POLITICS & POLICY

Jerusalem — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed swirling online conspiracy theories claiming he had been killed in an Iranian strike, releasing a lighthearted video Sunday in which he orders coffee at a cafe and jokingly addresses the rumors.

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman has emerged as one of the most prominent voices scrutinizing the ongoing U.S.-led military campaign against Iran, warning that President Donald Trump's administration lacks a viable strategy to conclude the conflict and rebuild stability in the region.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared Sunday that the United States is "not ready for a deal" with Iran, hours after U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated airstrikes on military and nuclear facilities in Isfahan, escalating a conflict that has claimed hundreds of lives and raised fears of a broader regional war.

Zayed International Airport (AUH) in Abu Dhabi remains open and operational as of March 15, 2026, but continues to function under a significantly reduced schedule due to ongoing regional airspace restrictions tied to escalating Middle East tensions involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.

DALLAS — A man identified by law enforcement as a former member of the security detail for U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) was shot and killed by Dallas SWAT officers late Wednesday night following a tense barricade situation in a hospital parking garage.

NEW DELHI — Laura Loomer, the polarizing far-right activist and close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, found herself at the center of a diplomatic and social media firestorm this week during a high-profile visit to India.

ROME — Italy's Constitutional Court on March 12, 2026, rejected major constitutional challenges to the 2025 citizenship reform, confirming that strict generational limits on citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis) remain in force.

Italy's Constitutional Court on March 13, 2026, upheld the 2025 law restricting citizenship by descent, confirming that millions of people with distant Italian ancestry no longer qualify for automatic recognition.

A new Emerson College Polling survey released March 11, 2026, shows Democratic U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell emerging as the frontrunner in California's nonpartisan primary for governor, capturing 17% support among likely voters just three months before the June 2 election.

Tehran — Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued his first public statement Thursday, vowing to maintain the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as leverage against enemies and warning that attacks on U.S. military bases in the region would continue, as the war with the United States and Israel entered its 13th day.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Zayed International Airport (AUH), the primary international gateway to Abu Dhabi, remains partially open and operational as of March 11, 2026, following widespread disruptions triggered by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Israeli airstrikes targeted fuel storage facilities in and around Tehran late Saturday, March 7, 2026, igniting massive fires at oil depots and marking the first direct attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure since the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran began on February 28.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender" on Friday as U.S. and Israeli forces continued airstrikes on Iranian targets, escalating rhetoric in a conflict that has entered its second week and claimed over 1,300 civilian lives

The future of Corey Lewandowski, the controversial senior advisor to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), remains in flux following President Donald Trump's decision this week to remove Kristi Noem as the agency's secretary.

The Middle East has entered its most perilous week in modern history as the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, codenamed "Operation Roaring Lion" by Jerusalem and "Operation Epic Fury" by Washington, entered its eighth day on Saturday, March 7, 2026.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric in the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran on Friday, declaring there would be "no deal" to end the war without Tehran's "unconditional surrender," as airstrikes and missile exchanges intensified into the seventh day of hostilities.

Zayed International Airport (AUH), the main gateway to the United Arab Emirates capital, is partially operational as of March 6, 2026, following several days of significant disruptions tied to escalating regional tensions in the Middle East.

Australia has had 31 different prime ministers. We list 10 interesting trivia about some of the men who were privileged enough to hold the position.

Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world's busiest hub for international passengers, has partially resumed flight operations as of March 5, 2026, following days of near-total suspension triggered by escalating regional security tensions involving U.S., Israeli and Iranian military actions.

Zayed International Airport (AUH), the main gateway to Abu Dhabi and hub for Etihad Airways, has resumed limited flight operations as of March 5, 2026, following several days of widespread disruptions caused by escalating regional security developments in the Middle East.

A U.S. Navy submarine fired a torpedo that sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday night, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday, marking the first sinking of an enemy combatant vessel by an American submarine since World War II and dramatically widening the naval dimension of the ongoing U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran.

Song Ping, a veteran Chinese Communist revolutionary whose nine-decade career bridged the founding of the People's Republic and its modern era, died Wednesday at age 108, state media reported.

CAIRO — Cairo International Airport (CAI) continues to operate normally despite widespread aviation turmoil across the Middle East triggered by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran, authorities and flight tracking data confirmed Wednesday.

The 2026 midterm election cycle kicked off Tuesday with primaries in Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas, delivering dramatic results in key Senate races and signaling voter preferences ahead of November's battle for congressional control.

An Israeli Air Force F-35I "Adir" stealth fighter jet shot down an Iranian Air Force Yakovlev Yak-130 combat trainer over the skies of Tehran on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces announced, marking the first confirmed air-to-air kill of a manned aircraft by an F-35 and the Israeli military's first fighter-on-fighter engagement in nearly four decades.

Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world's busiest hub for international passengers, remains partially operational as of March 4, 2026, with only a restricted number of flights permitted amid ongoing airspace closures and security concerns stemming from the escalating Middle East conflict involving U.S., Israeli and Iranian military actions.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — King Khalid International Airport (RUH), Saudi Arabia's busiest aviation gateway and a key hub for Saudia and other carriers, continues to operate normally as of March 4, 2026, despite widespread flight suspensions, delays and cancellations triggered by escalating Middle East tensions following U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Zayed International Airport (AUH), the primary gateway to Abu Dhabi and a major hub for Etihad Airways, remains partially operational as of March 4, 2026, but with severe restrictions due to ongoing regional security developments tied to escalating conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

AUSTIN, Texas — Incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn narrowly edged Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate on March 3, 2026, setting up a bruising May 26 runoff, while state Rep. James Talarico secured the Democratic nomination outright in a contest that highlighted deep intraparty divisions and record spending.