Sir Keir Starmer had refused to grant the US permission to use the Diego Garcia military base. Continue Reading »

The prime minister said the "UK is fully committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based" on RAF Akrotiri. Continue Reading »

Locals tell BBC Persian they are worried about the availability of groceries and price increases as strikes continue to hit the capital. Continue Reading »

Air travel in the Middle East has been severely disrupted since Saturday, with thousands of flights cancelled. Continue Reading »

Footage verified by the BBC and news agencies shows large explosions in Iran following US and Israel strikes. Continue Reading »

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• Fox-Dominion trial delay 'is not unusual,' judge says • Fox News' defamation battle isn't stopping Trump's election lies Continue Reading »

The judge just announced in court that a settlement has been reached in the historic defamation case between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems. Continue Reading »

A settlement has been reached in Dominion Voting Systems' defamation case against Fox News, the judge for the case announced. The network will pay more than $787 million to Dominion, a lawyer for the company said. Continue Reading »

Commerce Secretary Lutnick "has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily" before the House Oversight Committee, said Chairman James Comer, R-Ky. Continue Reading »

Trump said when the invasion began his objective was to "defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group." Continue Reading »

Blackstone president Jon Gray defended the quality of loans within the firm's flagship private credit fund. Continue Reading »

Apple’s Mac refresh moves the lineup further upmarket, pairing higher prices with faster performance in a push to give customers a reason to upgrade. Continue Reading »

U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have prompted a wave of retaliatory attacks across the Middle East. Continue Reading »

Par Antoine Joubeau avec agences Des chefs d'Églises anglicanes conservatrices se réunissent cette semaine à Abuja, au Nigeria, pour élire leur propre leader spirituel mondial en opposition à Sarah Mullally, première femme nommée à la tête de la communion anglicane. Une démarche sans précédent qui menace de consacrer la rupture au sein de la troisième plus grande dénomination chrétienne mondiale. Des chefs d'Églises anglicanes conservatrices se réunissent cette semaine à Abuja, au Nigeria, pour élire leur propre leader spirituel mondial en opposition à Sarah Mullally, première femme nommée à la tête de la communion anglicane. Une démarche sans précédent qui menace de consacrer la rupture au sein de la troisième plus grande dénomination chrétienne mondiale.Des représentants d'Églises anglicanes conservatrices tiennent une conférence de quatre jours cette semaine à Abuja, au Nigeria. Leur objectif: élire leur propre chef spirituel. Le Conseil mondial des primats de Gafcon, la Conférence mondiale anglicane pour l'avenir (Global Anglican Future Conference), doit désigner un président ... Continue Reading »

Par TV5MONDE Hugo BARBIEUX TV5 JWPlayer Field Les Gardiens de la révolution ont officiellement annoncé la fermeture du très stratégique détroit d'Ormuz, du jamais vu dans l'Histoire. Quelles conséquences ce blocage a-t-il sur l'économie ? Décryptage d'Hugo Barbieux. Continue Reading »

Par TV5MONDE PASCALE BOURGAUX TV5 JWPlayer Field Ali Larijani, secrétaire du Conseil suprême de sécurité nationale, est considéré comme un pilier du pouvoir iranien après la mort de l'ayatollah Ali Khamenei. C'est l'homme avec qui Donald Trump pourrait vouloir négocier une éventuelle transition. Continue Reading »

Par TV5MONDE PASCALE VEYSSET TV5 JWPlayer Field Selon plusieurs médias, des images vérifiées permettent désormais de documenter les lieux exacts ciblés par les bombardements massifs sur l'Iran, dévoilant ainsi une stratégie inédite dans ce conflit. Décryptage de Pascale Veysset. Continue Reading »

Par TV5MONDE Camille Balland TV5 JWPlayer Field Ankara a décidé de suspendre tout passage à la frontière entre l'Iran et la Turquie, alors que des Iraniens tentent de fuir les bombardements. Continue Reading »

A US operations base in Kuwait, hit by an Iranian drone, lacked proper anti-aircraft capabilities or fortifications, CBS News reports Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

An energy supply shortfall due to the Iran war could revive the EU debate on gas imports from Russia, the Norwegian energy minister has said Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Thousands gathered in southern Iran to bury 168 schoolgirls killed in an attack on a school on the first day of the US-Israeli operation Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

The Trump administration is reportedly seeking to purge “woke” narratives from US national parks and museums Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Friedrich Merz says Iran deserves being the target of war because it hasn’t bent the knee to sanctions Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Системы ПВО начали перехват ракет, сообщила пресс-служба ЦАХАЛ Continue Reading »

Также в среду состоятся матчи второго этапа 1/4 финала "пути регионов" "Крылья Советов" - "Оренбург" и "Ростов" - "Динамо" (Махачкала) Continue Reading »

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Ефрейтор Дмитрий Шулаков уничтожил БПЛА противника прицельным огнем с земли Continue Reading »

DAY 4: Iranian Drones and Missiles Challenge Stretched U.S. Forces... (Top headline, 1st story, link) Related stories:Will assault drain interceptor stockpiles?Tehran Strategy: Expand War, Increase Cost, Outlast Trump...$20,000 drones take on $4 million Patriots...Building Where Clerics Gathered To Select New Supreme Leader Leveled...Troops Die in Trailer Hegseth Called 'Fortified'...White House offers shifting rationales for war...Navy will escort tankers through Strait of Hormuz...Era of AI-powered bombing...Britain scrambles warship to Cyprus...Global Economy Facing Profound Shock... Continue Reading »

Will assault drain interceptor stockpiles? (Top headline, 2nd story, link) Related stories:DAY 4: Iranian Drones and Missiles Challenge Stretched U.S. Forces...Tehran Strategy: Expand War, Increase Cost, Outlast Trump...$20,000 drones take on $4 million Patriots...Building Where Clerics Gathered To Select New Supreme Leader Leveled...Troops Die in Trailer Hegseth Called 'Fortified'...White House offers shifting rationales for war...Navy will escort tankers through Strait of Hormuz...Era of AI-powered bombing...Britain scrambles warship to Cyprus...Global Economy Facing Profound Shock... Continue Reading »

Tehran Strategy: Expand War, Increase Cost, Outlast Trump... (Top headline, 3rd story, link) Related stories:DAY 4: Iranian Drones and Missiles Challenge Stretched U.S. Forces...Will assault drain interceptor stockpiles?$20,000 drones take on $4 million Patriots...Building Where Clerics Gathered To Select New Supreme Leader Leveled...Troops Die in Trailer Hegseth Called 'Fortified'...White House offers shifting rationales for war...Navy will escort tankers through Strait of Hormuz...Era of AI-powered bombing...Britain scrambles warship to Cyprus...Global Economy Facing Profound Shock... Continue Reading »

$20,000 drones take on $4 million Patriots... (Top headline, 4th story, link) Related stories:DAY 4: Iranian Drones and Missiles Challenge Stretched U.S. Forces...Will assault drain interceptor stockpiles?Tehran Strategy: Expand War, Increase Cost, Outlast Trump...Building Where Clerics Gathered To Select New Supreme Leader Leveled...Troops Die in Trailer Hegseth Called 'Fortified'...White House offers shifting rationales for war...Navy will escort tankers through Strait of Hormuz...Era of AI-powered bombing...Britain scrambles warship to Cyprus...Global Economy Facing Profound Shock... Continue Reading »

Building Where Clerics Gathered To Select New Supreme Leader Leveled... (Top headline, 5th story, link) Related stories:DAY 4: Iranian Drones and Missiles Challenge Stretched U.S. Forces...Will assault drain interceptor stockpiles?Tehran Strategy: Expand War, Increase Cost, Outlast Trump...$20,000 drones take on $4 million Patriots...Troops Die in Trailer Hegseth Called 'Fortified'...White House offers shifting rationales for war...Navy will escort tankers through Strait of Hormuz...Era of AI-powered bombing...Britain scrambles warship to Cyprus...Global Economy Facing Profound Shock... Continue Reading »

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has allowed the US to use British bases for so-called “defensive strikes” targeting Iran. Continue Reading »

Trump contradicts Rubio by saying US attacked Iran because 'he had a feeling' Tehran would attack Washington first. Continue Reading »

Trump faces challenges as Iran resists negotiations after military escalation and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's killing. Continue Reading »

Iran has been striking more than military targets across the Gulf region, hitting oil and gas facilities. Continue Reading »

Families displaced by Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon have taken refuge in a school in Sidon. Continue Reading »

Sir Keir Starmer had refused to grant the US permission to use the Diego Garcia military base. Continue Reading »

The prime minister said the "UK is fully committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based" on RAF Akrotiri. Continue Reading »

Locals tell BBC Persian they are worried about the availability of groceries and price increases as strikes continue to hit the capital. Continue Reading »

Air travel in the Middle East has been severely disrupted since Saturday, with thousands of flights cancelled. Continue Reading »

Footage verified by the BBC and news agencies shows large explosions in Iran following US and Israel strikes. Continue Reading »

The Islamic Republic is aiming to draw out the conflict and broaden the fighting. That would force President Trump to risk more casualties and more political capital. Continue Reading »

“We’ll see what happens with the people,” President Trump said as he appeared to be distancing himself from the longer-term consequences of the war in Iran. Continue Reading »

In Springfield, Ohio, some Americans have converted their basements and spare bedrooms into shelters for immigrant families who could be targeted in raids. Continue Reading »

Mr. Bovino, who was the face of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns in American cities, was reported to have made disparaging comments in reference to the U.S. attorney in Minnesota, who is an Orthodox Jew. Continue Reading »

The two aides to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer had been on leave during an investigation of misconduct at the department. Continue Reading »

The Chinese upstart says it has trained high-performing AI models cheaply, without using the most advanced chips. Continue Reading »

DeepSeek, SoFi and more in the latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom. Continue Reading »

DeepSeek is called “amazing and impressive” despite working with less-advanced chips. Continue Reading »

The LinkedIn co-founder is starting Manas AI with “The Emperor of All Maladies” author Siddhartha Mukherjee. Continue Reading »

Apps can add flexibility and freshness to your routine. Just try not to get injured. Continue Reading »

Israel allowed displaced Gazans to begin crossing a military zone that bisects the enclave after a deadlock over hostage releases was broken. Continue Reading »

Troubles at Vanke raise questions about the continued spread of the property crisis and whether the Chinese state will step in. Continue Reading »

Some of the women were held alone for extended periods and spent eight months in tunnels, an Israeli medical official said. Continue Reading »

The alliance mounted its first coordinated response to a suspected sabotage campaign against critical infrastructure after another cable was severed in the Baltic Sea. Continue Reading »

Residents of Goma reported gunfire and shelling after rebels overran Congolese troops. U.N. officials estimated that more than one million displaced people were now inside the city. Continue Reading »

For more than 45 years, U.S. presidents have wanted to destroy the radical, anti-American regime in Tehran. They always concluded that the risks of war were too great — until President Donald Trump's all-out attack with Israel early Saturday. Trump said Saturday that the massive airstrikes had killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Few outside Iran will mourn the demise of a man who spent his career shouting: "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" And by this limited definition, Trump's decapitation strategy may have worked. But killing Khamenei, who was aging and infirm, isn't the same thing as regime change. If there's a plan for what's next, I haven't heard any U.S. or Israeli official explain it. Continue Reading »

Events since the US-Israeli attack on Iran on 28th February highlight how for decades both the west and Iran have made a series of miscalculations in handling their relationship with one another. In Iran, the strikes on military infrastructure and on the regime's senior leadership have led to the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and at least 550 civilians, according to the Iranian Red Crescent. Continue Reading »

The Laurel and Hardy negotiating team of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, coupled with Trump's appalling ignorance of world affairs and megalomania, seem set to push the U.S. into yet another debacle in the Middle East, one the Congress has not approved, and the public does not want. The demands imposed on Iran by the Trump White House are no more acceptable to the regime in Tehran than those imposed on Hamas in Gaza under Trump's sham peace plan. Continue Reading »

President Trump has offered various explanations for attacking Iran: the regime's nuclear program, its proxies' history of attacks on U.S. troops, its repression of its people. He offered a different set of explanations for attacking Venezuela: its suspected role in drug smuggling, and what he called its theft of "our" oil. He's also provided justifications for wanting to acquire Greenland, reassert influence over the Panama Canal and even annex Canada. These rationales share a theme: The United States should be free to remove foreign leaders and dominate foreign lands without regard to national sovereignty and the conventions of international law. "My own morality. My own mind. It's the only thing that can stop me," Mr. Trump told The Times. Continue Reading »

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the state is taking "seriously" the possibility of the Austin shooting being terrorist activity, and that it may have been a sleeper cell operation linked to the war with Iran. At least three people died and 14 were hospitalized when a gunman opened fire outside a bar in Austin, Texas, in the early hours of Sunday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it was probing a potential link to terrorism and, on Monday, Abbott said the state of Texas is "taking seriously the possibility of terrorist activity," adding that "you could have either sleeper cells or lone wolfs acting." Continue Reading »

The Supreme Court sided with parents Monday in a legal fight over California's requirement public school teachers keep gender transitions secret from the students' parents. In a per curiam decision — one unsigned but issued by the court — the majority of the justices said the parents are likely to prevail on their arguments that California's rule interferes with the parents' religious rights. Under a school district policy and later a state law, teachers were required to keep a student's gender transition in their classrooms, including the use of different names and pronouns, from parents. The justices' Monday order also noted that the parents have a viable claim that the law violated their due process rights. Continue Reading »

As President Donald Trump himself might put it: Many people are asking if he is going for regime change in Iran. The massive U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign in the country might suggest a simple "yes," and that's what many Iranians want to hear after decades of tyranny under the clerics in Tehran. But as I've followed what Trump is doing and saying about Iran, I've come to realize he might be willing to eliminate the top ranks of a regime but still not remove it. Zoom out further — to Venezuela, Cuba and even Trump's first term pressure on Iran — and there's lots of evidence that Trump is eager to embrace novel ways of remaking a government he doesn't like. Continue Reading »

Persian Gulf nations targeted by Iran have, so far, managed to limit the damage by deploying sophisticated U.S.-made air defenses against the hundreds of drones and missiles that have rained on their cities. With costly interceptors and radar, all integrated with the U.S. military, the oil-rich Gulf Arab states have fielded some of the most advanced air defenses in the world, despite their small populations and militaries. A crucial variable in this war, however, is whether these monarchies start running out of interceptors before the Iranian regime runs out of projectiles. At current burn rates, it could be very soon. Continue Reading »

Bill and Hillary Clinton were questioned privately about their connections to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted child predator from New York. This has been part of the Democrats' final effort to remove Trump from office, but it's unlikely to succeed. In fact, the people who seem to be losing their jobs are Democratic Party allies, including Larry Summers and Obama's former White House Counsel, as their names appear in the released files. The House Oversight Committee has shared several clips from the deposition, in which former President Bill Clinton stated he has no knowledge of Trump being involved with Epstein's illegal sexual activities and operations. Continue Reading »

The use of a chemical irritant by U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Greg Bovino is among 17 instances of "potential unlawful behavior" by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge currently being investigated for criminal charges, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Monday. At a news conference on March 2, Moriarty announced the creation of the Transparency and Accountability Project [TAP], which will give citizens the ability to submit to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office any evidence of behavior by federal agents that might have been unlawful. The project will be staffed by county prosecutors and a civilian investigator and is already investigating 17 incidents by federal agents. That includes Bovino, who for several weeks served as the face of Operation Metro Surge for the Trump administration before being removed and replaced by White House border czar Tom Homan following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents. Continue Reading »

A Minnesota prosecutor announced an investigation Monday that may lead to charges against federal officers, including Border Patrol official Greg Bovino, for misconduct during an immigration enforcement crackdown. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a news conference that her office is already looking into 17 cases, including one where Bovino threw a smoke canister at protesters on Jan. 21. Another on Jan. 7 involved federal officers making an arrest outside a high school and deploying chemical irritants while students and staff were in the area. "Make no mistake, we are not afraid of the legal fight, and we are committed to doing this correctly," Moriarty said. "Operation Metro Surge caused immeasurable harm to our community." The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement, responded in a statement Monday night that such enforcement is a federal responsibility and states cannot prosecute federal officers. Continue Reading »

A Minnesota prosecutor on Monday said her office is investigating the "potentially ​unlawful behavior" of federal agents during a crackdown earlier this year on undocumented immigrants that met widespread resistance and ‌in which agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, sparking nationwide outrage. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, whose jurisdiction includes Minneapolis, said at a press conference that her office had created a portal that would allow the public to send in videos and other evidence of incidents they witnessed in which they think ​Gregory Bovino, who once called himself the "commander at large" of the U.S. Border Patrol, and other federal agents committed a ​crime. "We will investigate and pursue charging where appropriate, and we'll seek collaboration with local law enforcement wherever ⁠and whenever needed," Moriarty said. "Make no mistake, we are not afraid of any legal fight." Continue Reading »

Tucker Carlson reportedly sought to talk President Trump out of going to war with Iran, The New York Times reported Monday. In a lengthy piece that outlined how Trump, at the urging of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, decided to launch military action against Iran, the newspaper reported that Carlson met with the president three times in the Oval Office over the past month to argue why he should not do so. Continue Reading »

Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation are set to face trial on Tuesday over U.S. claims that ​the entertainment conglomerate dominated live event markets in ways that ‌hurt artists, venues and fans. The jury trial in Manhattan is emblematic of a bipartisan push to tackle affordability through antitrust crackdowns. The case was filed in 2024, ​during the Biden administration, and is being brought to ​trial by the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition, ⁠including the majority of U.S. states. Continue Reading »

The death toll from a missile strike on a girls' school in southern Iran has risen to 165, according to state media. The IRNA news agency also cited a local prosecutor as saying that 96 people had been wounded in Saturday's strike in Minab. The strike on school appears to be the worst mass casualty event of the US-Israeli-led bombing campaign on Iran so far. Continue Reading »

The U.S. military said on Monday that six U.S. service members have been killed so far in Iran operations since the U.S. and Israel launched a striking campaign against the Islamic Republic. American forces recovered the remains of two service members from a facility that was hit during Iran's "initial attacks" in the region, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said Monday afternoon on social platform X. Continue Reading »

The border. Health care. The Trump administration. Christianity. During early voting for primaries in Texas and North Carolina, politically engaged locals weighed in on those and other top issues in interviews with The Epoch Times. Continue Reading »

ABC's "The View" is under Federal Communications Commission (FCC) review after Chairman Brendan Carr said the long-running talk show faces an "uphill climb" in proving it qualifies as a legitimate news program. "The View" is at the center of an investigation by the FCC over the agency's equal-time rules, which prevent media from favoring certain political candidates. The investigation follows increased FCC scrutiny of political segments on entertainment programs. Continue Reading »

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh was attacked by two drones, according to initial estimates, resulting in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building, a Saudi Defense Ministry spokesperson said. The big picture: Tehran has launched a wave of counterattacks following weekend airstrikes by American and Israeli forces on Iran, firing missiles at Middle Eastern countries that are allied with the U.S. into Tuesday morning — as the U.S. and Israel continued to target Iran. Continue Reading »

The Trump administration on Monday abandoned its defense of the president's executive orders sanctioning several law firms, punctuating a year of turmoil that rocked the legal industry and forced its leaders to choose between taking on the White House or capitulating. In a court filing, the Justice Department said it was dropping its appeals of four trial-court rulings that struck down Trump's actions against law firms Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, Perkins Coie, and Susman Godfrey. The move came just days before the Justice Department's opening brief was due in an appeal of the four cases, which were consolidated before a federal court in Washington. Continue Reading »

Kalshi, Polymarket Face Trading Halt In Nevada After Court Rulings Authored by Zoltan Vardai via CoinTelegraph.com, Two US federal court rulings have increased the risk that Nevada regulators may seek to halt prediction-market trading in the state after a judge sent a dispute involving Polymarket’s parent company Blockratize and Kalshi back to state court in two separate rulings. A federal judge rejected arguments that US regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) fully preempts state gaming laws for prediction markets, according to a Monday order. The judge found that the CEA’s savings clause does not completely displace state authority and that the companies had not shown a basis to block Nevada’s action at this stage. The decision means the Nevada Gaming Control Board can continue pursuing its civil enforcement case in state court, where it could seek an injunction restricting Nevada residents from accessing event contracts offered by Polymarket or Kalshi. Court filing in the case of Nevada vs. prediction markets. Source: Courtlistener.com In response to the ruling, Polymarket’s parent company submitted a motion to request a brief administrative stay of the court’s remand order, the filing shows. The motion is ... Continue Reading »

Blackstone Launching Public Vehicle for Data Center Acquisitions Amid overwhelming redemptions in other funds, Blackstone is preparing a publicly traded acquisition company dedicated to data centers, opening the door for “mom and pop" to jump into the AI boom, just as the market is panicking over who will find the trillions in data center spending over the next several years Bloomberg reported that the vehicle’s focus is on already-built and leased facilities, allowing rapid deployment amid surging hyperscaler demand. The new entity will initially raise capital from sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors before broadening access, with plans to gather tens of billions overall. This structure positions the vehicle as a direct player alongside REITs such as Digital Realty and Equinix, while leveraging Blackstone’s established scale in the sector. Blackstone has emerged as the world’s largest data center owner following its 2021 privatization of QTS Realty Trust in a deal valued at roughly $10 billion. Since then, QTS’s leased capacity has expanded 14-fold. Blackstone Chief Executive Officer Steve Schwarzman said the “historic pace of investment” to develop AI is the “key driver of economic growth today and is creating an enormous need for ... Continue Reading »

Trump Accepts White House Correspondents' Dinner Invitation For First Time Authored by Kimberley Hayek via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will attend the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner for the first time as president, after declining to attend during his initial term in office due to his view that the majority of the media is unfairly biased against him. The president also did not attend in 2025, the first year of his second presidential term. “The White House Correspondents Association has asked me, very nicely, to be the Honoree at this year’s Dinner, a long and storied tradition since it began in 1924, under then President Calvin Coolidge,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “In honor of our Nation’s 250th Birthday, and the fact that these ‘Correspondents’ now admit that I am truly one of the Greatest Presidents in the History of our Country, the G.O.A.T., according to many, it will be my Honor to accept their invitation, and work to make it the GREATEST, HOTTEST, and MOST SPECTACULAR DINNER, OF ANY KIND, EVER!” Trump criticized the press and its coverage of him in ... Continue Reading »

Voters Head To Polls In First 2026 Primary Election: What To Know Authored by Joseph Lord via The Epoch Times, Today, voters in Texas and North Carolina will cast their ballots in the first major contested primary elections of the 2026 midterm elections. The elections in the two states have high stakes for the control of Congress in 2027. The Texas Senate primaries for both parties have become some of the most closely watched in the nation, as Democrats vie for an upset victory over the GOP nominee in the general election. In North Carolina, meanwhile, Republican candidates are facing off for their party’s nominations in a district redrawn to favor the GOP. Here’s what to know. Texas Republican Primary While both parties are investing substantial resources and attention toward the race to be the Lone Star state’s next senator, Republicans enter the race with a strong advantage after President Donald Trump won the state by more than 14 points in 2024. The incumbent in the race, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), is facing one of the toughest primary challenges of his career from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) is also seeking the Republican ... Continue Reading »

'If Iran Had Nukes, They Would've Used It,' Trump Amid Regional War Spiral, Oil Disruptions Here are the most critical developments unfolding in the US-Iran conflict:  Trump tries to articular war justification: says if we have a little high oil prices, could be for a little while, but they will drop, and could even be below the levels before, but that he 'had to' act or else Iran would have 'used nukes'. Claims Israel didn't force America's hand. Admits leadership vacuum. US mulls offering military protection to ships in the Strait of Hormuz  The Pentagon has released Operation Epic Fury's objectives; 1- Demilitarization of Iran: destruction of its missile forces, production facilities, and naval fleet 2- Elimination of the terrorist regime 3- Protection of the United States from current and future threats 4-  Ensuring that Iran does not possess nuclear weapons UAE mulling joining US-Israel attack on Iran, and the Saudis too, to stop Iranian missile and drone strikes on their countries. The American Embassy in Riyadh has been hit in another drone attack, with WSJ reporting it was struck twice Tuesday, resulting in damage to the roof. More embassies across region are shuttering, including ... Continue Reading »

Drone Strikes On Amazon Data Centers In Middle East Reveal Urgent Need To Defend AI For the first time in modern warfare, Iranian kamikaze drones struck commercial data centers in the Middle East operated by Amazon. This marks a major escalation in the targeting of civilian digital infrastructure. Amazon wrote on its website that three Middle East data centers were hit by Iranian drones, causing widespread outages at Amazon Web Services facilities tied to the "ongoing conflict in the Middle East." "These strikes have caused structural damage, disrupted power delivery to our infrastructure, and in some cases required fire suppression activities that resulted in additional water damage," the company said in a post on Monday on AWS's health dashboard.  Operations in the Middle East remain "significantly impaired," AWS said, noting that "customers are experiencing elevated error rates and degraded availability for services." The entire 'bomb the data center' incident led us to write a note on Monday morning titled, "Modern Warfare Sees First Drone Strike on a Commercial Data Center." This marks a first in a world where Morgan Stanley's Vishwanath Tirupattur recently forecasted that $3 trillion in global data center spending ... Continue Reading »

Zelensky Warns Iran War Could Starve Ukraine Of Critical US Arms This isn't the first time the world's attention has shifted away from the Ukraine war, but it certainly marks the biggest other conflict to erupt throughout the four-year long war in Eastern Europe. Every time there is a 'distraction' - President Zelensky takes pains to try and refocus attention on Kiev's plight, quite naturally. At a moment the depth of American arms supplies and ammo stockpiles are in question given the rate of expenditure in the new Iran war, the Ukrainians are rather nervous to say the least. Zelensky has freshly warned that deeper US involvement in the conflict with Iran could disrupt the steady flow of American weapons that Ukraine depends on in its war against Russia. Of course, Ukraine was issuing desperate pleas for more arms and ammo even long before Trump's Operation Epic Fury kicked off. via Reuters On slowed arms flows, he said as quoted in WSJ: “We understand that a long war–if it is long–and the intensity of the military actions will affect the amount of air defense we receive," Zelensky told reporters on Monday, according to audio of his ... Continue Reading »

Oil Tumbles As Trump Considers Insurance Aid For Tankers The price of crude instantly tumbled on Tuesday after the Trump administration is reportedly considering providing, or assisting in obtaining insurance for oil tankers crossing through the strait of Hormuz.  According to Reuters, "U.S. President Donald Trump will review policy options on Tuesday aimed at controlling energy prices following recent attacks linked to Iran, including a proposal to help oil tankers transiting conflict zones to obtain insurance, according to two sources familiar with the matter."  Ships have been frozen on either side of the strait after insurers instituted "war policies" that wouldn't pay out.  Supertanker costs in the Middle East have hit ​all-time highs, according to shipping data and industry sources on Tuesday, as the U.S.-Iran conflict intensifies with Tehran attacking ships passing through the ‌Strait of Hormuz. The immediate reaction was a plunge in crude prices... And as we suggested earlier today... Looks like the admin reads us https://t.co/HiUI9Lovqq pic.twitter.com/R0REjCQhhi — zerohedge (@zerohedge) March 3, 2026 The news comes after the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that the strait of Hormuz is closed and that Iran would target any ship trying to pass through.  Carter Doctrine meets Trump Doctrine? If President Trump were ... Continue Reading »

"I'd Be Angry, Too": Jamie Dimon Says Trump Debanking Suit Has No Merit, Then Rails Debanking Practices JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said Monday that Donald Trump’s $5 billion lawsuit over the closure of his accounts “has no merit,” but added, “They have the right to be angry. I’d be angry, too.” Trump claims JPMorgan and other banks shut his accounts for political reasons, according to CNBC. Dimon said banks are often “forced” to debank clients due to legal and regulatory pressures tied to reputational risk. “We debank people because it causes legal, regulatory risk for us,” he said, noting it’s easier for banks to avoid that risk. Trump sued JPMorgan and Dimon in January, part of a broader legal campaign that also includes claims against Capital One, media outlets, and the IRS. JPMorgan has acknowledged closing dozens of Trump-related accounts after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. “But I agree with them,” Dimon said during an interview in Miami. “Like, why is a bank allowed to do that?” CNBC writes that though no single law mandates dropping clients over reputational concerns, regulations make serving certain customers risky. The case puts Dimon in a ... Continue Reading »

More Bark Than Bite: Kaine's War Powers Resolution Is An 'Imminent' Failure Authored by Jonathan Turley, We now have a glimpse of the War Powers Resolution promised by Sen. Tim Kaine (D., Va.), which is reportedly scheduled for a vote in the Senate today or Wednesday. The resolution purportedly ends all combat operations against Iran … until you reach the very end where there is a hole that you could drive a combat task force through. I respect members asserting their inherent constitutional authority. I have long criticized the lack of declarations of war as demanded by the Framers. We have not had a formal declaration of war since World War II. However, courts and Congress have long deferred to presidents in the conduct of such operations. I represented congressional members challenging the Libyan war operation launched by President Barack Obama. Most Democratic members were entirely silent when Obama (and President Joe Biden) exercised such authority against different countries. Notably, the Libyan operation clearly sought regime change without an imminent threat to the United States. Some of those members are now the loudest condemning President Donald Trump in this operation. This resolution shows ... Continue Reading »

OpenAI Rewrites 'Sloppy' Pentagon AI Deal After Backlash Over Surveillance Risks OpenAI - which millions of users trust with everything from legal documents to tax returns - is revising its newly signed contract with the US Department of War, just days after it was announced that they would replace Anthropic for use in government systems because the rushed rollout "looked opportunistic and sloppy."  Hours after negotiations collapsed between the Pentagon and rival startup Anthropic on Friday, the San Francisco-based company agreed to supply its AI models for use in classified military operations. The breakdown followed talks with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over how the government could deploy advanced AI tools. OpenAI initially described its agreement as containing "more guardrails than any previous agreement for classified AI deployments, including Anthropic’s." But on Monday, CEO Sam Altman said the company was working with the department to add explicit contractual language barring the intentional use of its systems for domestic surveillance of U.S. persons or nationals. "The AI system shall not be intentionally used for domestic surveillance of US persons and nationals," Altman said the revised terms would state, adding that intelligence agencies such as the National ... Continue Reading »

Regime Change Will Not Be Easy: Tehran's Goal Is To Survive By Any Means Necessary By Molly Schwartz, cross-asset macro strategist at Rabobank My Circus! My Monkeys! Europe was hit with the first strike to its energy supply chain after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and had to start diversifying its inflows from elsewhere. Now that Middle Eastern LNG is losing reliability, Europe might have to get involved just to keep the lights on. While the EU and UK would probably be more than happy to spectate from the proverbial “monitoring chair,” they may not have a choice. TTF prices reached highs of - €48.95/MWh yesterday—the highest since February of 2025- and are up more than 20% today.  QatarEnergy announced that it has ceased production of LNG and associated products due to the recent escalation. Our Energy Strategists, Florence Schmit and Joe DeLaura, note that we could see prices return to 2022 levels should Qatar be taken out of the LNG equation entirely (easily back to €100/MWh). Read more here. This puts the entire European energy complex at risk and might be just the incentive needed for Europe to get out of the monitoring ... Continue Reading »

China Panics, Urges Ceasefire To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz As Beijing Is Addicted To Cheap Iranian Crude Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at Tuesday's regular press briefing in Beijing that all parties in the Iran conflict must ensure the safe transit of commercial shipping through the critical maritime energy chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz. "China urges all parties to immediately cease military operations, avoid escalating tensions, and safeguard the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," spokeswoman Ning said. We've briefed readers that China is heavily exposed to cheap Iranian crude exports. About 80% of Iran's oil exports - about 1.6 million barrels per day - go to China. While prices are fungible, the biggest loser from a Hormuz closure in terms of actual physical oil is China which is the main destination of the 13.1mm barrels of oil that passes through the Strait every day https://t.co/FwWVsHiwpZ pic.twitter.com/ozXwXpo2El — zerohedge (@zerohedge) March 1, 2026 This means Beijing will do everything in its power to preserve this lifeline and remove any blockage in Hormuz. And this.  Chinese officials have reportedly been pressing Iran not to disrupt tanker traffic, damage Qatari gas exports, or ... Continue Reading »

US B-2 Bombers Belatedly Authorized To Use British Bases To Hit Deep Inside Iran In the modern era Britain has always been America's junior partner when it comes to launching Middle East wars, and so in the opening days of Trump's Operation Epic Fury targeting Iran, there was anger in Washington as the Starmer government appeared to waffle and was fence sitting. However by Monday and Tuesday, the United Kingdom is as expected now aligning directly with Washington, having belatedly authorized the use of British military bases to support American operations targeting Iran's missile capabilities. Illustrative file image: Google Earth/Reddit Prime Minister Keir Starmer approved the request after a 24-hour legal review, granting Washington access to UK bases for what he called a "specific and limited defensive purpose." "The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles," Starmer said in a social media statement. "The U.S. has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose. We have taken the decision to accept this request." The bases will likely be used for ... Continue Reading »

"From Orderly Selloff, To Panic": Stocks, Bonds Plunge As Oil, Dollar Soar On Iran War US equity futures are down sharply, along with all global markets, as the Iran war expands and escalates (attack on US embassy in Saudi Arabia; uncertainty over duration of Strait of Hormuz closure; targeting non-military infra / businesses) rattling markets and sending oil and the dollar surging. Global bonds also plunge on fears that Trump’s “whatever it takes” vow on Iran will fuel energy prices and inflation. As of 8:00am ET, S&P futures are down 1.4%, off session lows, as market odds for Fed rate cuts in the coming months slide on the spike in oil prices; Nasdaq futures tumble 1.9% with all Mag 7 names lower. Pre-market, only Energy and Aero/Def are up in absolute terms while healthcare and staples outperfom. European and Asian equity benchmarks headed for their worst two-day drop since April. While yesterday dip-buyers helped US stocks close little changed, they may have their work cut out for them today.  WTI crude trades above $75, Brent touching $85 for the first time since 2024, and European gas futures up 70% over the last two days; after ... Continue Reading »

Supreme Court Sides With Parents Over Kids' Gender Disclosure In California Golden State groomers were dealt a devastating blow on Monday after the Supreme Court sided with parents challenging school policies in California that restrict when educators may disclose changes to a student’s name or pronouns, handing parental rights advocates an early but significant victory in a closely watched culture-war dispute. In an unsigned 'shadow docket' order, the justices restored a lower court’s injunction blocking enforcement of policies that prevent teachers from informing parents when their child socially transitions at school. The Court said the parents are likely to succeed on their claim that the policies violate their First Amendment right to freely exercise their religion. “The parents who assert a free exercise claim have sincere religious beliefs about sex and gender, and they feel a religious obligation to raise their children in accordance with those beliefs,” the Court wrote. “California’s policies violate those beliefs.” The decision does not definitively resolve the constitutional question. Instead, it reinstates a preliminary order issued by a federal district judge while the case proceeds through the appellate process. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, joined by Chief Justice ... Continue Reading »

Iran Expands Strikes On Gulf Energy Infrastructure As More Oil Hubs Hit One day after a reported Iranian drone strike forced Saudi Arabia's largest oil refinery offline, with high-resolution post-strike satellite imagery showing visible damage, multiple reports on Tuesday morning suggest additional energy infrastructure in two Gulf states has also been targeted in suspected Iranian drone attacks. Bloomberg reports that "falling debris" from an intercepted drone sparked a major fire at the United Arab Emirates' major oil-trading hub of Fujairah. The Fujairah Media Office wrote on X that civil defense units are suppressing the fire at the energy facility, while operations at the storage terminal and an oil refinery were suspended one day earlier. 🇦🇪 A major fire broke out at Fujairah port, UAE, one of the world’s largest oil storage facilities, following an Iranian drone strike on an oil depot. pic.twitter.com/Jsx4jG39na — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 3, 2026 Fujairah is a major storage, blending, trading, and ship-refueling hub on the Gulf of Oman, near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz but outside the Persian Gulf. This makes it a partial bypass route if Hormuz is threatened. The energy hub hosts the Abu Dhabi ... Continue Reading »

European Commission Wants Your Free Speech. X Is In The Way Authored by Adina Portau via RealClearPolitics.ocm, Last week, Elon Musk’s X launched a landmark legal challenge against a $140 million fine issued by the European Commission last December under the Digital Services Act, an EU censorship law. The case was filed at the General Court of the EU, which hears high-stakes challenges to EU regulatory and enforcement actions. The commission claims the fine, the first to be issued under the DSA, was for alleged transparency and procedural breaches, all of which X denies. But the real reason the company was targeted is clear: X is a free speech platform, and Elon Musk refuses to implement online censorship in the EU and around the world. This case, which ADF International is proud to support, concretizes the severe threat to free speech posed by the DSA. The EU law, which came into force in 2024, requires “very large online platforms,” like X, Meta, and Google (platforms with more than 45 million users per month), which operate or are accessible in the EU, to remove so-called “illegal content.” “Illegal content” is defined in line with a plethora of anti-free speech legislation across EU countries, such as ... Continue Reading »

'DEPART NOW': US Tells Citizens To Flee Middle East, But Most Airspace Closed As Iran's response to Israeli and US warfare causes havoc across the Middle East, the US government is urging its citizens to immediately evacuate if they're in any of 14 countries in the region --something far easier said than done.  "The [State Department] urges Americans to DEPART NOW...using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks," wrote Assistant Secretary of State Mora Namdar on X. Nearly the entire Middle East has been deemed too dangerous to stay in: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE and Yemen. Namdar encouraged those who are abroad and need assistance to call the State Department at +1-202-501-4444, and to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which promises to deliver "the latest messages and updates from your nearest US Embassy or Consulate."   A plume of smoke rises above a UAE airport after an Iranian strike on March 1 (from AP video) For Americans in the region, four words in the State Department warning are certain to cause resentment: "using available commercial transportation." ... Continue Reading »

Persian Gulf Goes Dark For Container Shipping And There's No Detour Left By Stuart Chris of FreightWaves Ocean lines flee Strait of Hormuz as Iran targets Persian Gulf ports While tanker vessels came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz, container lines were suspending operations to Persian Gulf ports following the joint Israel-U.S. attack on Iran. Media reports said ports in the United Arab Emirates and Dubai’s port of Jebel Ali were hit by Iranian missiles, and that Tehran had attacked at least three tankers in the strait. A fire began at Jebel Ali after an incoming drone was intercepted.  While the strait has not been officially closed, several liner operators suspended operations to the Persian Gulf, and ordered their vessels to seek shelter. Hormuz is the gateway for Persian Gulf energy transport, with about 20% of the world’s crude oil supply passing through its waters. While futures prices ticked up late Sunday, analysts note that 80% of Iran’s oil is sold to China, so it’s unclear what the extended effect could be on global markets. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre, which monitors maritime security in the Middle East and Indian Ocean region, ... Continue Reading »