‘Uno, Uno, Uno No Mercy!” the six-year-old son of our hosts for the day bellows while leading my boys, 10 and 12, into his dimly lit corrugated iron home. I let out a little sigh of relief. The popular card game is a much-needed icebreaker as ominous clouds close in on the remote stan (the Albanian word for a shepherd dwelling). Despite the language barrier, much laughter and consternation soon spill out of the darkness, just as hail hammers down on the tin roof. Dogs bark, chickens cluck and sheep bleat as the thunder grows louder, and we all – our eight hosts, seven guests and one guide – shelter in the tiny kitchen, the living room-cum-bedroom (now Uno parlour), or on the veranda.

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Diego Rivera 14, Animo Venice 2

East Valley 13, Reseda 3

El Camino Real 1, San Fernando 0

Fremont 10, Fairfax 1

Granada Hills Kennedy 13, South East 10

Hollywood 12, Roybal 4

Northridge Academy 3, Fulton 2

RFK Community 25, Contreras 7

SOCES 18, AMIT 2

Sun Valley Magnet 11, Grant 9

Sylmar 7, Legacy 1

Westchester 14, Gardena 13

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alhambra 18, San Gabriel 0

Aliso Niguel 9, Irvine 4

Antelope Valley 1, Desert 0

Apple Valley 4, Palmdale 1

Arcadia 24, Glendale 1

Ayala 7, San Dimas 1

Azusa 4, Nogales 1

Baldwin Park 9, Duarte 3

Barstow 5, Hesperia Christian 3

Bishop Amat 13, Gardena Serra 2

Bishop Union 6, Desert Christian 1

Bloomington 3, Fontana 1

Bonita 9, Los Osos 8

Burbank 6, Hoover 4

Burbank Burroughs 10, Pasadena 3

California City 18, Eastside 5

Camarillo 5, Fillmore 0

Canyon Springs 24, San Bernardino 2

Castaic 11, Heritage Christian 0

Century 2, El Toro 0

Claremont 3, Western Christian 2

Cornerstone Christian 21, Grove School 0

Corona Centennial 19, Eastvale Roosevelt 3

Corona Santiago 5, Crean Lutheran 4

Crespi 3, Saugus 2

Diamond Ranch 17, Pomona 2

Dos Pueblos 9, Ventura 5

Downey Calvary Chapel 8, Whitney 7

Dunn 19, Coastal Christian 6

El Modena 10, Garden Grove Pacifica 1

El Rancho 9, California 2

Entrepreneur 16, Packinghouse Christian 10

Firebaugh 10, Lynwood 2

Fullerton 1, Chaparral 0

Gabrielino 11, Long Beach Jordan 5

Gladstone 16, Bloomington Christian 4

Gladstone 18, Morningside 8

Godinez 6, Santa Ana Valley 0

Hemet 10, Beaumont 2

Heritage 10, Perris 0

Hillcrest 6, Savanna 3

Jurupa Hills 2, Liberty 0

Jurupa Valley 18, Bassett 0

Katella 5, Long Beach Poly 2

Laguna Beach 5, Downey 0

Laguna Hills 10, Portola 5

La Quinta 1, Beckman 0

La Salle 17, Temple City 0

La Serna 7, Santa Fe 3

Linfield Christian 3, Summit 1

Lone Pine 15, Silver Valley 2

Long Beach Cabrillo 5, La Sierra 0

Magnolia 11, Glenn 5

Mayfair 1, Norwalk 0

Montclair 19, Hacienda Heights Wilson 2

Montebello 10, Bell Gardens 0

North Torrance 7, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 5

Northview 12, Rancho Cucamonga 0

Orange County Pacifica Christian 3, Sage Hill 2

Palos Verdes 8, West Torrance 0

Paraclete 2, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 0

Paramount 12, Dominguez 0

Patriot 11, Riverside North 5

Placentia Valencia 7, Garden Grove 1

Righetti 14, Pasadena Marshall 5

Rio Mesa 15, Oxnard 3

Riverside King 14, Paloma Valley 8

Rubidoux 11, Pacific 1

San Jacinto 17, Cathedral City 0

San Marcos 1, Buena 0

San Marino 4, Glendora 3

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 4, Northwood 3

Santa Margarita 1, Damien 0

Schurr 10, Mark Keppel 0

Serrano 6, PACS 0

Servite 6, Anaheim Canyon 1

Sierra Canyon 12, West Ranch 1

Sierra Vista 7, Garey 5

Simi Valley 8, Newbury Park 5

Sonora 21, La Palma Kennedy 1

South Torrance 4, El Segundo 3

St. Bonaventure 21, Channel Islands 2

St. John Bosco 1, Gahr 0

Sultana 11, Rialto 0

Sunny Hills 7, Charter Oak 7

Temescal Canyon 12, Citrus Hill 2

Torrance 4, Redondo Union 3

University Prep 14, ACE 2

Valley View 7, Big Bear 0

Villa Park 6, Capistrano Valley 4

Vista del Lago 10, Twentynine Palms 5

Vista Murrieta 24, Moreno Valley 1

Walnut 7, Whittier Christian 3

Warren 3, Millikan 1

West Covina 13, La Canada 7

Westminster 8, Santa Ana 2

Whittier 5, Rosemead 4

Xavier Prep 3, Anza Hamilton 2

Yucaipa 10, Kaiser 6

INTERSECTIONAL

Basic (NV) 4, Orange Lutheran 2

Burbank Providence 18, Collins Family 2

Dana Hills 10, Buchanan 3

El Dorado 10, Granada Hills 4

Flintridge Prep 12, Maywood CES 2

King/Drew 15, Compton Early College 11

Loyola 14, Venice 1

Mater Dei 15, Rockwall (TX) 1

Murrieta Mesa 4, Carlsbad 1

Taft 10, Oak Park 0

Valencia 12, Chatsworth 0

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Huntington Park 19, Maywood CES 17

LA Roosevelt 20, Narbonne 6

Reseda 22, Fulton 9

SOCES 27, Fairfax 2

Taft 10, North Hollywood 0

Torres 12, Jefferson 9

VAAS 27, Valley Oaks CES 6

SOUTHERN SECTION

ACE 9, CIMSA 6

Agoura 2, Saugus 0

Alhambra 7, Sacred Heart of Jesus 6

Alta Loma 16, Claremont 6

Anza Hamilton 20, Xavier Prep 8

Apple Valley 15, Laguna Hills 2

Bishop Montgomery 10, Chadwick 0

Brea Olinda 6, Lakewood 4

Brentwood 12, Westridge 1

Capistrano Valley Christian 16, Artesia 5

Canyon Springs 13, San Bernardino 2

Citrus Hill 9, West Valley 8

Colton 19, Banning 8

Corona del Mar 14, Westminster La Quinta 1

Cypress 8, Brea Olinda 0

Don Lugo 11, West Covina 6

Dos Pueblos 7, Ventura 4

Eastvale Roosevelt 6, Colony 2

Eisenhower 11, Moreno Valley 10

Eastside 10, California City 8

Elsinore 11, Orange Vista 1

Fontana 16, Miller 6

Garden Grove Pacifica 4, Anaheim Canyon 2

Garden Grove Pacifica 6, Orange Lutheran 2

JSerra 4, Bonita 1

JSerra 2, Norco 0

La Mirada 14, Whittier Christian 0

Liberty 5, Hemet 1

Lone Pine 26, Silver Valley 15

Los Alamitos 7, Marina 0

Los Amigos 9, Bolsa Grande 4

Monrovia 18, Mayfield 5

Murrieta Mesa 3, Chino Hills 2

Murrieta Mesa 6, Agoura 1

Ontario 16, Nogales 6

Ontario Christian 3, Los Osos 0

Orange 12, Long Beach Cabrillo 0

Placentia Valencia 12, Ocean View 5

Portola 20, Oxford Academy 11

Ramona 7, Arlington 4

Redlands 13, Palm Springs 6

Redlands East Valley 3, Diamond Ranch 0

Redondo Union 9, Santa Monica 5

Righetti 10, Newbury Park 0

Riverside Poly 7, Rancho Cucamonga 2

Riverside Prep 5, Diamond Bar 0

San Marcos 13, Buena 11

Santa Margarita 8, Maranatha 5

Saugus 5, Chino Hills 0

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 15, Culver City 0

South Pasadena 3, Rio Hondo Prep 1

University Prep 4, Serrano 2

Valley View 13, Kaiser 2

Villa Park 9, Lakewood 2

Walnut 5, Sierra Vista 3

Westminster 12, St. Pius X-St, Matthias Academy 11

INTERSECTIONAL

Arizona Charter Academy 11, Whittier Christian 1

Castaic 8, Chatsworth 0

La Habra 3, Cibola (AZ) 1

Los Alamitos 3, Las Vegas (NV) Mountain View Christian 2

Orange Lutheran 7, Perry (AZ) 1

Schurr 11, Cibola (AZ) 3

South Torrance 8, Las Vegas (NV) Arbor View 4

Tehachapi 10, Bishop Union 0

Valley Christian 17, San Leandro 2

Vasquez 17, Castle Park 2

Westlake 6, Las Vegas (NV) Arbor View 3

Westlake 11, River Valley (AZ) 1

March 6 (Asia Today) — China’s central bank governor said Thursday that Beijing has no intention of weakening the yuan to improve trade competitiveness, emphasizing confidence in the stability of the country’s currency.

Pan Gongsheng, governor of the People’s Bank of China, made the remarks during an economic press conference at the annual session of China’s National People’s Congress in Beijing.

Pan said recent movements in the yuan against the U.S. dollar were influenced by several factors, including China’s economic recovery, fluctuations in the U.S. dollar index and seasonal increases in corporate foreign exchange settlements.

“The current exchange rate of the yuan against the dollar remains within the mid-range seen in recent years,” Pan said. “China neither needs nor intends to gain trade competitiveness through currency depreciation.”

He added that the central bank plans to maintain an “appropriately accommodative” monetary policy in 2026, including the flexible use of tools such as reserve requirement ratio reductions and interest rate adjustments.

Demand for yuan-denominated financial instruments has continued to grow. The issuance of yuan-denominated bonds over the past 14 months reached about 1.365 trillion yuan ($200 billion), the highest level on record, according to financial market data.

Analysts say the increase reflects relatively low interest rates in China and the gradual expansion of yuan settlement in international transactions.

Offshore yuan bonds known as dim sum bonds have grown particularly quickly. About 103 billion yuan ($15 billion) worth have been issued so far this year, roughly double the amount recorded during the same period last year.

So-called panda bonds, which are yuan-denominated bonds issued in China by foreign companies, have also expanded, with 51.4 billion yuan ($7.5 billion) issued this year.

Overseas yuan lending reached 425 billion yuan ($62 billion) in 2025, the highest level on record.

Despite the growing use of the currency, analysts say the yuan still faces obstacles before it can rival the U.S. dollar as a major global reserve currency.

China’s leadership, including President Xi Jinping, has promoted the internationalization of the yuan as part of a broader effort to strengthen its role in global finance.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260306010001817

Welcome to Bunker Talk. This is a weekend open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn’t cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did or whatever else grabs your interest. In other words, it’s an off-topic thread.

This week’s second caption reads:

First Lt. Pamela Blanco-Coca, 319th Missile Squadron missile combat crew commander, and 2nd Lt. John Anderson, 319th MS deputy missile combat crew commander, conduct pre-operational checks at a launch control center in the F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., missile complex Feb. 9, 2016. The missileers worked heavily in conjunction with missile maintainers to conduct a test of Minuteman III weapon system components in a test known as the Simulated Electronic Launch-Minuteman. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jason Wiese) 

Also, a reminder:

Prime Directives!

• If you want to talk politics, do so respectfully and know that there’s always somebody that isn’t going to agree with you. 
• If you have political differences, hash it out respectfully, stick to the facts, and no childish name-calling or personal attacks of any kind. If you can’t handle yourself in that manner, then please, discuss virtually anything else.
• No drive-by garbage political memes. No conspiracy theory rants. Links to crackpot sites will be axed, too. Trolling and shitposting will not be tolerated. No obsessive behavior about other users. Just don’t interact with folks you don’t like. 
• Do not be a sucker and feed trolls! That’s as much on you as on them. Use the mute button if you don’t like what you see.  
• So unless you have something of quality to say, know how to treat people with respect, understand that everyone isn’t going to subscribe to your exact same worldview, and have come to terms with the reality that there is no perfect solution when it comes to moderation of a community like this, it’s probably best to just move on. 
• Finally, as always, report offenders, please. This doesn’t mean reporting people who don’t share your political views, but we really need your help in this regard.

Jonathan Creek and QI star Alan Davies has been married to his famous wife since 2007

Alan Davies is a cherished British comedian, actor and broadcaster – but who is his famous wife?

The 60-year-old star is perhaps most recognised for playing the lead character in the BBC mystery drama series Jonathan Creek, which aired from 1997 through to 2016. He’s also been the only regular panellist on the BBC quiz show QI since it launched in 2003, remaining longer than its initial presenter, Stephen Fry.

Alan launched his career in stand-up comedy, and has embarked on numerous live tours, with his latest taking place last year. The entertainer has also penned three well-received memoirs: My Favourite People and Me (2009), Just Ignore Him (2020), and White Male Stand-Up (2025).

Alan is scheduled to feature on James Martin’s Saturday Morning later today (March 7). Today’s instalment will also showcase chef Sami Tamimi and horticulturist David Domoney, alongside James preparing dishes in his Hampshire kitchen, reports the Express.

Ahead of his appearance on James Martin’s ITV programme, fans might be intrigued to discover that Alan has a famous wife.

The comic is married to writer and former literary agent Katie Maskell. Katie studied English and Drama at Warwick University, before finishing a one-year postgraduate qualification at London drama school, East 15.

She notably won Waterstones’ £5,000 Children’s Book Prize in 2010 for her novel, The Great Hamster Massacre. Alan and Katie’s paths crossed backstage during a QI recording in 2005, with the couple getting engaged six months later.

Their wedding took place in 2007, with comedian and Strictly Come Dancing champion Bill Bailey serving as Alan’s best man. The pair share three children. Their eldest daughter, Susie, arrived in 2009, their son, Robert, in 2011, and their youngest, Francis, was born in 2016.

Alan previously revealed how he first met his wife during an appearance on The One Show last year. In the episode, presenter Alex Jones remarked: “Everybody loves, of course, QI. And we heard the story that that’s where you actually met your wife.”

“Yeah, it’s true. 20 years ago,” Alan confirmed. An image of the couple then flashed up on screen, prompting Alex to joke: “She’s beautiful. [You’re] punching, Alan… She’s stunning.”

Alan then elaborated: “I saw her in the audience at QI and just as I saw her, this is what happened right, we had a stunt set up with a sugar glass, which is a glass that can smash, right? And then Arthur Smith, a brilliant comedian, was on the other team and he had a glass, and he thought that was a sugar glass. It wasn’t a sugar glass.

“He threw it in our direction, I forget who was on my team. And as it came towards me, I thought, ‘I’ve just spotted someone in the audience I wanna talk to afterwards and this could end my career. This could finish me.'”

The star concluded: “I nearly died, but in fact, it hit the desk and broke. It was very funny, and I met her in the green room afterwards. Luckily for me, she wasn’t wearing her glasses, so she couldn’t see what I looked like.”

James Martin’s Saturday Morning will air at 9.30am on ITV1 today (Saturday, March 7), whilst QI is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website

Writer Catherine Usher travelled by train to the pretty town of Troyes in the Champagne region, discovering art, history and – of course – the best bubbly

Troyes is only a 90-minute train ride from Paris but, compared to the capital, it’s a more compact and intimate location for a French mini-break. You’ll find atmospheric churches, attractive independent shops and chic museums, making it the ideal place to explore for a few days. Although it’s a very popular stop-off point for holidaymakers driving further south in France or onwards to Germany or Switzerland, a car isn’t a necessity. We travelled to Paris first via Eurostar –a much more environmentally-friendly option than flying – then took the train to Troyes. (It’s a 10-minute walk between Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est in Paris.) Once in Troyes, we were able to explore much of the town on foot.

READ MORE: Beautiful European island under 3 hours from UK where residents live beyond 100 years old

What to do in Troyes

Troyes is a pretty city with lots of half-timbered buildings in the old town that were largely built in the 16th century. There are countless cobbled streets to wander down and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

Two museums well worth taking a stroll around are the Musée d’Art Moderne and the Cite du Vitrail.

• The Modern Art Museum , located next to the cathedral, is home to paintings by artists such as Henri Matisse and André Derain. The sloping ceilings on the upper floor make it feel cosy and visitors can enjoy a sense of proximity to the artwork.
• The Cite du Vitrail is the stained glass museum and it is a wonderful, tranquil venue where you can immerse yourself in the elegance and beauty of stained glass. Located in an 18th century building, it explores stained glass from the Middle Ages to the present day and houses striking and memorable exhibits.

Making time for Champagne

Being in the heart of the Champagne region, discovering its most famous export is a must. Chassenay d’Arce champagne house in Ville-sur-Arce is about an hour’s drive from Troyes. It was founded in 1956 by five pioneers and the organisation is now made up of 130 families, with a focus on co-operation and knowledge-sharing.

Visiting its vast cellars and seeing how the bottles are produced is a real eye-opener, and the tasting workshop at the end of the tour is an obvious highlight for champagne connoisseurs and novices alike (see chassenay.com).

Troyes is a straightforward place to explore, but if you really want to find out about its history then a guided tour is a must. Hosted by Troyes La Champagne Tourisme, tours can be arranged for smaller or larger groups, of up to 30 people. Our host, Laura Dudek, was a well-informed, enthusiastic guide who tailored the experience to our interests, taking us to see many of the city’s ornate and impressive churches and cathedrals. For those who prefer to go it alone, you can explore with a City Pass, which includes an audioguide and admission to the museums.

Where to eat and drink

A flute of champagne is no doubt on the agenda for many visitors, and most of the bars and cafés have a variety of local brands to sample.

Octave is a sophisticated, rather understated restaurant located in the centre of Troyes with a beautiful courtyard, where you can enjoy dinner under the stars – usually joined by the friendly cat who lives nearby. The tapas style menu may look daunting at first glance, but the knowledgeable staff are happy to advise and we were very pleased with their recommendations.

For a speedy, fuss-free lunch while sightseeing, Tonton Farine is a welcoming bakery/canteen where everything is homemade. As it’s France, everything tastes more wholesome and delicious than a British equivalent. Most of the other customers looked like they were locals on their lunch break.

If you’re away from Troyes enjoying a champagne tour, Le Moussec in Les Riceys is a fabulous place to stop for lunch. The dishes are tasty and hearty, the restaurant is buzzing, which is always a good sign, and the staff are warm and attentive without being suffocating.

Where to stay

Two elegant boutique hotels, La Maison de Rhodes and Le Champ des Oiseaux, are located in adjoining medieval buildings and offer a combined 23 rooms. Owned and run by the same family, the welcoming hotels are a great base from which to explore the city.

Room categories and decor vary between the two properties, but guests share access to a range of amenities, such as a tranquil walled garden (we were getting Romeo and Juliet vibes), an outdoor heated pool and a small spa. The restaurant has an elegant yet homely ambiance and after your evening meal you can enjoy a nightcap in the moonlit garden. Once settled with a glass of wine, some nibbles and a book, it’s incredibly hard to drag yourself away.

How much does it cost?

Rooms at La Maison de Rhodes start from £245 and Le Champ des Oiseaux start from £174 per night on a B&B basis – see maisonderhodes.com. To book a tour of the town, see troyeslachampagne.com. Eurostar journeys between London and Paris start from £39 each way – see eurostar.com. Fares are all-inclusive with no hidden extras, children under four go free, and a Paris-London journey by Eurostar means 96% fewer CO2 emissions than travelling by plane.

The village is home to one of the country’s finest beaches, boasts a cosy pub with unrivalled views, and has a historically important site nearby – a must-visit destination in England.

Cornwall, the stunning county in South West England, truly delivers time and time again. Packed with breathtaking locations, each more beautiful than the previous, this ceremonial county boasts some of Britain’s most spectacular and impressive scenery.

Encircled by crystal-clear waters and striking views stretching endlessly into the distance, Cornwall overflows with magnificent sights. Among them is a small coastal village in West Cornwall, positioned approximately nine miles from the vibrant seaside resort of Penzance by road.

With the South West Coast Path winding through this charming seaside settlement, it’s easy to appreciate just how beautiful this spot truly is. This little Cornish village sits just two miles by car and one mile on foot from Cornwall’s iconic Land’s End.

Whilst not technically a cove in the strictest geological definition, the village of Sennen Cove has a handful of year-round inhabitants, though a significant proportion of the properties there serve as holiday rentals and seasonal residences.

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Sennen Cove serves an essential function for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) as it houses a critical lifeboat station. A modest fleet of working fishing vessels can be spotted moored in the cove, alongside recreational fishing boats, reports Cornwall Live.

Things to do in Sennen Cove

The panoramas from the headland slash observation point, Pedn-men-du, are unmatched and absolutely merit the brief walk from the heart of the coastal village.

Delightful boutiques, art galleries including the distinctive circular Roundhouse and Capstan Gallery, and an impressive array of dining and drinking establishments make Sennen Cove an essential destination to visit in Britain.

Sennen Cove features one principal village pub, Old Success Inn, which has become an absolute favourite amongst both residents and tourists.

The charming 17th-century fisherman’s inn radiates character and appeal, situated in a prime location that commands views across the golden sands of Sennen Cove Beach – another significant, perhaps the most crucial, attraction in the village.

Providing guests with expansive outdoor seating offering breathtaking vistas and a welcoming indoor area complete with a roaring fire, Old Success Inn is the essential spot when visiting Sennen Cove, with lodging also on offer for travellers.

Acclaim for the iconic pub at the centre of Sennen Cove is endless, with one Tripadvisor review stating: “A recent visit on the back of a trip nearby was excellent.

“The location, of course, cannot be beaten – even stormy weather is great to view from here – unmatched to be honest. What’s great is the service and personnel which is brilliant no matter who sees to you.

“You are charmed and looked after as soon as you walk in and that’s what we loved the most. Of course the excellent food to match also helps. You can come here any time you want (it’s ALWAYS open) and it doesn’t matter.”

The Blue Lagoon and Shantys Fish Bar (in the main village of Sennen) are obvious choices for an excellent portion of fish and chips. Sennen Cove Cafe, adjacent to the lifeboat station, is ideal for a quick snack whilst enjoying some watersports, swimming, or simply relaxing by the beach.

The historic First and Last Inn (also in mainland Sennen) is another excellent place to grab some food and a refreshing pint.

One of Cornwall’s finest beaches

Sennen Cove Beach, also popularly known as Whitesands Bay, has frequently been praised as one of Cornwall’s most stunning and attractive beaches, thanks to its mile-long white sands and spectacular views.

A premier surfing location for locals and visitors alike, Sennen Cove Beach is widely recognised as a surfing paradise celebrated for its near-perfect surf conditions.

The surfing schools and centres are ideal for lessons and surf equipment can be rented independently at the beach, near the café and the car park.

Sennen Cove Beach is also renowned for once being the professional territory of Britain’s first qualified lifeguard dog, Bilbo.

The 14-stone Newfoundland would regularly be spotted patrolling the beach’s immaculate sands in his red and yellow jacket, often at the back of a lifeguard’s quad bike.

Bilbo was trained by his owner, head RNLI lifeguard Steve Jamieson, and went on to become an active lifesaver as well as the face of beach safety on Sennen Cove Beach. He passed away in 2015, at the age of 12.

Tourists are consistently impressed by how pristine and well-kept this beach remains, even during peak times, with one reviewer commenting on Tripadvisor: “This is a truly lovely beach, spotlessly clean with excellent safety standards.

“Even though it was extremely busy as it was a lovely hot Cornwall day there was enough room for everyone. A lovely wide, family friendly beach where after swimming all day you could get a fantastic hand made pizza from a pizza truck. A wonderful experience to remember from a family holiday.”

The spectacular ‘castle on the cliff’

Located just half a mile from Sennen Cove on foot, Maen Cliff Castle is an ancient Iron Age hill fort perched on Mayon Cliff, positioned between Land’s End and Sennen Cove.

It’s an essential stop for anyone exploring the region, offering breathtaking panoramic views and a fascinating heritage that will whisk you centuries into the past.

Only earthworks and walls remain of the historic structure, alongside two standing gate stones which indicate the entrance to the site. Tracing its origins to approximately 500 BC, it stands as one of Cornwall’s earliest datable Cliff Castles, enriching its already compelling story.

Being one of just two fortified locations in Cornwall where early Iron Age pottery has been unearthed, Maen Cliff Castle represents a genuine treasure of the region.

Fragments of pottery spanning the era from 400 BC to 400 AD have been uncovered at the location, enhancing its intrigue and layered history.

In fact, local legend suggests the castle was once the dwelling of the giant Myen Du, though the promontory fort more probably served as a defensive retreat or observation point, a commercial trading station or a location for significant ceremonial gatherings.

The tiny island is home to just six permanent residents, and has more sheep than people, while its only entry and exit point takes you soaring 250m above the Atlantic Ocean

Far removed from the rest of civilisation, this tiny island has been frozen in time, with nothing but fragments of a life that once thrived and a handful of people who still call it home.

Off the coast of West Cork in Ireland sits Dursey, a charming island steeped in history but offering little else. Ever since the stunning landscape acquired a new form of transport, visitors have been able to travel across from the mainland in a distinctive way and discover a place that appears to have ceased to exist.

This tranquil island is home to approximately six permanent residents, with around 15 houses that are deemed habitable and up to seven farmers.

Their livestock stays on the island, and the owners who traditionally inherited the land continue to spend a few nights on the island but never remain. This means there are likely more sheep inhabiting Dursey than there are people.

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It’s understood that when people who live in Dursey have children, they have no option but to have a primary home on the mainland, to enable schooling and access to other facilities.

Unique attraction

Dursey is home to a rare form of transport in Ireland, and the country’s one and only cable car. It carries travellers 250m above the Atlantic Ocean, across to the island, surrounded by nothing but verdant green hills.

Starting from Ballaghboy, Cork, on Ireland’s mainland, the aerial voyage transports you to Dursey in a mere seven and a half minutes.

Throughout the journey travellers can absorb the breathtaking coastal views as the minuscule speck of land gradually grows larger before them.

Built in 1969 as a reliable and secure link between the island and Cork’s mainland, as the surrounding waters are considered far too hazardous for regular boat crossings.

The stretch of water is known as the Dursey Sound and has proved erratic over the decades, with rapid tidal surges. Beyond this, submerged rocks encircling the landmass also render it a perilous voyage and generally unsafe for travellers.

After experiencing the cable car journey, one visitor posted on TripAdvisor: “For us this was the most beautiful part of Ireland.

“We took our mountain bikes over in the cable car, and luckily for us, the weather was glorious. We saw almost all of the island and spent ages staring at the views. We just haven’t seen anything to top it despite travelling the whole way round Ireland.”

Another expressed their admiration for the island, posting: “I absolutely loved Dursey Island. It’s a stunning place, delightfully remote and serene. It is the last place in Europe that the sun sets, a cool fact for you!”.

Historic ruins

Its rugged terrain is also home to numerous equally weathered historical ruins, dating back as far as the 17th century. The most notable of these historic structures is O’Sullivan Beare Castle, which was almost completely razed during the Nine Years’ War in 1602.

Very little of it survives today, and the devastation inflicted by English forces also resulted in a massacre of local residents. One visitor claimed: “Dunboy Castle was very cool, though some information on the site would have been helpful – similar to the plaques found elsewhere. The ruins are overgrown, and you almost stumble into them. “.

Another attraction is the 19th-century Napoleonic-era signal tower. It stands quietly on the island’s highest point, originally built with the purpose of warning against French invasion.

Yet it has remained in ruins since the mid-19th century, abandoned and forgotten by history.

Commonly known as the Church of Kilmichael, it comprises the monastic church and graveyard lying in ruins on the quiet island. It’s believed that the church was established by monks from Skellig Michael but was likewise destroyed in the infamous siege of 1602 by Sir George Carew’s army.

Enchanting little town with friendly locals, colourful buildings and thriving independent shops is like stepping back in time

A charming and picturesque town nestled on the fringes of untamed moorland lies just a stone’s throw from where I’m based, yet I’d only recently ventured there for the first time. There’s nothing quite like discovering somewhere new – and I’m fortunate to have an abundance of options, given the wealth of distinctive towns dotted around Plymouth in Devon.

Ashburton isn’t far from my Plymouth home, so a friend and I recently made our way towards Dartmoor to discover what this town had to offer. The appealing destination is celebrated for its independent retailers and quintessentially Devonian charm – both of which thoroughly impressed me during our visit.

We caught the bus from Plymouth (the number 38) and the trip was smooth and enjoyable, weaving through stunning countryside, towns and delightful villages en route.

In an era when we’re constantly bombarded with news of shop closures and struggling town centres, stumbling upon Ashburton, with its collection of independent businesses to browse, felt genuinely uplifting.

The streets here remain untouched by modernity – you could easily picture bygone eras as you stroll through the town – and every local we encountered was incredibly welcoming, reports the Express.

There are numerous pubs, tearooms and cafes alongside distinctive establishments, including antique dealers, plus a bakery with customers spilling out onto the pavement – and what really caught my eye was how, despite the drizzle, Ashburton radiated colour thanks to its vibrantly painted properties. The atmosphere feels wonderfully crisp in this town, encircled by rolling countryside and the stunning vastness of Dartmoor National Park, lending the area a peaceful, almost timeless quality.

Browsing through one vibrant independent gift shop called PAD proved delightful – and I ended up purchasing a few quirky bits and bobs that you simply won’t find elsewhere.

There’s also the attractively laid-out Ashburton Fish Deli along one of the principal streets, offering delicious locally-sourced seafood, Mediterranean-inspired products and various other intriguing finds.

All told, I reckon you could probably track down everything you’d require in this town, from top-notch clothing available in various independent boutiques to bargain-hunting opportunities in the small selection of charity shops.

We paused for a late breakfast at Diablo’s Diner, which had a welcoming neighbourhood feel and delicious grub. I’m particularly picky when it comes to bacon, but this little cafe delivered the finest – superb quality, crispy (as I’d requested) – and the prices were extremely fair.

As a Devonian myself, I’m astonished that I’d not discovered this gorgeous town until now, but I’ll definitely be returning soon – in fact, there’s a fascinating festival happening in Ashburton from late April through early May.

The Dartmoor Tors Festival is “bringing together walkers, thinkers, creatives who are interested in natural landscapes and how we relate to them”, the festival website explains. This festival is set to be “a celebration of the power and beauty of places seen as wild and ancient around Britain, and an exploration of why and how they provoke a response”.

For a moment, Ireland threatened to run off into the night.

After Jacob Stockdale ended his five-year wait for an international try, Ireland celebrated a second try against Wales just 10 minutes into Friday’s Six Nations game when Jack Conan crashed over.

But the home support’s excitement at the possibility of a thumping turned to frustration when the try was ruled out for Tom O’Toole’s knock on.

It set up a nervy night for Ireland when their post-England euphoria was quickly forgotten as they set about keeping a stubborn and spirited Wales side quiet.

In their record away win over England, Ireland ruthlessly built up a 22-0 lead before the hosts replied.

On Friday, though, a hard-hitting Welsh defence stopped the hosts from building an insurmountable advantage.

And when asked for his observations, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell was quick to both praise Wales after they provided his side a more uncomfortable examination than England last time out.

“I actually thought Wales did fantastically well to stay in the game,” he said.

“Like Caelan [Doris, Ireland captain] said, if it goes to 14 points, it’s a different game you’re looking at, but they played tough, they hung on in there and kept it close on the scoreboard. I thought they were tremendous tonight.

“It was a proper Test match and for us to come away with a bonus-point win, we’d certainly take that with how the game unfolded, because it was a different game to the game that we played last time round.

“In regards to, we weren’t playing rugby on the front foot because of how well they defended, I thought they were excellent in contact and set-piece.”

Islamabad, Pakistan – The reverberations of a war in which US-Israel attacks have killed more than a thousand people in Iran, including the country’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and Iranian missiles and drones have fallen on Israel in retaliation, are being felt deeply in Pakistan.

Six Gulf countries have also come under Iranian missile and drone attacks, putting Pakistan in a tough position.

The country shares a 900-kilometre (559 miles) border with Iran in its southwest, and millions of its workers are residents in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.

Since September last year, Islamabad has also reinforced its decades-long ties with Riyadh by signing a formal mutual defence agreement that commits each side to treat aggression against the other as aggression against both.

As Iranian drones and ballistic missiles continue to target Gulf states, the question being asked with increasing urgency in Pakistan is what Islamabad will do next if it finds itself pulled into the war.

Islamabad’s answer so far has been to work the phones furiously, engaging regional leaders, including Iran and Saudi Arabia.

When US-Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, Pakistan condemned the attacks as “unwarranted”. Within hours, it also condemned Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Gulf states as “blatant violations of sovereignty”.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who was attending an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Riyadh when the conflict began last week, launched what he later described as “shuttle communication” between Tehran and Riyadh.

Speaking in the Senate on March 3, and at a news conference later the same day, Dar disclosed that he had personally reminded Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of Pakistan’s defence obligations to Saudi Arabia.

“We have a defence pact with Saudi Arabia, and the whole world knows about it,” Dar said. “I told the Iranian leadership to take care of our pact with Saudi Arabia.”

Araghchi, he said, asked for guarantees that Saudi soil would not be used to attack Iran. Dar said he obtained those assurances from Riyadh and credited the back-channel exchange with limiting the scale of Iranian strikes on the kingdom.

On March 5, Iran’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alireza Enayati, said his country welcomed Saudi Arabia’s pledge not to allow its airspace or territory to be used during the ongoing war with the US and Israel.

“We appreciate what we have repeatedly heard from Saudi Arabia – that it does not allow its airspace, waters, or territory to be used against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said in an interview.

But only a day later, during early hours of March 6, Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry confirmed it intercepted three ballistic missiles targeting the kingdom’s Prince Sultan Air Base. And hours later, Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir was in Riyadh, meeting Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, where they “discussed Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and the measures needed to halt them within the framework” of their mutual defence pact, the Saudi minister said in a post on X.

As the war escalates, analysts say that Pakistan’s tightrope walk between two close partners could become harder and harder.

A defence pact under pressure

The Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, signed on September 17, 2025, in Riyadh by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif alongside army chief Asim Munir, was the most significant formal defence commitment Pakistan had entered into in decades.

Its central clause states that any aggression against either country shall be considered aggression against both. The wording was modelled on collective defence principles similar to NATO’s Article 5, though analysts have cautioned against interpreting it as an automatic trigger for military intervention.

The agreement followed Israel’s September 2025 strikes on Hamas officials in Doha, an event that shook confidence in US security guarantees across the six Gulf Cooperation Council states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan has maintained a military relationship with Saudi Arabia for decades, according to which an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 Pakistani troops remain stationed in the kingdom.

Now the pact is being tested under conditions neither side anticipated.

Umer Karim, an associate fellow at the Riyadh-based King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, called Pakistan’s current predicament the outcome of a miscalculation.

Islamabad, he argued, likely never expected to find itself caught between Tehran and Riyadh, particularly after the China-brokered rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran in 2023.

“Pakistani leaders were always careful not to take an official plunge vis-a-vis Saudi defence. It was done for the first time by the current army chief, and though the potential dividends are big, so are the costs,” Karim told Al Jazeera.

“Perhaps this is the last time the Saudis will test Pakistan, and if Pakistan doesn’t fulfil its commitments now, the relationship will be irreversibly damaged,” he added.

In 2015, it declined a direct Saudi request to join the military coalition fighting in Yemen, following a parliamentary resolution that the country must remain neutral.

Aziz Alghashian, senior non-resident fellow at the Gulf International Forum in Riyadh, pointed to that episode. “The limitation of the Saudi-Pakistan treaty is clear. Treaties are only as strong as the political calculations and political will behind them,” Alghashian told Al Jazeera.

But Ilhan Niaz, a professor of history at Islamabad’s Quaid-e-Azam University, said that if Saudi Arabia feels sufficiently threatened by Iran to formally request Pakistani military assistance, “Pakistan will come to Saudi Arabia’s aid.”

“To do otherwise would undermine Pakistan’s credibility,” he told Al Jazeera.

The Iran constraint

The complicating factor for Pakistan is that it cannot afford to treat Iran simply as an adversary if Riyadh calls for military assistance.

The two countries share a long and porous border, maintain significant trade ties, and have recently stepped up diplomatic engagement. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Islamabad in August 2025, and the two governments maintain a range of formal and backchannel contacts.

Niaz acknowledged that Tehran has also been “a difficult neighbour”, pointing to the January 2024 exchange of cross-border strikes initiated by Iran as evidence of the relationship’s unpredictability.

Even so, he said Pakistan had “vital national interests” in ensuring Iran’s stability and territorial integrity.

“The collapse of Iran into civil war, its fragmentation into warring states, and the extension of Israeli influence to Pakistan’s western borders are all developments that greatly, and rightly, worry Islamabad,” he said.

The domestic fallout from the US-Israel strikes and Iran’s response has already been immediate.

The army was deployed and a three-day curfew imposed in Gilgit-Baltistan after at least 23 people were killed in protests across Pakistan following Khamenei’s assassination. The protests were driven largely by Pakistan’s Shia community, estimated to make up between 15 and 20 percent of the 250 million population, which has historically mobilised around developments involving Iran.

Pakistan’s violent sectarian history adds another layer of risk.

The Zainabiyoun Brigade, a Pakistan-origin Shia militia trained, funded and commanded by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has recruited thousands of fighters from Pakistan over the past decade. While many fought in Syria against ISIL (ISIS), many Syrians activists accuse them of committing sectarian violence.

Two years ago, Pakistan’s northwestern Kurram district, the Zainabiyoun’s primary recruitment ground, saw more than 130 people killed in sectarian clashes in the final weeks of 2024 alone.

Pakistan formally banned the group in 2024, but many believe the designation has done little to dismantle its networks.

Analysts warn that fighters hardened in Syria’s civil war could, if Iran’s conflict with Pakistan’s Gulf partners deepens, shift from a defensive to an offensive posture on Pakistani soil.

“Iran has significant influence over Shia organisations in Pakistan,” Islamabad-based security analyst Amir Rana, executive director of the Pak Institute of Peace Studies, told Al Jazeera. “And then you have Balochistan, which is already a highly volatile area. If there is any confrontation, the fallout for Pakistan would be severe.”

Pakistan’s Balochistan province borders Iran, and has been ground-zero for a decades-long separatist movement. “That reality cannot be ignored,” Muhammad Khatibi, a political analyst based in Tehran, said, pointing out that geography itself constrains Islamabad’s choices.

“Any perception that Islamabad is siding militarily against Tehran could inflame domestic sectarian divisions in ways that a full-scale regional war would make very difficult to contain,” Khatibi told Al Jazeera.

What are Pakistan’s options?

Analysts say direct offensive military action against Iran, such as deploying combat aircraft or conducting strikes on Iranian territory, is not a realistic option for Pakistan, given its domestic constraints.

Rana describes Islamabad’s current posture as an attempt to placate both sides.

“Iran’s primary threat is through air strikes using drones and missiles, and that is an area where Pakistan can help and provide assistance to Saudi Arabia. But that would mean Pakistan becoming a party to the war, and that is a major question mark,” he said.

He added that the most viable option for Pakistan could be to provide covert operational support to Saudi Arabia while maintaining diplomatic engagement with Iran.

Alghashian also agreed; he identified air defence cooperation as the most concrete role Pakistan could play — it would be both “militarily meaningful and politically defensible”

“They could help create more air defence capacity,” he said. “This is tangible, it is defensive, and it is in Pakistan’s interest that Saudi Arabia becomes more stable and prosperous.”

Karim, however, warned that the window for Pakistan’s balancing act may be closing faster than Islamabad realises.

“As the situation reaches a tipping point and as Saudi energy installations and infrastructure are hit, it is only a matter of time that Saudi Arabia will ask Pakistan to contribute towards its defence,” he said.

He added that if Pakistan deploys air defence assets to Saudi Arabia, doing so could leave its own air defences dangerously exposed, while deeper involvement could carry political costs at home.

For now, Islamabad’s strongest card remains diplomacy, using its access to both Riyadh and Tehran and the trust it has accumulated. Khatibi said Pakistan should protect that position “at all costs”.

“Pakistan’s most realistic positioning is as a mediator and leveraging its relationships with both sides. It is highly unlikely that Pakistan deploys forces into an anti-Iran coalition. The risks would outweigh the benefits,” he said.

The stakes for Pakistan

The scenario least favourable to Islamabad would be a collective Gulf Cooperation Council decision to enter the war directly, and the warning signs are mounting.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have both declared that Iranian attacks “crossed a red line”.

A joint statement issued on March 1 by the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE said they “reaffirm the right to self-defense in the face of these attacks.”

For Pakistan, such an escalation could carry serious consequences.

Economically, with millions of Pakistani workers living and earning their wages in Gulf states, remittances from the region provide crucial foreign exchange for an economy still recovering from a balance of payments crisis.

Khatibi said any prolonged regional war that disrupts Gulf economies would directly affect Pakistan’s financial position.

“Energy prices could also spike, adding further strain,” he said, noting Pakistan’s heavy dependence on Gulf states for its energy needs.

Pakistan is also simultaneously managing its own military confrontation with the Afghan Taliban which began two days before the US-Israel strikes.

Karim warned that deeper involvement in the regional conflict could trigger internal instability.

“Sectarian conflict,” he said, “can reignite, taking the country back to the bloody 1990s. The government already has lean political legitimacy, and such an occurrence will make it even more unpopular.”

Alghashian also highlighted Pakistan’s reluctance to be drawn into the conflict.

“Saudi Arabia does not want to be in this war and is getting dragged into it. Pakistan will also certainly not want to be dragged into somebody else’s war that they didn’t want to be dragged into. It just wouldn’t make any sense,” he says.

But Niaz said that if the crisis eventually forces Islamabad to choose, the calculus may become unavoidable.

“If Tehran forces Pakistan to choose between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the choice would unquestionably be in favour of the Saudis.”

Pro-Palestinian German activist Yasemin Acar told Al Jazeera about what she says was harassment at a Berlin airport where she recorded a border guard asking about her destination because of concerns over “hostility towards Israel”.

The movie is called “Heel” and its frenetic opening — a flash-cut glimpse of young, handsome, swaggeringly cruel Tommy (Anson Boon) in drug-fueled party mode — seems enough to explain the title. The next time we see him, though, he’s neck-shackled in the basement of a remote English estate. What follows in Polish filmmaker Jan Komasa’s blackly comic, unnerving thriller is clearly meant to evoke “Heel’s” more obedience-minded reading.

And who would be harshing this hooligan’s buzz with a case of reform-minded abduction? An eerily isolated, rules-driven nuclear family: mild-mannered, soft-spoken Chris (Stephen Graham), haunted Catherine (Andrea Riseborough) and polite son Jonathan (Kit Rakusen). They all may as well have sprung from the combined neo-gothic conjurings of Edward Gorey and Harold Pinter. Under Komasa’s direction, the mix of fractured fable and terroristic morality play in Bartek Bartosik’s screenplay is absurd but potent, giving “Heel” enough psychologically twisted juju to nearly always feel like more than the sum of its parts.

Our first glimpse of Tommy chained up, pleading to be let go, is through the eyes of a young Macedonian refugee, Katrina (Monika Frajczyk), being given a tour of the large countryside manor where she’s just been hired by Chris for twice-a-week housework. Katrina, like us, is rightly horrified but she’s in her own bind: undocumented, saved by Chris from the streets, with her signature on a confidentiality agreement and a deportation threat hanging over her. She’s hardly in a position to do much more than accept what’s going on as a grimmer version of her own dead-end predicament.

And yet what’s readily apparent is that this weird, fragile, insular family is genuinely keen on folding Tommy into their lives. They’re also convinced of their unorthodox methods, which hinge on reinforcement and reward. Tommy seems receptive, too, with each invitation to participate in his abductors’ togetherness (meals, movie nights, a picnic). This is when “Heel” is at its most alluringly queasy, a dark commentary on all families as institutions inherently built on confinement and emotional blackmail. (It’s no coincidence one of the movie’s executive producers is Jerzy Skolimowski, who made his own pointed kidnapping allegory with “Moonlighting.”)

Everyone’s broken, so the collective strength of the cast in keeping us on our toes about where this is all headed is a huge plus. The wiry Boon doles out his brash character’s reserves of vulnerability to stunning effect — Tommy is a difficult part and Boon knows how to make it revealing and suspenseful. Graham’s tweaked, sensitive patriarch is tantalizingly far from the heartbreaking dad of “Adolescence” and the gloriously oddball Riseborough makes the most of her faint-voiced mom’s severity. Frajczyk and Rakusen are also pitch-perfect.

Last year Komasa had another family-centered thriller with “Anniversary,” a movie about politics corrupting a happy home. But we know that equation already. “Heel” is Tolstoy’s happy-family maxim cooked in a mad scientist’s lab. While it sometimes shows its seams as an idea movie, its elegant disturbia has a boldness, recalling that great mind-game ’60s era that gave us “TheServant,” “The Collector,” and the early psychological freak-outs of Komasa’s countryman, Roman Polanski.

SHOPPERS are flocking to Amazon to snag a sleek underseat cabin bag that’s been slashed in cost just in time for the holiday season.

Originally £29.99, the budget-friendly Taygeer Underseat Cabin Bag has now been dropped in price.

Taygeer Underseat Cabin Bag, from £18.99 (was £29.99)

Discounts on these handy backpack vary across depending on colour – you can pick up the black model for £22.79, but that drops to £18.99 if you have Amazon Prime membership.

It looks like a solid choice for anybody flying with budget airlines, where luggage rules are strict and some unlucky travellers get stung with extra fees at the terminal gate.

In a massive win for travellers, Ryanair has changed its free hand luggage rules.

Now, free personal bag allowance has been upped from 40x20x25cm to 40x30x20cm – that’s a 20% increase and an extra 4 litres of space.

Small wonder so many Amazon shoppers are dashing to pick up this rucksack after that price drop.

It is specifically designed to meet those new dimensions while offering a suitcase-style, 180-degree opening that makes packing all your bits an absolute breeze.

Despite its compact size, the bag is packed with features like a built-in wet pocket for toiletries, plus a separate shoe pouch.

You can also pick it up at sizes designed for Easyjet and Lufthansa flights.

The bag has racked up over 6,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, with customers heaping praise on its practicality and quality.

“This is perfect!” one delighted shopper wrote.

“[It] passed the Ryanair bag stand with ease, thanks to the suitcase-like design and all the pockets kept everything separated. 10/10!”

Another shopper shared: “I had room to fit my Kindle, headphones, passports, purse, snacks, and a few other essentials just in the front compartment.

“The larger compartment fit a change of clothes and shoes!”

A third fan added: “Perfect overhead luggage bag, good quality and easy to carry.

“The padding on the back and shoulders make it comfortable no matter the weight.”

IN THE BAG

New Ryanair hand luggage rules explained as airline increases free bag size

BARGAIN BAGGAGE

Shoppers rush to buy ‘compact & spacious’ £15 cabin bag perfect for Ryanair

For some tried-and-tested luggage recommendations, head to our best suitcases round-up.

Getting football fever? A budget airline has just announced it’s launching flights from the UK to the US for the World Cup this summer.

Ryanair passengers have been told to pack a cardboard box in their hand luggage

Ryanair passengers have been advised to slip a piece of cardboard into their hand luggage following an announcement the airline made last summer. The budget airline increased its ‘personal bag’ size by 20% in response to new EU regulations.

As of September 2025, passengers travelling on a basic fare can bring a larger bag on board, measuring up to 40cm x 30cm x 20cm, without incurring additional charges. The bag must weigh less than 10kg and fit under the seat in front of you.

With the new bag dimensions now in effect, packing expert Tom Schott from Schott Packaging is cautioning travellers against a potentially costly mistake, as he believes the increased allowance might tempt people to overpack their bags. Tom said: “The new dimension is a game-changer, but only if you use it wisely.

“The mistake is to simply cram more in. The real victory for passengers is using that volume to pack with structure. A well-packed bag is a compliant bag.”

One of Tom’s many tips to avoid this is to pack some cardboard. He explained: “Soft bags lose volume. A lightweight, snug-fitting cardboard box inside your bag provides a rigid frame, allowing you to use every corner and prevent the bulge that attracts gate staff.”

He also suggests using sealable bags to maximise space, organising items into smaller compartments, and protecting valuables. Tom added: “Place a small, sturdy box in the centre of your bag, cushioned by clothes.

“This creates a crush-proof zone for chargers, adapters, and toiletries, preventing damage and leaks.”

Holidaymakers are also advised to “pre-plan your bag”, with Tom recommending you arrange all your belongings on the floor within a 40cm x 30cm outline beforehand, as this “provides a real-world view of what fits and helps you assemble your packed modules logically and quickly.”

Tom went on to say: “These aren’t just clever tricks, but core principles of efficient packing. By applying them, you can confidently pack that extra outfit and still breeze through the boarding gate”.

Two top City Section baseball teams, El Camino Real and San Fernando, faced off Friday in a pitcher’s duel that went eight innings.

Senior Ray Pelayo of San Fernando kept throwing strikes, keeping El Camino Real off balance for 7⅔ scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. But then came a balk that scored the winning run in El Camino Real’s 1-0 victory.

Hudson December threw six scoreless innings for El Camino Real and Andrew Katzman struck out three in two scoreless innings.

South Torrance 4, El Segundo 3: In a battle of unbeaten Pioneer League teams, South Torrance (6-0) received a walk-off single from Owen Rhodes in the bottom of the seventh. El Segundo tied it 3-3 in the top of the seventh on a two-out, three-run home run by Chase Mattoon. Issac Orozco struck out nine in five innings and also homered for the Spartans.

Crespi 3, Saugus 2: Justin Kim had two RBIs for the Celts.

Sylmar 7, Legacy 1: Rickee Luevano threw a two-hitter with nine strikeouts.

Sierra Canyon 12, West Ranch 1: Isaias Tirado hit a three-run home run and four pitchers combined to give up five hits.

Mater Dei 15, Rockwall-Heath (Texas) 1: Ezekiel Lara had three hits and five RBIs in Texas. Earlier, the Monarchs gave up seven runs in the third inning of an 8-1 loss to Rockwall-Heath.

St. John Bosco 1, Gahr 0: Star closer Jack Champlin got a strikeout to end the game, finishing two shutout innings of relief. Champlin drove in the game’s only run with an RBI double in the sixth inning. Julian Garcia struck out six with no walks in five innings for St. John Bosco.

San Juan Hills 11, Cypress 0: Garrett Gandolfo threw five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and Clay Riggs contributed three RBIs for San Juan Hills.

Santa Margarita 1, Damien 0: Warren Gravely IV had the only RBI in the Eagles’ win. Tyler Unter struck out six in five shutout innings.

Garfield 9, Cleveland 7: Omar Martinez had three hits and Victor Alvarez drove in three runs for Garfield. Joshua Pearlstein finished with three hits for Cleveland.

Palos Verdes 8, West Torrance 0: Kai Van Scoyoc struck out nine in five innings and Asher Friedman had a home run and a double for Palos Verdes.

Valencia 12, Chatsworth 0: An eight-run second inning helped lead the Vikings to a five-inning win.

Bishop Amat 13, Gardena Serra 2: Joaquin Ortiz finished with three hits and four RBIs.

Corona Centennial 19, Eastvale Roosevelt 3: Devin Bishop and Emiliano Castaneda each hit home runs for Centennial. Ethan Miller had a double and triple.

Servite 6, Anaheim Canyon 1: Mickey Cabral went three for four and Cole Grothues struck out three in 2⅓ innings of scoreless relief.

Corona Santiago 5, Crean Lutheran 4: Jonathan Thorton delivered three hits and two RBIs for the Sharks.

Fullerton 1, Chaparral 0: Garrett Wrightman threw four innings of scoreless relief and Caleb Brown had an RBI double in the third inning for Fullerton.

Edison 11, Tesoro 7: Ben Wilson hit a grand slam and finished with five RBIs for Edison.

El Dorado 10, Granada Hills 4: Lorenzo Favela hit a three-run home run to lead El Dorado.

Ayala 7, San Dimas 1: Caleb Trugman struck out nine with zero walks in a complete game.

Loyola 14, Venice 1: Wyatt Clougherty had three hits and Luca Marucci contributed three RBIs for Loyola.

Softball

JSerra 2, Norco 0: In Arizona, the Lions knocked off No. 1-ranked Norco behind Liliana Escobar, who struck out 13 in six innings.

Norco 5, Torrance 0: Coral Williams struck out 10 in six innings. Leighton Gray and Rae Logue hit home runs.

Garden Grove Pacifica 4, Anaheim Canyon 2: Natalia Amezquita had a two-run single for Pacifica, which later defeated Orange Lutheran 6-2.

Orange Lutheran 7, Perry 1: Mia Scott had four RBIs for the Lancers.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 15, Culver City 0: Ellayne Tellez-Perez had three hits and five RBIs.

March 6 (UPI) — The military escalation in the Middle East has shaken global energy markets and put Latin America on alert. The rise in oil prices opens an uncertain scenario if the conflict drags on, but it also generates expectations among the region’s exporting countries.

In that context, Argentina is following the crisis with caution, but also with interest. A more expensive barrel of oil can translate into higher export revenues, which is important for an economy that seeks to increase foreign currency inflows and strengthen its fiscal accounts.

Attention is focused on Vaca Muerta, one of the world’s largest reserves of unconventional oil and gas. The field is in the Neuquén Basin in Argentine Patagonia, and has become the country’s main energy bet.

From there, companies and analysts are closely watching every signal coming from the Middle East. In the sector, a cautious attitude prevails, summed up in the logic of wait and see.

According to data from consulting firm Gas Energy Latin America, the price of a barrel rose from about $64 to nearly $76 after the escalation of the conflict. The jump of around $12 benefits countries that sell crude abroad. Brent Crude was trading at about $93 on Friday as prices continue to rise largely because of oil tanker disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.

Álvaro Ríos Roca, former hydrocarbons minister of Bolivia and director and founder of the firm, told UPI that many Latin American countries depend on selling raw materials such as oil, minerals or agricultural products.

He said these countries earn money mainly from those resources because they do not produce or export much science or technology.

For that reason, when the price of oil rises, countries that produce it earn more money and the state also receives more taxes. That money helps them maintain their public finances, which are often weak.

In this scenario, the analyst identified three clear beneficiaries: Brazil, Guyana and Argentina. All three export more oil than they import, so the price increase is directly reflected in their revenues.

Even so, Ríos Roca believes Argentina has an advantage within the region.

“Argentina has the best prospects in oil and gas. Its exports will continue growing because the international market is demanding more energy,” he said.

Part of that expectation is explained by energy projects already underway. One of them is a mid-scale liquefied natural gas initiative led by Pan American Energy that aims to begin exports in the second half of 2027.

In parallel, another larger project promoted by YPF plans to start large-scale sales between 2030 and 2031. Both projects aim to turn Argentina into a significant exporter of natural gas in the global market.

The situation is different in Brazil. The country exports large volumes of oil, but does not have the same capacity to export gas. Much of the gas it produces is reinjected into oil fields to maintain the pressure that allows crude extraction to continue. Another portion is used in the domestic market.

Argentina, by contrast, bases its production on a technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. This involves injecting water, sand and chemicals at high pressure to fracture deep rock and release oil and gas trapped underground. It is the same system that fueled the U.S. energy boom over the past decade.

For now, the analyst believes oil prices will continue to be shaped by developments in the Middle East conflict.

“I don’t think it will reach $100. On the other hand, if the crisis eases in the coming weeks, the price could stabilize near $70 per barrel,” Ríos Roca estimated.

Daniel Dreizzen, former secretary of energy planning of Argentina, agrees that rising prices benefit all producing countries.

“Export revenues could increase by about 20%, in line with the rise in oil,” he told UPI.

Deizzen also pointed to a key factor in Argentina’s case: The country’s refining capacity is practically at its limit. That means any additional oil produced will be destined for international markets.

“Argentina cannot refine much more. So the extra crude is exported,” he said.

That scenario also benefits oil companies, which sell the same product at a higher price. If the domestic market follows the so-called “export parity,” internal prices tend to align with international ones. That improves profitability and may encourage new investments in the energy sector.

While some countries gain from the new scenario, others face a more complex outlook. That is the case of Mexico.

According to Ríos Roca, Mexican production will continue declining due to a lack of investment. State-owned Petróleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, carries heavy debt with contractors and has little room to finance new exploration projects.

“Mexico had very strong production for decades, but it has been in decline for years. Even Venezuela now has better prospects,” he said. In Venezuela’s case, some analysts see a possible return of international investment, which could reactivate part of its energy industry.

In contrast, several Latin American countries would be on the losing side if high prices persist. Net energy importers such as Central American countries, as well as Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile, will have to pay more for the fuel they consume. The same applies to many Caribbean economies, where energy costs have a direct impact on inflation and growth.

Beyond the current situation, analysts agree on a global trend: demand for natural gas will continue growing.

“There is no decarbonization of the planet without natural gas,” Ríos Roca said. In that context, liquefied natural gas trade is expanding rapidly and opening opportunities for new exporters.

Argentina seeks to position itself in that market through LNG projects being developed around Vaca Muerta. The same trend could also emerge in Venezuela, where initiatives to export gas in the coming years are under evaluation.

However, the immediate direction of the energy market largely depends on what happens in the Middle East. Both analysts concurred that the key factor is not only the duration of the conflict, but also the damage that oil and transport facilities may suffer.

“Productive infrastructure is being destroyed amid the attacks,” Ríos Roca said. If those facilities are seriously damaged, the effects on the market could last much longer than the conflict itself. In that case, the impact on oil prices would be deeper and more prolonged.

Christie Garba is a 38-year-old mother of seven who lives in Billiri, Gombe State, in Nigeria’s North East. She lived in Yobe State with her family before the Boko Haram insurgency hit the region. At that time, attacks had happened in nearby places, and they had not reached her community directly.

Christie and her family had stayed about four months after the attacks started, but as the violence escalated, the soldiers warned residents that the situation had become too dangerous to remain. The curfews that followed made everyday life almost impossible.

In this episode of VOV, we tell the story of how Christie and her family moved to Gombe State and how she survived starting a new business.

Reported and scripted by Sabiqah Bello

Voice acting by Rukayya Saeed

Multimedia editor is Anthony Asemota

Executive producer is Ahmad Salkida

Appearing on BBC Morning Live, Dr Punam Krishan gave exact time people should have cough for before getting it checked

A BBC doctor has said that this week, two patients came to her with a cough, and it turned out to be a disease with no cure. Appearing on BBC Morning Live, Dr Punam Krishan was speaking out about a chronic condition which 1.7 million suffer from – but hundreds of thousands more have without knowing.

And she explained exactly how long people should have a cough for before they get it checked out properly. Host Nick Knowles raised how a viewer had asked about COPD and cures he’d seen online, which claim it can be sorted out in 7-14 days. Because the weather has changed, people are also experiencing hayfever, and symptoms like a lingering cough or wheezing can be easy to dismiss.

Dr Punam said: “Over the last few years, I’ve been seeing more and more patients coming through to me and saying, ‘Look, I’ve seen this on social media or I’ve tried this’ and it has the potential to cause harm as well and there is a lot of misinformation and it can be really hard and you can see why adverts like this can be so appealing if you are somebody who’s living with COPD.

“So, for anyone who doesn’t know what that stands for, it stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It’s a term that we use to describe lung conditions that really make your breathing difficult. Now, the thing is if you do come across anything online, you’re not sure about it, always go to a trusted medical source.

“So, the NHS website’s a great place to start. Medical experts, speak to your doctor or your pharmacist before trying anything. Unfortunately, when it comes to COPD, it is a progressive lung condition, which means it can worsen over time. So, sadly, there isn’t a cure. Certainly, nothing over 7 to 14 days that’s going to make a difference.”

Dr Punam said the illness is often missed or just put down to ageing. She said: “Around 1.7 million people in the UK are currently living with COPD, but we believe that number is actually a lot higher. And that’s because the symptoms can develop over a long period of time and they tend to develop slowly . So, people tend to dismiss them or put it off to maybe it’s because I’m getting older. Maybe it’s because I’m unfit. COPD tends to be diagnosed when you’re like middle-aged or older adults, but it can affect anybody earlier as well.”

She said smoking is one of the most common causes. The two main problems within COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. She added: “And what’s really happening in the lungs during that is that it causes inflammation. It causes narrowing of the airways. It causes scarring. It affects the tiny air sacs in our lungs whose job it is to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream so that we can breathe properly. So of course, if those are damaged, it really does impact you long term.”

She said people should not ignore coughs – and gave an exact time people should get it checked out. Dr Punam said: “A lot of people do just sit on it and dismiss it. The earlier you get it diagnosed, the better it is because there are lots of things that we can do to support the symptoms.

“So, if you have a new cough that is persisting, I would say the rule of thumb is four to six weeks. If something is persisting beyond that time, it’s not going away. You don’t know why you’ve got it, so have a chat with your doctor because we can investigate that to look at the root cause, but don’t just dismiss it. Anything more than four weeks, a cough that you just don’t know why it’s there, get it looked at.”

Nick asked: “We’ve had hay fever as we’ve been hearing this week already this year. Is that a complication?” Dr Punam said: “Well, it is. Just this week, actually, I had two patients who have COPD who came in because they felt that their hay fever had started affecting them.

“The thing is a quarter of people that have got COPD will be sensitive to pollen. We’re loving spring – it’s around the corner. But with that, of course, pollen counts rise and if you’re sensitive to that, it can affect your breathing. So often I find people with COPD can get misdiagnosed, or maybe it’s just a flare-up of the condition or a chest infection, but actually, if you’re coughing a lot more, if you’re producing a lot more phlegm, you’re congested, now is the time.”

The State Department has denied visas for members of a Jamaican soccer team scheduled to play the Galaxy on Wednesday in the round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, raising concerns that the Trump administration could bar players from traveling to the U.S. for this summer’s World Cup as well.

A CONCACAF source with knowledge of the issue not authorized to discuss it publicly said the organization was aware of the problem and working with the team to appeal the decision. The Champions Cup is the most prestigious club tournament in CONCACAF, the 41-nation FIFA confederation that governs soccer in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Mount Pleasant FA, champion of last year’s CONCACAF Caribbean Cup and runner-up in the last two Jamaican Premier League tournaments, is playing in the Champions Cup for the first time. The team has six Haitian players on its roster, and Haiti is one of 19 countries whose citizens have been banned from entering the U.S by the Trump administration. Citizens from an additional 20 countries faced partial restrictions.

“This decision raises serious concern about the administration’s willingness to abide by its own agreement and statements regarding the issuance of visas for the World Cup,” said David J. Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute. “The President’s proclamation clearly exempts athletes and necessary support personnel for ‘major sporting events.’ But apparently, this exception is not being applied in all cases.”

The State Department has the ability, under the Presidential Proclamation exception, to grant entry to “athletes, coaches and essential support staff” from any country traveling to the U.S. for “the World Cup, Olympics or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state.”

Despite that, eight members of Cuba’s delegation to the World Baseball Classic — among them federation president Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo and pitching coach Pedro Luis Lazo — had their visa requests denied. Under the Trump administration’s rules, Cuban citizens are subject to the same travel restrictions as Haitians.

However, Haiti and Jamaica were able to play in last summer’s Gold Cup soccer tournament in the U.S. without issue. The State Department did not respond to requests for comment.

The CONCACAF source said the confederation hopes to reach an agreement with the State Department but added that Mount Pleasant’s game with the Galaxy will go forward either way. The club, which is scheduled to depart Sunday, told a Jamaican newspaper that up to 10 players have been denied visas and coming to Los Angeles without them would require it to rely on seven or eight players from the team’s youth academy to fill out the roster.

“We don’t want to just show up for the game, we want to be able to compete, but we are not being given the opportunity to be at our best,” Paul Christie, the team’s sporting director, told the Jamaica Observer.

The teams will meet in the second and deciding leg of the two-game playoff March 19 at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. Mount Pleasant is expected to be at full strength for that game.

The State Department’s approach to the visa requests for the Cuban baseball delegation and Jamaican soccer team raise questions about how the Trump administration will handle visa requests ahead of this summer’s World Cup. Four tournament qualifiers are impacted by the administration’s travel restrictions, with citizens of Iran — a country with which the U.S. is at war — and Haiti facing a total ban, and those from Senegal and Ivory Coast subject to severe restrictions.

Members of Iran’s delegation were refused entry to the U.S. for December’s World Cup draw in Washington, during which FIFA president Gianni Infantino presented President Trump with the FIFA Peace Prize. And last summer, Senegal’s women’s basketball team was forced to cancel a 10-day training camp in the U.S. when visa requests for five players, six staff members and a ministerial delegation were rejected.

The Gulf states have spent years trying to broker peace between Iran and the West: Qatar brokered nuclear talks, Oman provided back-channel diplomacy, and Saudi Arabia maintained direct dialogue with Iran through 2024 and into 2025. Iran attacked them anyway. The idea that the Gulf states have a responsibility, a moral one, to protect Iran from the consequences of its actions because of good neighbourliness is now grotesque in context. Iran did not return good neighbourliness. Iran returned ballistic missiles.

Iran’s position is based on three propositions. First, that Iran acted in lawful self-defence pursuant to Article 51 of the UN Charter; that host countries relinquished territorial sovereignty by allowing US military bases on their territory; and that the definition of aggression in Resolution 3314 justifies the attack on those bases as lawful military objectives. Each of these propositions is legally flawed, factually skewed, and tactically wrong. Collectively, they add up to a legal argument that, if accepted, would ensure that the Gulf is permanently destabilised, the basic principles of international law are destroyed, and, in a curious twist, the very security threats that Iran is reacting to are reinforced.

The self-defence claim does not meet the required legal threshold

The UN Charter, in Article 51, permits the use of force only in self-defence against an “armed attack”, and this term is not defined by reference to the state invoking it. The International Court of Justice, in cases such as Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. United States) (1986) and Oil Platforms (Iran v. United States) (2003), has interpreted the requirement of an “armed attack” under Article 51 of the UN Charter restrictively. The Court distinguished between the most grave forms of the use of force, which qualify as armed attacks triggering the right of self-defence, and less grave uses of force that do not. Accordingly, not every use of force, such as minor incidents or limited military activities, amounts to an armed attack. In this light, the mere presence of foreign military bases in Gulf states, maintained for decades under defence agreements with host governments, would not in itself constitute an armed attack against Iran.

Necessity and proportionality are also part of customary international law, requiring that self-defence be necessary and proportional. Iran has not demonstrated either. Targeting the territory of other sovereign Arab states in response to the policy decisions of the United States is neither necessary, since diplomatic and United Nations avenues are still available, nor proportional, since it imposes military consequences on states that are not a party to any conflict with Iran.

Critically, Article 51 also has a mandatory procedural element, in that any state employing self-defence is immediately required to notify the Security Council. Iran has consistently evaded this requirement in each of its escalatory actions. While this may seem to be a minor element, it is in fact the means by which the international community is able to verify and check self-defence claims. A state that evades this requirement is not employing Article 51. It is exploiting the language of Article 51.

Iran’s reading of Resolution 3314 is a fundamental distortion

The provision of Article 3(f) of the Annex to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3314 (XXIX) (1974) states that an act of aggression includes the “action of a State in allowing its territory, which it has placed at the disposal of another State, to be used by that other State for perpetrating an act of aggression against a third State”. Iran could rely on this provision to hold the Gulf states that host United States military bases liable for any act of aggression committed from their territories against Iran. Nevertheless, the mere presence of military bases is not sufficient to hold them to be lawful military objectives; this will depend on their actual contribution to military activities against Iran based on the rules of international humanitarian law.

Thus, such an Iranian reading would be wrong on three distinct legal grounds.

First, Resolution 3314 is definitional in nature. The resolution was adopted to assist the Security Council in determining when aggression has taken place, not to confer upon states the unilateral power to punish states deemed to have committed aggression through the use of force. The resolution itself, in Article 2, asserts the power of the Security Council to make the determination of what constitutes aggression. The self-application of Article 3(f) of the resolution is therefore bypassed altogether.

Second, Article 3(f) speaks of the active launching of an attack, not the passive hosting of a military base. The legal distinction is fundamental. A state, in signing a defence treaty with another and hosting the latter’s troops on its soil, is engaging in a measure of sovereignty. A state, actively launching, coordinating, or enabling military strikes against a third party, is engaged in a different matter altogether. Iran has not credibly shown this latter case. The presence of US troops or bases in the Gulf has been a fact for decades, and this has not constituted armed aggression against Iran under any legal standard.

Third, even if Article 3(f) were applicable, the appropriate course would be to bring the matter to the Security Council, not to launch unilateral military strikes. General Assembly resolutions do not override the Charter. Iran cannot rely upon a non-binding resolution defining terms to override the Chapter VII requirements for the use of force or the clear criteria of Article 51.

Sovereignty cannot be dictated by a neighbour’s strategic preferences

Iran, in invoking the principle of good neighbourliness, asks the Arab Gulf states to deny the United States basing rights. Good neighbourliness is a two-way principle, and it does not allow for interference in the internal affairs of other states, certainly not interference in the decisions of other states simply because they are deemed inconvenient to the interfering state. All UN states possess the inherent right to conclude defence treaties with whomever they choose, and this is so regardless of the opinion of their neighbours.

The asymmetry of Iran’s position is striking and self-disqualifying. Iran itself has active military relationships with Russia and China. Iran arms, finances, trains, and supports the activities of non-state military actors in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force operates openly in various states, and this has been extensively documented in United Nations Panels of Experts reports, as well as other international monitoring reports. According to the standards that Iran applies to the Gulf states, any state that hosts the activities of the IRGC, the transfer of Iranian arms, or the coordination of Iranian proxies on its soil would be engaging in aggression against third parties. Iran will not accept this principle when it is applied to itself. A legal principle that is unacceptable to the party to whom it would be applied is not a legal principle at all; it is a political tool.

A doctrine that defeats Iran’s own strategic interests

From the perspective of international relations theory, Iran’s position follows the logic of offensive realism, which seeks to remove the external balancing architecture of regional neighbours by claiming it to be hostile in nature. However, this approach is empirically self-defeating.

Under balance of threat theory, states react to offensive capability, geographic proximity, and aggressive intentions. Iran’s doctrine, in asserting the right to strike any state that hosts forces it perceives as a threat, drives each and every threat variable to maximum levels for each and every state in the region. The obvious consequence, evident in the data, is that the states in the region and external powers are becoming more, rather than less, securely integrated. The Fifth Fleet’s permanent base in Bahrain, the UAE’s negotiations over F-35s, Saudi Arabia’s deployments of THAADs, and Qatar’s expansion of the Al Udeid base are reactions to Iran’s escalation, not causes of it.

From the perspective of constructivism, the legitimacy of a legal argument is also partly based on the normative credibility of the state that presents the argument. The record of Iran’s compliance with IAEA regulations, including the enrichment of uranium to a purity level of 60 percent or more in 2023–2024, interference with inspections, the removal of monitoring cameras, and the overall violation of the non-proliferation regime, has undermined the credibility of the state significantly. A state that is itself a violator of the legal regime cannot claim the role of a law-abiding state seeking protection under the norms of the legal regime.

Iran’s legal rationale was always theoretically wrong. What has occurred since February 28, 2026, has made Iran’s actions morally and politically wrong. Iran did not simply target US military assets. The reality of the situation is now documented and undeniable. Ballistic missiles and drones were launched against Gulf states in the opening days of the conflict. This marked the first time one actor had simultaneously attacked all six GCC states. Iran escalated its attacks in deliberate stages. Day 1: Iranian missiles were fired against military bases. Day 2: Iranian missiles were fired against civilian infrastructure and airports. Day 3: Iranian missiles were fired against the energy sector. Days 3 and 4: The US Embassy in Riyadh was attacked by Iran. International airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Kuwait were attacked by Iranian missiles, resulting in the suspension of flights throughout the region. Videos from Bahrain documented an Iranian Shahed drone attacking an apartment building. This is not self-defence. This is the collective punishment of sovereign nations that went to extraordinary lengths to avoid the conflict.

The rationale provided by Iran falls flat when one considers the actions Iran itself took. Its doctrine held that only targets involved in the preparation or launch of an attack against Iran were legitimate targets. Civilian airports are not military bases. Hotels in Palm Jumeirah are not military command centres. An apartment complex in Manama is not a weapons storage facility. By Iran’s own stated legal rationale, none of these targets was legitimate, yet they were attacked. This was not a legal doctrine at all; it was a pretext for coercion, and the conduct of war revealed this to be the case.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Witness videos captured Iranian projectiles soaring over Tel Aviv as sirens blared and Israeli interceptors launched. Residents could be heard shouting as one of the missiles appeared to break apart into dozens of smaller projectiles.