News

Violence in Kazakhstan after Russia sends troops

Published

4 years ago

January 7, 2022

Fresh violence raged in Kazakhstan’s main city on Thursday after Russia rushed in paratroopers overnight to put down a countrywide uprising in the former Soviet state closely allied to Moscow

Fresh violence raged on in Kazakhstan on Thursday (January 6), with police in the main city Almaty saying they had killed dozens of rioters overnight.

The interior ministry said at least 18 law enforcement officers had died so far in clashes, including two found decapitated.

And more than two thousand protesters were detained as Russia rushed in paratroopers to stop a countrywide uprising in the former Soviet state, as Western countries called for calm.

Footage from Almaty showed toppled vehicles and buildings – said to be a presidential residence and the mayor’s office – ablaze.

Reuters reporters heard explosions and gunfire as military vehicles and scores of soldiers advanced.

Internet access was also shut down across Kazakhstan.

And while the full extent of the unrest was not immediately clear, it was unprecedented in a country ruled firmly since Soviet times by leader Nursultan Nazarbayev.

He has held on to power despite stepping down three years ago as president.

The uprising originally began against a fuel price hike on New Year’s Day.

But a reversal of the price rise failed to mollify crowds who accuse Nazarbayev’s family and allies of amassing vast wealth from oil and minerals while the nation of 19 million remained poor.

On Wednesday, (January 5) when protesters stormed and torched public buildings in different cities, they chanted slogans against Nazarbayev, and in at least one city looped ropes around a statue of him, trying to pull it down.

Nazarbayev’s hand-picked successor, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called in forces from ally Russia overnight as part of a military alliance of ex-Soviet states, led by Moscow.

He blamed the unrest on foreign-trained terrorists who he said had seized buildings and weapons.

The swift arrival of Russian troops demonstrated the Kremlin’s strategy of deploying force to safeguard its influence in the ex-Soviet Union.

Via: Reuters

News

Iran live updates: Trump claims Khamenei dead as Iran insists he remains in command

Published

23 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Ahron Young

What’s happening in the Middle East?

President Donald Trump says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed.
Trump describes the moment as the greatest opportunity for the Iranian people to “take back their country”.
Iran insists its leader is “firmly commanding the field”.
Israel and the U.S. have carried out strikes on Iran.
Impacts have been reported in Israel and across Gulf states as Iran launches retaliatory attacks.
The escalation has sparked fear and panic, with civilians fleeing major cities.

News

U.S. and Israel strike Iran as missiles hit Gulf bases and oil surges

U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.

Published

23 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Ahron Young

U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.

The United States and Israel have launched a sweeping military operation against Iran, striking leadership targets and more than 500 military sites in what President Trump has dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

Explosions have rocked Tehran, with civilians fleeing the capital as U.S. sea and air assets carry out sustained attacks. Washington says the mission is designed to prevent a nuclear armed Iran and has even called on Iranians to rise up against the regime.

Iran has retaliated with a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. While many projectiles were intercepted, a U.S. base in Bahrain sustained damage.

Gulf states long seen as stable hubs for global business are now directly in the firing line, raising fears of a wider regional war.

Oil prices are climbing and tankers are diverting from the Strait of Hormuz as markets react to the escalating conflict. U.S. aircraft carriers, advanced fighter jets and missile destroyers remain in position, signalling more strikes could follow.

With global leaders scrambling diplomatically, the world is watching to see whether this spirals further or shifts back to negotiations.

News

Iran warns ships to avoid Strait of Hormuz

Iran warns ships to avoid Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions and military buildup in the region

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Ahron Young

Iran warns ships to avoid Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions and military buildup in the region

In Short:
– Iran’s Guard Corps advises ships to avoid the Strait of Hormuz due to rising tensions.
– Tankers have diverted to Qatar and UAE amidst concerns over safety and potential Iranian threats.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has instructed ships to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping lane linking to the Persian Gulf. About a hundred merchant vessels transit the strait daily, according to the U.S.Tensions have escalated recently as the U.S. increased military presence in the region and Iran issued threats. Western nations are concerned about Iran potentially laying sea mines to disrupt commercial traffic. Currently, no evidence suggests Iran has mined the strait.

Ships have been repeatedly warned against entering the strait, as stated by crews in the area and the European Union’s naval command, Aspides. On Saturday, dozens of tankers diverted, with some seeking refuge in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates while others opted to steer clear of the region, as reported by oil brokers and shipowners.

Shipping Concerns

Tensions continue to impact shipping operations as carriers remain cautious in the Gulf region.

Tanker crews reported hearing explosions near Iran’s Kharg Island, which is vital for the country’s oil exports, as it handles 90% of its crude oil shipments.