May decide to establish a safe maritime corridor

LONDON, Mar 18 (AFP): The International Maritime Organization was set to begin an "extraordinary session" on Wednesday to discuss shipping amid the Middle East war, as fears grow over the fate of thousands of stranded ships and seafarers.
The London-based UN agency-responsible for regulating international shipping safety-is set to consider adopting possible resolutions during the two-day gathering at its London headquarters.
The IMO's 40-member council could vote Thursday on several proposed resolutions, including one to "establish a safe maritime corridor to allow the safe evacuation of seafarers and ships stranded in the Persian Gulf".
However, if passed, resolutions remain non-binding.
The meeting-open to all 176 member states as well as dozens of NGOs and maritime industry bodies-comes as Iran's retaliation to Israeli-US strikes cripples commercial shipping in or near the Strait of Hormuz.
An effective Iranian blockade of the key maritime chokepoint-through which a fifth of global crude and liquified natural gas normally transits-has dramatically spiked oil prices and spooked markets.
It has also left around 20,000 seafarers stranded on approximately 3,200 vessels west of the strait, according to the IMO.
At least 21 ships have been hit, targeted or reported attacks since the start of the conflict, according to an AFP tally based on data from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the IMO and Iraqi and Iranian authorities.
Iran missile fire kills
two in central Israel
An Iranian missile barrage killed two people near Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv, medics said Wednesday, as the national railway company suspended operations due to shrapnel impact at a station in the city.
Authorities reported that falling munitions had hit multiple sites in central Israel in the overnight barrage that triggered air raid sirens across the area, after another day of heavy Israeli bombardments in Iran and Lebanon.
The latest deaths took the toll from missile attacks on Israel since the start of the Middle East war late last month to 14 people.
"Yes, I'm alive": Netanyahu
debunks death rumours
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed online rumours about his death, appearing in a new video alongside US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
The clip comes after days of speculation over Netanyahu's absence and misleading posts suggesting he appeared with "six fingers" in earlier footage. In the video, Netanyahu told Huckabee, "Yes, Mike. Yes, I'm alive," while joking about the ongoing Israeli strikes against Iranian leaders, including Ali Larijani.
Huckabee, in a light-hearted exchange, said US President Donald Trump had sent him to check on Netanyahu's wellbeing. Netanyahu praised the joint US-Israeli efforts against Iran, saying, "We are very proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them and get rid of these lunatics who would like to develop nuclear weapons."
In recent days, conspiracy theories had spread widely online, fueled by social media claims about manipulated footage showing Netanyahu with "six fingers." Earlier, Netanyahu had also released a video at a café, jokingly addressing the rumours while emphasizing his continued commitment.
Most civilians killed in UAE
were South Asians
Almost all the civilians killed in Iranian missile and drone attacks in the United Arab Emirates were from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, with only one victim from outside South Asia.
Authorities in the UAE have released the names of the six civilians killed in the attacks. The list shows that one of them was a Palestinian, while the other five were from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Three of the dead were Pakistani nationals, one was Bangladeshi, one Nepali and one Palestinian. The Bangladeshi victim was identified as Ahmed Ali.
Ali was from Ghaziteka village in Moulvibazar's Barlekha Upazila.
With his death, at least five Bangladeshis are now known to have been killed in the wider Iran war across the Middle East-one in Dubai, one in Bahrain and three in Saudi Arabia.
Citing the UAE Ministry of Defence, Gulf News reported that the country's air defence systems intercepted 10 Iranian ballistic missiles and 45 drones on Tuesday.
The report also said that since the war began on Feb 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran, the UAE has intercepted 314 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,672 drones launched toward the country.
Those injured in the attacks include citizens of the UAE, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Palestine, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon and Afghanistan.
Amid the missile and drone attacks, a UAE military helicopter crashed on Mar 10, killing two armed forces officers.
The UAE Ministry of Defence said the helicopter went down because of a mechanical fault.
Global repercussions of
war 'will hit all': Iran
The repercussions of the war in the Middle East would be felt globally, Iran's top diplomat said on Wednesday, suggesting more Western officials should push back against the conflict.
"Wave of global repercussions has only begun and will hit all - regardless of wealth, faith, or race," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X, accompanied by a copy of the US National Counterterrorism Center director's resignation announcement prompted by the war on Tuesday.
"A rising number of voices - (including) European and U.S. officials - exclaim that the war on Iran is unjust. More members of the international community should follow suit," the post added.
Iran army vows revenge
for security chief's killing
Iranian army chief Amir Hatami threatened on Wednesday to launch a "decisive and regrettable" retaliation for the killing of security chief Ali Larijani in an Israeli air strike.
"Iran's response to the assassination of the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council will be decisive and regrettable," Hatami said in a statement.
The Revolutionary Guards, Iran's powerful military force that is separate from the army, said in a statement Wednesday that it had launched missiles at central Israel "in revenge for the blood of martyr Dr Ali Larijani and his companions".