Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees has said a U.S. travel ban is preventing him from attending the 2026 Academy Awards this Sunday (15 March), where a film in which he stars is nominated for best international feature.
A widening conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel has triggered escalating military strikes across the Middle East, disrupted shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz and raised concerns over global energy supplies. This live report tracks the latest developments.
President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, visited Azerbaijan on Wednesday. A meeting between Costa and President Ilham Aliyev was held to reaffirm the European Union’s support amid regional security concerns, particularly following recent Iranian attacks on Nakhchivan Airport.
Member countries of the International Energy Agency have unanimously agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves to stabilise global markets disrupted by the war involving Iran.
Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is reportedly in good health and staying in a “safe place”, despite earlier reports that he had been injured during recent U.S.-Israel airstrikes, according to the country's president.
The escalating conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran is already hitting the Middle East travel and tourism sector hard, with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) estimating losses of at least $600 million per day in international visitor spending.
A 35-year-old woman was charged with attempted murder on Tuesday (10 March) after allegedly firing a semi-automatic rifle at the Los Angeles home of pop star Rihanna on Sunday, prosecutors said.
A towering lava fountain from Kilauea shot about 400 metres into the air late on Tuesday (11 March) on Hawaii Island, prompting temporary closures at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and part of a key highway as volcanic ash and debris fell over nearby areas.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a focal point of global concern as tensions rise following the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Tehran has threatened to block the strategic waterway, raising fears of disruption to global oil shipments and energy markets.
British MPs have rejected a proposal to introduce an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s, opting instead to give ministers flexible powers to impose restrictions on platforms.
Officials in Azerbaijan have said they have stopped terror attacks in Azerbaijan including on an Israeli Embassy, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and a Synagogue. Tensions between regional and global powers escalate. Military activity, security alerts and travel disruptions continue.
Trump tells Axios he wants direct involvement in who takes over as Iran's next leader, rejecting Khamenei's son as "unacceptable" and citing the need for a figure who can bring "peace and harmony".
China expressed serious concern over the escalating conflict in Iran, confirming that one Chinese national was killed in Tehran. Beijing called for an immediate halt to military operations and a return to diplomatic talks, while other Asian countries have also voiced their positions on the crisis.
Türkiye raised its security level for Turkish-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to Level 3 on Sunday (2 March). The development follows Iranian restrictions on shipping after U.S. and Israeli strikes and confirmation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death.
China’s military said on Friday it had conducted a routine patrol in the South China Sea from 23 to 26 February, accusing the Philippines of “disrupting” regional peace and stability by organising joint patrols with countries outside the region.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday (26 February) accused Ukraine of threatening Europe’s energy security by halting oil flows through the Druzhba oil pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, arrived in Geneva and may hold talks with U.S. officials, according to the RIA news agency.
The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said on Thursday (25 February) it was deeply concerned by reports that Myanmar military air strikes this week had killed at least five children and dozens of civilians, as fighting intensified across the country.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Thursday (26 February) he will focus on expanding his country’s nuclear arsenal and that prospects for improving relations with the U.S. depend entirely on Washington’s approach, state media KCNA reported.
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has announced that he will retire from teaching at Harvard University at the end of the academic year, amid renewed scrutiny over his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
House lawmakers are set to question former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Chappaqua, New York near their main residence, on Thursday (26 February) and Friday as part of Congress’s investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
A group of sick and injured Palestinians and their caregivers left Gaza through the Rafah border crossing on Wednesday (25 February) for medical treatment abroad, as limited evacuations continue under tight restrictions.
Hindu devotees in the northern town of Barsana in Uttar Pradesh celebrated ‘Laddoo Holi’ on Tuesday (24 February), a traditional pre-Holi ritual honouring the Hindu deity Krishna.
A F-16 fighter jet of the Turkish Air Force crashed near a highway in western Türkiye early on Wednesday (25 February), killing its pilot, officials and media reports confirmed.
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