Israel Attack Iran Live Updates: Missiles strike US navy headquarters in Bahrain; explosions heard in Abu Dhabi
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Iran latest: US and Israel launch strikes on Tehran as Trump confirms ‘major combat operation’
Smoke seen rising from area of southern Tehran following Israeli attackThe US and Israel have launched co-ordinated strikes across Iran, including Tehran, on Saturday, in a “preventative attack”.
Iran have retaliated with the Israel Defence Forces confirming that they had identified missiles launched towards them, and were intercepting the threat. Reports of explosions have also been made in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, which house US military bases.
President Donald Trump confirmed a “major combat operation” in an eight-minute speech, stating Iran could never have a nuclear weapon and adding: “It's been mass terror, and we're not going to take it any longer.”
Witnesses said they heard the blasts in the Iranian capital, while footage appears to show columns of smoke rising above the city.
Iran and Israel have closed their airspace, while officials in Tehran said their supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been transferred to a secure location.
The development comes amid hei..
AfricaAmericasAsiaAustralasiaBusinessCultureEast AsiaEuropeIndy TVMiddle EastNewsNews & AdviceNFLSportTravelTV & RadioUKUK PoliticsUS Crime NewsUS politicsUS SportWorldWorld - Crime
Flights cancelled and routes suspended after US and Israel launch strikes on Iran
Flights between Western Europe and the Middle East have been severely disrupted after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and many other airlines are cancelling flights.
The “major combat operation” confirmed by Donald Trump on Saturday morning has had a major impact on flights in the region, as Iran and Iraq’s airspaces were closed due to the escalating action.
With missiles being launched from Israel against Iran, and retaliatory strikes from Iran, flights that would normally cross those countries are being forced to divert.
A video from the flight tracking service Flightradar24 shows the overnight stream of aircraft from the Gulf crossing northeast Iraq. But from around 6 am GMT, the pattern ends with aircraft instead flying west over Saudi Arabia.
British Airways has cancelled its flights linking London Heathrow with Bahrain and Tel Aviv until 3 March. Saturday’s link to Amman is also grounded.
A spokesperson told The Independent: “We are c..
What we know about the joint US-Israel attack on Iran
What we know about the joint US-Israel attack on Iran19 minutes agoShareSaveShareSaveAFP via Getty ImagesPeople were seen heading for cover as explosions were heard across Tehran on Saturday morning The US and Israel have launched an attack on Iran.
US president Donald Trump has described ongoing “major combat operations” and called for Iranian government forces to lay down their arms.
Earlier, Israel's Defence Minister said Israel had launched a “pre-emptive attack” against Iran, with explosions heard across the country.
This comes after weeks of threats and negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.
Here's what we know.
Follow live: US and Israel launch attack on Iran, as Trump says 'major combat operations' under wayWatch: Smoke rises in Tehran as explosions heard across countryWhat's happened in Iran? Shortly after 09:30 Tehran time (06:00 GMT), Iranian media reported explosions in the capital. Pictures seen by the BBC show smoke over the city..
Aspiring taxi drivers taking tests each month up 30% after simplified assessment
AdvertisementHong Kong transportHong KongTransportAspiring taxi drivers taking tests each month up 30% after simplified assessment‘The average monthly number of candidates has now risen to around 1,800,’ transport chief Mable Chan says
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAmbrose LiPublished: 6:06pm, 28 Feb 2026Updated: 6:23pm, 28 Feb 2026The average number of aspiring Hong Kong taxi drivers taking a crucial industry test each month has increased by nearly 30 per cent following the launch of a simplified version of the assessment last year, the transport minister has said.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan also said on Saturday that the government was increasing the number of dedicated meeting spaces for the city’s five premium taxi fleets at cultural and business landmarks.
“We streamlined the written test arrangements for taxi drivers last year. The average monthly number of candidates has now risen to around 1,800, representing an increase of nearly 30 per cent..
Why won’t Chile let China’s Silk Road Ark military hospital ship give medical aid?
AdvertisementChina-Latin America relationsChinaDiplomacyWhy won’t Chile let China’s Silk Road Ark military hospital ship give medical aid?The vessel has sailed into Valparaiso’s waters as the geopolitical winds shift in the western hemisphere
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP1Laura ZhouPublished: 6:00pm, 28 Feb 2026The Chilean government has turned down a request from a Chinese military hospital ship to treat Chilean residents on board the vessel.The decision reflects Santiago’s tilt towards Washington and US efforts to exert more influence in the western hemisphere, according to a Chinese academic.The Chilean Ministry of Health said on Friday that it had reviewed the Silk Road Ark’s request and decided not to grant it, citing a health code that restricts such services to professionals accredited in the country, Reuters reported.
Advertisement“We determined that it is not appropriate to authorise this health operation to function on the ship’s facilities,” the ministry s..
Bill Clinton asked about hot tub photo and testifies he knew ‘nothing’ of Epstein crimes
Bill Clinton asked about hot tub photo and testifies he knew 'nothing' of Epstein crimes7 hours agoShareSaveAna FaguyandNada Tawfik and Cai Pigliucci,in Chappaqua, New YorkShareSaveWatch: Hot tub, flight logs, and other key moments from Bill Clinton's depositionFormer President Bill Clinton told a congressional panel he “saw nothing,” and “did nothing wrong” in relation to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The all-day hearing behind closed doors in New York featured the former president being asked about his inclusion in newly released files related to the financier, including in a photo with an unidentified person in a hot tub.
His testimony came one day after his wife, ex-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, told the committee she also “had no idea” of Epstein's crimes.
Appearing in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing, and neither Clinton has been accused of misconduct by Epstein survivors who have come forward so far.
Clinton said that he would h..
Pakistan–Afghanistan war: Kabul launches drone strikes; Islamabad claims no casualties
. Afghanistan said on Friday it carried out drone strikes on Pakistani military establishments as fighting between the two neighbours continued. Pakistan, meanwhile, said it shot down the drones using its anti-drone systems and reported no casualties.Afghanistan's military launched attacks late Thursday along the border in six provinces. It described the action as retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes carried out on Sunday in Afghan border areas, claiming “irrefutable evidence” that militants in Afghanistan were behind a recent wave of attacks and suicide bombings in Pakistan.Afghan authorities in Nangarhar province said fighting was ongoing in the Torkham border area on Friday morning.They also claimed Pakistani mortar fire hit civilian areas, including a refugee camp that had been evacuated overnight, as Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, said the country now considered itself in an “open war” with Afghanistan. Both sides gave different casualty figures. Afghanis..
‘Blatant Hinduphobia’: Harvard slammed for artwork in Sanskrit course
Harvard University has found itself at the centre of a growing online storm after an artwork featured on its Department of South Asian Studies website drew sharp criticism and allegations of bias. The Coalition of Hindus of North America ignited the debate after calling out the university for what it described as “blatant Hinduphobia” in the visual used to represent its Elementary Sanskrit course.Taking to X, the coalition accused the university of bigotry for adding an image that feels “straight out of a horror movie,” starring a dark Hindu figure with a tilak, dangling “some sort of ghostly figurine in his hands.”The art was allocated for its course on Elementary Sanskrit, and the organisation blamed the university for introducing Sanskrit, “Hinduism’s sacred language,” in a “dark, manipulative and oppressive manner” to students, much like it introduces the religion itself.”“This is how students are introduced to Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages that has given birth to cla..
Why Beijing’s US$4.5 billion Niger-Benin oil pipeline is being attacked by rebels
AdvertisementChina-Africa relationsChinaDiplomacyWhy Beijing’s US$4.5 billion Niger-Benin oil pipeline is being attacked by rebelsChinese nationals warned to avoid high-risk areas after infrastructure becomes a primary target for rebels seeking to halt military junta
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPJevans NyabiagePublished: 6:30pm, 27 Feb 2026China has placed its nationals on high alert following a series of rebel attacks targeting the US$4.5 billion Niger-Benin oil pipeline and an Islamic State raid on the Nigerien capital’s international airport on January 29.On Monday, the Chinese embassy in Niamey urged citizens to avoid high-risk areas and instructed firms to implement emergency response plans as insurgent groups increasingly target Chinese-managed infrastructure.The warning follows recent attacks on the pipeline and a predawn assault on Air Base 101 and Niamey International Airport by Islamic State militants, who damaged several aircraft before being repelled with ass..