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Prominent Iranian cleric Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has declared jihad against the United States and Israel following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to Iranian state-linked media, the senior Shia authority described avenging Khamenei’s death as a religious duty for Muslims worldwide. The statement comes amid intensifying tensions after joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28.

Makarem Shirazi is one of Iran’s most influential religious figures, and his remarks are likely to heighten fears of further escalation across the region.

The declaration follows a series of retaliatory actions and...

Several senior Iranian officials, including top military commanders, were reportedly killed during coordinated US-Israeli strikes on key targets across Iran, according to multiple media and intelligence reports.

The operation, launched on February 28, targeted strategic sites including nuclear facilities, missile infrastructure and bases linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Areas near Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound in Tehran were also reportedly struck.

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Khamenei had been killed, calling the operation a major success. However, details surrounding the Supreme Leader’s fate remain contested.

Reports citing sources familiar with the...

Iran has confirmed the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following reported U.S.-Israeli strikes, marking a major development in the escalating regional conflict.

Confirmation appeared in a message posted on Khamenei’s official social media account, written in religious language, after earlier denials from Iranian officials. The statement signalled acknowledgment from within Iran’s leadership amid mounting speculation about his fate.

The announcement follows claims by U.S. President Donald Trump, who had earlier suggested Khamenei had been killed in the strikes. Trump later wrote on social media that the Iranian leader was dead, calling the reported killing «justice» for...

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday that Iranian missile and drone attacks on American bases in the Middle East caused no casualties and did not disrupt military operations.

In a statement, CENTCOM said U.S. and allied forces conducted coordinated strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure, including Revolutionary Guard command centers, air defense systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.

The command added that allied defences intercepted hundreds of incoming Iranian missiles and drones, limiting damage to U.S. facilities and preserving operational readiness.

According to the statement, the operation involved precision-guided munitions launched from air, land and sea...

A fire at a hotel in Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah area has been linked to a suspected Iranian strike, with local officials confirming several people were injured.

The Dubai Media Office said the blaze was contained and the site secured, urging the public to remain calm and rely on official information. Authorities did not provide full details on the cause, describing the event only as an «incident» in the area.

Emergency services responded after reports of a loud explosion, and initial accounts suggested the fire may have been triggered by debris from an intercepted aerial attack amid escalating regional...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded message released Saturday that the latest attacks could allow Iranians to «take their fate into their own hands.» He added that Israel intends the current operation to be «much more powerful» than the 12-day conflict it launched against Iran in June.

He spoke in Hebrew. Here’s an English-language transcript of Netanyahu’s address:

My brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel. A short while ago, Israel and the United States embarked on a joint campaign, Operation Lion’s Roar. The aim of the operation is to put an end to the threat from...

U.S. President Donald Trump said in an eight-minute video posted on Truth Social that the United States had launched «major combat operations in Iran.» He accused Tehran of continuing its nuclear ambitions and developing long-range missiles that could threaten American interests and urged Iranians to «take over your government.»

Here’s Trump’s address in full:

A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime. A vicious group of very hard, terrible people. Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States...

Iran retains a significant missile arsenal but faces growing doubts over its ability to sustain prolonged retaliatory strikes against the United States and Israel, according to regional security experts.

The debate comes after reported joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, followed by Iranian missile and drone responses against Israel and US bases in the Gulf.

Analysts say Iran still holds a sizeable ballistic missile inventory despite heavy losses during the 2025 conflict with Israel. Estimates suggest Tehran may possess roughly 1,500 to 2,000 missiles, supported by domestic production and underground storage networks.

However, Iran’s capabilities...

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has instructed security agencies to prepare an emergency response plan as tensions surrounding Iran escalate, raising concerns about potential regional instability.

According to presidential press secretary Aibek Smadiyarov, Tokayev tasked the Security Council and law enforcement bodies with developing coordinated urgent measures. All security agencies have been placed on a 24-hour operational footing, while a government monitoring group has been established under the Foreign Ministry.

Regional governors have also been told to take precautionary steps in response to developments in the Middle East. The move comes as tensions intensified following reported strikes on Iranian...

Iran’s humanitarian authorities say dozens of people have been killed after a strike hit a girls’ primary school in southern Iran, as rescue teams continue to respond to attacks across the country, IRNA reports.

In a statement, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said that 57 students and teachers were killed when the school in the city of Minab was struck. Most of the victims were reported to be schoolchildren.

According to the statement carried by the state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency, the attack was part of a broader wave of strikes that have hit 115 locations across...

Uzbekistan will build a museum in Tashkent to document the history and lives of the Koryo-in, ethnic Koreans forcibly relocated from Russia’s Primorsky region to Central Asia in 1937, Yonhap reports.

The project marks the 90th anniversary of the forced migration and aims for completion by the end of 2027. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Overseas Koreans announced on 27 February that it had appointed advisory committee members for the Koryo-in History Museum and held their first meeting at the Incheon office.

Advisory members include researchers, architects and museum directors from numerous universities across South Korea.

Officials from...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has presented newly developed sniper rifles to senior party and military officials, describing the weapon as a «wonderful» symbol of his confidence in them, according to state news agency Korean Central News Agency.

The ceremony took place on Friday at the headquarters of the Workers’ Party of Korea, where Kim met leading party cadres and military commanders. Each recipient was handed a new-generation sniper rifle produced by the country’s Academy of Defence Science.

«As was already made public, this new-generation sniper’s rifle our Academy of Defence Science developed and...

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on Telegram that it had launched a wave of missiles and drones targeting Israel in response to U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.

The statement comes as internet access in Iran dropped to just 4% of normal levels, according to monitoring group NetBlocks. The disruption follows a recent nationwide blackout imposed during a state crackdown on protests. Iranians also experienced days without internet during last June’s war with Israel and the United States.

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s state news agency reported that the service centre of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Juffair, Manama, had been targeted in...

A spokesperson for Uzbekistan Airways told Kursiv Uzbekistan that the airline has developed alternative routes to ensure safe flights amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

«For upcoming scheduled flights passing over Iran and Israel, we will provide updates as the situation evolves. Uzbekistan Airways, together with the Civil Aviation Agency, has planned alternatives, and passenger and crew safety will be fully ensured,» the representative said.

He added that flights from Dubai to Tashkent and Sharm El-Sheikh to Tashkent will bypass Iranian and Israeli airspace. The announcement follows the joint strikes by Israel and...

U.S. President Donald Trump suggested a «friendly takeover» of Cuba, saying the Caribbean nation is in serious trouble and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was handling the issue at a «very high level.»

Trump described Cuba as a failing country with no money, oil, or food, adding that the government had sought U.S. assistance.

«I can see that happening. Marco Rubio is dealing on it and at a very high level,» he said, calling the situation a «nation in deep trouble.»

The Cuban government has said it is not engaged in high-level talks...

Iran’s armed forces have begun preparing to retaliate against Israel, according to state television. The Israeli military reported that ballistic missiles fired from Iran had been detected over the country, marking the first wave of Iranian retaliation for earlier U.S.-Israeli strikes, NYT reports.

Air-raid sirens are sounding across northern Israel and in Haifa, urging residents to enter fortified shelters.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel announced in a video statement that Israel and the United States had launched a «joint operation» against what he described as the «existential threat» posed by Iran. He added that the American-Israeli attack could...

American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka, who wrote and performed classics including Oh! Carol, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Bad Blood, Laughter in the Rain and Calendar Girl, has died at the age of 86.

«Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather,» his family said in a statement. «A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed.»

A gifted pianist and five-time Grammy nominee, Sedaka also wrote hits for other famous musicians across his six-decade...

Israel said it carried out a pre-emptive military strike on Iran on Saturday, escalating tensions in the Middle East and casting doubt on efforts to resolve Tehran’s nuclear dispute with Western powers through diplomacy.

According to Israeli officials, the operation targeted what they described as threats posed by Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes.

«The State of Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran to remove threats to the State of Israel,» Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said.

An Israeli defence official said the operation had been prepared for months and coordinated with the United...

At least 11 people have died after a Bolivian Air Force cargo aircraft crashed in the western city of El Alto on Friday evening, BBC reports.

Aviation officials said the incident occurred around 18:15 local time as the aircraft approached El Alto International Airport following a flight from Santa Cruz. The plane reportedly veered off the runway and collided with several nearby vehicles.

Bolivia’s defence ministry later confirmed that the aircraft involved was a Lockheed C‑130 Hercules belonging to the country’s air force. Officials said it had been transporting banknotes intended for the Central Bank of Bolivia. Authorities did...

Uzbekistan has voiced deep concern over the worsening situation along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“Uzbekistan calls on the parties to immediately cease fire, exercise maximum restraint, and prevent further escalation of tensions. We are convinced that all emerging disagreements must be resolved exclusively through peaceful, political, and diplomatic means, based on the principles of mutual respect, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of states,” the statement reads.

Clashes along the Afghan-Pakistani border began on February 26. Pakistani authorities said Afghan forces had opened fire on its border posts. Afghan officials, however, described their...

At least two people have died and as many as 40 others were injured after a tram derailed and slammed into a building in northern Italy’s financial capital of Milan, BBC reports.

The packed tram was travelling on line 9 along Viale Vittorio Veneto at around 4 p.m. local time when it left the tracks and struck the side of a building.

Authorities said one of the victims, a 60-year-old man, was likely a pedestrian hit by the tram. The second fatality and most of the injured were believed to be passengers.

Passengers recount chaotic moments

Emergency crews...

Amazon has released the first image from its upcoming live-action adaptation of God of War, as production on the series begins in Vancouver.

The preview offers fans an initial look at Ryan Hurst as Kratos, the fearsome god of war, alongside Callum Vinson as his son Atreus. The cast also includes Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Danny Woodburn and Jeff Gulka as the dwarf brothers Brok and Sindri, Teresa Palmer as Sif, and Ed Skrein as Baldur.

The series will follow the storyline of...

Muslims across Europe will observe fasting from dawn (Fajr) until sunset (Maghrib) on February 28, 2026. Below are the estimated suhoor (end of pre-dawn meal) and iftar (sunset) times for major European cities.

Times are given in local winter time zones. Minor variations (2–5 minutes) may occur depending on the calculation method used by local Islamic authorities.

May Allah accept your prayers and fasting.

A senior Iranian military official has warned that U.S. troops and assets would be targeted if conflict breaks out between Washington and Tehran, amid rising tensions between the two countries.

Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces, said American personnel and equipment in the region would be within range of Iranian strikes in the event of war.

«In the event of any conflict, American forces and their equipment will be destroyed,» he said, adding that U.S. interests across the region would also be targeted.

The remarks came in response to recent statements...