A fragile calm in the Middle East fractured again overnight as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards cast a missile attack on Israel as a direct warning following Israel’s strike on Beirut, and signaled that any further escalation would trigger a far wider response. "Tonight's operation was a warning. If such aggressions are repeated, the responses will be broader and will cover all US-Zionist targets in the region," the force said. The Israeli military said it detected two waves of missiles launched from Iran toward Israel. The…

A sharper warning from Washington echoed through Singapore on Saturday as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called on Asian allies to spend more on their militaries, arguing that only a stronger regional front can check China’s rising power and stop any slide toward dominance. Addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s leading gathering of defence ministers, military officials and diplomats, Mr Hegseth said the region needs a more capable and more self-reliant network of partners to deter aggression and keep the strategic…

Saturday May 23, 2026 A tanker in the Gulf of Aden came under a suspicious approach on May 22, prompting its armed security team to fire warning shots in a bid to turn away a small boat — the latest in a string of incidents tied to active Somali pirate groups. The reported encounter was passed to UK Maritime Trade Operations by the tanker’s company security officer. The vessel was underway when it was approached about 98 nautical miles from Socotra, the Yemeni-controlled island off the Horn of Africa. A small craft carrying…

Taiwan forcefully described itself as an "independent" nation on Friday, responding just hours after US President Donald Trump warned the self-ruled democratic island against taking the step of formally declaring independence. Mr Trump ended a state visit to Beijing yesterday, where Chinese President Xi Jinping urged him not to back Taiwan, which Beijing regards as part of Chinese territory. The island relies heavily on US security support as a deterrent against China, which has threatened to annex Taiwan by force. Taiwan…

Thursday May 14, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Britain has tightened its travel guidance for Somalia, urging its citizens to avoid nearly all travel to the country amid terrorism fears, armed clashes and an unsettled security climate. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office says against all travel to Somalia, including the eastern North Western State of Somalia regions of Togdheer, Sanaag and Sool. The department said violence has escalated in those areas in recent months and that conditions remain highly unstable. It…

Japan warned of a heightened threat of a magnitude 8.0 earthquake or stronger after a powerful offshore jolt struck the country’s north, sending authorities scrambling to issue a tsunami alert. In a statement, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said that "the likelihood of a new, huge earthquake occurring is relatively higher than during normal times". The advisory for the northern region was issued hours after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit the area, shaking high-rise buildings in Tokyo, hundreds of kilometres from the…

The United States is urging its citizens to think twice before traveling to Nigeria, pointing to increasing threats of terrorism, kidnapping, and civil unrest. A recent update from the State Department has identified specific regions within Nigeria that pose heightened risks, placing them under a severe travel warning that advises against all travel to these areas. American citizens are cautioned that violent incidents can erupt suddenly in public venues such as markets, hotels, places of worship, educational institutions,…

Thursday March 26, 2026 A view of Iran's Kharg Island, which hosts the country’s main crude export terminal, and which some believe could be a target for occupation by US forces, on March 2, 2026 Iran’s parliamentary speaker has issued a stark warning from Tehran, saying intelligence indicates that “Iran’s enemies” are preparing to seize an Iranian island with backing from an unidentified country elsewhere in the region. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Wednesday that any move to occupy Iranian territory would trigger a…

Sirens warning of possible missile strikes have jolted daily life in Kuwait and Bahrain, prompting schools and universities to switch to remote learning as residents describe sleepless nights, booming interceptions and a surge of community support. Jake McAllister, originally from Portstewart in Derry, has lived in Kuwait for more than seven years and is now principal of an international school. He said he had “never felt unsafe” since arriving in 2018 — until the past several days. McAllister had just returned from a…

Ireland urges citizens to avoid nonessential travel to Cuba as fuel shortages, rolling blackouts and shrinking access to food and medical care deepen one of the island’s worst humanitarian crises in decades. In updated guidance issued in recent days, Ireland joined the United Kingdom and Canada in advising against travel to the Caribbean nation “unless absolutely necessary.” The Department of Foreign Affairs said Cuba is now under its second-highest advisory level, warning that travel is likely to present “a clear and…