JERUSALEM, March 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Israel's military said air defences were responding to missiles launched from Iran on Thursday, the first such report in over seven hours, triggering alerts in several areas including Tel Aviv. The military said in a statement it had "identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel. Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat".
KUWAIT CITY, March 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A tanker was hit by a "large explosion" in waters off Kuwait, causing an oil spill, British maritime security agency UKMTO said Thursday, as the US-Iran-Israel war paralysed Gulf shipping. "The Master of a tanker at anchor, reports witnessing and hearing a large explosion on the port side then seeing a small craft leave the vicinity" off the Gulf state's Mubarak Al-Kabeer area, UKMTO posted on X. "There is oil in the water coming from a cargo tank which could have some environmental impact". Kuwait's interior ministry said the blast happened "outside Kuwaiti territorial waters", at least 60 kilometres (37 miles) from Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port. Chinese shipping giant Cosco, which operates one of the world's biggest oil tanker fleets, announced it was suspending services to and from Gulf countries from Wednesday, including Kuwait.
INDIAN WELLS, United States, March 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Former champion Carlos Alcaraz aims to extend his perfect start to 2026 at Indian Wells while Jannik Sinner returns to the California desert seeking to fill a gap in his resume with his first title of the year. Spain's Alcaraz, 22, made history last month when he lifted the Australian Open title to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam. Sinner will play Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina, who beat Australian James Duckworth 6-2, 6-4 as first-round action got underway on Wednesday. Sinner missed Indian Wells last year serving a suspension for a positive test for banned anabolic steroid clostebol. You need to work for each point," said Rybakina, who is in the same half of the draw as second seeded Iga Swiatek, the Indian Wells winner in 2022 and 2024.
JERUSALEM, March 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Explosions were heard in Jerusalem on Thursday after warnings of incoming Iranian missile fire, AFP journalists said, with Israel's emergency services reporting no casualties. Israel's military has issued three separate alerts warning of Iranian missile launches in under two hours. There were no reports of significant impact and residents have been cleared to leave their shelters.
SEOUL, March 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tests this week of his country's naval destroyer, claiming Pyongyang is in the process of "arming the Navy with nuclear weapons", state media reported Thursday. It also comes as the nuclear-armed North's key foe -- the United States -- launched its joint offensive with Israel against Iran, aiming to wipe out the Islamic republic's nuclear programme, missiles and navy. The following day he oversaw the missile launch from the ship, which was "successfully carried out," KCNA said. Pyongyang last week condemned the ongoing United States and Israeli attack on Iran as an "illegal act of aggression", claiming it had shown Washington's "rogue" nature. Reports and analysts have suggested the United States is eyeing a potential summit between US President Donald Trump and the North's Kim this year.
Sandra Ramirez, 63, smiles and cuts a friendly figure as she dances, waves flags, and gives speeches canvassing for votes in Bogota. Ramirez has been a Colombian senator since 2018, but has not yet had to win a single vote. Although some dissident guerrilla groups remain active, the deal brought about a transformation for Colombia -- about 13,000 fighters and collaborators demobilized and returned to civilian life. Ramirez still faces insults from voters who reject her guerrilla past and accuse her of war crimes like recruiting minors. Comunes will need at least 750,000 of 41 million votes to continue to be recognised as a political party.
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, March 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics start on Friday but the atmosphere at the opening ceremony has been dampened by Ukraine leading a boycott against the presence of a handful of Russian competitors in the competition. Russia and Belarus had been banned from the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing following the invasion of Ukraine, although they were permitted to compete as neutral athletes in the Paris Summer Paralympics two years later. "If we do not go, it would mean allowing (Russian president Vladimir) Putin to claim a victory over Ukrainian Paralympians and over Ukraine by excluding us from the Games. Once the action gets going, one star to watch will be British para snowboarder Davy Zwy, who will become the first man with motor neurone disease to compete in a Winter Paralympics. Double Summer Paralympic gold medallist Lauren Parker will make her Winter Games debut when she represents Australia in the biathlon and cross-country events.
KATHMANDU, March 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Polling opened Thursday in Nepal's general elections, six months after deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government in the Himalayan nation, AFP reporters said. Nearly 19 million voters will choose who replaces the interim government in place since the September 2025 uprising. Polls are set to close at 5:00 pm (1115 GMT).
Bayern and Kane gambling with house money as Gladbach come to townBERLIN, March 5, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - With Bayern Munich well on the way to another Bundesliga title, striker Harry Kane has another milestone in sight: Robert Lewandowski's single-season goals record. With 30 goals in 24 league games this campaign, Kane is 11 shy of Lewandowski's record from the 2020-21 season. One to watch: Deniz UndavCruising along behind Harry Kane in the goalscoring charts, Stuttgart striker Deniz Undav is putting together an excellent season. Fourteen of Kane's 30 league goals have come from the spot this season -- meaning Undav has just two fewer strikes from open play than the England captain. Fixtures (1430 GMT unless stated)FridayBayern Munich v Borussia Moenchengladbach (1930)SaturdayRB Leipzig v Augsburg, Mainz v Stuttgart, Heidenheim v Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg v Hamburg, Freiburg v Bayer Leverkusen, Cologne v Borussia Dortmund (1730)SundaySt Pauli v Eintracht Frankfurt, Union Berlin v Werder Bremen (1630)
State Minister for Land Kayser Kamal had to wait for about half an hour on the veranda of a land office in Narayanganj's Siddhirganj after arriving for a surprise inspection and finding no officials present, reports bdnews24.com. The minister reached the Siddhirganj Union Land Office shortly after 9am on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters later, the state minister said: "Such incidents are undesirable. Attempts to reach Siddhirganj Union Land Assistant Officer Nasir Uddin by phone were unsuccessful. "As far as I know, the state minister visited and did not find the officials there.
To say that his latest release, Hen’s Teeth, surprised me would be an understatement. If Light Verse was an interesting, upbeat album, Hen’s Teeth is its off-putting Southern twin. Despite the country twang, it began very much how I would expect an Iron & Wine song to, with soft guitars and a mellow vocal melody. Hen’s Teeth ends on “Half Measures,” a sweeter, slower end to a rollercoaster of an album. To me, a casual listener of Iron & Wine, Hen’s Teeth seems to be somewhat of uncharted, yet very well-done, territory for Sam Beam.
Reading time: about 7 minutesThe Cornell Political Union hosted a debate which featured Curtis Sliwa, two-time Republican nominee for mayor of New York City and founder of the Guardian Angels on Tuesday evening. Debaters were given the resolution “community over government” to address. Sliwa, who CPU invited as a guest speaker, provided opening remarks before the debate in agreement with the resolution. The debate was open to all students to attend, and the debate floor was open to CPU members only. After the debate, CPU members hosted a reception with Sliwa at Okenshields.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Director Asif Akbar has said the sports ministry and the board are working jointly to facilitate Shakib Al Hasan’s return to cricket. On Wednesday, Asif, chairman of the Age-Based Tournament Committee, said the legal issues that had created complications around Shakib are being resolved jointly. “We are hopeful that he will be back on the field very soon,” he added. He made the remarks after the prize distribution of the Young Tigers Under-18 National Cricket Tournament 2025–26 at Cox’s Bazar International Cricket Stadium. On plans to build an international-standard cricket venue in the district, Asif said: “We envision a modern stadium with park and five-star hotel facilities.
US Assistant Secretary of State Paul Kapur has met Bangladeshi Minister of Foreign Affairs Khalilur Rahman with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. The meeting took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday morning, bdnews24.com reports. Speaking briefly to reporters afterwards, Kapur said, “The meeting went well.”Kapur arrived at the ministry shortly before 9:00 am and first met State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam. Kapur did not respond to most of the questions put to him by journalists as he left, repeating only that “the meeting went well”. Following his visit to the foreign ministry, Kapur is scheduled to meet Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir and Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmud at the Secretariat.
US-Bangla Airlines will operate two special flights on the Dhaka-Dubai-Dhaka route for Bangladeshis stranded in the United Arab Emirates amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. The airline said that the first special flight on Wednesday will take off from Dhaka's Shahjalal International Airport at 7:20pm, bound for Dubai. On Thursday, the second special flight will depart from Dhaka's Shahjalal International Airport at 5:15pm. It will depart Dubai for Dhaka at 10pm local time. The Dubai Airport Authority has given permission to some airlines, including US-Bangla Airlines, Emirates, and Air India to operate special flights after taking the overall situation into considerations, the notice said.
