Protests erupt in Pakistan and Iraq after Khamenei’s death; at least nine killed in Karachi
Protests broke out in Pakistan and Iraq on Sunday after Iranian state media confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah A...
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the situation in Ukraine, during which he said Russian forces were making progress on several fronts, according to statements released by the Kremlin.
During the meeting in Moscow, Putin said troops from Russia’s “East” military group had broken through Ukrainian defensive positions and were advancing towards the city of Zaporizhzhia, a major regional center in southern Ukraine.
Zaporizhzhia remains under Ukrainian control, although Russia occupies parts of the surrounding region.
Putin also said forces from the “Centre” group were continuing their advance towardsUkraine's Donetsk region.
He linked this progress to what Moscow describes as the capture of the towns of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad.
Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the loss of the towns.
According to the Kremlin, the meeting focused not only on current fighting but also on longer-term security planning. Putin instructed officials to continue work in 2026 on establishing what Russia calls a “security buffer zone” in Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions, which border Russia.
Moscow has previously said such buffer zones are intended to prevent attacks on Russian territory, while Ukraine has rejected the idea, saying it amounts to an attempt to seize more land.
Putin also ordered what the Kremlin described as decisive measures to prevent Ukrainian forces from advancing toward the city of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region.
Kupiansk was a key logistics hub during the war and has seen repeated clashes as control of the area has shifted over time.
The meeting comes as Russia accused Ukraine on Monday of trying to attack Putin’s residence and vowed retaliation. Ukraine has dismissed this and claims it’s an attempt to undermine peace talks.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are escalating, with Washington ordering a significant military build-up in the region and multiple countries evacuating diplomatic staff amid fears of further instability.
Governments across the region responded swiftly to Israel’s strikes on Iran, closing airspace, issuing travel advisories and activating contingency plans amid fears of escalation.
Two people were killed and around 40 injured when a tram derailed in central Milan on Friday (27 February), a spokesperson for the local fire service said.
Pakistani air strikes hit a weapons depot on the western outskirts of Kabul overnight, triggering hours of secondary explosions that rattled homes across the Afghan capital and left residents fearing further violence.
Protests broke out in Pakistan and Iraq on Sunday after Iranian state media confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in joint U.S.–Israeli strikes. At least nine people were reported dead in clashes near the U.S. consulate in Karachi.
Afghanistan said it had fired at Pakistani aircraft over Kabul after explosions and gunfire rocked the capital early on Sunday, marking a sharp escalation in fighting between the two neighbours.
A senior Iranian official has warned Israel to “prepare for what is coming”, insisting that Tehran’s response to the latest escalation in the Middle East will be made openly and without limits.
Cuba has released extensive details of a deadly midweek shootout at sea, showing rifles, pistols and nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition that it says were carried by a group of exiles who attempted to enter the island by speedboat.
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers said on Friday (27 February) they were ready to negotiate after Pakistan bombed their forces in several Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar, and Islamabad declared the neighbours were now in "open war".
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