Lionel Messi scored twice as Inter Miami fought back from two goals down to beat Orlando City 4-2 in the Florida derby.
The reigning champions, who lost their season opener against Los Angeles FC last month, looked set for another defeat when goals from Marco Pasalic and Martin Ojeda put Orlando 2-0 up inside 25 minutes.
But after midfielder Mateo Silvetti’s stunning 25-yard drive just after half-time gave Miami hope in Orlando, the Argentina legend grasped control of the game.
The 38-year-old scored his first goal of the season to equalise in the 57th minute with a left-footed strike from the edge of the area, then set up midfielder Telasco Segovia to score with five minutes remaining.
Messi sealed victory in the 90th minute when his low free-kick crept past Maxime Crepeau and he celebrated with a signing gesture towards the touchline.
“He’s the best player to ever play this sport. He’s a leader, and as a leader, he inspires others, but he also often needs to be inspired himself,” said Miami coach Javier Mascherano.
“He has the ability to create chances like no-one else, and that’s what allowed us to turn the game around.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has now scored 898 goals for club and country, including 79 in 90 appearances for Miami.
The win was Miami’s first in nine trips to Orlando, and they now face a game away at DC United on Saturday.
Manager Sarina Wiegman says England have been given reassurances there are no safety concerns about their Women’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine being held in Turkey as the conflict in the Middle East widens.
The Lionesses play in Antalya at 17:00 GMT on Tuesday because Ukraine are unable to play in their home country as a result of the war with Russia, which is in its fifth year.
On Saturday the US attacked Iran as part of a joint operation with Israel, sparking retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.
The Iranian regime has responded with attacks on US assets and countries in the region with a US military presence, including Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq.
“Yes, we did have reassurances. We are in close contact with the government and the people here that are responsible,” said Wiegman.
“We’re fine here but we’re keeping an eye on it. We’re in contact all the time with the responsible authorities.
“Of course, you’re concerned about what’s happening in the world. When we think, or our government thinks it’s unsafe, we will go back. At this moment, we don’t have signals of that.”
England travelled to Turkey last Wednesday for a training camp but it is unclear how many fans will attend the match following the weekend’s developments, with some supporters and several media outlets already choosing to withdraw.
Wiegman says the fact Ukraine are having to host the match in Turkey because of conflict in their home country following Russia’s invasion is “really sad”.
“We have great facilities here and the climate is really good so we can prepare really well. But the reason we’re here is not nice,” she added.
“You want Ukraine to be able to play in their home country. They had to travel a lot themselves to get here. The things they have in front of them in their country is really horrible.
“We hope this game unites a bit. It’s a chance for Ukraine to show themselves to the world in another way where hopefully football unites and brings some joy.”
Stanway ‘very close’ to confirming future
England are in a group with Ukraine, Iceland and Spain, with only the top team qualifying automatically for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Midfielder Georgia Stanway hopes England can get off to a winning start this week when they face Ukraine, before hosting Iceland at the City Ground on Saturday.
“Our main task is to qualify as fast as possible but we also understand the process behind it and what it takes to get to a Euros and a World Cup,” said Stanway.
“We know it’s super difficult. We need to make sure we’re adapting, evolving and changing our game. We know our opposition are getting better and better.”
Stanway has announced she will be leaving Bayern Munich when her contract expires at the end of the summer.
“I’ve absolutely loved my time at Bayern and it has probably been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life,” said Stanway.
“From the moment I got there, it felt like home. I still love it but I just came to the conclusion that I always want to have good memories at Bayern.
“I didn’t want to get to the point that I wasn’t enjoying it or I was a little bit over it. I want to continue to play this season and make as many memories as possible.”
Vantage Capital (www.VantageCapital.co.za), Africa’s largest mezzanine debt fund manager, announced that it has made a R635m investment into Commercial Energy South Africa (“CESA”), a subsidiary of SolarAfrica Energy (“SolarAfrica”), a leading South African energy solutions provider, alongside co-investor, Greenpoint Capital. CESA holds commercial & industrial (“C&I”) solar and battery energy assets developed by SolarAfrica.
The investment comprises a mezzanine facility which was used to exit Inspired Evolution from CESA, making SolarAfrica the 100% owner of CESA.
Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa, SolarAfrica provides solar-PV, battery storage, energy trading, electricity wheeling and gas-to-power services tailored for C&I clients, helping businesses lower electricity costs, secure reliable power and reduce carbon emissions. SolarAfrica has a strong track record, having delivered ~343MW of funded solar projects in Southern Africa (with a further 1.14GW plus being rolled out). SolarAfrica has been twice recognised as the African Solar Company of the Year (2021 and 2023) by the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA).
CESA acts as a holding company for C&I rooftop solar and battery storage solutions assets that have been developed by SolarAfrica. CESA currently holds a portfolio of assets with energy capacity of ~90MW across 134 different sites. All assets within CESA are managed by SolarAfrica.
Roshal Ramdenee, Partner at Vantage Capital, said “This transaction reflects our conviction in distributed energy infrastructure and the strength of SolarAfrica’s platform. CESA’s contracted C&I solar and battery portfolio provides predictable cash flows and supports South Africa’s shift to reliable and sustainable power. We look forward to working closely with SolarAfrica and Greenpoint as the platform continues to scale.”
Warren van der Merwe, Managing Partner at Vantage Capital, added “Vantage has provided senior debt to a number of renewable energy projects through its GreenX senior debt division. We are pleased to showcase in this deal how mezzanine finance can play a part in the rapidly evolving power sector. Congratulations to Charl and his team for driving a super-efficient process, which allowed us to close this deal under very tight timelines.”
Nic van Zyl, CIO at Greenpoint Capital, added “We are pleased to have finalised this transaction in support of the SolarAfrica team, whose progress we have tracked over many years. We look forward to collaborating with Vantage Capital on this high-quality solar asset.”
Charl Alheit, CIO at SolarAfrica, added “Vantage Capital and Greenpoint Capital have proven to be very innovative and efficient partners in enabling us to execute the buy-out of this portfolio from Inspired Evolution. Taking full control of the portfolio means we can continue to innovate by bringing more renewable energy solutions, such as electricity wheeling, to customers. This underscores our commitment to making cheaper, greener power more accessible to C&I businesses as part of their green energy journey.”
Step Advisory acted as deal advisor to SolarAfrica on the transaction, Werksmans acted as legal counsel for Vantage. Other advisors to the transaction included Cresco, Ernst and Young, Webber Wentzel and SLR Consulting.
Iranian Ambassador to Kenya Ali Gholampour has said Iran will not strike United States (US) bases in Kenya.
Speaking on Monday, March 2, during a press briefing in Nairobi, Gholampour stressed that Iran’s missile strikes are solely for defensive purposes.
He also stated that Iran’s missiles have a maximum range of about 2,000 kilometers and would not be capable of reaching the Kenyan territory.
“Our missiles will not reach to get to the Kenyan territory. Our government wants to show its peaceful intentions in the war. These missiles are only for defensive purposes. They also have a range of 2000 kilometers.
“I don’t think we strike Kenya because we have good historical relations and we will do our best to save that relationship,” he stated.
The Iranian ambassador went on say he believes Kenya will not provide a military facility to the US to attack Iran.
“I do not believe that Kenya will provide such a facility to attack Iran from its land,” Gholampour added.
This comes after President William Ruto condemned strikes by Iran targeting Middle East nations, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar.
In a statement on Monday, Ruto warned that the regionalization of the conflict represents a grave danger to international peace and security.
“Kenya strongly condemns the strikes on the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain in the evolving conflict in the Middle East.
“It is evident that the regionalization of this conflict poses a grave threat to international peace and security,” Ruto stated.
The head of State called for an urgent multi-stakeholder engagement to de-escalate the ongoing crisis.
“At this defining and perilous moment in global history, longstanding multilateral institutions remain indispensable frameworks for the resolution of the current crisis in the Middle East. Kenya calls for urgent multi-stakeholder engagement towards de-escalation,” Ruto added.
The conflict in the Middle East began after the United States and Israel launched coordinated military action against Iran.
During the attack, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior military officials were killed.
In response, Iran carried out strikes against neighboring states, including the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait.
Tehran used ballistic missiles and drones to launch wide-scale attacks on US allies across the Middle East.
Struggling Tottenham Hotspur stretched their Premier League winless run to 10 games with a stinging 2-1 defeat at cross-town London rivals Fulham on Sunday that left them still in danger of the drop.
Four points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United, Tottenham left Craven Cottage ever more in a relegation scrap after another derby disappointment following last week’s 4-1 home thrashing by leaders Arsenal.
Harry Wilson opened the scoring in the seventh minute for Fulham, the goal given after a VAR review and angry Spurs complaints that Radu Dragusin had been fouled by Fulham striker Raul Jimenez.
There was nothing remotely controversial about Fulham’s second, lashed in by Alex Iwobi in the 34th with the ball swerving past Guglielmo Vicario and into the net off the inside left post.
Richarlison pulled a goal back with a 66th-minute header, eight minutes after coming on as a substitute, to set up a nervy finish but the hosts should have put the match to bed by then with missed chances and vital saves from Vicario.
MANAGER TUDOR SEES BIG PROBLEMS AT SPURS
“We were not good, lacked everything. Attacking and defending. Fulham were much better. There are problems here, big problems,” said new Spurs boss Igor Tudor, who has now lost his first two matches in charge.
Fulham are ninth, level with Everton on 40 points and still pushing for a place in Europe next season after completing the league double over Spurs.
Tottenham, who did not manage a single shot on target until Richarlison’s goal, stayed 16th with 10 games left and are the only top flight team without a league win this year.
Luckily for them, the three teams immediately below them all lost with only last-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, 16 points behind Spurs, winning on Friday.
Given plenty of space by the visitors, Fulham could have been 3-0 up six minutes after the break when Emile Smith Rowe sent a shot across goal and just wide of the post with Vicario beaten.
Vicario then made a vital save from the ever lively Rowe at close range in the 62nd as Tottenham kept on running into dead ends while Fulham created space for themselves time and again.
Tudor, who took the helm after replacing the sacked Thomas Frank, did not want to talk about the relegation threat but said he wanted to see much more from his players.
“We don’t need to think about that, not because it cannot happen but we must focus on growing mentality as a team, concentration, physically. These are the only goals we must have,” he said
“We need to find forces inside each of us,” he added, recognising there was a lack of confidence in the injury-depleted squad.
“More personality, more wish to improve. Plenty of things. I want to see everything more.”
Fulham boss Marco Silva said the scoreline did not reflect his side’s superiority and the number of chances.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior questioned his team’s decision-making after they conceded twice from Arsenal’s favourite routine and had a player sent off in a 2-1 defeat in the Premier League on Sunday.
Rosenior had enjoyed a generally positive start since replacing Enzo Maresca and this was his first defeat in seven league games but some recurring issues again undermined Chelsea’s top-five push.
Both Arsenal’s goals – scored by William Saliba and Jurrien Timber – came from the sort of corner routines that Chelsea would have been planning for all week.
On top of that they had Pedro Neto sent off after he received two yellow cards, one for dissent and one for a foul, in three crazy minutes after Timber’s 65th-minute goal.
In fact, Chelsea were arguably the better team, but Rosenior was left to rue the way they caused their own problems for the second successive week after Wesley Fofana was sent off in the 1-1 draw with struggling Burnley last week.
“I felt as a group, including me, we learned our lesson last week. To concede two goals from set plays, which ultimately has cost us the game, is really disappointing,” Rosenior said.
“Then to have another red card, again, really disappointed. It’s not just Pedro. I think as a group, me as the leader as well, we have to take more accountability for some of the decision-making we’re having in terms of our discipline and in terms of the goals we concede.
“Some of them are just not acceptable at this level.”
Chelsea equalised through a Piero Hincapie own goal and even with 10 men they came close to earning a point at the league leaders.
But defeat leaves them in sixth place and needing victories to get their top-five hopes back on track.
Chelsea have now had seven players red-carded in the league this season and Rosenior admits discipline is a problem.
“We need to do something, for sure. I need to speak to the coaching staff, the staff around the club, the players, because it’s not acceptable,” he said. “Especially the last two games, we’ve caused our own issues, even here against a very good team.
“You can see there’s a lot of good in our play. There’s a lot of good technically, tactically, the quality of our play. But if we don’t eradicate this, it’s going to be the thing that costs us.”
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has made explosive allegations following the death of Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno in a helicopter crash on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
Gachagua claims that during a private meeting with Ng’eno at the Acacia Premier Hotel in Kisumu on August 28, 2024, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) bugged his presidential suite.
He alleges the meeting was a “tell-all” where Ng’eno warned him of President Ruto’s plans to destabilize the government and move forward with Gachagua’s impeachment.
Gachagua claims the recording was delivered to President Ruto, who then summoned and “thoroughly intimidated” Ng’eno.
He further alleged that Ng’eno was forced to sign the impeachment motion against him “with tears” after receiving threatening messages from the President.
Gachagua is now linking this alleged state surveillance and political pressure to the fatal chopper crash that killed Ng’eno and five others in Nandi County.
He has called for an independent investigation into the crash, even suggesting the involvement of international agencies like the FBI, expressing distrust in local agencies he accuses of political interference.
The Nation reports that the contents of these “secret tapes” were what ultimately made the relationship between the President and Gachagua break down irretrievably.
(Reuters) – The U.S. military announced on Sunday the first American casualties of President Donald Trump’s intensifying attack on Iran, as a new poll showed only one in four Americans supported strikes against the Middle Eastern country.
As the conflict entered its second day, Trump said 48 Iranian leaders had been killed and that the U.S. military had started sinking Iran’s Navy, destroying nine Iranian warships so far and “going after the rest.”
U.S. aircraft and warships have struck more than 1,000 Iranian targets since Trump ordered the start to major combat operations on Saturday, the U.S. military said. The strikes include B-2 stealth bombers dropping 2,000-lb bombs on hardened, underground Iranian missile facilities.
Iran’s retaliatory attacks also started taking their toll. Although the U.S. military reported no casualties on Saturday, on Sunday it said three U.S. troops were killed and another five were seriously wounded in U.S. operations against Iran.
U.S. Central Command said several other U.S. troops suffered minor shrapnel injuries and concussions as well. It did not disclose where or how those casualties took place.
Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the U.S. service members were killed on a base in Kuwait.
Trump sought to brace the U.S. public for more casualties as he acknowledged the deaths, the first in major operations since he returned to office last year. The U.S. bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites last June and the U.S. military’s seizure of Venezuela’s president in January did not lead to U.S. fatalities.
In a video address, Trump lamented the deaths but added that “sadly, there will likely be more before it ends.”
“But America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against, basically, civilization,” he said.
Michael Waltz, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations, said in a post on X: “Freedom is never free.”
Plumes of smoke rise following reported explosions allegedly near Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence on Araqi Street in Tehran on March 1, 2026, after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed a day earlier in a large U.S. and Israeli attack, prompting a new wave of retaliatory missile strikes from Iran. (Photo by Mowj / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
TRUMP SAYS STRIKES ON IRAN COULD LAST FOUR WEEKS
A day after the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei pitched the Middle East and the global economy into deepening uncertainty, the U.S. and Israel pressed ahead with a military campaign that has sent shockwaves through sectors from shipping to air travel to oil.
U.S. officials have said to expect a multi-day campaign. Reuters has reported planning for a sustained operation that could last weeks.
In a separate interview with the Daily Mail, Trump said the strikes could go on for four weeks.
“It’s always been a four-week process. We figured it will be four weeks or so. It’s always been about a four-week process so – as strong as it is, it’s a big country, it’ll take four weeks – or less,” Trump was quoted as saying.
Iran’s foreign minister said in a post on X that his country’s military had studied “defeats of the U.S. military to our immediate east and west,” referring to Afghanistan and Iraq.
“We’ve incorporated lessons accordingly,” he said. “Bombings in our capital have no impact on our ability to conduct war.”
A Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded on Sunday showed 27% of Americans approved of the strikes, while 43% of the respondents disapproved and 29% were not sure. About nine in 10 respondents said they had heard at least a little about the strikes.
NO SIMPLE ANSWER FOR WHAT’S NEXT
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said a leadership council composed of himself, the head of the judiciary and a member of the powerful Guardian Council had temporarily assumed the duties of supreme leader following the killing of Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989.
Trump has called on Iranians to topple their government, but on Sunday told a magazine that Iran’s new leadership wanted to talk to him and that he has agreed.
“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner … They waited too long,” Trump was quoted as saying in an interview with the Atlantic magazine.
Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Coons said he did not see how regime change in Iran could happen with the current operation. “There’s no example I know of in modern history where regime change has happened solely through air strikes,” Coons said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program.
Jonathan Panikoff, a former U.S. deputy national intelligence officer for the Near East, said Washington and Israel appear to be pursuing a strategy aimed not only at degrading Iran’s military response capabilities, but at destabilizing the regime itself by removing its senior leadership and testing the loyalty of the rank and file.
The success of that approach, he said, would ultimately depend on whether security forces stand aside or defect if public unrest resurfaces.
“There’s no simple answer for what’s going to come next,” Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” program.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump ally and defense hawk, echoed Trump’s call for the Iranian people to decide who should lead their government.
“You know, this idea, ‘You break it, you own it,’ I don’t buy that one bit,” Graham said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program.
“This is not Iraq. This is not Germany. This is not Japan. We’re going to free the people up from a terrorist regime.”
Reporting by Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Paul Simao
BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, March 2 (Reuters) – Hezbollah attacked Israel on Monday to avenge the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, prompting Israeli strikes on Beirut and setting the group at odds with Lebanese leaders who want the country kept out of a regional war.
Israeli strikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern Beirut suburbs and southern Lebanon killed 31 people, Lebanon’s health ministry reported. People fled the southern suburbs on foot and by car, clogging the roads. More than a dozen powerful explosions shook the capital starting around 2:40 a.m. (0040 GMT).
The violence widened the conflict that has spread through the Middle East since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday. Hezbollah, a Shi’ite Muslim group established by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, is one of Tehran’s principal allies in the Middle East.
Israel held Hezbollah responsible for the escalation, after the group said it had fired rockets and drones to avenge “the pure blood” of Khamenei and in response to what it described as repeated Israeli attacks.
The Israeli military said no injuries or damage were reported in Israel.
Hezbollah’s attack was its first on Israel since a war in 2024, while Israel’s strikes on the southern suburbs were the heaviest since that conflict.
“Hezbollah opened a campaign against Israel overnight, and is fully responsible for any escalation,” Israeli Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir said in a statement.
“We must prepare for many prolonged days of combat ahead,” he said in a later statement, saying Israel had launched an offensive campaign against Hezbollah.
LEBANESE STATE OFFICIALS CRITICISE ATTACK ON ISRAEL
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli attacks but also warned against Lebanon being used as a platform for wars “we have nothing to do with”, saying it would “expose our nation once more to dangers”.
“This is something the state will not allow to be repeated and will not accept,” said Aoun, whose administration has adopted a policy aimed at Hezbollah’s disarmament since taking office with U.S. support a year ago.
Lebanese state media reported that the public prosecutor had ordered security forces to immediately arrest those who fired the rockets at Israel, after a phone call from Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar.
Hezbollah’s arms have long been a point of division in Lebanon – a country that was shattered by civil war from 1975-1990 – and demands for the group to disarm have intensified since the 2024 war with Israel.
The group emerged from that war greatly weakened, with its leader Hassan Nasrallah killed along with thousands of its fighters.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said launching rockets from Lebanon was irresponsible and jeopardized Lebanon’s security.
EVACUATION WARNINGS
The initial wave of strikes was followed by a warning from Israel ordering residents of dozens of villages in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate.
The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including senior Hezbollah members in the Beirut area.
Hezbollah said its attack had targeted an Israeli military missile defence facility south of the city of Haifa. The Israeli military said several projectiles that crossed from Lebanon fell in open areas and one was intercepted by the Israeli air force.
Since a U.S.-backed ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon in 2024, Israel has carried out regular strikes against what it has identified as Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, accusing the group of seeking to rearm.
This was Israel’s first attack on the southern suburbs since it killed the group’s military official Ali Tabtabai in November.
Lebanon’s presidency said on Saturday it had been told by the U.S. ambassador that Israel would not escalate against Lebanon as long as there are no hostile acts from the Lebanese side.
(Reporting by Laila Bassam in Beirut, Jana Choukeir in Dubai; Yomna Ehab and Nayera Abdallah in Cairo; Writing by Nayera Abdallah and Tom Perry; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Michael Perry)
(Reuters) – A drone strike hit a British air base in Cyprus overnight, causing limited damage and no casualties, Cypriot and British officials said on Monday, in a marked escalation effectively dragging an EU member state into the conflict surrounding Iran.
The strike, which hit a runway at the Royal Air Force base of Akrotiri, was the first attack on the military facility since a rocket attack by Libyan militants in 1986. It shook the east Mediterranean island, a holiday hotspot and home to thousands of foreign companies.
Britain had moved additional air assets to Akrotiri in anticipation of U.S. action against Iran in preceding weeks while saying British bases would not be used.
On Sunday, however, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain had accepted a U.S. request to use its bases for defensive strikes against Iranian missiles in storage depots or launchers.
British foreign minister Yvette Cooper said the U.S. had not requested access to the Akrotiri air base.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said in a speech that the Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle caused minor damage when it crashed into the military facilities at 12:03 a.m.
It was not immediately clear from where the Iranian-made Shahed had been fired. Two sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the British bases intercepted a second drone, but one of the sources later said it was ‘one drone’.
“All the competent services of the republic are on alert and in full operational readiness,” Christodoulides said.
‘CYPRUS WAS NOT THE TARGET’
Akrotiri base, south-west of the sprawling coastal city of Limassol, is one of two bases Britain has retained in the former colony since independence in 1960. In addition to the military facilities, it houses families of serving personnel.
Although the bases are regarded as British sovereign territory, Cyprus itself is an EU member, now holding the bloc’s rotating presidency. Britain has no legal obligation to inform Cyprus of its use in military operations, but it is customary for London to inform Nicosia of activity.
“I want to be clear: Our country does not participate in any way and does not intend to be part of any military operation,” Christodoulides said.
Cooper said no further details could be provided immediately regarding the strike.
“All of the precautionary measures are being taken around the base,” Cooper told Sky News.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc stood by all its member states in the face of any threat.
“While the Republic of Cyprus was not the target, let me be clear: we stand collectively, firmly and unequivocally with our Member States in the face of any threat,” von der Leyen said in a post on X.
On Sunday, British defence secretary John Healey said Britain had intercepted two missiles fired in the direction of Cyprus, but added he didn’t believe Cyprus was deliberately targeted.
An EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters they believed Iran was trying to expand the conflict and drag Europeans into it.
RESIDENTS TAKE SHELTER
People from the nearby civilian village of Akrotiri, home to Greek Cypriots, fled the community overnight, with some taking shelter at Cypriot army barracks in Limassol, local Mayor Pantelis Georgiou told the Cyprus News Agency.
“I was watching TV and I heard a big explosion. I called the SBA (bases police) asking what was happening, they said they couldn’t say anything. I took my wife, my in-laws, to Limassol,” a person identified as Theodoros told the state broadcaster CyBC from Akrotiri.
“Someone should have informed us.”
Base authorities advised residents near Akrotiri to shelter in place until further notice after a “suspected drone impact”, and added later that non-essential personnel would be relocated, while other British facilities would operate normally.
Akrotiri, positioned on a square-shaped peninsula on the southern tip of Cyprus, has been used in the past for military operations in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
Britain has roughly 7,000 British personnel and dependents on Cyprus. The bases’ territories, covering 99 square miles of Cyprus, or just under 3% of the island, also host a key listening post of the Joint Service Signal Unit at Ayios Nicolaos, which is part of the base on the eastern part of the island.
(Reporting by Devika Nair in Bengaluru, Michele Kambas in Nicosia, Yiannis Kourtoglou at Akrotiri, Sarah Young and Sam Tabahriti in London and Lili Bayer in Brussels; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Aidan Lewis)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service.
