Iranian forces targeted a United States military installation in Bahrain early Friday in what Tehran described as retaliation for an American strike on Iranian territory, marking Iran’s first direct attempt to hit a U.S. military facility in a Gulf state in over two months.

United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that American air defenses intercepted and destroyed two Iranian one-way attack drones launched toward Bahrain, reporting no casualties or structural damage.

The statement directly refuted claims by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which asserted via state-affiliated media that its aerospace forces had successfully struck and destroyed an American early-warning radar system on the island, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, in response to an alleged aerial attack on a telecommunications tower in the southern Iranian port town of Sirik.

The strike signals a sharp escalation following a two-month pause in Iranian attacks on Gulf bases since early September, during which Tehran had largely concentrated on disrupting commercial maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

Maritime intelligence data indicates that vessel attacks in the strategic waterway reached a conflict high of 37 incidents in October, with at least 14 additional attacks recorded so far in November.

Despite ongoing disruptions, the International Energy Agency noted that global oil supplies are showing tentative signs of rebalancing as Middle Eastern crude exports recover faster than global demand.

The renewed military friction coincides with collapsing diplomatic prospects between Washington and Tehran. Just one day prior to the drone launch, U.S. President Donald Trump declared on social media that Washington no longer required a negotiated settlement with Iran and instructed Vice President JD Vance, who had been leading diplomatic outreach, to shift his focus entirely toward domestic issues.

“We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed! We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!” Trump posted on Truth Social, referencing frozen Iranian assets and U.S. naval control over the Persian Gulf chokepoint.

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Sweden has returned 39 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, 129 years after British forces looted thousands of cultural artefacts from the Benin Kingdom during the 1897 invasion.

The artefacts were formally handed over to Nigeria at a ceremony in Lagos on Thursday, November 12, by representatives of Sweden’s National Museums of World Culture. They will be received by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM).

According to The Art Newspaper, the objects were among thousands taken by British troops who attacked and burned the Benin Kingdom before incorporating it into the British Empire.

The returned collection includes cultural objects known as Emwin Arre. However, six of the 39 artefacts will remain in Sweden under a 10-year loan arrangement.

Michael Barrett, curator for Africa at Sweden’s National Museums of World Culture, described the return as an important step towards addressing the colonial-era looting of cultural property.

The restitution adds to ongoing efforts to recover Benin artefacts held by foreign institutions. The Netherlands returned 119 objects to Nigeria in 2025, while Germany handed over 20 Benin Bronzes in 2022.

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The Malaysian police officer whose hand was severed by a Nigerian national has undergone a successful surgery to have his hand reattached.

Doctors at Kuala Lumpur Hospital successfully reattached the right hand of 26-year-old Lance Corporal Thierry Rodger anak Fendy after it was severed at the wrist in a Parang attack in Desa Amanpuri, Kepong, yesterday, November 11.

Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said today, November 12, that the complex replantation surgery on Lance Corporal Thierry Rodger anak Fendy took eight hours.

The New Straits Times, citing an unnamed source, reported that the emergency operation was completed at 8.40am today, November 12.

Police said last night that officers, firefighters and Health Ministry personnel went to the Kepong residence following a report at about 4pm yesterday about a man behaving aggressively.

According to police and videos seen online, the suspect attacked the responding personnel with two machetes when the door was opened, severing the officer’s hand and injuring his head and body, while several firefighters and health personnel sustained minor injuries.

The suspect fled before being located near a playground at about 8pm, where he allegedly attacked officers attempting to arrest him, prompting police to fire several shots.

Police said the suspect passed away while being taken to hospital, while the injured officer was initially treated at Selayang Hospital before being transferred to HKL for surgery.

The suspect who attacked the police officer has been identified as Nigerian national, Osondu Chika Wisdom.

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