On a US late-night television show Saturday, the host played a clip from 2011 of a businessman warning that president Barack Obama “will start a war with Iran because he has absolutely no ability to negotiate.”That businessman was Donald Trump. Fast-forward 15 years and Trump, now in his own second term as president, ordered huge …
Cheers and mourning in Iran. Euphoric celebrations against the Iranian regime and angry protests against the war. Uncertainty about what comes next.The world greeted with jubilation, anger or trepidation the news Sunday that Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in the US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic one day earlier.- Music in …
Cheers, music, anger: World reacts as Iran’s Khamenei is killed Read More »
The US military on Sunday said three service members have been killed and five seriously wounded in the war against Iran — the first casualties announced on the US side.The news, which could have serious political ramifications in Washington, came as President Donald Trump emphasized successes in the operation, announcing that nine Iranian naval ships had been sunk and not referring to the US deaths.The United States and Israel launched massive bombardments against Iran and killed its supreme leader Saturday, with attacks ongoing Sunday.There was no indication from officials about how or exactly where the American casualties occurred.”Three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury. Several others sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions — and are in the process of being returned to duty,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.”Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing. The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.”Trump, spending the weekend at his Florida resort, gave multiple interviews to US media outlets about other aspects of the Iran operation that were published shortly before the casualties were made public.He told Fox News that 48 Iranian leaders had been killed “in one shot” and told The Atlantic that he was ready to open negotiations but “can’t tell” when.”Things are evolving in a very positive way right now, a very positive way,” he said in another interview with CNBC.Well after the news broke about the US losses, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Iran’s navy was being targeted — but again avoided mentioning the casualties.”We have destroyed and sunk 9 Iranian Naval Ships, some of them relatively large and important,” Trump posted. The country’s naval headquarters, he said, was “largely destroyed.”- ‘Reckless’ war accusation -The only senior Trump administration official to react initially to the news of US casualties was the ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, who posted simply: “Freedom is never free.”Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, which is controlled by Trump’s Republican Party, posted that he was “heartbroken” over the fatalities.”No more American heroes need to die because of a reckless decision to go to war. Congress must act this week to restrain this president,” Jeffries said.US air and naval forces — together with Israel’s military — are heavily bombarding Iran, and Trump has said the goal is to destroy the country’s military capacity.In response, Iran has fired missiles at targets in Israel and at US military facilities around the region.Earlier Sunday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had successfully struck the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Gulf with four ballistic missiles.However, CENTCOM said the vessel “was not hit.””The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime,” a statement said.CENTCOM said US forces had sunk an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette warship at a dock in the Gulf of Oman.The military also announced that B-2 stealth bombers carrying 2,000-pound bombs had been used against “Iran’s hardened ballistic missile facilities.”
The US suffered its first casualties of the war with Iran, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to intensify strikes on Tehran in the coming days.On day two of the war, US President Donald Trump said 48 Iranian leaders had been killed in the US-Israeli attacks, which he said where “moving along rapidly”.Here are the latest developments.– First US casualties –Three members of the US military have been killed and five others wounded in the operation against Iran, the Pentagon said, the first American deaths in the campaign that killed the Islamic republic’s supreme leader.”Three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury,” said US Central Command (CENTCOM).– Strikes to ‘intensify’ –Netanyahu vowed to intensify strikes on Tehran in the coming days as the army announced it had called up 100,000 reservists. “I have issued instructions for the continuation of the campaign,” he said in a video statement. “Our forces are now striking at the heart of Tehran with intense power, and this will only escalate in the days ahead.”– Iranians ‘want to talk’ –Trump said he would be talking to Iranian leaders but was vague on the timing and noted that much of the country’s leadership was dead.”They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner,” Trump was quoted as saying by The Atlantic.He told Fox News that 48 Iranian leaders had been killed and that the results of the offensive so far were “very positive”.- Iran kills 9 in Israel -Iran strikes on Israel killed at least nine people in the city of Beit Shemesh, first responders said. Another 28 were wounded, the Magen David Adom emergency service said. Police said there was a direct hit on a building.In the UAE, the defence ministry said three people had been killed and 58 wounded since Iran’s strikes began Saturday. In Kuwait, one person has been killed and 32 wounded since the start of Iran’s retaliation campaign, the health ministry said.- Sinking oil tanker -Two ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, one off Oman and the other off the UAE, the British maritime security agency UKMTO said.Iranian state television said an oil tanker was struck and was sinking after trying to “illegally” pass through the strait, which Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have declared closed. Major container shipping companies including MSC and Maersk have suspended navigation in the region.- US sinks Iranian warship -US forces struck and sank an Iranian warship in the Gulf of Oman at the start of its operations against the Islamic republic, the American military said Sunday.”An Iranian Jamaran-class corvette was struck by US forces during the start of Operation Epic Fury. The ship is currently sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Oman at a Chah Bahar pier,” US Central Command posted on X.- Iran denies targeting neighbours -Iran’s powerful security chief denied Tehran was targeting its neighbours, insisting its retaliation was aimed at US bases. Gulf countries were to hold virtual talks late Sunday to discuss a unified response, two Gulf diplomats told AFP. – NATO adjusting forces -NATO’s top commander in Europe said Sunday he was “closely” following developments in Iran and the Middle East to defend against “potential threats”.US General Alexus Grynkewich “has and will continue to adjust NATO’s very strong force posture to ensure the security of its 32 member nations and to defend the Alliance from potential threats”, said NATO on X.- Israel hits Tehran -The Israeli army announced “large-scale” strikes targeting the “heart of Tehran” for the second day running. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz also hailed Khamenei’s killing as a “turning point in the war”.- Ayatollah tapped for council -Iran formed an interim leadership council following Khamenei’s death.A mullah, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, was named to sit on it, alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and the head of the judiciary. The body will rule until a new permanent leader is selected.In a recorded video statement on state TV, Pezeshkian said the council had “started its work”.- Iran retaliates -Pezeshkian said the killing of Khamenei was a “declaration of war against Muslims”, vowing vengeance. Iranian security chief Ali Larijani promised to hit the US and Israel with a force never seen before.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have attacked the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which the Pentagon denied.AFP correspondents heard blasts in Dubai, east of the Saudi capital Riyadh, across Bahrain’s capital Manama and in Qatar.- Deadly protests erupt -Crowds gathered in Iran’s south to call for vengeance following the killing of Khamenei in US and Israeli attacks, Iranian media reported. Similar gatherings took place in Tehran and the central city of Yazd. Hundreds of protesters in Iraq tried to storm the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad where the US embassy is located.In Pakistan, nine people were killed as hundreds of protesters tried to storm the US consulate in Karachi.Several thousand Shia Muslims joined demonstrations in Indian-administered Kashmir, many chanting anti-Israel and anti-US slogans.- More deaths announced -Iran’s police intelligence chief Gholamreza Rezaian was killed during US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic, Iranian media reported Sunday.So to was its armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi along with other senior generals, state TV reported Sunday.It listed the name of Mousavi along with defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and others.Iran’s judiciary confirmed the chief of the Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Pakpour, and another top security adviser, Ali Shamkhani, had also died in the strikes.- UN nuclear agency to meet -The United Nations’ nuclear agency will hold an extraordinary meeting on Iran on Monday.The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the meeting was at the request of Russia, a key ally of Tehran. burs-db/jj
The 100-day countdown to the biggest World Cup in history gets under way on Tuesday against a chaotic backdrop of global unrest, from US-Israeli strikes on Iran to surging violence in Mexico and anxiety over Donald Trump’s domestic agenda.A record 48 teams — up from 32 in 2022 — and millions of fans are set to descend on the United States, Canada and Mexico for the first ever World Cup shared by three nations.The greatest footballing show on earth kicks off on June 11 at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca and will conclude nearly six weeks later on July 19 at the 82,500-seater MetLife Stadium just outside New York.A total of 104 matches will be played across 16 venues and four time zones, with the bulk of the action taking place in the United States, which will host 78 games.FIFA President Gianni Infantino is confidently predicting a commercial bonanza from the tournament, which is expected to generate record revenues of $11 billion, comfortably eclipsing the $7 billion earned through the 2022 tournament in Qatar.Infantino has repeatedly described the 2026 tournament’s scale as equivalent to “104 Super Bowls”, citing a global television audience in the billions and more than 508 million requests for some seven million tickets.”The demand is there. Every match is sold out,” Infantino said earlier this month.Yet FIFA’s revenues will also be boosted by a ticketing policy that is likely to price out many fans. Fan groups around the world, such as Football Supporters Europe, have accused FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” over pricing.FIFA responded to those criticisms by introducing a tiny sliver of tickets priced at $60 for official supporters groups.- Political football? -Beyond the eye-popping numbers, the biggest challenges faced by the tournament may turn out to be political.The Trump administration’s domestic and international policies have triggered concerns about the smooth running of the tournament.Trade wars which have included co-hosts Canada and Mexico, tensions with European allies over threats to annex Greenland and an immigration crackdown which may complicate travel to the United States for fans of some participating nations have all cast a shadow over the preparations.Although calls for a boycott have failed to gather serious momentum, the build-up to the tournament continues to be dogged by swirling geopolitical uncertainty.The US–Israeli strikes on Iran have provided the latest flashpoint, with Iran’s team due to play its three group games in Los Angeles and Seattle.”We had a meeting… and it is premature to comment in detail, but we will monitor developments around all issues around the world,” FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said Saturday.The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown meanwhile has seen enhanced visa restrictions on dozens of countries including four World Cup qualified nations — Iran, Haiti, Senegal and Ivory Coast.The White House insists this will not affect tourist visas and therefore fans who have tickets, who can benefit from expedited visa appointments.Another logistical headache has unfolded in Mexico, where the recent killing of one of the country’s most notorious drug lords in a military operation sparked a wave of unrest.The surging violence gripped Guadalajara, Mexico’s second biggest city, which is hosting four World Cup matches.Both Infantino and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have both given assurances that the recent unrest will not disrupt World Cup games taking place in the country.”Very reassured, everything’s good,” Infantino told AFP at a meeting in Colombia last week when asked how the violence might impact Mexico’s World Cup planning.- Messi swansong -On the field, meanwhile, the tournament itself faces its own challenges.The expanded 48-team format means that the initial group phase is likely to be stripped of jeopardy.The top two teams from each of the 12 first round groups, plus the eight best third-placed teams will qualify for the first round of the knockout phase, making it highly unlikely than any of the tournament’s traditional big guns will be eliminated at the first hurdle.When the action does get under way, all eyes will be on defending champions Argentina, who will be spearheaded once more by Lionel Messi, who will celebrate his 39th birthday on June 24, during what is the sixth — and almost certainly last — World Cup of his career.Argentina’s hopes of winning back-to-back World Cup titles will face a stern challenge from 2018 champions France and reigning European champions Spain.England, coached by Germany’s Thomas Tuchel, meanwhile will once again attempt to end the country’s 60-year wait for a major tournament victory.At the other end of the spectrum of contenders will be a handful of teams playing in the World Cup for the first time, including Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.burs/rcw/mw/jc
Iran fired missiles across the Middle East on Sunday after vowing to avenge the death of its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while Israel conducted fresh strikes on Tehran.Day two of the war — started Saturday by the United States and Israel with strikes on Iran — brought escalating danger for commercial ships in the Gulf, especially around the narrow Strait of Hormuz, with two vessels hit.The United States also said it sank an Iranian warship in the Gulf of Oman.Here are the latest developments.- Iran kills 9 in Israel -Iran strikes on Israel killed at least nine people in the city of Beit Shemesh, first responders said. Another 28 were wounded, the Magen David Adom emergency service said. Police said there was a direct hit on a building.In the UAE, the defence ministry said three people had died and 58 were wounded since Iran’s strikes began the previous day. In Kuwait, one person was killed and 32 wounded since the start of Iran’s retaliation campaign, the health ministry said.- Sinking oil tanker -Two ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, one off Oman and the other off the UAE, the British maritime security agency UKMTO said.Iranian state television said an oil tanker was struck and was sinking after attempting to “illegally” pass through the strait, which Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have declared closed. Major container shipping companies MSC and Maersk suspended navigation in the region, with MSC also asking its vessels to get to “safe shelter” in the Gulf.- US sinks Iranian warship -US forces struck and sank an Iranian warship in the Gulf of Oman at the start of its operations against the Islamic republic, the American military said on Sunday.”An Iranian Jamaran-class corvette was struck by US forces during the start of Operation Epic Fury. The ship is currently sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Oman at a Chah Bahar pier,” US Central Command posted on X- Iran denies targeting neighbours -Iran’s powerful security chief denied Tehran was targeting its neighbours, insisting its retaliation was aimed at US bases. Gulf countries were to hold virtual talks late Sunday to discuss a unified response, two Gulf diplomats told AFP. – ‘Shelter in place’ -The UK Foreign Office on Sunday urged British citizens in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE to “shelter in place” and advised against all but essential travel to those countries. Britain’s defence secretary John Healey said Iran’s “indiscriminate retaliatory attacks” included “two ballistic missiles fired in the direction of Cyprus”, although he added they were likely not targeting the Mediterranean island. – Israel hits Tehran -The Israeli army announced “large-scale” strikes targeting the “heart of Tehran” for the second day running. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz also hailed Khamenei’s killing as a “turning point in the war”.- Ayatollah tapped for council -Iran formed an interim leadership council to take over following Khamenei’s death.A mullah, Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, was named to sit on it, alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and the head of the judiciary. The body will rule until a new permanent leader is selected. In a recorded video statement on state TV, Pezeshkian said the council has “started its work”.- Iran retaliates -Pezeshkian said the killing of Khamenei was a “declaration of war against Muslims”, vowing vengeance. Iranian security chief Ali Larijani then promised to hit the US and Israel with a force never seen before.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have attacked the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, but the Pentagon denied that.AFP correspondents heard blasts in Dubai, east of the Saudi capital Riyadh, across Bahrain’s capital Manama and in Qatar.- US warns citizens in Bahrain – US officials warned citizens in Bahrain to avoid hotels in the capital Manama while staff at the US embassy to Jordan were told to avoid the embassy compound, citing risks of attacks. – Deadly protests erupt -Crowds gathered in Iran’s south to call for vengeance following the killing of Khamenei in US and Israeli attacks, Iranian media reported. Similar gatherings took place in Tehran and the central city of Yazd. Hundreds of protesters in Iraq tried to storm the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad where the US embassy is located.In Pakistan, nine people were killed as hundreds of protesters tried to storm the US consulate in Karachi.Several thousand Shia Muslims joined demonstrations in Indian-administered Kashmir, many chanting anti-Israel and anti-US slogans.- More deaths announced -Iran’s police intelligence chief Gholamreza Rezaian was killed during US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic, Iranian media reported Sunday.Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi was killed along with other senior generals in US and Israeli strikes on the country, state TV reported on Sunday.State TV listed the name of Mousavi along with defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and others.Iran’s judiciary confirmed the chief of the Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Pakpour, and another top security adviser, Ali Shamkhani, were also “martyred” in the strikes.- UN nuclear agency to meet -The United Nations’ nuclear agency will hold an extraordinary meeting on Iran on Monday.The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the meeting was at the request of Russia, a key ally of Tehran. burs-st-giv-sbk/cc/rmb
Iran’s clerical leaders vowed to avenge the death of its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and launched a fresh wave of deadly “large-scale” attacks on Sunday as Israel hit back at the capital Tehran.It came after the United States and Israel claimed to have killed Khamenei in a wave of strikes Saturday against targets in Iran, which sparked swift retaliation by the Islamic republic.Here are the latest developments.- Iran kills 5 in Israel -Iran’s latest barrage of strikes killed at least five people in central Israel, police reported. The country’s emergency service had earlier warned of casualties in Beit Shemesh, with a young girl among them. News of the deaths came after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced a fresh wave of attacks against the “enemy”.In the UAE, which has been hard-hit by Iran’s retaliation the defence ministry said on Sunday that three people had died and 58 been wounded since the strikes began. – Iran denies targeting neighbours -Iran’s powerful security chief denied on Sunday that Tehran was targeting its neighbours in the region, insisting that its retaliation was aimed at US bases. Even so, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said on Sunday it summoned the Iranian ambassador “in response to Iran’s brazen attacks that targeted the Kingdom and a number of brotherly”.Gulf countries will convene Sunday evening to discuss a unified response to Iran’s attacks, two Gulf diplomats told AFP, though the meeting will be online “due to the airport closures”. – Sinking oil tanker -Iranian state television said Sunday that an oil tanker was sinking after it was struck while attempting to “illegally” pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have threatened to close. The closure of the strait, through which a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and a fifth of all liquified natural gas passes, could cause the price of crude to spike on the world markets. As the news of the sinking broke, eight OPEC+ states announced a greater-than-expected increase of 206,000 barrels a day to the cartel’s oil production quotas. The group, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia did not explicitly mention the outbreak of the Iran conflict but cited “a steady global economic outlook and current healthy market fundamentals” as reasons for the increase.- ‘Shelter in place’ -The UK Foreign Office on Sunday urged British citizens in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE to “shelter in place”.The Foreign Office “now advises against all but essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE,” it said on X in its latest update. Britain’s defence secretary John Healey meanwhile said Iran’s “indiscriminate retaliatory attacks” included “two ballistic missiles fired in the direction of Cyprus”, although they were likely not targeting the Mediterranean island. – Israel hits Tehran -The Israeli army announced Sunday it was again launching “large-scale” strikes targeting the “heart of Tehran”. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz also hailed Khamenei’s killing as a “turning point in the war”.”He led the campaign of destruction against the State of Israel, he built the entire axis of evil around us, and within Iran itself he pursued an uncompromising line against the State of Israel,” Katz said during a security assessment along with top military and security officials, according to a statement by his office.- Ayatollah tapped for council -Ayatollah Alireza Arafi was named to an interim leadership council, which includes the president and head of the judiciary, to be at the helm of the country until a new permanent leader is selected. – Iran retaliates -Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian said the killing of Khamenei was a “declaration of war against Muslims” on Sunday, vowing vengeance. Iranian security chief Ali Larijani then promised to hit the US and Israel with a force never seen before.Earlier, Iran’s army said it targeted on Sunday US bases in Iraq’s Kurdistan region and in the Gulf in response to the attack launched by the US and Israel.Air raid sirens sounded and explosions were heard over Jerusalem on Sunday after the Israeli military said it had detected missiles launched from Iran towards Israel. AFP correspondents heard blasts in Dubai, east of the Saudi capital Riyadh, across Bahrain’s capital Manama and Qatar, where thick black smoke was also seen rising on the horizon south of Doha. A top Emirati official warned Iran on Sunday that “your war is not with your neighbours” and that retaliation against Gulf states was a “miscalculation”.- US intercepts drones in Iraq – US defence systems intercepted at least two drones on Sunday over the city of Erbil in northern Iraq, as sirens sounded from the American consulate, an AFP journalist reported.US officials also warned citizens in Bahrain to avoid hotels in the capital Manama while staff at the US embassy to Jordan were told to avoid the embassy compound, citing risks of attacks. – Deadly protests erupt -Crowds gathered on Sunday in Iran’s south to call for vengeance following the killing of Khamenei in US and Israeli attacks, Iranian media reported. Similar gatherings took place elsewhere in Iran including in Tehran and the central city of Yazd. Hundreds of protesters in Iraq, which officially declared three days of mourning for Khamenei, also tried to storm the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, where the US embassy is located.In Pakistan, nine people were killed as hundreds of protesters tried to storm the US consulate in the megacity of Karachi, the local rescue service said.Several thousand Shia Muslims joined demonstrations in Indian-administered Kashmir, many chanting anti-Israel and anti-US slogans.- Evacuations -Thailand is readying to evacuate its citizens from the Middle East by military or charter flights, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Sunday.- More deaths announced -Iran’s police intelligence chief Gholamreza Rezaian was killed during US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic, Iranian media reported Sunday.Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi was killed along with other senior generals in US and Israeli strikes on the country, state TV reported on Sunday.State TV listed the name of Mousavi along with defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and others.- Iran leader killed -Iranian state television reported Khamenei’s death in the early hours of Sunday, broadcasting archive images with a black banner.Iranian media also reported the deaths of his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.”Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump had said hours earlier on his Truth Social platform.”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,” Trump wrote.- Guards chief killed -Iran’s judiciary confirmed Sunday that the chief of the Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Pakpour, and another top security adviser, Ali Shamkhani, were also “martyred” in the strikes.- UN nuclear agency to meet -The United Nations’ nuclear agency will hold an extraordinary meeting on Iran on Monday.In a statement late on Saturday, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the meeting was at the request of Russia, a key ally of Tehran. burs-st-giv-sbk/giv
The biggest disruption to global air transport since the Covid pandemic continued Sunday, with thousands of flights affected and busy Middle Eastern hubs including Dubai and Doha shuttered as Iran lashed out after US-Israeli strikes.Israel and Iran traded new attacks Sunday, after Tehran hit both the Dubai International Airport — the world’s busiest for international traffic — and Kuwait’s main airport during its retaliatory strikes one day earlier. Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates had all announced at least partial closures of their skies Saturday after the US and Israel attacked Iran, bringing civilian air traffic over the Middle East to an abrupt halt. Notable airlines that cancelled services included Emirates, Etihad, Air France, British Airways, Air India, Turkish Airlines, and Lufthansa.Flight tracking site FlightAware said that more than 6,700 flights had been delayed and 1900 cancelled globally as of 1000 GMT Sunday, on top of thousands the day before.- Airspace closures -Iran swiftly closed its airspace as the strikes began “until further notice”, said the spokesman of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation, quoted by the Tasnim news agency.Israel also closed its airspace to civilian flights, Transport Minister Miri Regev announced.Qatar’s civil aviation authority said it had temporarily closed the Gulf state’s airspace.Iraq shut down airspace, state media said. The United Arab Emirates said it was closing its skies “partially and temporarily”.Syria closed part of its airspace in the south along the border with Israel for 12 hours, the Civil Aviation Authority said.Jordan’s air force was conducting drills to “defend the kingdom’s skies”, its military said.Kuwait closed its airspace.- Middle East and North Africa airlines -Gulf carriers Emirates and Etihad cancelled 38 percent and 30 percent of their flights respectively, Cirium said.Qatar Airways suspended all flights from Doha. It cancelled 41 percent of total flights, according to aviation analytics company Cirium.Syria Air, the country’s national carrier, cancelled all flights until further notice.Egypt’s national airline, EgyptAir, announced the suspension of its flights to cities across the Middle East, including Dubai, Doha, Manama, Abu Dhabi, Beirut and Baghdad among others. – European airlines -Russia’s air transport authority Rosaviatsia said all commercial flights to Israel and Iran were cancelled “until further notice”. Turkish Airlines cancelled flights to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Jordan until March 2.Air France cancelled its Dubai, Riyadh, Beirut and Tel Aviv flights until Sunday, extending its earlier suspension. British Airways said it was not flying to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until March 4, and cancelled flights to the Jordanian capital Amman on Saturday.Swiss International Air Lines suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until March 7, and cancelled flights from Zurich to Dubai scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.Germany’s Lufthansa, which comprises Swiss and ITA Airways, cancelled its flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Erbil and Tehran until March 7. The airline group and its subsidiaries suspended flights to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi until Sunday.- North America airlines -Delta Air Lines suspended New York–Tel Aviv flights until Sunday.American Airlines “temporarily suspended” Doha-Philadelphia flights.United flights to Tel Aviv are cancelled until Monday, and flights to Dubai until Sunday.Air Canada said it cancelled flights from Canada to Israel until March 8 and to Dubai until March 3.- Asia-Pacific airlines -India’s two largest private carriers IndiGo and Air India suspended flights to all destinations in the Middle East.Pakistan International Airlines, the flag carrier of the country that borders Iran, said it had suspended flights to the UAE, Bahrain, Doha and Kuwait.Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific suspended flights to Dubai and Riyadh.Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia’s flag carrier, temporarily suspended flights to and from Doha “until further notice”, the company said in a statement Sunday.Singapore Airlines and Singapore’s Scoot cancelled six flight routes in the region until the end of Sunday, local media reported.Philippine Airlines flights from Manila to Doha, Riyadh to Manila, and Dubai to Manila were cancelled on Saturday, as well as one Doha-Manila flight on Sunday.Other major airlines including Australia’s Qantas and Japan’s All Nippon Airways did not announce any flight cancellations. – Africa airlines -Ethiopian Airlines cancelled its flights to Amman, Tel Aviv, Dammam, and Beirut. Kenya Airways has suspended its flights to Dubai and Sharjah until further notice. burs-sbk/st
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” was named best picture by Hollywood producers on Saturday, continuing its awards season streak before the Oscars.The Producers Guild Awards (PGA) win cements the film, about the rise of extremism in the United States, as a frontrunner for the top prizes at the Academy Awards, which cap off the Hollywood awards season.Anderson’s film, which depicts the hunt for former far-left revolutionaries by a white supremacist, seems destined for the best picture Oscar, having already secured numerous awards.Since early January, it has won top prizes from American film critics and Hollywood directors, and received the Golden Globe for best comedy.”This is a tremendous honor, thank you very much,” Anderson said in his acceptance speech.The director then addressed executives at Warner Bros., the prestigious studio that distributed the film and is about to be acquired by Paramount Skydance.”Long may you wave, whatever the future holds. It is one battle after another,” he said.The Producers Guild Awards are presented annually by the trade union, which has more than 8,000 members.They are considered a reliable indicator for the Oscars, with winners going on to seal best picture at the Oscars many times.- 13 Oscar nominations -“One Battle After Another” boasts an all-star cast.Leonardo DiCaprio plays an explosives expert involved in a far-left movement where he falls in love with a revolutionary firebrand played by Teyana Taylor.But years later, a white supremacist soldier (Sean Penn) who previously hunted them resurfaces, forcing the former bomb expert to return to action to rescue his child.In his quest, he crosses paths with a Zen-like karate master (Benicio Del Toro), who is delighted to help the former revolutionary.Adapted from Thomas Pynchon’s novel “Vineland,” the film depicts an irreconcilable America, torn apart by the political legacies of the Ku Klux Klan and the Black Power movement, where everything is resolved through violence.Acclaimed for its ability to capture the contemporary fractures in the United States, the film received 13 Oscar nominations, including one for each of its lead actors.But that was fewer than its main Oscars rival, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” which received 16 nominations.The winners will be announced on March 15 at the 98th Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood.
Pro-Iranian protesters angered by the death of Iran supreme leader Ali Khamenei tried to storm the US consulate in Pakistan’s Karachi on Sunday, leaving eight dead, and the fortified Green Zone hosting Washington’s embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.Iranian state media confirmed the death of Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader since 1989 and sworn enemy of the West, on Sunday, after the opening salvo of a massive US and Israeli attack.In the Pakistani megacity of Karachi, hundreds of pro-Iranian protesters tried to enter the US mission, an AFP journalist saw.At least eight people were killed in the protests and at least 20 were injured, Muhammad Amin, a spokesman for the Edhi Foundation rescue service said, adding most had bullet wounds.A crowd of young people climbed over the main gate and gained access to the driveway of the consular building, smashing some windows.Police fired tear gas at the protesters who dispersed.Videos on social media showed youngsters smashing the windows of the main building of the consulate as the American flag could be seen flying over the compound, whose perimeter is topped with barbed wire.Thousands of people were also taking to the streets in the eastern city of Lahore and in northern Skardu, with a demonstration expected in the afternoon near the diplomatic enclave housing the US embassy in the capital Islamabad.- Khamenei death ‘hurt us’ -In Baghdad, hundreds of Iraqis, many dressed in black, attempted to storm the compound housing the American embassy on Sunday despite a heavy security deployment.Ali, a masked protester, told AFP “the martyrdom of Sayyed Ali Khamenei has hurt us”.”We are here because we want the withdrawal of the occupying American forces from Iraq,” he said, referring to US-led coalition troops who have recently reduced their presence and are now mostly stationed in northern Iraq.Protesters, who had gathered in the Iraqi capital since early Sunday, hurled stones at security forces, who responded with tear gas.A security source told AFP earlier that “their attempts have been thwarted so far, but they keep trying”.In Indian-administered Kashmir, several thousand Shia Muslims joined street demonstrations in the main city Srinagar.Protesters holding red, black, and yellow flags converged on the main square.Many of them chanted anti-Israel and anti-US slogans during the emotionally charged but largely peaceful gathering.”This day we are all very heavy-hearted. We are mourning our beloved leader who was martyred,” Syed Towfeeq, 40, told AFP.”We all have a message for the (US President Donald) Trump… We will always stand against your oppression.”Similar protests were held in other places across Kashmir and other parts of India with a sizeable Shia Muslim presence.burs/jfx/mjw
