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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday issued a veiled threat to kill Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei even as he acknowledged that Israel’s joint air war with the U.S. may not lead to a collapse of Tehran’s clerical government.

Holding his first press conference since the start of the war, the Israeli leader said that Iran was “no longer the same” after nearly two weeks of bombardment and that Tehran had suffered blows to its elite Revolutionary Guards Corps and Basij paramilitary force.

He vowed to keep hitting Lebanon’s Hezbollah after the Iran-backed ⁠group opened fire on March 2 to avenge Israel’s killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei - Mojtaba Khamenei’s father - at the start of the war.

Standing between two Israeli flags and taking questions over video link, Netanyahu was asked what actions Israel might take against Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem:

“I wouldn’t issue life insurance policies on any of the leaders of the terrorist organization ... I don’t intend to provide an exact report here about what we are planning or what we are going to do.”

As Netanyahu spoke, sirens warning of incoming missile fire from Iran blared across much of central Israel.

Israel has ⁠said the aim of its assault on Iran is to eliminate what it views as the existential threat posed by Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. It also says it wants to cause a collapse of government by encouraging Iranians to rise up.

While many Iranians want change and some openly celebrated the death of Ali Khamenei, ⁠whose security forces killed thousands of anti-government protesters just weeks ago, there has been no sign of protest since the war began.

Asked whether Israel was arming opponents of Iran’s rulers and whether it might fail to achieve a collapse ⁠of government, Netanyahu said that even if the government did not fall, it would remain weak.

“I will not detail the actions we are taking. We are creating the optimal conditions for toppling the ⁠regime but I won’t deny that I can’t tell you with all certainty that the people of Iran will topple the regime - a regime is toppled from the inside,” Netanyahu said.

“But we can definitely help and we are helping.”

Source:adaderana.lk

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has won a landslide in Nepal’s election - the first held since last year’s youth-led protests toppled the then government.

The RSP received 182 votes in the final tally - falling short of achieving a two-thirds supermajority in the parliament’s lower house by two seats. Nevertheless, it is the biggest win for a single party in Nepal in decades.

The Nepali Congress came in second with 38 seats, while the Communist Party of Nepal UML (CPN-UML) was third on 25. Voter turnout was around 60% of the nearly 19 million eligible voters.

The result puts the RSP’s Balendra Shah - a rapper-turned-politician - on track to become the country’s next leader.

It is expected to take at least a week for the new government to be formed.

The result is an amazing turn in fortune for the RSP, which was only founded in 2022 and came fourth in the election held that same year. Shah, like the party he only recently joined, is largely untested - his only political experience so far has been as the mayor of the capital, Kathmandu.

The landslide is all the more significant because the country’s mixed political system - which uses a combination of first past the post and proportional representation - is mathematically designed to prevent such domination by a single party.

The outcome of the election reflects a desire for change that was seen during the election campaign, with parties courting Nepal’s key youth bloc with promises of addressing issues including unemployment, economic stagnation and inequality.

These were the same problems that saw youth-led protests that broke out last year, initially against a social media ban, escalate. Demonstrators criticised Nepal’s political system and the symbolism of class inequality, “nepo babies” - children of the country’s politicians.

A total of 77 were killed during the protests, and a BBC investigation revealed the country’s police chief issued an order allowing the use of lethal force against thousands of unarmed protesters.

The demonstrations eventually saw the then leader, KP Sharma Oli, ousted - only for him to stand again as a prime ministerial candidate, expressing confidence he would be re-elected.

Not only did his party, the CPN-UML, come third in the election, Oli was beaten decisively by Shah in the Jhapa 5 constituency - a former stronghold for the 74-year-old.

Gagan Thapa, the new leader of the Nepali Congress - the country’s oldest democratic party - also lost his seat to an RSP candidate.

Source: adaderana.lk

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new threat online to Iran, writing: “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today.”

Trump made the post Friday on his Truth Social website, saying that “Iran’s Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth.”

“They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them,” Trump wrote. “What a great honor it is to do so!”

Source: adaderana.lk

Israel has issued an urgent warning for residents in Qasr Naba, in Lebanon’s Baalbek region, to evacuate the area.

The Israeli military ‘‘will attack military infrastructure belonging to the terrorist Hezbollah in the near time frame,’’ Israel’s Arab media spokesperson Avichay Adraee says.

The warning comes after the Israeli military carried out a series of strikes on Beirut overnight. During this wave of strikes, it says it hit 10 Hezbollah buildings in southern Beirut.

It is reported earlier that eight people had been killed in a strike on Beirut’s seafront.

Source:adaderana.lk

The United States has struck about 6,000 targets in Iran and damaged or destroyed more than 90 Iranian vessels, including over 60 ships and at least 30 minelayers, as part of the ongoing Operation Epic Fury, according to an official U.S. military fact sheet released on Wednesday.

The military campaign was launched at 1:15 a.m. on February 28 by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) at the direction of the President of the United States. According to the document, the operation is aimed at dismantling the Iranian regime’s military and security infrastructure.

“CENTCOM forces are striking targets to dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritising locations that pose an imminent threat,” the fact sheet states.

The campaign has targeted a wide range of Iranian military installations. These include command and control centres, headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), intelligence facilities, and integrated air defence systems.

Ballistic missile sites and drone manufacturing facilities have also been struck. Weapons production facilities, surface-to-air missile installations, and military communication capabilities are among the other targets listed in the fact sheet.

Naval infrastructure and maritime assets have also been a major focus of the operation.

According to the document, more than 90 Iranian vessels have been damaged or destroyed, including over 60 ships and at least 30 minelayers. 

The targets include Iranian navy ships and submarines, anti-ship missile sites, and facilities linked to minelaying operations such as factories and warehouses.

The fact sheet indicates that the operation has involved a broad range of U.S. military assets across air, sea, and missile defence domains.

Aircraft used in the campaign include B-1, B-2, and B-52 bombers, as well as fighter aircraft such as the F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22, and F-35. Attack aircraft such as the A-10 and electronic warfare platforms, including the EA-18G electronic attack aircraft, have also been deployed.

Surveillance and reconnaissance platforms include the U-2 Dragon Lady, RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, and P-8 maritime patrol aircraft.

Unmanned systems, such as MQ-9 Reaper and LUCAS drones, are also part of the operation.

The campaign has also relied on missile defence systems, including Patriot interceptor missile systems and THAAD anti-ballistic missile systems.

Ground-based strike systems such as the M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) are also listed among the assets used.

Naval forces supporting the operation include nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and guided-missile destroyers, as well as refuelling ships. Airborne command and communication support has been provided by aircraft such as the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and airborne relay platforms.

Logistical support has included refuelling tanker aircraft and cargo aircraft, such as the C-17 Globemaster and C-130, as well as specialised electronic warfare platforms, such as the EC-130H Compass Call.

Source:adaderana.lk

The Bahrain interior ministry says alarms in the country have been activated.

In a post on X it says: ‘‘We urge citizens and residents to remain calm, head to the nearest safe place, and follow the news through official channels.’‘

It is not clear what area the siren is being sounded in or why. In our previous post we shared a picture of smoke being seen rising over the country’s capital, Manama.

Source: adaderana.lk

The United States issued a 30-day license for countries to buy Russian oil and petroleum products currently stranded at sea in what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said was a step to stabilize global energy markets roiled by the Iran war.

The announcement comes a day after the U.S. Energy Department said that the U.S. would be releasing 172 million barrels of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve in an effort to curb sky-rocketing oil prices in the wake of the war in Iran.

That release was part of a broader commitment by the 32-nation International Energy Agency to release 400 million barrels of oil. The agency said earlier on Thursday that he war in the Middle East was creating the biggest oil supply disruption in history.

Bessent, in ⁠a statement on X released hours after benchmark oil prices shot above $100 a barrel, said the measure was “narrowly tailored” and “short-term” and would not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government.

“The temporary increase in oil prices is a short-term and temporary disruption that will result in a massive benefit to our nation and economy in the long-term,” Bessent said in the statement, echoing President Donald Trump.

Thursday’s license, which authorizes the delivery and sale of Russian crude oil and petroleum products loaded on vessels as of March 12, will remain valid through midnight Washington time on April 11, according to the text of the license posted on the Treasury Department’s website.

The U.S. Treasury previously issued a 30‑day waiver on March 5 specifically for India, allowing New Delhi to buy Russian oil stuck at sea.

Among other measures to tame energy prices, Trump has already ordered the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to provide political risk insurance and financial guarantees for maritime trade in the Gulf and said the U.S. Navy could escort ships in ⁠the region.

In another attempt to control prices, the Trump administration is considering temporarily waiving a shipping rule known as the Jones Act to ensure energy and agricultural products can move freely between U.S. ports, the White House said. Waiving the rule would allow foreign ships to carry fuel between U.S. ports, potentially lowering costs and speeding deliveries.

“The president is taking every action he can to lower prices ... unsanctioned oil that’s at sea to get that into the market, continuing to push our own producers to drill and expand production as fast and ⁠as far as they can, providing regulatory relief, and you’re going to see more and more in the days to come,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told Fox News’ “Primetime” program on Thursday.

There were about 124 million barrels of Russian-origin oil on water across 30 different locations globally as of Thursday, Fox News reported, adding that the U.S. license ⁠would provide around five to six days of supply when taking into account the daily loss of oil from the Strait.

Trump said earlier on Thursday the United States stood to make significant money from oil prices driven higher by the war, prompting criticism from some lawmakers who accused him of caring only about rich people.

U.S. and ⁠Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent response by Tehran have widened regional tensions and paralyzed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting vital Middle East oil and gas flows and sending energy prices higher.

Raising the stakes for the global economy, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it will block oil shipments from the Gulf unless the U.S. and Israeli attacks cease.

Source:adaderana.lk

New Zealand’s national airline said Thursday (Mar 12) it would cancel 1,100 flights over the next two months, pointing to the impact of the war in the Middle East.

Air New Zealand chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar said around five per cent of its flights will be cancelled, affecting 44,000 passengers.

The cancelled flights are mostly on domestic routes within New Zealand but will also include some international flights, he said.

Flights between New Zealand and the United States would not be impacted due to increased demand for alternative routes to Europe, Ravishankar added.

“With the unprecedented volatility in jet fuel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East, airlines around the world are adjusting fares and their schedules to help manage the impact of these significantly increased costs,” Ravishankar said.

Ravishankar said jet fuel typically cost about US$85 a barrel, but prices were now double that.

Cancellations would help keep flying as affordable as possible and ensure the company was efficient with fuel, he said.

On Tuesday, Air New Zealand raised ticket prices on all routes.

Oil prices this week surged well above US$100 a barrel, after Iranian attacks on shipping effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Source:adaderana.lk

A U.S. military refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, in an incident U.S. Central Command said involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.

The United States has deployed a large number of aircraft into the Middle East to take part in operations against Iran and the incident highlights the risk of operations, even over friendly skies.

In a statement, U.S. Central Command said it was carrying out rescue efforts after the U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down. The ⁠second aircraft landed safely.

“The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury,” the statement said, using the military name of the U.S. operation against Iran.

A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the other aircraft involved in the incident was also a KC-135 and the one that crashed had as many as six service members on board.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, claimed responsibility for downing the U.S. military refueling aircraft.

The group said in a statement it had shot down ⁠the KC-135 aircraft “in defense of our country’s sovereignty and airspace”.

The KC-135, built by Boeing in the 1950s and early 1960s, has served as the backbone of the U.S. military’s air refueling fleet and is critical to allow aircraft to carry out missions without having to land.

Since the U.S. and ⁠Israel started carrying out strikes against Iran on February 28, seven U.S. troops have been killed. The United States has carried out strikes against more than 6,000 targets in Iran.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that ⁠as many as 150 U.S. troops have been wounded in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. News of the crash comes the same day two U.S. sailors were injured after ⁠the USS Gerald Ford suffered a non-combat-related fire on board.

So far the war has killed more than 2,000 people, including almost 700 in Lebanon.

Source: adaderana.lk

A tragic accident has claimed the life of a seven-year-old student at an international school located in Mahaiyawa, police reported.

According to authorities, the child was run over by a vehicle belonging to a member of the school’s board of directors. The incident occurred within the school area in Kandy.

The young student sustained fatal injuries as a result of the accident. Police have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, claimed ⁠responsibility for downing a U.S. military refueling aircraft in western Iraq on Thursday.

The group said in ⁠a statement it had shot down the ⁠KC-135 aircraft “in defense of our ⁠country’s sovereignty and ⁠airspace”.

Source: adaderana.lk

The Parliamentary Committee on High Posts has granted approval for a number of new diplomatic appointments representing Sri Lanka overseas.

Among the key decisions, the committee endorsed the appointment of M. I. Fazeeha Azmi as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Iran, while S. K. Chandrasiri received approval to serve as the country’s Ambassador to Israel.

The committee also cleared several other diplomatic postings. Dharshana M. Perera has been approved as the High Commissioner to Malaysia, while D. M. S. P. Dassanayake will serve as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

Meanwhile, Dayani Mendis has been appointed as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to Austria, and S. P. W. Pathirana will serve as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Romania.

Additional appointments include N. I. D. Paranavitana as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to Ethiopia and the African Union, Dhammika Fernando as High Commissioner-designate to Kenya, Anura Withanage as Ambassador to Lebanon, and M. Farook M. Fawzer as Sri Lanka’s representative to Palestine.

According to the President’s Media Division, all ambassador-designates held meetings with Anura Kumara Dissanayake before taking up their new diplomatic roles.