Latest Updates

Iraqi Shi'ite militia group declares all US bases ‘legitimate targets’

Iraqi militia group Saraya Awliya al-Dam declared all US military bases in Iraq and beyond legitimate targets on February 28

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BREAKING: Iran closes Strait of Hormuz to international shipping

Iran's IRGC closed the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping on February 28, threatening supplies of around 20% of the world's daily oil as US and Israeli strikes continued across the country and retaliatory Iranian missiles hit Gulf states.

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Fate of Iran's Khamenei unknown after strikes on compound

Israeli media reported growing indications on February 28 that Supreme Leader Khamenei was killed in strikes on his Tehran compound, while Iran's Foreign Minister said he was alive "as far as I know."

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Starmer joins France and Germany in condemning Iran strikes as Cobra convenes

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined France and Germany on February 28 in condemning Iran's retaliatory strikes in the strongest terms, calling on Tehran to seek a negotiated solution after chairing an emergency Cobra meeting.

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Global leaders react with alarm after US, Israel strike Iran

Leaders from around the world voiced alarm over the risk of a wider war and a “regional conflagration” in the world’s biggest oil producing region after the US and Israel launched long-feared strikes on Iran.

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Russia urges citizens to leave Iran via Armenia and Azerbaijan

Russia's Embassy in Tehran urged citizens to leave Iran immediately on February 28, recommending land exit routes via Azerbaijan and Armenia.

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Lebanese prime minister warns Hezbollah against dragging country into conflict with Israel

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned armed factions on February 28 not to drag Lebanon into the Iran conflict as Israeli forces struck Hezbollah sites in the south.

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Iran's foreign ministry vows decisive response as it calls on UN Security Council to act

Iran's Foreign Ministry called on the UN Security Council to act immediately on February 28 following Israeli and US airstrikes on Tehran.

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Israel's Netanyahu says Iran's Khamenei may have been killed in Tehran strikes

Middle East faces “risk of being dragged into ring of fire”, says Erdogan in response to US-Israeli attack on Iran

Turkey’s leadership remains silent over US, Israel military attack on Iran

Israel's Netanyahu says Iran's Khamenei may have been killed in Tehran strikes

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may have been killed in joint Israeli-US strikes on Tehran on February 28.

Middle East faces “risk of being dragged into ring of fire”, says Erdogan in response to US-Israeli attack on Iran

Breaking silence over start of conflict, Turkey’s leader calls for common sense to prevail.

Turkey’s leadership remains silent over US, Israel military attack on Iran

Ankara had urged Washington not to ignite conflict. Country’s opposition leader condemns the missile strikes.

News

US missiles kill 108 children in strike on school in Iran

Death toll at a girls' school struck in Minab, southern Iran, rose to 108 on February 28 after the local prosecutor confirmed the figure, making it the deadliest single civilian incident of the US-Israeli military operation.

Rosatom confirms Bushehr nuclear plant undamaged as Russia evacuates 94 people

Rosatom confirmed on February 28 that Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant was operating normally after US-Israeli strikes, as Russia evacuated 94 family members of plant staff and warned that targeting nuclear facilities was "unacceptable and suicidal."

Turkey’s leadership remains silent over US, Israel military attack on Iran

Ankara had urged Washington not to ignite conflict. Country’s opposition leader condemns the missile strikes.

Qatar claims interception of Iranian missiles

Qatar's Ministry of Defence confirmed on February 28 that all missiles targeting its territory had been intercepted before reaching Qatari soil, as Iran's retaliatory strikes spread across the Gulf following US-Israeli operations against Tehran.

Israel activates ground forces in anticipation of full-scale war

Israel is activating ground forces following a multi-front situational assessment after the joint US-Israel strike on Iran on February 28, the IDF confirmed.

US missiles kill 108 children in strike on school in Iran

1 hour ago

Rosatom confirms Bushehr nuclear plant undamaged as Russia evacuates 94 people

2 hours ago

Turkey’s leadership remains silent over US, Israel military attack on Iran

3 hours ago

Qatar claims interception of Iranian missiles

10 hours ago

Israel activates ground forces in anticipation of full-scale war

11 hours ago

More News

Tech

FlightRadar24 goes down as US-Israeli strikes ground global flights

FlightRadar24 went down on February 28 as US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered the closure of airspace across the Middle East, leaving the world's most used flight tracking service offline with no timeline for restoration.

Iran plunges into near-total internet blackout as US-Israeli strikes continue

Iran's internet connectivity collapsed to 4% of normal levels on February 28 as US and Israeli strikes continued.

Uber and Joby Aviation launch in-app air taxi booking ahead of Dubai debut

Uber has integrated Joby Aviation's electric air taxis into its app ahead of a Dubai launch later in 2025, with one-tap booking connecting ground and air travel as Joby nears final FAA certification for US operations.

AIR Tashkent, US company Samson Sky want to see 300 Switchblade flying cars in Uzbekistan’s skies

Memo on making it happen signed at opening of Easy to Fly Academy in Central Asian country.

Russia moves to bring crypto market under full state control

Russia’s central bank and finance ministry are preparing legislation to establish a fully regulated domestic cryptocurrency market, four years after officials debated an outright ban on digital assets.

FlightRadar24 goes down as US-Israeli strikes ground global flights

10 hours ago

Iran plunges into near-total internet blackout as US-Israeli strikes continue

12 hours ago

Uber and Joby Aviation launch in-app air taxi booking ahead of Dubai debut

2 days ago

AIR Tashkent, US company Samson Sky want to see 300 Switchblade flying cars in Uzbekistan’s skies

2 days ago

Russia moves to bring crypto market under full state control

3 days ago

More Tech

Opinion

ASH: Hungarian elections as a read out to US midterms?

For me the two most important elections globally this year will be midterms in the US in November, and elections in Hungary on April 12. The first will shape the course of democracy in the US, and the latter democracy both in Hungary and the EU.

RAGOZIN: Rubio in Budapest, pulling Orban's puppet strings

When US state secretary Marco Rubio toured Hungary and Slovakia last weekend, American liberals were aghast. They were specifically flared up by Rubio openly endorsing the incumbent Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, in upcoming elections.

COMMENT: Cuba's friends have plenty to say and nothing to give

With its power grid collapsing and tankers turning back mid-ocean, the communist island faces a crisis its friends in Moscow, Beijing and across Latin America are unwilling — or unable — to prevent.

COMMENT: Why UK-Kazakhstan economic cooperation matters today

The current global environment calls for a more deliberate effort to strengthen and adapt the partnership between Kazakhstan and the UK for the years ahead, writes Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev.

MARINS: What happens if the Iran-US Geneva talks to stave off war fail?

After the first meeting in Oman this monthy, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi are meeting in Geneva to try to stop a new war.

ASH: Hungarian elections as a read out to US midterms?

3 days ago

RAGOZIN: Rubio in Budapest, pulling Orban's puppet strings

8 days ago

COMMENT: Cuba's friends have plenty to say and nothing to give

9 days ago

COMMENT: Why UK-Kazakhstan economic cooperation matters today

9 days ago

MARINS: What happens if the Iran-US Geneva talks to stave off war fail?

11 days ago

More Opinion

Data

Sharp port cargo decline signals industrial slowdown in Turkey

Academic says he “has never seen such a sharp downturn”. But finance minister says foreign investors like country’s “strong story”.

Not a single acquittal handed down by Tajikistan’s courts in two years

Situation should be subject of “serious analysis” as it affects fundamental principles of justice, says local lawyer.

Bangladesh election reduces political uncertainty but forthcoming reform execution remains critical

The referendum could, and should, facilitate constitutional changes to strengthen institutions, including a shift from a unicameral to a bicameral legislature, increased judicial independence and the introduction of new prime ministerial term limits.

Bank of Israel holds interest rate steady, citing risk of regional conflict

The Bank of Israel Monetary Committee maintained the interest rate at 4%, halting a streak of two consecutive 0.25% cuts implemented in November and January.

European Commission flags worsening debt path for Hungary

Short-term financing conditions remain manageable, but the country faces a steadily worsening debt trajectory over the medium and long term unless significant fiscal adjustments are made, European Commission report says.

Sharp port cargo decline signals industrial slowdown in Turkey

2 days ago

Not a single acquittal handed down by Tajikistan’s courts in two years

3 days ago

Bangladesh election reduces political uncertainty but forthcoming reform execution remains critical

3 days ago

Bank of Israel holds interest rate steady, citing risk of regional conflict

4 days ago

European Commission flags worsening debt path for Hungary

4 days ago

More Data

Features

Oman maintains “Swiss” neutrality as the regional conflict escalate

The US and Israel struck multiple locations across Iran with missiles on the morning of February 28, including the capital, Tehran, in what US President Donald Trump described as the start of “Operation Epic Fury”.

INTERVIEW: Inside Israel’s war calculus as Iran talks teeter

The people of Israel are very much empathetic and sympathetic to the people of Iran.

Great Game rekindled in four-hour Pakistan-Afghanistan border war

The long-simmering stand-off between Pakistan and Afghanistan tipped over into open warfare late on February 26, continuing into the following day, with both sides trading air strikes, artillery fire and accusations of being sponsors of terror.

Slovenia’s regional inequality challenge

Economic gains have not been shared equally across Slovenia’s regions, and long-standing structural challenges threaten to deepen regional disparities.

EBRD lifts growth outlook as regional economies prove resilient to trade tensions

Growth in Emerging Europe and other EBRD regions of operations projected to reach 3.6% in 2026, helped by stronger than expected external demand, EBRD chief economist Beata Javorcik tells bne IntelliNews.

Oman maintains “Swiss” neutrality as the regional conflict escalate

9 hours ago

INTERVIEW: Inside Israel’s war calculus as Iran talks teeter

14 hours ago

Great Game rekindled in four-hour Pakistan-Afghanistan border war

1 day ago

Slovenia’s regional inequality challenge

2 days ago

EBRD lifts growth outlook as regional economies prove resilient to trade tensions

2 days ago

More Features

Blogs

LATAM BLOG: Mexico's rise to the top of US trade exposes the stakes of Trump's USMCA gamble

After over 30 years, Mexico dethrones Canada as the top US trade partner in a clean sweep. But the milestone comes as Trump threatens to withdraw from USMCA, putting vital supply chains at risk.

MOSCOW BLOG: Russia as a supermarket dressed up as a country

Russian Finance Minister Anton Sulianov was speaking to the Duma yesterday and announced a pretty radical new direction to move the budget away from its traditional addiction to oil and gas export revenue and make it more dependent on consumption.

BALKAN BLOG: Beyond Hungary, elections in Bulgaria and Slovenia to shape eastern EU’s political map

International focus is on Hungary's upcoming general election, but the outcomes of spring 2026 votes in Bulgaria and Slovenia could also affect the future of Central Europe’s illiberal bloc.

KYIV BLOG: Ukraine, too little, too late

Today we go into the fifth year of the Ukraine war which has now been going on longer than the Second World War ( 3 years and 11 months).

CENTRAL ASIA BLOG: Role in attack on Iran or some golf course chitchat? Speculation in overdrive on Turkmen leader’s trip to US

Observers have little idea over what it was all about. Did Berdimuhamedov meet Trump?

LATAM BLOG: Mexico's rise to the top of US trade exposes the stakes of Trump's USMCA gamble

2 days ago

MOSCOW BLOG: Russia as a supermarket dressed up as a country

2 days ago

BALKAN BLOG: Beyond Hungary, elections in Bulgaria and Slovenia to shape eastern EU’s political map

3 days ago

KYIV BLOG: Ukraine, too little, too late

4 days ago

CENTRAL ASIA BLOG: Role in attack on Iran or some golf course chitchat? Speculation in overdrive on Turkmen leader’s trip to US

5 days ago

More Blogs

bneGREEN

Global deforestation slows but losses persist in South America and Africa - OWID

In the past, forests around the world were cut down on a massive scale. We lost some of the world’s richest ecosystems.

Watchdog warns EU climate policy risks capture by corporate lobbying

Europe’s climate agenda risks becoming a “lobbyists’ playground” as industry groups are capturing control over changes to the EU’s green legislation, according to a watchdog report cited by Euronews on February 25.

Samsung develops a solid-state silver-carbon battery breakthrough

Samsung development of a solid-state battery using silver as a core material could prove a disruptive moment for the electric vehicle industry, with potentially significant implications for global silver demand.

Taiwan urges drivers to shift to electric vehicles

Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment has called on motorists to move away from petrol and diesel vehicles, as more than 120,000 fossil fuel vehicles have already been swapped for electric alternatives under a scheme launched in 2022.

INTERVIEW: FeroInvest bets on battery storage as North Macedonia’s solar capacity grows

FeroInvest owner Kočo Angjušev talks to bne IntelliNews about North Macedonia’s first battery energy storage system, the country's growing renewables market, and his response to US sanctions.

Global deforestation slows but losses persist in South America and Africa - OWID

1 day ago

Watchdog warns EU climate policy risks capture by corporate lobbying

1 day ago

Samsung develops a solid-state silver-carbon battery breakthrough

3 days ago

Taiwan urges drivers to shift to electric vehicles

5 days ago

INTERVIEW: FeroInvest bets on battery storage as North Macedonia’s solar capacity grows

6 days ago

More bneGREEN

Latest Updates

News

Death toll at a girls' school struck in Minab, southern Iran, rose to 108 on February 28 after the local prosecutor confirmed the figure, making it the deadliest single civilian incident of the US-Israeli military operation.

Rosatom confirmed on February 28 that Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant was operating normally after US-Israeli strikes, as Russia evacuated 94 family members of plant staff and warned that targeting nuclear facilities was "unacceptable and suicidal."

Ankara had urged Washington not to ignite conflict. Country’s opposition leader condemns the missile strikes.

Qatar's Ministry of Defence confirmed on February 28 that all missiles targeting its territory had been intercepted before reaching Qatari soil, as Iran's retaliatory strikes spread across the Gulf following US-Israeli operations against Tehran.

Israel is activating ground forces following a multi-front situational assessment after the joint US-Israel strike on Iran on February 28, the IDF confirmed.

Tech

FlightRadar24 went down on February 28 as US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered the closure of airspace across the Middle East, leaving the world's most used flight tracking service offline with no timeline for restoration.

Iran's internet connectivity collapsed to 4% of normal levels on February 28 as US and Israeli strikes continued.

Uber has integrated Joby Aviation's electric air taxis into its app ahead of a Dubai launch later in 2025, with one-tap booking connecting ground and air travel as Joby nears final FAA certification for US operations.

Memo on making it happen signed at opening of Easy to Fly Academy in Central Asian country.

Russia’s central bank and finance ministry are preparing legislation to establish a fully regulated domestic cryptocurrency market, four years after officials debated an outright ban on digital assets.

Opinion

For me the two most important elections globally this year will be midterms in the US in November, and elections in Hungary on April 12. The first will shape the course of democracy in the US, and the latter democracy both in Hungary and the EU.

When US state secretary Marco Rubio toured Hungary and Slovakia last weekend, American liberals were aghast. They were specifically flared up by Rubio openly endorsing the incumbent Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, in upcoming elections.

With its power grid collapsing and tankers turning back mid-ocean, the communist island faces a crisis its friends in Moscow, Beijing and across Latin America are unwilling — or unable — to prevent.

The current global environment calls for a more deliberate effort to strengthen and adapt the partnership between Kazakhstan and the UK for the years ahead, writes Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev.

After the first meeting in Oman this monthy, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Rafael Grossi are meeting in Geneva to try to stop a new war.

Data

Academic says he “has never seen such a sharp downturn”. But finance minister says foreign investors like country’s “strong story”.

Situation should be subject of “serious analysis” as it affects fundamental principles of justice, says local lawyer.

The referendum could, and should, facilitate constitutional changes to strengthen institutions, including a shift from a unicameral to a bicameral legislature, increased judicial independence and the introduction of new prime ministerial term limits.

The Bank of Israel Monetary Committee maintained the interest rate at 4%, halting a streak of two consecutive 0.25% cuts implemented in November and January.

Short-term financing conditions remain manageable, but the country faces a steadily worsening debt trajectory over the medium and long term unless significant fiscal adjustments are made, European Commission report says.

Features

The US and Israel struck multiple locations across Iran with missiles on the morning of February 28, including the capital, Tehran, in what US President Donald Trump described as the start of “Operation Epic Fury”.

The people of Israel are very much empathetic and sympathetic to the people of Iran.

The long-simmering stand-off between Pakistan and Afghanistan tipped over into open warfare late on February 26, continuing into the following day, with both sides trading air strikes, artillery fire and accusations of being sponsors of terror.

Economic gains have not been shared equally across Slovenia’s regions, and long-standing structural challenges threaten to deepen regional disparities.

Growth in Emerging Europe and other EBRD regions of operations projected to reach 3.6% in 2026, helped by stronger than expected external demand, EBRD chief economist Beata Javorcik tells bne IntelliNews.

Blogs

After over 30 years, Mexico dethrones Canada as the top US trade partner in a clean sweep. But the milestone comes as Trump threatens to withdraw from USMCA, putting vital supply chains at risk.

Russian Finance Minister Anton Sulianov was speaking to the Duma yesterday and announced a pretty radical new direction to move the budget away from its traditional addiction to oil and gas export revenue and make it more dependent on consumption.

International focus is on Hungary's upcoming general election, but the outcomes of spring 2026 votes in Bulgaria and Slovenia could also affect the future of Central Europe’s illiberal bloc.

Today we go into the fifth year of the Ukraine war which has now been going on longer than the Second World War ( 3 years and 11 months).

Observers have little idea over what it was all about. Did Berdimuhamedov meet Trump?

bneGREEN

In the past, forests around the world were cut down on a massive scale. We lost some of the world’s richest ecosystems.

Europe’s climate agenda risks becoming a “lobbyists’ playground” as industry groups are capturing control over changes to the EU’s green legislation, according to a watchdog report cited by Euronews on February 25.

Samsung development of a solid-state battery using silver as a core material could prove a disruptive moment for the electric vehicle industry, with potentially significant implications for global silver demand.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment has called on motorists to move away from petrol and diesel vehicles, as more than 120,000 fossil fuel vehicles have already been swapped for electric alternatives under a scheme launched in 2022.

FeroInvest owner Kočo Angjušev talks to bne IntelliNews about North Macedonia’s first battery energy storage system, the country's growing renewables market, and his response to US sanctions.

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