We've been speaking to Iranians during one week of war. Here's what they said
When Hamid heard news of the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a week ago today, he felt a wave of euphoria and took his wife and daughter into the street outside his home in Tehran to celebrate. For the next few days, as US and Israeli bombs slammed into buildings across the ca»»»
Explosions Rock Iran's Capital, and More Attacks Target Israel as US Warns Bombing Will Intensify
Explosions sent up clouds of dark smoke in the Iranian capital city early Saturday, and Tehran retaliated by firing missiles at Israel as the United States warned of a forthcoming bombing campaign that officials said would be the most intense yet in the weeklong conflict. There was no foreseeable e»»»
Hezbollah Says Fighters Clash with Israeli Troops on Lebanon-Syria Border
Lebanese official media reported on Saturday that clashes had erupted as Israeli forces attempted a landing operation along the Lebanon-Syria border, with militant group Hezbollah saying its fighters were involved. The state-run National News Agency (NNA), citing the Lebanese health ministry, said »»»
Warehouse supervisor ordered to pay Dh70,951 after audit
Abu Dhabi: A company has filed a case against its former employee after more than 11 years of service, leading an Abu Dhabi court to order the worker to repay Dh70,951 following the discovery of missing goods in the company’s warehouse. The ruling was issued by the Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Admin»»»
Qatar arrests man over insulting social media posts against state institutions
The Criminal Investigation Department at Qatar’s General Directorate of Criminal Investigations has arrested a person of Arab nationality after he published a series of social media posts containing direct insults aimed at the State of Qatar and its institutions. The posts were circulated within su»»»
'Plenty of oil' in market despite Mideast turmoil: IEA chief
BRUSSELS, Belgium — International Energy Agency [IEA] chief Fatih Birol sought Friday to tamp down fears of a global oil crisis as conflict rages in the Middle East, saying there was "plenty of oil in the market."The US-Israel war on Iran and Tehran's retaliatory attacks across the Gulf region hav»»»
IAEA Never Had Reasons to Forgo Talks With Iran — Russian MFA Spox
During many years of contacts with Iran, the IAEA has never found grounds to refuse negotiations on Iranian nuclear program, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "Throughout all these years, there has not been a single instance where the IAEA stated that there is a reason to c»»»
Press Review - 'Operation Epstein Distraction': Sexual assault allegations against Trump emerge
PRESS REVIEW – Friday, March 6: International papers discuss US President Donald Trump's "warrior transformation" and speculate about how the new war in the Middle East could benefit Russia. Also: the US Department of Justice publishes an interview that outlines sexual assault allegations agai»»»
Trump fires controversial Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem
President Trump has fired his homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem. In a post on social media, Trump said he was replacing Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma. Noem is the first cabinet member to be ousted in Trump’s second term. She was a key figure in carrying out Trump’s mass depo»»»
US Justice Department releases Epstein files with accusations against Trump
The US Justice Department on Friday released Epstein file documents detailing claims that US President Donald Trump attempted to force an underage girl into performing oral sex. The FBI interviewed the alleged victim in 2019 as part of its investigation into late financier and sex offender Jeffrey »»»
Hezbollah has 'less wriggle room' as Lebanese 'lose their patience'
The war in the Middle East spread to Lebanon when Hezbollah launched a rocket attack at Israel early on March 2, to "avenge" the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in the US-Israeli attack on Tehran. Now, over 100,000 people have been displaced due to retaliatory strikes from Israel, an»»»
Ukraine to provide expertise on countering Shahed drones to Gulf countries
Various countries, including the United States have asked Ukraine for its expertise in countering Iran’s Shahed drones. Russia has fired tens of thousands of these drones at its neighbour since the war began just over four years ago. Ukraine's President Zelensky said they will provide assistance as»»»
Surge in GPS interference around Strait of Hormuz increases shipping risks
More than 1,100 vessels have been hit by GPS interference across the Middle East Gulf since the start of the conflict, according to maritime firm Windward. Experts warn these attacks pose severe risks to navigation and are contributing to the de facto blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Shi»»»
Israel has 'freer hand in Lebanon' as US not involved
Ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon are the heaviest since a 2024 ceasefire ended the last war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, who fired rockets at Israel in the opening days of the latest conflict. Tens of thousands have fled Beirut’s suburbs and southern Lebanon after sweeping Israel»»»
'Purely defensive' posture: Europe’s reluctant role in an expanding Middle East conflict
Alison Sargent is pleased to welcome James J. Townsend Jr, the Atlantic Council's Senior Advisor in the Scowcroft Center's Transatlantic Security Initiative. He asserts that European military involvement in the widening Middle Eastern conflict should not be interpreted as entry into the war itself,»»»
‘Self-destructive, suicidal’: In Lebanon, anger rises against Hezbollah amid Israeli strikes
The militant group Hezbollah has lost political backers in Lebanon after strikes it launched this week against Israel to honour Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei provoked a robust military response. Lack of public support for the militant group has even spread to the southern Shiite community»»»
Orbán: We will not fulfill Ukraine’s demands
Hungarian-Ukrainian relations took another sharp turn for the worse after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly threatened Prime Minister Viktor Orbán over Hungary’s refusal to back another €90 billion package for Ukraine. In his Friday morning interview on Kossuth Radio, PM Orbán made it»»»
FRANCE 24 speaks to French expatriate in Kuwait as Iran strikes US allies
Iran continues to launch attacks across the Gulf to US allies, retaliating against US strikes. Tehran has fired missiles and drones on March 6 into Kuwait, Saudia Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain - all countries that host US forces. As such many countries are trying to repatriate many of their nationals. »»»
Israel carries on targeting Hezbollah strongholds, causing heavy displacement
On day seven of the war - the Israeli army announced it carried out an intensive overnight bombing campaign in Lebanon - in the southern suburbs of Beirut - as it targets Hezbollah strongholds. The militant group is allied with Iran - and has continually clashed with Israel. On March 2, the group »»»
Iran not 'a week away' from having a nuclear bomb as Trump administration claims
The main argument used by the Americans and Israelis to justify the war with Iran has been the country's nuclear program. But where does Iran's enrichment program stand today? On Tuesday the nuclear site at Natanz was hit by airstrikes. And just days ago the Trump administration claimed that Tehran»»»
Tête à tête - There's been a 'seismic' shift in US public opinion on Palestine: Historian Rashid Khalidi
In an interview with FRANCE 24, renowned historian Rashid Khalidi described a "seismic, fundamental shift" in American public opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He also argued that Israel rests on the "absolute supremacy of one group throughout Palestine", but that equality is the only ba»»»
Iran's Azeris fear ethnic strife, sucking Turkey and Azerbaijan into the war
With ethnic brethren in northern Iran and a US outreach to Iran’s Kurds following the launch of Operation Epic Fury, Turkey and Azerbaijan are at risk of being drawn into the war. For Iran’s Azeris, the largest minority group in a multi-ethnic country, it could mean trouble as ethnic fault lines th»»»
Spotlight - Iran, Europe & Churchill: The View from a Former British Ambassador to Iran
In this edition of the Spotlight, we speak to Richard Dalton, the former British ambassador to Iran and Libya and a former consul general in Jerusalem, to unpack the first week of war and what may come next. With President Donald Trump demanding Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and Tehran showing n»»»
Mine collapses in eastern Congo, with official death toll disputed by M23 rebels
A mine collapse at a major coltan mining site in eastern Congo left at least 200 dead, according to Congolese authorities, a number disputed by the rebel group that controls the mine. The collapse follows a similar event in January that also left over 200 dead in an area already facing a humanitari»»»
Is China training an army of robots? Nope, it’s an AI-generated video
Some media users have been sharing videos that they claim are proof that China has started training humanoid robot soldiers. It turns out, however, that these videos were – surprise surprise – created by AI. Have Chinese dancing robots been turned into killing machines? People were »»»
Winter Paralympics opening ceremony clouded by boycott over Russia’s return
Controversy is overshadowing the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, which kick off Friday with an opening ceremony boycotted by several countries protesting the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags for the first time since 2014. The Milan-Cort»»»
Ukraine to provide drone protection support in Middle East at US request
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said that Ukraine would provide assistance to the US and other allies in response to requests for support in dealing with Iran's Shahed drones currently being used in the Middle East conflict. The United States and its Middle Eastern allies are turning»»»
Talking Europe - 'We want a new form of government that better serves the Iranian people': EU Commissioner McGrath
Talking Europe sits down at the EU Commission with a man whose work goes to the very heart of what the EU sees as its core values. Michael McGrath is the Commissioner responsible for democracy, justice, the rule of law and consumer protection. His work concerns not just breaches of the rule of law »»»
Trump Considers Deploying US Troops in Iran — Reports
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump has privately expressed interest in deploying troops to Iran and discussed the matter with his aides, NBC News reported, citing officials and other sources. The report said Trump discussed the idea with his aides and Republican officials. The discussions»»»
Who can legally offer private tutoring in the UAE?
Dubai: The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has confirmed that five categories of individuals are permitted to provide private tutoring to students under the country’s private tutoring work permit framework, introduced to regulate the sector. The eligible groups include teachers »»»
US Approves Sale of 12,000 Aerial Bombs to Israel for Over $150 Million - State Department
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States has approved the sale of 12,000 aerial bombs to Israel for $151.8 million, the State Department said in a statement amid the ongoing military aggression against Iran. "The US Department of State has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military »»»
China signals limited stimulus and only modest rebalancing
China’s leadership has indicated that policy settings will remain largely unchanged this year, with modest monetary easing but little additional fiscal support a note from Capital Economics says. Despite declaring an intent to rebalance the economy toward consumption, concrete policy measures remai»»»
Hormuz crisis: oil markets move from disruption to chaos
The global oil market perception of Operation Epic Fury is sliding rapidly from seeing the conflict as a “disruption” into what could become a full-scale “crisis.” Given the limited oi storage capacity in the Gulf and inadequate alternative pipeline network to the Red Sea, the region will hit a pro»»»
China signals limited stimulus and only modest rebalancing
China’s leadership has indicated that policy settings will remain largely unchanged this year, with modest monetary easing but little additional fiscal support a note from Capital Economics says. Despite declaring an intent to rebalance the economy toward consumption, concrete policy measures remai»»»
US and Venezuela restore diplomatic ties as Trump secures resource access
The United States and Venezuela announced the restoration of diplomatic relations on March 5, formalising the deepening cooperation between Washington and Caracas that has emerged since US forces toppled Nicolás Maduro in a January 3 military operation. »»»
Trump says Cuba regime will fall “very soon” as Havana seeks deal
President Donald Trump said that Cuba's government will collapse "very soon" and claimed Havana is "very eager" to negotiate with Washington, as the island's economic crisis deepens under a de facto US fuel embargo. "Cuba »»»
Trump says Cuba regime will fall “very soon” as Havana seeks deal
President Donald Trump said that Cuba's government will collapse "very soon" and claimed Havana is "very eager" to negotiate with Washington, as the island's economic crisis deepens under a de facto US fuel embargo. "Cuba »»»
US and Venezuela restore diplomatic ties as Trump secures resource access
The United States and Venezuela announced the restoration of diplomatic relations on March 5, formalising the deepening cooperation between Washington and Caracas that has emerged since US forces toppled Nicolás Maduro in a January 3 military operation. »»»
Trump says Cuba regime will fall “very soon” as Havana seeks deal
President Donald Trump said that Cuba's government will collapse "very soon" and claimed Havana is "very eager" to negotiate with Washington, as the island's economic crisis deepens under a de facto US fuel embargo. "Cuba »»»
US and Venezuela restore diplomatic ties as Trump secures resource access
The United States and Venezuela announced the restoration of diplomatic relations on March 5, formalising the deepening cooperation between Washington and Caracas that has emerged since US forces toppled Nicolás Maduro in a January 3 military operation. »»»
US and Venezuela restore diplomatic ties as Trump secures resource access
The United States and Venezuela announced the restoration of diplomatic relations on March 5, formalising the deepening cooperation between Washington and Caracas that has emerged since US forces toppled Nicolás Maduro in a January 3 military operation. »»»
MARINS: Iran's low cost-to-kill missile capacity gives it the upper hand in a long war
Speculation is swirling over who will run out of missiles first: the US or Iran? The US has fired off five years’ worth of Tomahawk missiles in the first week of the war with Iran and announced a wind-down of the intensity of the attacks on March 5 to allow for a longer fight. »»»
Prices don’t peak of fall in a crisis until about two months after the event
The world has just been struck by one of the worst energy crises since the Russian invasion of Ukraine four years ago. The outbreak of war in the Middle East is almost certainly going to be far more significant. Yet the price of oil only ticked up $10 in the first few days and as the first week com»»»
BONNER: The strategic vacuum at the heart of Operation Epic Fury
No plan survives first contact with the enemy. That popular quotation is really a paraphrase of a somewhat more verbose statement by Prussian Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder in 1871. It’s obviously true: events, like individuals and groups, are unpredictable and even well-executed plans »»»
MARINS: Iran's low cost-to-kill missile capacity gives it the upper hand in a long war
Speculation is swirling over who will run out of missiles first: the US or Iran? The US has fired off five years’ worth of Tomahawk missiles in the first week of the war with Iran and announced a wind-down of the intensity of the attacks on March 5 to allow for a longer fight. »»»
Prices don’t peak of fall in a crisis until about two months after the event
The world has just been struck by one of the worst energy crises since the Russian invasion of Ukraine four years ago. The outbreak of war in the Middle East is almost certainly going to be far more significant. Yet the price of oil only ticked up $10 in the first few days and as the first week com»»»
MARINS: Iran's low cost-to-kill missile capacity gives it the upper hand in a long war
Speculation is swirling over who will run out of missiles first: the US or Iran? The US has fired off five years’ worth of Tomahawk missiles in the first week of the war with Iran and announced a wind-down of the intensity of the attacks on March 5 to allow for a longer fight. »»»
Prices don’t peak of fall in a crisis until about two months after the event
The world has just been struck by one of the worst energy crises since the Russian invasion of Ukraine four years ago. The outbreak of war in the Middle East is almost certainly going to be far more significant. Yet the price of oil only ticked up $10 in the first few days and as the first week com»»»
MARINS: Iran's low cost-to-kill missile capacity gives it the upper hand in a long war
Speculation is swirling over who will run out of missiles first: the US or Iran? The US has fired off five years’ worth of Tomahawk missiles in the first week of the war with Iran and announced a wind-down of the intensity of the attacks on March 5 to allow for a longer fight. »»»
Prices don’t peak of fall in a crisis until about two months after the event
The world has just been struck by one of the worst energy crises since the Russian invasion of Ukraine four years ago. The outbreak of war in the Middle East is almost certainly going to be far more significant. Yet the price of oil only ticked up $10 in the first few days and as the first week com»»»