POLITICS & POLICY

MANAMA, Bahrain — Bahrain International Airport (BAH), the Kingdom's main aviation gateway and a key hub hosting the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet nearby, remains fully closed with all commercial flight operations suspended as of Monday, March 2, 2026, due to the escalating U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict that has triggered widespread airspace shutdowns and direct attacks on Gulf infrastructure.

KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait International Airport (KWI), the country's primary aviation hub, remains fully closed with no commercial flights operating as of Monday, March 2, 2026, due to the ongoing escalation in the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict that has triggered widespread airspace closures across the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Sunday that Israeli forces would intensify strikes "at the heart of Tehran" in the coming days, vowing to deliver a decisive blow to Iran's regime with full U.S. support following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes late last week.

Umar Dzhabrailov, a prominent Chechen-born Russian businessman and former member of Russia's Federation Council, died by suicide early Monday after shooting himself with a pistol in a central Moscow hotel, authorities and media reports confirmed.

A spokesperson from the NRMA has said that Australian drivers should not panic over the possibility that petrol prices will rise significantly.

As the conflict in the Middle East continues after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death, Australia has made its stance clear.

Iranian state-affiliated media outlets circulated video footage Monday purporting to show a U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jet spiraling downward in flames over Kuwait, with Tehran claiming its forces shot down the aircraft as the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict entered its third day of intense exchanges.

Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world's busiest hub for international passengers, remained completely closed Sunday

Iran's political establishment moved swiftly Sunday to stabilize the regime after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation

At least eight people were killed and more than 40 injured when thousands of protesters stormed the US Consulate General in Karachi on March 1, 2026

Iranian ballistic missiles and drones struck several high-profile sites in Dubai on February 28, 2026, damaging the landmark Burj Al Arab hotel, the Fairmont The Palm hotel on Palm Jumeirah, Dubai International Airport and other locations, as Tehran unleashed widespread retaliation following joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader since 1989, has been at the center of global attention following conflicting reports of his death in joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on February 28, 2026.

President Donald Trump declared on February 28, 2026, that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed in joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes, calling his death "justice" and the "single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country."

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received a phone call Saturday from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to discuss recent regional developments, including Iran's ballistic missile attacks on the UAE and other Gulf states, according to the UAE's official news agency WAM.

President Donald Trump announced the launch of "major combat operations" against Iran on Saturday, February 28, 2026

Iran fired ballistic missiles at multiple Gulf Arab states on Saturday, February 28, 2026, in retaliation for joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian leadership and military sites, killing one person in Abu Dhabi and prompting widespread air defense activations, airspace closures and emergency alerts across the region.

Israel, with U.S. support, launched a series of airstrikes early Saturday targeting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top political and military figures in a bold operation aimed at dismantling the Islamic Republic's regime, Israeli officials said.

The United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes on Iran early Saturday, February 28, 2026, targeting leadership compounds, nuclear facilities and missile sites in a pre-emptive operation that President Donald Trump described as the onset of "major combat operations" aimed at dismantling Tehran's regime and nuclear program.

The United Arab Emirates imposed a temporary partial closure of its national airspace on February 28, 2026, as an "exceptional precautionary measure" amid heightened regional tensions following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliatory missile launches.

The United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes on Iran early Saturday, targeting key leadership, military facilities and nuclear sites in a dramatic escalation that President Donald Trump described as the start of "major combat operations" aimed at dismantling Tehran's regime and eliminating its nuclear capabilities.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton began her closed-door deposition Thursday before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee as part of a congressional investigation into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, marking a high-profile moment in the ongoing probe into his network of influence and alleged crimes.

Cuban border guard troops fatally shot four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered speedboat that entered Cuban territorial waters Wednesday morning, the country's Interior Ministry said, describing the incident as a foiled "armed infiltration with terrorist purposes" by Cuban nationals living in the United States.

The evacuation of families and dependents of Australian diplomats have been ordered to evacuate in several countries in the Middle East.

The Australian Army, as the land warfare component of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), holds a strong position in global military rankings, placing the nation's overall conventional military strength at 17th out of 145 countries in the 2026 Global Firepower Index, according to the latest annual assessment released in early 2026.

Mexican army forces killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, the longtime leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel known as "El Mencho," during a military operation Sunday in the western state of Jalisco, the country's Secretariat of National Defense confirmed.

Mexican army forces killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, the elusive leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel known as "El Mencho," during a military operation Sunday in the western state of Jalisco, Mexican officials confirmed.

MIAMI — Federal prosecutors have filed a civil complaint to revoke the U.S. citizenship of former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime, accusing the Haiti-born politician of using false identities, a fraudulent marriage and repeated lies to immigration authorities over nearly three decades to unlawfully obtain permanent residency and naturalization.

President Donald Trump said Friday he is considering a limited military strike on Iran as a means to compel Tehran to negotiate a new deal curbing its nuclear program, escalating tensions amid a U.S. military buildup in the region and indirect talks that have yielded no breakthroughs.

Australia's political landscape in 2026 features a mix of career politicians with modest parliamentary salaries and a handful of figures whose pre-politics business empires or family wealth place them among the nation's affluent elite.