory’s government, wrote on his Facebook page: “That will be ‘no thanks’ from us.”

“President Trump’s idea to send a US hospital ship here to Greenland has been duly noted. But we have a public health system where care is free for citizens,” he said.

“This is not the case in the United States, where going to the doctor costs money.”

Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen likewise told Danish broadcaster DR: “The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs. They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialised treatment, they receive it in Denmark.”

He added: “It’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland.”

On the day that Trump made his proposal, Danish forces evacuated a crew member of a US submarine off the coast of Greenland’s capital Nuuk, after the sailor requested urgent medical attention.

Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command said in a post on Facebook that the crew member was flown to a hospital in Nuuk after an unspecified medical emergency on board the vessel.

AI-GENERATED HOSPITAL SHIP

In Greenland, as in Denmark, access to healthcare is free for citizens. There are five regional hospitals across the vast Arctic island, with the one in the capital Nuuk serving patients from all over the territory.

Without explicitly mentioning the US proposal, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was “happy to live in a country where access to healthcare is free and equal for all. Where insurance or wealth does not determine whether one receives dignified treatment”.

Trump, in his Truth Social message on Saturday about the hospital ship, posted an AI-generated image of a US Navy medical vessel, USNS Mercy.

“It’s on the way!!!” he added.

It was not immediately clear if that meant he was deploying that ship to Greenland.

The US president indicated the deployment was being carried out in coordination with Jeff Landry, appointed in December as the US Special Envoy to the Arctic island.

Aaja Chemnitz, who represents Greenland in the Danish Parliament, wrote on Facebook that, while Greenland’s health system had its share of problems, they were best resolved through cooperation with Denmark.

Denmark, she noted, “is one of the wealthiest and most educated countries, for example in the field of healthcare”, contrasting it with “the United States, which has its own healthcare system problems”.

Earlier this month, Greenland signed an agreement with Copenhagen to improve the treatment of Greenlandic patients in Danish hospitals.

Denmark’s central bank had warned in January that the Arctic island’s public finances were under pressure from demographic trends, pointing to its ageing population and shrinking workforce.

“NEW NORMAL”

Trump has repeatedly said he believes the United States must control Greenland to ensure US national security.

Earlier threats he made to seize the territory, by force if necessary, have ebbed since he struck a “framework” deal with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to ensure greater US influence.

The defence minister, Lund Poulsen, told DR he was not aware of a possible arrival of the suggested US hospital ship.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/greenland-denmark-reject-trump-hospital-ship-offer-5945901

Students at several universities in Iran have staged anti-government protests – the first such rallies on this scale since last month’s deadly crackdown by the authorities.

The BBC has verified footage of demonstrators marching on the campus of the Sharif University of Technology in the capital Tehran on Saturday. Scuffles were later seen breaking out between them and government supporters.

A sit-in was held at another Tehran university, and a rally reported in the north-east. Students were honouring thousands of those killed in mass protests in January.

The US has been building up its military presence near Iran, and President Donald Trump has said he is considering a limited military strike.

The US and its European allies suspect that Iran is moving towards the development of a nuclear weapon, something Iran has always denied.

US and Iranian officials met in Switzerland on Tuesday and said progress had been made in talks aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear programme.

But despite the reported progress, Trump said afterwards that the world would find out “over the next, probably, 10 days” whether a deal would be reached with Iran or the US would take military action.

The US leader has supported protesters in the past – at one stage appearing to encourage them with a promise that “help is on its way”.

Footage verified by the BBC shows hundreds of protesters – many with national Iranian flags – peacefully marching on the campus of the Sharif University of Technology at the start of a new semester on Saturday.

The crowds chanted “death to the dictator” – a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – and other anti-government slogans.

Supporters of a rival pro-government rally are seen nearby in the video. Scuffles are later seen breaking out between the two camps.

Verified photos have also emerged showing a peaceful sit-in protest at the capital’s Shahid Beheshti University.

The BBC have also verified footage from another Tehran university, Amir Kabir University of Technology, showing chanting against the government.

In Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city in the north-east, local students reportedly chanted: “Freedom, freedom” and “Students, shout, shout for your rights”.

Sizeable demonstrations in other locations were also reported later in the day, with calls for further rallies on Sunday.

It is not immediately clear whether any demonstrators have been arrested.

Last month’s protests began over economic grievances and soon spread to become the largest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana) said it had confirmed the killing of at least 6,159 people during that wave, including 5,804 protesters, 92 children and 214 people affiliated with the government.

Hrana also said it was investigating 17,000 more reported deaths.

Iranian authorities said late last month that more than 3,100 people had been killed – but that the majority were security personnel or bystanders attacked by “rioters”.

Saturday’s protests come as the Iranian authorities are preparing for a possible war with the US.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yj2kzkrj0o

The latest strikes follow a string of deadly attacks in northwestern Pakistan. Days earlier, a suicide bomber, backed by gunmen, drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the wall of a security post in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing 11 people

Pakistan said early Sunday that it had carried out strikes along its border with Afghanistan, targeting hideouts of Pakistani militants it blames for a series of recent attacks inside the country. Officials in Islamabad did not initially specify the precise locations of the strikes. According to reports, the operations also targetted the Ghani Khelo and Garda Samia districts inside Afghanistan. Local reports said at least 17 Afghan civilians were killed in the strikes.

There was no immediate comment from authorities in Kabul.

In comments posted before dawn on X, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the military had conducted what he described as “intelligence-based, selective operations” against seven camps belonging to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, and its affiliates. He added that an affiliate of the Islamic State group had also been targeted in the border region.

Pakistan carried out similar strikes deep inside Afghanistan in October, also aimed at militant hideouts.

See more

At least 17 Afghan civilians were killed after Pakistan carried out airstrikes on the Ghani Khelo and Garda Samia districts in Afghanistan.

pic.twitter.com/NYwtR6yRpu

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 21, 2026

 

After having agreed to provide Ukraine a €90 billion EU loan package, officials in Budapest have said on Friday they plan to veto the deal unless Russian oil starts flowing back to Hungary.

After agreeing to provide Ukraine a €90 billion ($106 billion) EU loan package, officials in Budapest said on Friday they plan to veto the deal unless Russian oil starts flowing in a pipeline to Hungary.

“As long as Ukraine blocks the Druzhba pipeline, Hungary will block the €90 billion Ukrainian war loan. We will not be pushed around!” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote on Facebook.

Ukrainian officials say the oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian oil across Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia, have been disrupted since Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure damaged it in January.

Hungarian and Slovakian politicians, however, accuse the Ukrainian leadership of blocking the resumption of supplies. Both countries rely heavily on the pipeline for their oil imports and are the most Russia-friendly governments in the European Union.

On Wednesday, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico declared a state of emergency over supplies and threatened retaliatory measures against Ukraine if the pipeline was not reopened.

Hungary decries pipeline ‘blackmail’ ahead of election

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called the stop to oil flows in the pipeline “blackmail.”

“Ukraine is blackmailing Hungary by halting oil transit in coordination with Brussels and the Hungarian opposition to create supply disruptions in Hungary and push fuel prices higher before the elections,” he wrote on X.

For the first time in 16 years, Orban faces the possibility of losing a parliamentary election.

Kyiv has long called on its EU allies to stop buying Russian energy supplies as they help finance Moscow’s full-scale invasion, which is about to enter its fifth year.

EU leaders, including Orban, agreed in December to provide Ukraine with up to €90 billion over two years, a decision endorsed by the European Parliament last week. The EU also exempted Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic ― which have all opposed further aid for Kyiv ― from repaying the loan’s borrowing costs.

Final approval by the Council of the European Union, made up of national ministers, is still required before the first funds can be disbursed, a step previously regarded as a formality.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/hungary-threatens-veto-of-90-billion-eu-loan-to-ukraine/a-76067806

 

US President Donald Trump has imposed a new 10% global tariff to replace ones struck down by the Supreme Court, calling the ruling “terrible” and lambasting the justices who rejected his trade policy as “fools”.

The president unveiled the plan shortly after the justices outlawed most of the global tariffs the White House announced last year.

In a 6-3 decision, the court held that the president had overstepped his powers.

The decision was a major victory for businesses and US states that had challenged the duties, opening the door to potentially billions of dollars in tariff refunds, while also injecting new uncertainty into the global trade landscape.

Speaking from the White House on Friday, Trump indicated that refunds would not come without a legal battle, saying he expected the matter to be tied up in court for years.

He also said he would turn to other laws to press ahead with his tariffs, which he has argued encourage investment and manufacturing in the US.

“We have alternatives – great alternatives and we’ll be a lot stronger for it,” he said.

The court battle was focused on import taxes that Trump unveiled last year on goods from nearly every country in the world.

The tariffs initially targeted Mexico, Canada and China, before expanding dramatically to dozens of trade partners on what the president billed as “Liberation Day” last April.

The White House had cited a 1977 law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the president power to “regulate” trade in response to an emergency.

But the measures sparked outcry at home and abroad from firms facing an abrupt rise in taxes on shipments entering the US, and fuelled worries that the levies would lead to higher prices.

Arguing before the court last year, lawyers for the challenging states and small businesses said that the law used by the president to impose the levies made no mention of the word “tariffs”.

They said that Congress did not intend to hand off its power to tax or give the president an “open-ended power to junk” other existing trade deals and tariff rules.

In his opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative, sided with that view.

“When Congress has delegated its tariff powers, it has done so in explicit terms and subject to strict limits,” he wrote.

“Had Congress intended to convey the distinct and extraordinary power to impose tariffs, it would have done so expressly, as it consistently has in other tariff statutes.”

The decision to strike down the tariffs was joined by the court’s three liberal justices, as well as two justices nominated by Trump: Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch.

Three conservative justices, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito, dissented.

At the White House, Trump said he was “absolutely ashamed” of the Republican appointees on the court who voted against his trade policy.

He said they were “just being fools and lap dogs” and were “very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution”.

Shares on Wall Street rose after the announcement, with the S&P 500 closing up about 0.7%, as businesses across the US cautiously welcomed the ruling.

“I feel… like a thousand-pound weight has been lifted off my chest,” said Beth Benike, the owner of Busy Baby products in Minnesota, which manufactures products in China.

Nik Holm, chief executive of Terry Precision Cycling, one of the small businesses involved in the case, called the ruling a “relief”.

“Though it will be many months before our supply chain is back up and running as normal, we look forward to the government’s refund of these improperly-collected duties,” he said.

The anticipated refunds and relief from tariff costs may prove elusive, however.

On Friday, Trump signed a proclamation imposing the new 10% tariff under a never-used law known as Section 122, which gives the power to put in place tariffs up to 15% for 150 days, at which point Congress must step in.

It will go into effect on 24 February.

The order states a variety of exemptions, including certain minerals, natural resources and fertilizers; some agricultural products like oranges and beef; pharmaceuticals; some electronics and certain vehicles.

For many of the categories of exempt goods, the order is broad and does not specifically say what items might be exempt.

Canada and Mexico will retain an exemption under a North American free trade pact, the USMCA, on tariffs covering a vast majority of goods.

A White House official said countries that struck trade deals with the US, including the UK, India and the EU, will now face the global 10% tariff under Section 122 rather than the tariff rate they had previously negotiated.

The Trump administration expects those countries to keep abiding by the concessions they had agreed to under the trade deals, the official added.

Analysts expect the White House to also consider other tools, such as Section 232 and Section 301, which allow import taxes to address national security risks and unfair trade practices.

Trump has previously used those tools for tariffs, including some announced last year on sectors such as steel, aluminium and cars. Those were untouched by the court ruling.

“Things have only gotten more complicated and more messy today,” said Geoffrey Gertz, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security in Washington.

Reaction by major trade partners was relatively muted.

“We take note of the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court and are analysing it carefully,” European Commission spokesman Olof Gill wrote on social media.

The US has already collected at least $130bn in tariffs using the IEEPA law, according to the most recent government data.

In recent weeks, hundreds of firms, including retailer Costco, aluminium giant Alcoa and food importers like tuna fish brand Bumble Bee, have filed lawsuits contesting the tariffs, in a bid to get in line for a refund.

But the decision by the majority does not directly mention refunds, likely handing back the question of how that process might work to the Court of International Trade.

In his dissent, Justice Brett Kavanaugh warned the situation would be a “mess”.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8146l0n55o

“I don’t know if they’re real or not,” US President Trump said of aliens. But he said interest in the topic led him to order the declassification of information related to extraterrestrial life.

US President Donald Trump, citing “tremendous interest,” said he was directing the Pentagon and other government agencies to release files related to extraterrestrials and unidentified flying objects (UFOs).

He said the agencies should include “any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.”

He made the announcement on social media on Thursday, hours after accusing former President Barack Obama of disclosing “classified information” when he suggested in a podcast interview that aliens were real.

“I don’t know if they’re real or not,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. When asked of Obama, he said: “I may get him out of trouble by declassifying.”

What did Obama say about aliens in the podcast?

In a podcast released last week, Obama said he believed aliens were real, but he had not seen any evidence of them during his presidency.

“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them and they’re not being kept in… Area 51,” he told host Brian Tyler Cohen, referring to the top-secret facility at the heart of many UFO conspiracies.

Once his comments quickly went viral, the ex-president took to clarify on Instagram.

“Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there,” he said. “But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!”

Aliens and Area 51

Public interest in extraterrestrials, unidentified flying objects and unidentified aerial phenomena has prompted several conspiracy theories over the years.

Several internet chat rooms and social media accounts dedicate themselves to solving this mystery, and many insist the US government knows more than it lets on.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/trump-orders-pentagon-to-release-files-on-ufos-and-aliens/a-76051806

American superstar Alysa Liu added Olympic figure skating gold to her world title as she beat a standout field in the women’s final.

Liu came into the free skate in third place following a couple of errors in the short program, but produced a performance for the ages.

Appropriately wearing a sparkly gold dress and performing to Donna Summer, she scored a staggering 150.20 in her free skate.

It pushed her to the top of the leaderboard with an overall score of 226.79, narrowly beating Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto – who Liu beat to the world title last year.

Sakamoto, in her final performance before retirement, won silver with 17-year-old compatriot Ami Nakai claiming bronze.

Japan’s Mone Chiba finished fourth, ahead of Amber Glenn – who rose from 13th to fifth after an excellent free skate – while Russian champion Adeliia Petrosian came sixth following a fall.

Liu, 20, becomes the first American Olympic champion in women’s figure skating since Sarah Hughes in 2002, and the first USA medallist since Sasha Cohen in 2006.

She was playing catch up on Nakai – leader after the short program – and Sakamoto after Tuesday night following a mistake on her triple lutz where she failed to fully rotate in the element.

But there were no mistakes here with a truly showstopping routine that drew deafening cheers from the crowd.

It was a much needed boost for the USA, as their only gold in singles figure skating following Ilia Malinin’s collapse in the men’s event.

Malinin was among those in the crowd who gave Liu – the alt girl with her iconic halo hair and lip piercing – a standing ovation as she wrote herself into Olympic folklore.

It completes a remarkable comeback for Liu, who previously quit the sport aged 16 after missing out on a medal at Beijing 2022.

Sakamoto meanwhile has to settle for silver as her stellar career ends without an Olympic crown.

She is retiring aged 25 having won three world titles and bronze at Beijing 2022.

Her final performance here was to Non, je ne regrette rien by Edith Piaf, and Sakamoto must have no regrets about a performance in which all 12 elements were given positive grades of execution.

But it scored five points lower than Liu in the technical elements, with the American’s routine judged to have been more challenging.

Sakamoto wept as she left the ice, but by the medal ceremony rightly looked delighted with another major honour.

That initial disappointment was in stark contrast to the joy of compatriot Nakai, who ends a phenomenal debut campaign with an Olympic medal.

The youngest skater in the competition, Nakai stormed to the top of the leaderboard following the short program and opened her free skate with a triple axel – a brutally tough element she is now making her trademark.

But Nakai stumbled on her triple lutz, which played a major role in knocking her down below Liu and Sakamoto.

For a while, it looked like American champion Glenn might have produced an all-time great Olympic comeback.

She was down in 13th following a disastrous short program which left her in tears after she missed her triple loop, meaning it was scored zero as an invalid element.

Glenn – who is open about her bisexuality and criticism of USA president Donald Trump – has been a magnet for online backlash, and came out on Thursday in Milan with a point to prove.

Despite suffering a heavy fall in the warm-up she attacked her free skate, including a triple axel to start then a complex triple loop and double axel sequence.

She punched the air at the conclusion, and even as she missed out on a medal she had the body language of someone pleased to have brought her best to the Olympic stage.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c33jz026mg3o

The U.S. State Department is developing an online portal that will enable people in Europe and elsewhere to see content banned by their governments including alleged hate speech and terrorist propaganda, a move Washington views as a way to counter censorship, three sources familiar with the plan said.
The site will be hosted at “freedom.gov,” the sources said. One source said officials had discussed including a virtual private network function to make a user’s traffic appear to originate in the U.S. and added that user activity on the site will not be tracked.

Headed by Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, the project was expected to be unveiled at last week’s Munich Security Conference but was delayed, the sources said.
Reuters could not determine why the launch did not happen, but some State Department officials, including lawyers, have raised concerns about the plan, two of the sources said, without detailing the concerns.
The project could further strain ties between the Trump administration and traditional U.S. allies in Europe, already heightened by disputes over trade, Russia’s war in Ukraine and President Donald Trump’s push to assert control over Greenland.

The portal could also put Washington in the unfamiliar position of appearing to encourage citizens to flout local laws.
In a statement to Reuters, a State Department spokesperson said the U.S. government does not have a censorship-circumvention program specific to Europe but added: “Digital freedom is a priority for the State Department, however, and that includes the proliferation of privacy and censorship-circumvention technologies like VPNs.”
The spokesperson denied any announcement had been delayed and said it was inaccurate that State Department lawyers had raised concerns.
The Trump administration has made free speech, particularly what it sees as the stifling of conservative voices online, a focus of its foreign policy including in Europe and in Brazil.
Europe’s approach to free speech differs from the U.S., where the Constitution protects virtually all expression. The European Union’s limits grew from efforts to fight any resurgence of extremist propaganda that fueled Nazism including its vilification of Jews, foreigners and minorities.

U.S. officials have denounced EU policies that they say are suppressing right-wing politicians, including in Romania, Germany and France, and have claimed rules like the EU’s Digital Services Act and Britain’s Online Safety Act limit free speech.
The EU delegation in Washington, which acts like an embassy for the 27-country bloc, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the U.S. plan.
In rules that fall most heavily on social media sites and large platforms like Meta’s (META.O), opens new tab Facebook and X, the EU restricts the availability — and in some cases requires rapid removal — of content classified as illegal hate speech, terrorist propaganda or harmful disinformation under a group of rules, laws and decisions since 2008.
FRICTION WITH EUROPEAN REGULATORS
Rogers of the State Department has emerged as an outspoken advocate of the Trump administration position on EU content policies. She has visited more than half a dozen European countries since taking office in October and met with representatives of right-wing groups that the administration says are being oppressed. The department did not make Rogers available for an interview.

In a National Security Strategy published in December, the Trump administration warned that Europe faced “civilisational erasure” because of its migration policies. It said the U.S. would prioritize “cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations.”
EU regulators regularly require U.S.-based sites to remove content and can impose bans as a measure of last resort. X, which is owned by Trump ally Elon Musk, was hit with a 120 million-euro fine in December for noncompliance.
Germany, for example, in 2024 issued 482 removal orders for material it deemed supported or incited terrorism and forced providers to take down 16,771 pieces of content.
Similarly, Meta’s oversight board in 2024 ordered the removal of a Polish political party’s posts that used a racial slur and depicted immigrants as rapists, a content category EU law treats as illegal hate speech.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us-plans-online-portal-bypass-content-bans-europe-elsewhere-2026-02-18/

Google and Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta have been accused of deliberately making platforms addictive to children and harming their mental health.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday, where he testified in a trial that has put his company in the spotlight over social media’s harmful effects on children.

A California woman who used Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube as a child has said the apps fueled her depression and suicidal thoughts.

The plaintiff started using YouTube at age 6, Instagram at 11, then TikTok and Snapchat. The latter two already reached a damages settlement with the woman.

The suit accuses the companies of seeking to get children hooked on their services, despite being aware of the mental health harms they can cause.

At issue is the notion of whether or not social media apps are addictive to children.

Zuckerberg regrets slow progress on spotting under-13s on Instagram

Meta and Google have denied the allegations, with Meta pointing to research from the National Academies of Sciences, which did not find that social media affected kids’ mental health.

If Meta loses the case, it will have to pay compensation to the plaintiff, and such a verdict would have an impact on social media companies’ credibility, at a time when more and more governments around the world are banning the apps for children under 16.

While on the stand, Zuckerberg said he regretted how slowly his firm spotted under-13-year-olds on Instagram. He added that improvements had been made.

“I always wish that we could have gotten there sooner,” he added.

Last week, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri testified at the trial, flatly rejecting the concept of social media addiction.

“I’m sure I’ve said that I was addicted to a Netflix show when I binged it really late one night, but I don’t think that’s the same thing as clinical addiction,” Mosseri said.

Internal emails displayed in court

The Los Angeles case is one of several trials against social media companies in the United States.

Its resolution could help establish a standard for resolving thousands of other lawsuits that blame social media for fueling an epidemic of depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicide among young people.

The focus is on the apps’ design, algorithms and personalization features.

The plaintiff’s lawyer presented an internal Instagram memo from 2018 saying, “If we want to win big with teens, we must bring them in as tweens.”

Zuckerberg said the document’s presentation in court was “mischaracterising what I am saying,” adding that he “had different conversations over time to try to build different versions of services that kids can safely use.”

Meta had discussed creating a version of Instagram for children under ​13, but never made such a service.

Prosecutors also presented internal email exchanges in which Mosseri defended Zuckerberg’s 2020 decision to allow cosmetic beauty filters on Instagram.

Other executives strongly objected, warning of the filters’ harmful effects, particularly on young girls. Supporters of the filters sought to avoid losing market share amid growing competition from TikTok.

Jurors were also shown emails from 2014 and 2015 in which Zuckerberg explicitly aimed to increase the amount of time users spent on the app by double-digit percentages.

Zuckerberg also pointed out the difficulty for app makers in verifying a user’s age and said the responsibility should lie with the makers of mobile devices.

More countries ban apps for minors

The lawsuit is part of ‌a global backlash against social media platforms, as several governments have passed laws to ban them, with the goal of protecting children’s mental health.

Australia’s ban on social media platforms for children under 16 has already gone into effect.

In France, a bill calling for a social media ban on users under 15 years old is making its way through parliament. Meanwhile, the Council of Ministers in Spain is expected to approve a similar ban on users under 16 years old and send it to parliament.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/mark-zuckerberg-testifies-in-social-media-addiction-trial/a-76028273