Tag: politics

2 injured as knife-wielding man goes on stabbing spree in UK’s Edinburgh

Posted on by 2026news

Two people were injured after a man was seen brandishing two knives in a residential part of Edinburgh, prompting a major armed police response and public warnings to avoid the area.

The incident happened in Calder, in the west of Edinburgh, where emergency services were deployed following reports of a man with a bladed weapon. Locals said police activity began before 9 am, with several streets sealed off as officers moved in.

Confirming the injuries, Police Scotland said officers were called to reports of a man with a knife earlier on Monday morning. Chief Inspector Scott Kennedy said the disturbance had been contained and there was no wider risk to the public.

“The incident is not being treated as terror-related,” Kennedy said, adding that officers would remain in the area to reassure residents.

Earlier, police issued a public warning urging people to stay away from Calder. “The public is being advised to avoid the Calder area of Edinburgh following reports of a man with a bladed weapon,” the force said. “Police, including firearms officers, are in attendance.”

Residents described a prolonged and intense police presence. William Ramsay, who lives nearby, told Press Association he believed the man had entered the stairwell of his building.

“He smashed the local shop, possibly stabbed two people unconfirmed,” Ramsay said. “Armed police, dogs been here for about two hours.”

Images from the scene showed at least six police vehicles outside Cobbinshaw House, a tower block of flats, with armed officers positioned around the building as enquiries continued.

Public transport was also disrupted. Lothian Buses said its number 20 service was being diverted away from Calder until further notice.

Police have not released further details about the condition of the injured or any arrests, as officers continue investigations and maintain a visible presence in the area. https://www.indiatoday.in/world/uk-news/story/knife-wielding-man-stabs-multiple-people-in-uks-edinburgh-local-media-2876553-2026-03-02

Indian crew member killed after drone boat hits oil tanker off Oman coast

Posted on by 2026news

An Indian crew member was killed after an oil tanker was struck by an unmanned drone boat off the coast of Oman, triggering a fire and forcing the evacuation of all crew on board, officials confirmed on Monday, as hostilities between Israel and Iran continued to escalate across the region.

The Sultanate of Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said the incident occurred about 52 nautical miles northwest of Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat Governorate on Saturday (March 1). The tanker, identified as MKD VYOM, flying the flag of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, was carrying approximately 59,463 metric tonnes of cargo at the time of the attack.

According to officials, the unmanned vessel hit the tanker, causing a fire and explosion in the main engine room. One crew member, an Indian national, died in the incident.

The vessel had 21 crew members on board, including 16 Indians, four Bangladeshis and one Ukrainian. All survivors were evacuated by the merchant ship MV SAND, which sails under the flag of Panama, in coordination with the Maritime Security Centre.

The Royal Navy of Oman has deployed a vessel to monitor the damaged tanker and is issuing navigational warnings to ships transiting the area. Authorities have not yet disclosed who was behind the attack.

Iran has warned vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow gateway to the Persian Gulf, and is suspected of launching multiple maritime attacks as the Middle East war intensified following major US and Israeli airstrikes on the Islamic Republic.

This marked the second such attack on cargo vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which has triggered widespread tensions across the Middle East.

Earlier, a Palau-flagged oil tanker Skylight, carrying 15 Indian nationals among its crew, was struck near Oman’s Musandam peninsula, injuring four people.

Oman’s Maritime Security Centre said in a post on X that the strike took place about five nautical miles north of Musandam’s Khasab Port, after which the tanker’s 20-member crew was evacuated. The agency did not specify the weapon used. https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/indian-crew-member-killed-after-drone-boat-hits-oil-tanker-off-oman-coast-2876550-2026-03-02

Victories overshadowed: War halts Israeli hoops momentum

Posted on by 2026news

Less than 36 hours after both Israeli Euroleague representatives picked up huge victories, war broke out with Iran, which sent the Israeli sports scene into chaos.

Hapoel Tel Aviv finally snapped its five-game losing streak, while Maccabi Tel Aviv recorded an important win that will keep it in the postseason race as their respective campaigns head into March.

However, with the outbreak of war, the Reds’ home game against Paris this coming Tuesday was postponed, while the Euroleague derby between Maccabi and Hapoel will not take place in Israel and may also be postponed.

Both the local basketball and soccer leagues have been put on hold for the time being, with many of the team’s foreign players heading abroad, primarily through Jordan, until things quiet down in the region. Some important players and teams have decided to stay put in the Holy Land for the time being until more concrete plans are made.

During the FIBA International break, many foreign basketball players were already on vacation outside the country.

The Israeli basketball National Team played in Cyprus on Friday night and crushed the hosts 94-54, with Yam Madar starring.

The two teams were slated to play again on Sunday night, but several Hapoel Tel Aviv players were en route back to Israel on Saturday morning, and their flight had to be turned back to Larnaca. At this time, Hapoel is looking to return to Sofia, Bulgaria, where it had played the Euroleague season before returning to Israel, while Maccabi will return to Belgrade, where it has been based since the October 7, 2023, war with Hamas broke out.

Hapoel Tel Aviv in Euroleague

In Euroleague action, Hapoel Tel Aviv downed Milano 92-86, with Elijah Bryant, Vasilije Micic, and Dan Oturu all helping the Reds end their skid with the home victory at Yad Eliyahu. The win improved Dimitrios Itoudis’s squad’s Euroleague record to 17-11 and kept it in a playoff spot.

“We were in control of the game from the beginning through the end,” Itoudis began. “We had some significant lapses on the defensive end in the last five minutes in the second quarter, where we gave up 23 points, which was too much. But we changed our defense to limit their guards, which is what we did.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Monaco 91-86 as Lonnie Walker starred in his Euroleague return to help the yellow-and-blue to the road win in the Principality.

With the victory, Oded Katash’s squad improved to 14-15 to remain in 13th place, but moved to just a pair of games in the win column in order to book a place in the Play-In postseason round.

Katash shared his thoughts on the victory, “This was a big win, it wasn’t easy. In the first half, we were good offensively. Both they and we made adjustments heading into the second half, which created a very physical and aggressive game. There were a lot of hard-to-officiate calls, but we stayed in it. We were focused, something we didn’t do at the start of the season. I’m very happy. We have an amazing crowd. They are the main reason we are where we are and why we are making this run right now. It’s thanks to our fans.”

Walker, the game MVP, also spoke about the victory.

“Just resilience. I think we found our groove this second round as a team, and we continue to fight. We did well holding the possession and holding the lead when it was one or two points. We push each other in practices, and we put ourselves in uncomfortable situations, and this translates into the game. But thanks go to all the fans, as it felt like a home game. Their spirit and loudness kept us focused and with the spirit that we needed. Truly grateful to have this set of people.” https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/sports/article-888464

El Al to begin rescue flights for Israelis stranded due to Operation Roaring Lion

Posted on by 2026news

El Al announced on Monday that it has begun preparing a rescue operation to return Israelis stranded overseas due to Operation Roaring Lion. The rescue flights will begin once Ben-Gurion Airport reopens and approvals are received from the state and security authorities.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced that Egypt had agreed to allow Israeli flights to land at the Taba and Sharm El Sheikh airports as part of the rescue flight operations.

The airline said it is prioritizing passengers whose flights were canceled and that rescue flights for El Al and Sun d’Or customers will be operated at no additional cost.

In the first stage, El Al said it is preparing rescue flights from its main destinations in the United States, the Far East, and Europe.

The initial planned US destinations are New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, while the Far East destinations include Bangkok and Phuket, the airline said.

El Al added that the first European destinations being prepared are Larnaca, Athens, Rome, Milan, Paris, Budapest, Tbilisi, Sofia, Warsaw, Bucharest, Madrid, London, Barcelona, Geneva, Amsterdam, Munich, and Zurich.

Tickets to the public only after existing passengers are accommodated

El Al said that rescue flights for El Al and Sun d’Or customers whose flights were canceled will not incur an additional charge and will be made available for public sale only after all affected customers have been brought home.

The airline said it is proactively updating customers regarding changes and developments, with ongoing updates published on its website and social media channels.

Subject to approvals from security authorities, El Al said it is examining the operation of flights on KlasJet aircraft from nearby European destinations to Taba, Egypt, or Aqaba, Jordan, for El Al and Sun d’Or customers.

Those flights, if approved, would also be offered without additional cost to eligible customers, the airline said.

Hundreds of flights canceled worldwide

El Al’s rescue flights are needed as thousands of flights were canceled across the world, leading to what The Guardian called “the most acute aviation shock since the Covid-19 pandemic paralyzed the industry.”

According to the Guardian, nearly 2,800 flights were canceled on Saturday, the first day of the attack on Iran, with an additional 3,156 canceled on Sunday and at least 1,239 on Monday.

Among the most disrupted airlines were Emirates Airlines, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways, who were forced to suspend flights to and from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar respectively.

The economic impact of the flight disruption is larger the inconvenience to individual flyers, the Guardian reported.

Stock in aerospace industries dropped, including for Japan Airlines (whose shares fell by 5.6%), Singapore Airlines (4.5%), Qantas Airlines (5.4%), and Cathay Pacific (2.9%).

The price of crude oil jumped as well due to the war, causing even more financial strain for everyone, including the aviation industry. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-888466