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The US State Department on Monday ordered the mandatory departure of non-emergency US government personnel and their family members in Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait due to security concerns.

The State Department noted personnel in Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait face an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran, as well as significant disruptions to commercial flights. The department also warns of a risk of terrorist attacks in Jordan and Bahrain, and it notes high risks of violence and kidnapping in Iraq.

The mandatory departure of non-emergency personnel from the three embassies is the first since the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran. They speak to the heightened level of security risks throughout the region as Iran retaliates – with a specific focus on US military and diplomatic facilities.

The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia was struck with two suspected Iranian drones overnight Tuesday, and an additional two hit “at or near” the Riyadh compound. The US Embassy in Kuwait was also hit. Multiple US embassies throughout the region have issued shelter in place orders for personnel in the days since the war began – and have urged US citizens to do the same.

The ordered departures do not mean that the embassies are shuttering, although the US Embassy in Kuwait announced Tuesday it is closing until further notice.

The other embassies will leave only a group of key staff in place in each of the diplomatic compounds as the State Department urges US citizens throughout the Middle East to “depart now” via commercial means. It is unlikely that the majority will be able to depart quickly, as many airlines have suspended their flights in the region. The US government has not begun evacuation flights for American citizens.

Source:adadeerana.lk

A commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Monday that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed and warned that any vessel attempting to pass could be targeted, Iranian ⁠media reported.

The move comes after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed ⁠in an Israeli strike, which would threaten to choke a fifth ⁠of global oil flows ⁠and send crude prices sharply ⁠higher.

The strait ⁠is the world’s most vital oil export route, connecting the biggest Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

Earlier, the Revolutionary Guards said a fuel tanker, identified as the Honduran-flagged Athe Nova, was ⁠burning in the ⁠Strait of Hormuz after being hit by two drones, Iranian news agencies reported.

A Guards statement said the vessel was acting in “unison with America” ⁠and ⁠identified it as Athen Nova. VesselFinder and other tracking data providers showed the Athe Nova, a 96-meter tanker, was in the area shortly before the attack.

An Iranian military spokesman did not explicitly state that the ship was ⁠hit by Iranian drones but named the incident in a report he gave on state TV about the Guards’ military operations in the Gulf area.

Iranian media reports suggested that the vessel was providing fuel ⁠for U.S. Navy ships. Reuters was not immediately ⁠able to contact Athe Nova’s registered owner. The ship’s manager did not immediately comment.

Source:adaderana.lk

Indian airlines said Tuesday (03) that they were resuming limited commercial services to the Middle East in a bid to collect thousands of passengers stranded by war.

Millions of South Asian citizens live and work across the Middle East.

IndiGo said it would operate four return flights to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to “progressively normalise” operations between the countries.

Air India Express said it would resume flights to and from the Omani capital Muscat from Tuesday.

But services to and from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates remain suspended, the airlines said in a statement.

Budget carrier Akasa Air said it would operate select flights to Jeddah.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to multiple Middle East leaders, including the leaders of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, in which he thanked them for “taking care of the Indian community”, in posts on social media.

Several South Asian citizens have been killed in the strikes, including at least one Nepali in Abu Dhabi and two Bangladeshis in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Indian media reported one citizen killed on a vessel off Oman.

Modi said Monday he had also spoken to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he “conveyed India’s concerns over recent developments and emphasised the safety of civilians as a priority”.

Source:adaderana.lk

Leaders of opposition parties are scheduled to hold a special meeting today (03) at the Parliamentary Complex to deliberate on the ongoing conflict situation in the Middle East.

The discussion will take place this morning under the leadership of Sajith Premadasa, according to Mano Ganesan, leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance and an opposition Member of Parliament.

In parallel, parliamentary sittings for the first week of March are set to commence today at 9.30 a.m., marking the start of the month’s legislative agenda.

The Secretary General’s Office of Parliament also announced that an adjournment debate to commemorate International Women’s Day has been scheduled for March 5, 2026.

Before taking a call on military strikes against Iran, US President Donald Trump had already delivered the same message at least 74 times: Tehran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

The White House said Monday that Trump has been “unequivocal and consistent for decades” that Iran will never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon. It released a compilation of his statements spanning 15 years, beginning in November 2011.

The language rarely changed. The emphasis never did.

On February 24, 2026, Trump said: “After Midnight Hammer, they were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons programme, and in particular nuclear weapons, yet they continue. They’re starting it all over… One thing is certain: I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon.”

Five days earlier, on February 19, 2026, he said: “They can’t have nuclear weapons. It’s very simple. You can’t have peace in the Middle East if they have a nuclear weapon. And they can’t have a nuclear weapon, and they’ve been told that very strongly.”

On February 13, 2026, he rejected enrichment outright: “We don’t want any enrichment. We don’t want enrichment.”

Sometimes the remarks were brief, almost clipped.

On February 9, 2026: “No nuclear weapons...”

On February 6, 2026: “The one thing, and right up front — no nuclear weapons.”

On January 29, 2026: “Number one, no nuclear.”

On June 25, 2025, Trump said: “I’ve said Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon — I’ve said that for 15 years, long before I decided to do the political thing.”

The message stretches back well before his presidency.

On November 3, 2024, he warned: “Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon. Nuclear weapons are the greatest single threat to our country, but to the entire world.”

On October 7, 2024, he said: “I only wanted one thing. You can’t have a nuclear weapon. You cannot let them have a nuclear weapon.”

On August 27, 2024, he added a regional warning: “They can’t have a nuclear weapon. We just can’t let them have a nuclear weapon. I’ll say this. If they do have a nuclear weapon, Israel is gone. It’ll be gone.”

Further back, on January 6, 2020, Trump declared in capital letters: “IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!”

On June 22, 2019, he said: “Iran cannot have Nuclear Weapons!”

And on November 4, 2011, years before entering the White House, he stated: “We can’t allow Iran to go nuclear.”

Across rallies, interviews and official statements, the phrasing shifted. The core demand did not. The White House described the position as rooted in longstanding American policy to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb.

Iran’s nuclear programme has dominated US policy in West Asia for more than a decade. Disputes over uranium enrichment, sanctions and inspections have triggered diplomatic standoffs and periodic escalations.

(Source: adaderana.lk)

The Department of Meteorology has forecast predominantly dry conditions across much of Sri Lanka for today.

However, early morning mist is likely in parts of the Western Province, Sabaragamuwa Province, Central Province, Southern Province and North Central Province, as well as in the Vavuniya District. Visibility may be temporarily reduced in affected areas during the morning hours.

In maritime zones surrounding the island, weather conditions are expected to remain generally fair. Winds over the sea will be variable in direction, with speeds ranging between 20 and 30 kilometres per hour.

Sea conditions are predicted to be slight, offering relatively calm waters around the country’s coastline.

In Oman, a fuel tank at the Port of Duqm has been targeted in a drone attack, according to the country’s state news agency.

‘‘The resulting damage was brought under control without any human casualties being recorded,’’ an unnamed security source is cited as saying.

The same port was targeted by drones over the weekend. One worker was injured, according to reports.

In nearby Qatar, production of liquefied ⁠natural gas was halted on Monday - about a fifth of global supply - after Iranian attacks on some of its facilities. Saudi Arabia also suspended production at its largest domestic refinery.

Oman has been a key mediator for years in US-Iran talks - the most recent of which took place in the country last month, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi describing the mediated discussions as a ‘‘good beginning’’.

Source:adaderana.lk

Qatar has halted liquefied natural gas (LNG) production following strikes on its energy facilities, according to international reports.

The Gulf nation, which accounts for around 20 percent of global LNG exports, suspended output at key industrial sites amid escalating regional tensions.

The disruption has triggered concerns in global energy markets, with gas prices reacting to fears of supply shortages.

Shortly after the announcement, benchmark Dutch and British wholesale gas prices soared by almost 50 percent, while benchmark Asian LNG prices jumped almost 39 percent.

Qatari authorities have not yet announced a timeline for the resumption of operations.

(Soure:Newswire)

The State Department urged Monday that all U.S. citizens leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries due to safety risks with the ongoing escalations that have slipped the region into significant chaos.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar posted on the social media site X that Americans in countries, including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel, should ‘‘DEPART NOW’’ using any available commercial transportation.

The guidance comes as some major airlines have canceled flights to and from the region as the war that began when U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday.

The attacks have since grown into a wider regional conflict, touching nearly every country nearby.

Source:adaderana.lk

A loud blast was heard and flames were seen at the U.S. embassy in Riyadh early on Tuesday ⁠morning, three people familiar with the matter said, with one person saying the fire was minor.

Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the circumstances of the incident.
An ⁠embassy spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the ⁠Saudi government media office.

Black smoke was seen rising over Riyadh’s ⁠Diplomatic Quarter, which houses foreign missions, two of ⁠the people said.

Source:adaderana.lk

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US military would step up its attacks against Iran, a stark warning after two days of strikes across the country that the Trump administration says took out its leadership and targeted its ballistic-missile programme. 

‘‘I’m not going to give away the details of our tactical efforts, but the hardest hits are yet to come from the US military,’’ he told reporters on Capitol Hill. ‘‘The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now.’’

Mr Rubio was on the Hill to brief members of Congress on President Donald Trump’s campaign along with Israel to target Iran. 

He offered more clarity on the US objectives, saying the focus was to destroy the country’s ballistic missile programme, which he argued it was using as a shield to fuel its nuclear ambitions, as well as its naval fleet and attack drones.

Mr Rubio reiterated to reporters Mr Trump’s claim that Iran posed an ‘‘imminent threat’’ to the US and Mr Trump did not need authorisation from Congress to launch the campaign. Democrats have disputed that characterisation. 

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said after the briefing that administration officials provided a rationale to justify the attack but did not share substantive support for that rationale.

Other Democrats said the briefing spurred more questions than answers.

‘‘What is the objective? What is the exit plan? What obligation do we have now to the Iranian people, if they do rise up based upon his call for them to go to the streets,’’ asked Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, referring to Mr Trump’s comments after the initial strikes. ‘‘And what is the imminent threat to the United States interest that causes conflict?’’

Mr Rubio defended the administration’s communication with Congress and said he personally called congressional leaders the night before the operation. 

‘‘We complied with the law 100 per cent,’’ he told reporters.

Iran has long insisted that it didn’t want to build a nuclear bomb. While its ballistic missiles are capable of hitting US forces in the region as well as American allies, it didn’t have the capability to target the US directly.

Mr Rubio denied regime change is the goal, even though the US-Israeli strikes have taken out Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other top leaders. 

He said there were currently no diplomatic exchanges happening with Iran.

‘‘While we would love to see a new regime, the bottom line is – no matter who governs that country a year from now, they’re not going to have these ballistic missiles and they’re not going to have these drones to threaten us,’’ MR Rubio said. 

He didn’t rule out deploying ground troops but said the US wasn’t currently postured for a ground invasion and played down the possibility of that happening anytime soon.

Source: adaderana.lk

Rosé winning Best International Song at the BRIT Awards 2026 marks a landmark moment for Korean musicians overseas as the BLACKPINK star is the first K-pop artist to take home a win at the U.K.’s biggest night for music.

Rosé’s mega-hit collaboration with Bruno Mars “APT.” was named Best International Song, beating out a stacked category that included Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild,” Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” and 11 other cross-continental smashes.

Visibly moved and excited, the Tiffany & Co’s global ambassador accepted the trophy in person and addressed the crowd in a stunning asymmetric black gown and a few pieces from the luxury brand.

“Oh my gosh it is such an honor to be receiving this award in front of so many talented and admirable musicians in the U.K.” she told the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England. “There are so many people I want to thank. First of all, Bruno — I’m receiving this award on behalf of the both of us — thank you so much for everything. For being my biggest mentor and best friend, I love you so much. So many people to thank! I’d love to thank my Atlantic [Records] family for believing in me always, love you guys so much.”

Just as Rosé and her BLACKPINK band mates made a record-smashing return with their new album DEADLINE, the 29-year-old made sure to mention the group with whom she began her music career, as well as the main musical producer behind BLACKPINK’s sound.

“I would like to give a shoutout to BLACKPINK,” Rosé added, eliciting loads of cheers from the crowd. “Jennie, Jisoo and Lisa, I love you guys so much. Thank you for always inspiring me, I love you guys so much. Teddy oppa, I love you so much. Thank you so much, this means so much.”

BTS were the first Korean act to enter into BRITs consciousness with a breakthrough nomination in 2021 for International Group of the Year (ultimately losing to HAIM) and shortlisted again in the category in 2022 (losing to Silk Sonic).

Later, BLACKPINK became the first female K-pop group to be nominated at the BRITs, scoring a nod in International Group of the Year in 2023, ultimately losing out to the Fontaines D.C. that year.

K-pop had even more representation at this year’s BRIT Awards with KPop Demon Hunters group HUNTR/X consisting of EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami also nominated not just for Best International Song with “Golden” but International Group of the Year. 

While the trio didn’t take home any trophies, EJAE, Audrey, and Rei performed their nominated hit at the awards, marking the KDH stars’ biggest awards show moment to date, with highlights from the Netflix film playing behind them.

Zooming out from the K-pop highlights at this year’s BRIT Awards, the 2026 Grammys’ Best New Artist and neo-soul breakout Olivia Dean swept every category she was nominated in for the night, while rock singer-songwriter Sam Fender also took home two wins. 

Other winners throughout the night included Lola Young, PinkPantheress, Wolf Alice, Skepta, Rosalía, the late Ozzy Osbourne and more.

Source:adaderana.lk