Fresh attacks hit Gulf after Iran warns UAE ports to evacuate; Tehran demands accountability

A gas explosion triggered a major fire in the unincorporated community of Ashland near Hayward on Thursday after an underground line was damaged by a construction crew, fire officials said. At least one home was destroyed, windows were blown out and nearby houses shook.Six people were taken to hospital for treatment, Alameda County Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Nishimoto said. Three were sent immediately with serious injuries and three others had more minor injuries, AP news agency reported.Three structures on two separate lots were severely damaged, Nishimoto said. Some of the 75 firefighters on the scene were forced to back off momentarily after feeling electric shocks from fallen power lines.The video, which came from doorbell camera footage, showed a large building engulfed in flames and debris scattered across the area.“We were sitting in the house and it just … everything shook. Stuff fell off the walls and when we looked at the camera it was like you were watching a war video,” said ..

AdvertisementHong Kong societyHong KongSocietyEx-Bar head Victor Dawes named lead counsel in deadly Hong Kong fire inquiryDawes topped list of five lawyers appointed as counsel for Independent Committee probing Tai Po fire, according to document seen by the Post
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPConnor MycroftPublished: 1:30pm, 8 Jan 2026Victor Dawes, former chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, has been appointed lead counsel to an independent committee investigating the city’s deadliest fire in decades, with the inquiry expected to begin in the first quarter, the Post has learned.“Preparation work [for the hearing] has been under way at full force. The target is to start the hearing within the first quarter of this year,” a source said on Thursday.
According to a document seen by the Post, Dawes topped the list of the five lawyers appointed as counsel for the Independent Committee probing the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.
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AdvertisementChina’s Communist PartyChinaPoliticsInside Xi Jinping’s new guide to promoting Communist Party officialsChinese leader targets ‘two-faced’ officials and demands new benchmarks tailored to local needs in newly released speeches
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAlcott Weiin BeijingandJun Maiin Hong KongPublished: 6:00pm, 1 Mar 2026For a book on performance appraisals, it contained some surprising language – especially given its author, President Xi Jinping.
The volume, published by the Central Party Literature Press, coincided with the launch of an overhaul of the Communist Party’s promotion system that will continue in the run-up to next year’s leadership transition.Among the raft of speeches and instructions from Xi since November 2012 is a blunt warning to cadres about pursuing debt-laden white elephant projects.
Advertisement“Some officials probably didn’t even think about repaying the debt when they raised it. When will it be their turn to pay it?” Xi says in..