POLITICS & POLICY

WASHINGTON — Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation Tuesday, becoming the first senior official in the Trump administration to step down in protest over the ongoing U.S. military involvement in Iran.

LONDON — Oil prices held firmly above $100 a barrel on March 16, 2026, as the ongoing U.S.-Israel war with Iran entered its third week, with Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continuing to choke global supply lines despite President Donald Trump's repeated demands for international help to reopen the vital waterway.

TEHRAN, Iran — Unconfirmed reports circulating in international media on March 16, 2026, allege that Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was secretly transported to Moscow for medical treatment, including surgery on leg injuries reportedly sustained during recent airstrikes.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world's busiest hub for international passenger traffic, was temporarily closed early Monday, March 16, 2026, following a drone-related incident that ignited a fire at a nearby fuel tank, but authorities have since announced a gradual resumption of flights as safety assessments continue.

The U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran stretched into its third week Monday, March 16, 2026, with fresh airstrikes pounding the western city of Hamadan and Iranian forces launching retaliatory missiles toward Israel, as President Donald Trump pressed reluctant allies to help secure the vital Strait of Hormuz amid soaring oil prices and fears of broader escalation.

ROME — Billionaire tech investor and longtime Donald Trump ally Peter Thiel launched a private, invitation-only lecture series in Rome this week exploring the concept of the Antichrist, drawing sharp criticism from Catholic commentators, questions in Italy's parliament and renewed focus on his blend of religious philosophy, technology and conservative politics.

Kevin Hassett, the veteran economist and current Director of the White House National Economic Council, has emerged as one of President Donald Trump's most visible economic voices in 2026, frequently defending administration policies amid escalating global tensions and domestic debates over tariffs, spending and growth forecasts.

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.