Category: World

Flight paths squeezed as Iran conflict closes more airspace 17 hours agoShareSaveLucy HookerBusiness reporterShareSaveGetty ImagesThe closure of airspace over the southern half of Azerbaijan is putting additional pressure on airlines scrambling to respond to disruption caused by the conflict in the Gulf.
Flight traffic had already been severely disrupted in a region which in normal times acts as a significant hub for the global airline industry.
But a drone attack on the small central Asian country has squeezed many flights into a narrow corridor across the north of the country.
Aviation expert John Strickland said there was now a “very tight range of options for airlines” trying to navigate the current situation.
Western airlines have had to avoid Russian airspace, including Siberia, since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Now all flights are also steering clear of Iran and Iraq airspace, seeking alternative routes to the north or south.
Flightradar24 data maps show real-time congesti..

'What is the game plan?': The Iran war is unsettling China and its ambitions 12 hours agoShareSaveLaura BickerChina correspondentShareSaveAFP via Getty ImagesChina is not feeling the shock of war in the Middle East – yet.
But it is feeling the ripples.
In the short-term, it has enough oil supplies for several months, after which it could turn to neighbour Russia for help.
But China will be calculating what this could mean long-term – not just for its investments in the Middle East, but also for its ambitions.
This week, thousands of Communist Party delegates are meeting in Beijing to discuss a roadmap for the world's second-largest economy as it continues to battle low consumption, a prolonged property crisis and huge local debt.
On Thursday, China lowered its annual economic growth target to the lowest level since 1991, even as Beijing continues its rapid development of high-tech and renewables industries.
China may have hoped to export its way out of economic trouble…

Trump cuts his losses on Noem after controversial tenure at homeland security13 hours agoShareSaveDaniel BushWashington correspondentShareSaveWatch: The BBC's Daniel Bush on Trump replacing Kristi NoemSooner or later, advisers in President Donald Trump's orbit all come to learn the same unwritten rule: no-one can outshine the boss.
Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, became the latest reminder of that on Thursday when Trump announced he was removing her as the face of the administration's crackdown on immigration.
Noem will be replaced by Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin at the end of the month, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. The US Senate will have to confirm him in the post.
The president said Noem would move to a new job as special envoy for a new US security initiative in the Western hemisphere called the Shield of the Americas.
“I thank Kristi for her service at 'Homeland,'” Trump said.
It ends Noem's controvers..

Iran targets headquarters of Iranian Kurdish forces in Iraq3 hours agoShareSaveOrla Guerin,Senior international correspondent, northern IraqandJaroslav LukivShareSaveMatthew Goddard / BBCIran's military has said it has targeted the headquarters of Iranian Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, stepping up strikes on Kurdish regions in both Iran and Iraq.
In a statement quoted by Iranian state media, the military said it attacked “Kurdish groups opposed to the revolution in Iraqi Kurdistan with three missiles”.
Tehran is intensifying its attacks on Iranian Kurdish groups in Iraq amid speculation that US President Donald Trump wants them to join the fight against Iran, as US and Israeli strikes continue.
One person was killed and three injured in Iranian strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday on bases belonging to two separate Kurdish opposition groups, the BBC has confirmed.
The BBC has visited the scene of the attacks at these bases.
One base was hit by a ballistic missile at about 11:00 loc..

Pentagon identifies six US soldiers killed in Iran conflict 9 hours agoShareSaveOlivia IrelandandKayla EpsteinShareSaveUS Army Reserve CommandFrom left to right: Capt Cody Khork, Sgt 1st Class Noah Tietjens, Sgt 1st Class Nicole Amor and Sgt Declan Coady – two other service members who have yet to be identified also died in the Kuwait strikeThe US military has confirmed the identities of all six soldiers killed in the conflict with Iran.
They were killed when an “unmanned aircraft system” evaded air defences to hit a command centre in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on Sunday.
US Central Command initially said three soldiers died in the attack, but officials confirmed on Monday the death toll had doubled, after one person succumbed to injuries and two more bodies were found in the rubble.
Those killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M Marzan, 54, Maj Jeffrey R O'Brien, 45, Capt Cody Khork, 35, Sgt Noah Tietjens, 42, Sgt Nicole Amor, 39, and Sgt Declan Coady, 20, who was posthumously pro..