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President Donald Trump said Friday the US military had heavily bombed targets on Iran’s Kharg Island, which handles almost all of Iran’s crude exports, and he threatened to hit the island’s oil infrastructure.

“The United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” Trump said on social media.

“I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider.”

The United States and Israel have treaded carefully around the island, but Trump administration officials have been reported as saying that capturing Kharg was on the table as the war in West Asia persists.

The island, located around 30 kilometers (19 miles) off the Iranian mainland, handles roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude exports, according to a recent JP Morgan note.

Any move on the territory, which is about one-third the size of Manhattan, would have swift repercussions, experts said.

“A direct strike would immediately halt the bulk of Iran’s crude exports, likely triggering severe retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz or against regional energy infrastructure,” JP Morgan said.

Iranian strikes have all but halted maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz -- through which a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally pass -- and have also impacted oil infrastructure in other Gulf states.

Trump on Friday said the US Navy would start escorting tankers through the straits “very soon” to restore oil exports as he struggles to tackle soaring US gas prices.

Kharg underwent key developments during Iran’s oil expansion in the 1960s and 1970s, with much of the country’s coast too shallow for supertankers.

Source:adaderana.lk

China’s Foreign Ministry has announced that the ⁠Red ⁠Cross Society of China will send $200,000 in emergency ⁠humanitarian aid to the Iranian Red ⁠Crescent Society.

It said the funds will be specifically designated for parents of students who have been killed in the war.

Speaking at a press briefing, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing “condemns all indiscriminate attacks on civilians. 

(Source:Newswire)

The American military has ordered 2,500 Marines and an amphibious assault ship to the Middle East, a U.S. official said Friday, in a major addition of forces in the region after nearly two weeks of war with Iran.

Hours later, President Donald Trump said U.S. forces had “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island — the primary terminal that handles Iran’s oil exports — and warned that the island’s oil infrastructure there could be next. A day earlier, the speaker of the Iranian parliament warned that such a strike would provoke a new level of retaliation.

Meanwhile in the Iranian capital, a large explosion rocked a central square where thousands were gathered for an annual state-organized rally to support the Palestinians and call for Israel’s demise. Israel had warned that it would target the area in central Tehran.

There were no reports of casualties. But the decision to proceed with the mass demonstration attended by some senior government officials, and Israel’s threat to target the area, underscored the fierce determination on both sides in a war that has rattled the global economy and shows no sign of letting up.

Iran has continued to launch widespread missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf states, and has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes, even as U.S. and Israeli warplanes pummel military and other targets across Iran.

The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon deepened, with nearly 800 people killed and 850,000 displaced as Israel launched waves of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and warned there would be no let up.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the war would end “when I feel it in my bones.” He was also more measured about the prospect of opponents toppling the Islamic government.

“So I really think that’s a big hurdle to climb for people that don’t have weapons,” Trump said, citing Iran’s paramilitary Basij force, which has played a central role in crushing recent nationwide protests.
Marines and assault ship will add to US forces

Elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to the Middle East, according to the U.S. official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

Marine Expeditionary Units are able to conduct amphibious landings, but they also specialize in bolstering security at embassies, evacuating civilians and disaster relief. The deployment does not necessarily indicate that a ground operation is imminent or will take place.

The new Marine deployment was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, as well the Tripoli and other amphibious assault ships carrying the Marines, are based in Japan and have been in the Pacific Ocean for several days, according to images released by the military. The Tripoli was spotted by commercial satellites sailing alone near Taiwan, putting it more than a week away from the waters off Iran.

Earlier in the week, the Navy had 12 ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and eight destroyers, operating in the Arabian Sea. Should the Tripoli join this flotilla, it would be the second-largest ship behind the Lincoln in the region.

While the total number of U.S. service members on the ground in the Middle East is not clear, Al-Udeid Air Base alone, one of the largest in the region, typically houses some 8,000 U.S. troops.

US strikes Persian Gulf island after Iran’s warning

The U.S. strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf targeted military sites but left alone its oil infrastructure for now, Trump said in a social media post.

But he warned that if Iran or anyone else interferes with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, he will reconsider his decision not to “wipe out the Oil Infrastructure.”

On Thursday, the Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, warned in a social media post that attacks on the islands on Iran’s southern maritime frontier would cause Iran to “abandon all restraint,” underscoring how central they are to the country’s economy and security.

Explosion rocks area of mass demonstration

The explosion in Tehran rocked the Ferdowsi Square area midday, where thousands had gathered for an annual Quds Day rally, chanting “death to Israel” and “death to America.”

Israel had issued a warning on a Farsi-language X account for people to clear the area shortly before the blast. But few Iranians would have seen it, as authorities have almost completely shut down the internet. Footage showed people chanting “God is greatest,” as smoke rose in the area.

The Israeli military later posted a second message in Farsi, noting the head of Iran’s judiciary was at the rally and criticizing Iran for blocking many from seeing their warning.

The hard-liner who leads Iran’s judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, was giving an interview on state television at the demonstration when the strike happened. His bodyguards encircled him, as he raised his fist and said Iran “under this rain and missiles will never withdraw.”

US says 15,000 targets struck in Iran since the start of the war

Israel earlier announced another wave of strikes in Iran targeting infrastructure, and said its air force had hit more than 200 targets in the last 24 hours, including missile launchers, defense systems and weapons production sites.

In Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that over 15,000 enemy targets have been struck — more than 1,000 a day since the war began.

He also sought to address concerns about the bottling of the Strait of Hormuz, telling reporters: “We have been dealing with it and don’t need to worry about it.”

All six crew of US refueling plane confirmed dead after crash
The U.S. military confirmed on Friday that all six crew members of an American KC-135 refueling plane were killed when it crashed in Iraq, bringing the U.S. death toll to at least 13 service members.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said three of the victims were from his state and had deployed with the Ohio Air National Guard’s 121st Air Refueling Wing.

U.S. Central Command said the crash wasn’t related to friendly or hostile fire, and that two aircraft were involved, including one that landed safely.

The KC-135 is the fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft to crash as part of the U.S. military’s operations against Iran. Last week, three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire.

New Iranian attacks across the region

Iran continued its daily attacks on oil and other infrastructure across the Gulf. In Oman, two people were killed when two drones crashed in the Sohar region, the Oman News Agency reported.

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Oscar Austin shot down an Iranian ballistic missile over Turkey on Friday, a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity in order to discuss ongoing military operations. It was the third such interception over the NATO member in the last two weeks.

Fighting escalates between Israel and Hezbollah

An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon hit a health care center in the village of Burj Qalaouiyah, killing 12 doctors, paramedics and nurses, the Lebanese Health Ministry said early Saturday.

Earlier, at least eight people were killed in a strike on the southern coastal city of Sidon, the ministry said Friday.

The ministry said 773 people — including more than 100 children and 18 paramedics — have been killed since fighting erupted between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants 10 days ago.

Source:adaderana.lk

“By undermining Chinese projects [in Afghanistan], the ISI seeks to remind Beijing that Pakistan remains a critical gatekeeper for regional connectivity, especially through CPEC.”

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan recently announced that on February 21, it had intercepted a consignment of weapons from Pakistan that was headed for the Wakhan Corridor, a sliver of strategic Afghan territory that borders Tajikistan, China, and Pakistan. On the same day, the Pakistan Air Force launched a series of air strikes on alleged camps inside Afghanistan of not only the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) but also the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), in retaliation for recent deadly attacks by these groups in Bajaur, Bannu, and Islamabad.

Pakistan’s relationship with various militant and jihadist groups in the region has been complex. Its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was the Taliban’s patron-in-chief for around 25 years, but the two are now at loggerheads. Particularly complex is the ISI’s relationship with ISKP. ISKP has targeted Pakistan several times, as it did with the deadly suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad on February 6. However, reports have also drawn attention to ISKP operating in Balochistan with the support of the ISI.

Afghan intelligence analyst and counterterrorism expert Ajmal Sohail, who is a co-founder and co-president of the Counter Narco-Terrorism Alliance Germany, shared his insights into the complex scenario. In an interview with The Diplomat’s South Asia editor Sudha Ramachandran, Sohail said that “while ISKP poses a threat to Pakistani security, its utility as a strategic asset has grown, enabling Pakistan to manipulate regional power balances and influence developments in Afghanistan.”

You have reported that Taliban intelligence intercepted a consignment of weapons from Pakistan on Feb 21 that was headed for the Wakhan Corridor. For whom was it meant and why?

On February 21 this year, Taliban intelligence intercepted a shipment of approximately 525 weapons and 27,000 rounds of ammunition at the Torkham border. The arms, concealed within trucks, were headed toward the Omari refugee camp and destined for the Wakhan Corridor, and represented a significant escalation in covert operations targeting the Taliban regime.

Intelligence reports attribute the operation to Pakistan’s ISI and Military Intelligence, which orchestrate the supply of arms to anti-Taliban groups and separatists in Afghanistan. Newly active organizations, such as the Afghanistan Independence Front, along with regional factions, ISKP, and other contracted armed groups, were given weapons to conduct attacks against Chinese mining companies and foreign investors, particularly in the Wakhan Corridor.

Additionally, a portion of the weapons was designated for the “Tajikistan Taliban,” a group led by Mahdi Arslan and Muhammad Sharipov, now operating from the Chitral mountain range with Pakistani intelligence support. Their activities target Chinese investors and Tajik border forces in Badakhshan province.

Why is the ISI targeting the Chinese in Badakhshan province?

Pakistan’s ISI has increasingly shifted towards targeting Chinese infrastructure and investment projects in Afghanistan. This strategy reflects Islamabad’s concern that Beijing’s growing direct engagement with Kabul, particularly through mining operations, foreign investment, and potential transit routes, could diminish Pakistan’s geopolitical leverage. By undermining Chinese projects, the ISI seeks to remind Beijing that Pakistan remains a critical gatekeeper for regional connectivity, especially through the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Part of this doctrine involves encouraging guerrilla-style attacks on foreign tourists and investors, with Chinese nationals singled out as symbolic targets. The aim is to create insecurity around Chinese ventures and to complicate Beijing’s ability to operate independently in Afghanistan. A particular focus is the Wakhan Corridor, which could serve as an alternative trade route bypassing Pakistan. If China succeeds in building direct infrastructure links through Afghanistan, Pakistan’s role as a strategic intermediary weakens. The ISI’s intrigue, therefore, is designed to redirect Beijing’s reliance back toward Pakistan, preserving its geoeconomic relevance and ensuring that CPEC remains the primary artery for China’s regional ambitions.

The February 21 seizure of the weapons consignment exposed the ongoing proxy conflict between Pakistan and the Taliban, highlighting the role of intelligence agencies in shaping regional security. Pakistan’s use of extremist proxies to advance its strategic interests reflects a long-standing pattern, dating back to the Soviet era and continuing through the post-9/11 period. The incident underscores the risks posed by arms proliferation, cross-border militancy, and the manipulation of refugee populations for covert operations.

For regional security, the episode raised concerns about the potential for escalation, retaliation, and the involvement of external actors such as China and Russia. The Taliban’s assertion of sovereignty through intelligence operations signals a shift in Afghanistan’s security posture, challenging Pakistan’s influence and complicating the calculus for neighboring states. Policymakers and analysts must consider the broader implications for stability, border management, and the effectiveness of counterterrorism strategies.

The United States is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information about senior Iranian military and intelligence officials, including its new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

The reward targets 10 officials associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the State Department website. The military force, created after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, is loyal to the supreme leader and tasked with protecting the Shiite clerical establishment.

Mojtaba Khamenei recently succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, as Iran’s supreme leader after the elder Khamenei was killed along with several other top Iranian officials in joint US and Israeli strikes that began on February 28. The younger Khamenei, believed to have been injured in the strikes, hasnt been seen publicly since, although he released his first statement on Thursday.

In addition to the supreme leader, the US is seeking information about Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani, Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and two officials in Khamenei’s office.

Larijani appeared Friday in videos verified by Reuters alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attending a rally in Tehran, despite an assertion by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran’s leadership was “cowering” underground.

The reward website also lists four other officials, including the IRGC commander and secretary of the defense council, but doesn’t include their names or photos.

“These individuals command and direct various elements of the IRGC, which plans, organizes, and executes terrorism around the world,” the State Department said.

The Revolutionary Guards could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday — the weekly day of rest in Iran. Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The US has designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization, accusing it of being responsible for attacks that have killed US citizens. Washington has also accused Iran of orchestrating assassination plots against President Donald Trump and other US officials in retaliation for the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

Iran denies being a sponsor of terrorism. Iranian officials routinely dismiss US terrorism allegations as baseless political attacks, arguing Washington raises such claims to justify pressure campaigns or sanctions.

Source:adaderana.lk

Michael Jackson’s estate has been granted a motion to enter arbitration after Frank Cascio and his adult siblings, who spent time with the late singer, accused him of being a ‘‘serial child predator’’ and sued his estate for child sex trafficking.

A judge allowed the Jackson estate to compel arbitration, meaning the parties can wage their legal battle out of court, according to a ruling filed on March 4 in Los Angeles County Superior Court and obtained by USA Today on March 10.

The judge’s decision reportedly found that the estate had ‘‘a valid and binding arbitration provision’’ within its legal agreement with Cascio, who signed the paperwork in 2020.

The judge ruled that Jackson’s estate must file a proposed order by March 18, with any objections due by April 1.

In a complaint filed on Feb. 27, obtained and viewed by Global News, the siblings alleged that representatives of Jackson’s estate had them sign an agreement, which prevented them from ‘‘talking about the years of abuse they endured.’’

The family says that in 2019, the Jackson estate offered to send ‘‘five annual payments of approximately $690,000,’’ minus a six per cent commission for a man who presented himself as a representative for the estate, in exchange for signing an ‘‘acquisition and consulting agreement.’’

The negotiations allegedly happened after the release of the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, a two-part series that details James Safechuck and Wade Robson’s allegations that the pop star sexually abused them as children.

Cascio claimed that he faced ‘‘immense pressure’’ to sign a settlement agreement with Jackson’s estate from his own family but was able to ‘‘negotiate a larger payment,’’ People reports.

In a statement shared with People, lawyer Marty Singer, who represents the Jackson estate, said the court ‘‘rejected’’ Frank and his four siblings’ argument that ‘‘the agreement was unconscionable.’’

‘‘For decades, Frank Cascio and his siblings consistently and repeatedly insisted that Michael Jackson never harmed them or anyone else. That includes their statements lauding Michael in a nationally televised interview with Oprah Winfrey which directly contradicts what they are claiming now,’’ Singer said in a statement.

‘‘The MJC Parties filed their pending Arbitration for Civil Extortion and related claims against Frank after the Cascios, through multiple attorneys, threatened that unless they were paid $213 million, they would go public with accusations against Michael that were completely contrary to their profuse prior statements defending him,’’ Singer added.

In a July 9 petition, the Michael Jackson Company and its officers accused Cascio of attempting to conduct a ‘‘$213 million civil extortion scheme.’’

The petition alleged that he and his family ‘‘demanded substantial amounts of money, otherwise they threatened to concoct false allegations against Michael which were the opposite of their prior glowing statements.’’

In a statement, Cascio’s lawyer, Howard King, said that ‘‘the only matter moving to arbitration is the Estate’s groundless claims against Frank Cascio that he attempted to extort the Estate.’’

‘‘Given that Frank was already participating in an arbitration, the decision was not noteworthy. The decision does not affect the Federal Court action brought against the Jackson companies by the other 4 Cascio children,’’ he added.

In the complaint filed in late February, Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole and Aldo Cascio alleged that Jackson, who died in 2009 at the age of 50, ‘‘drugged, raped, and sexually assaulted’’ them ‘‘beginning when some of them were as young as seven or eight.’’

The siblings claim that the alleged abuse took place over the course of ‘‘more than a decade’’ and that it ‘‘went on for extended periods, including in locations around the world and when Jackson and his children were guests in Plaintiffs’ family home.’’

Jackson ‘‘groomed and brainwashed the four siblings, without the knowledge of the others or their parents, throughout their childhood years,’’ according to the legal documents.

‘‘Jackson used methods typical of child predators, but his wealth and fame, and the apparatus of professional advisors and employees who aided and abetted, and actively concealed, the abuse, gave him far more power over his many victims than other child predators,’’ the lawsuit says.

The suit says that Jackson ‘‘raped and molested’’ one of the siblings at Elizabeth Taylor’s house in Switzerland and at Elton John’s home in the United Kingdom, as well as at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in California.

After the complaint was filed, Singer called the lawsuit ‘‘a desperate money grab by additional members of the Cascio family who have hopped on the bandwagon with their brother Frank, who is already being sued in arbitration for civil extortion.’’

‘‘The family staunchly defended Michael Jackson for more than 25 years, attesting to his innocence of inappropriate conduct. This new court filing is a transparent forum-shopping tactic in their scheme to obtain hundreds of millions of dollars from Michael’s estate and companies,’’ Singer continued.

Singer mentioned that Frank Cascio’s 2011 book, My Friend Michael: An Ordinary Friendship with an Extraordinary Man, included ‘‘dozens of passages’’ that ‘‘directly contradict what is being alleged now.’’

‘‘Throughout, the Cascios consistently and repeatedly asserted that Michael never harmed any of them or anyone else,’’ Singer said.

He said the Cascio family is seeking a ‘‘multi-million-dollar payday’’ as they ‘‘threatened to go public with heinous accusations that completely contradicted their previous statements defending Michael unless his Estate paid staggering sums of money.’’

Source:adaderana.lk

After US forces struck military targets on Iran’s main oil hub, Kharg Island, Iran’s Armed Forces’ unified combatant command warned on Saturday that any attack on the country’s oil and energy infrastructure would trigger retaliatory strikes on facilities owned by oil companies cooperating with the United States in the region, reported Reuters citing Iranian media.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that American forces attacked military installations on Kharg Island but deliberately avoided striking oil export facilities.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the US military had “totally obliterated every MILITARY target” on the island but had chosen to leave the oil infrastructure intact.

“However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump wrote.

The confrontation has increasingly centred on the narrow waterway, which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supply.

Iranian forces have already attacked vessels in the strait, fuelling volatility in global oil markets and raising fears of supply disruptions.

Speaking to reporters, the US President said the American Navy would soon begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

He described Iran’s attacks on shipping as “a last-ditch effort” and warned that US forces would continue to strike Iran “very hard over the coming week.”

Why Kharg Island matters

Kharg Island handles about 90% of Iran’s crude exports and is the backbone of the country’s oil shipping network.

The island lies roughly 300 miles (483 km) northwest of the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical link between Iranian oil fields and global markets.

Because of its central role in Iran’s energy sector, the island has long been viewed as one of the most strategically sensitive oil facilities in the Middle East.

War spreads across the region

The war between Iran and Israel, now nearing two weeks, has spread across much of the Middle East.

Around 2,000 people have been killed, most of them in Iran, with casualties also reported in Lebanon and across the Gulf; while millions have been displaced as the conflict widens.

Israel has, meanwhile, also intensified its campaign against Iranian-linked targets.

Israeli warplanes have pounded Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah is based, while the Israeli military said it struck more than 200 targets across western and central Iran in the past day, including ballistic missile launchers, air-defence systems and weapons production sites.

Iran has responded by firing more missiles and drones at Israel, while Iranian drones have also been reported entering the airspace of Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman.

The United States is also increasing its military presence in the region.

Washington has further deployed the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and its Marine expeditionary unit, along with about 2,500 additional Marines and supporting naval forces.

However, US forces have not remained untouched from the growing conflict. The Pentagon confirmed that all six crew members aboard a KC-135 refuelling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq were killed.

With Kharg Island at the centre of Iran’s oil exports and tensions rising around the Strait of Hormuz, analysts warn the conflict could increasingly pivot toward energy infrastructure across the region.

Source:adaderana.lk

Netflix has announced a sequel to KPop Demon Hunters, the streaming platform’s most watched movie of all time.

No release date has been set yet. The sequel marks the first project under co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans’ new and exclusive multi-year deal with Netflix.

The announcement comes as critics predict that the first film will win at the Oscars on Sunday, where it is has two nominations for best animated feature and best original song.

The song Golden won a Grammy for best song written for visual media - the first time a K-pop song has won at the prestigious music awards.

The original film follows main characters Rumi, Mira and Zoey from the K-pop group Huntr/x as they grapple with fame and their secret lives as demon hunters.

In the announcement first made by Netflix on social media, Kang said: “I feel immense pride as a Korean filmmaker that the audience wants more from this Korean story and our Korean characters.”

“There’s so much more to this world we have built and I’m excited to show you. This is only the beginning.”

In an interview with the BBC last month, the singer Ejae, who voices Rumi’s singing voice and co-wrote the film’s breakout hit Golden and other songs, said she hopes to incorporate some new styles in the sequel.

“It depends on what they create and hopefully, you know, we can show more sides of Korea,” Ejae said. “There’s so many different kinds of music in Korea, so that’s what I’m hoping for personally.”

Ejae said the reception of the animation and its music has felt unreal.

“A lot is happening so I’m trying to digest everything but it’s really hard to digest,” she said. “It’s crazy.”

Zhun, a South Korean music producer for the track Golden, told the BBC that he, too, is hoping to build on the success of the first film.

“I want to continue the high energy that we brought to the first film,” he said through a translator.

He added that he hopes to build on combining the music with the “visual elements in the film [that] gave us so much energy”.

Netflix did not provide any further details about the sequel. The original film took seven years to make, from its initial pitch to its release.

The film has become a cultural phenomenon since its release last summer - a rare K-pop-related production to break into mainstream Western markets like the US.

While primarily in English, the American production incorporates Asian iconography, food and some Korean language to showcase its South Korean roots.

KPop Demon Hunters has become a critical and awards powerhouse, winning best animated motion picture and best original song at the Golden Globes.

It is in the running for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, against films such as Disney’s Zootopia 2 and Elio.

In January, Netflix said KPop Demon Hunters had broken the platform’s records with more than 480 million views over half a year.

Golden, the animation’s most popular track, went up to number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Source: adaderana.lk

North Korea fired a projectile towards the sea on Saturday, South Korea and Japan said, with Tokyo saying it may have been a ballistic missile, while the U.S. and South Korea conducted military drills.

The projectile was fired toward the sea off ⁠North Korea’s east coast, the South Korean military said in a brief message to reporters. It gave no further details. Japan’s coast guard said the projectile appeared to have fallen into the sea.

It appeared to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported, citing defence ministry sources.

Seoul and ⁠Washington five days earlier launched the major drills, which they say are purely defensive, aimed at testing readiness against military threats from North Korea.

Nuclear-armed North Korea frequently displays ⁠its anger and objections to such exercises, saying they are “dress rehearsals” for armed aggression against it by the allies.

On ⁠Thursday, South Korea’s prime minister met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss ways to ⁠reopen dialogue with the North, which has been suspended since 2019.

Source:adaderana.lk

Iranian state television reports a large explosion in a Tehran square where demonstrations were supposed to be happening.

Images and footage shared by IRIB showed smoke billowing over the city.

Among those who attended the protest marches marking Al Quds Day was reportedly at least one high-ranking official, Iran’s national security chief, Ali Larijani.

The tradition of Al Quds Day marches started after the 1979 Iranian Revolution and takes place on the last Friday of Ramadan with marches held around the world.

Source:adaderana.lk

Amir Hatami, commander-in-chief of the Iranian army, has warned that the killing of 104 crew members from the IRIS Dena, one of the country’s newest warships, in the Indian Ocean upon returning from a military exercise, “will not go unanswered”.

“The crew of the Dena destroyer had completed a peaceful mission and were targeted while on their way back to Iran,” he was quoted as saying by Iran’s IRNA news agency, adding that the sailors were attacked despite not being engaged in a direct battle.

“The name of Dena and the sacrifice of its crew will remain a symbol of courage and dedication in Iran’s naval history,” Hatami said. “The army will defend Iran’s maritime borders and strengthen its naval power with even greater determination.”

Source:adaderana.lk

The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) has issued a public warning urging internet users to remain cautious when interacting with online advertisements during the upcoming festive period.

According to Charuka Damunupola, the organisation has already received multiple complaints related to online fraud during the first two months of this year.

He noted that with major celebrations such as the Sinhala and Tamil New Year approaching, there is a higher likelihood of scammers spreading deceptive advertisements and harmful links online. These scams often appear in the form of attractive discounts, prize giveaways, or promotional deals aimed at luring unsuspecting users.

Damunupola explained that clicking on such links can redirect users to fake websites designed to capture personal details and other sensitive information.

He also warned that during religious festivals like Vesak and Poson, cybercriminals may attempt to gather user data through misleading campaigns. Some of these schemes may be promoted under titles such as “Poson Maha Data Dansala.”

SLCERT has therefore advised the public to stay alert and avoid opening suspicious links or engaging with unsolicited advertisements found on websites or social media platforms.