“Bitcoin, ether, and other major cryptocurrencies posted gains on Sunday as strong ETF inflows and bitcoin’s role as a macro hedge pushed the market into a ‘solid relief bounce’ amid persisting geopolitical tensions. According to The Block’s crypto price page, bitcoin rose 2.5% in the past day to trade at $72,806 as of 9:57 p.m. ET on Sunday. The world’s largest cryptocurrency saw a volatile session, climbing above $73,300 earlier in the day before falling to around $70,500. Altcoins mirrored bitcoin’s gains.” (03/15/26)
“Formula 1 has canceled races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia scheduled for April, as the ongoing war between Iran and the U.S. and Israel disrupts international sports throughout the Middle East. … The grands prix, marquee events at the top of the F1 calendar, were scheduled to be the fourth and fifth races of the season, which kicked off during the first weekend of March in Melbourne. Last year, both were won by Australian driver Oscar Piastri, who rode a strong start in the campaign to a third-place finish in the F1 season standings. Iran targeted both Gulf countries in the early days of the conflict in a retaliatory campaign that saw Tehran take shots at Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus and Israel.” (03/14/26)
“Trinidad and Tobago’s government has received House of Representatives approval to extend a state of emergency for three months, as the twin-island Caribbean nation struggles with a high level of crime. The two motions to extend the measure, which grants the government additional powers, including to make arrests and conduct searches without warrants, were approved in a 26-12 vote late Friday. There were no abstentions. Trinidad and Tobago has spent roughly 10 of the last 14 months under an emergency.” (03/14/26)
“Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said he has temporarily left the country after two months in hiding in the wake of a presidential election in January that kept long‑time leader Yoweri Museveni in office. Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, disputed the outcome of that contest, alleging fraud, and had been in hiding since fleeing his home in Uganda’s capital Kampala. In a five-minute video message posted on X on Saturday, Wine said he had left the country for ‘critical engagements outside Uganda,’ without specifying where he was or what the engagements were. ‘At the right time I will come back and continue with the cause,’ he said. The pop star‑turned‑politician has said his campaign was constrained by security forces blocking his rallies and arresting his supporters.” (03/15/26)
“A libertarian activist from Orlando with a history of volunteering with the Libertarian Party of Florida is being held in federal immigration custody and facing possible deportation to Egypt, according to details shared with Independent Political Report. A friend of Aly who has remained in contact with him during his detention told IPR on Friday that Izzy Aly, also known as Islam Mahmoud Aly, was [abducted] by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on December 22 after arriving at a U.S. airport following a trip to Egypt, where he had traveled to settle matters related to his late father’s estate. … Aly, an Egyptian national who resides in the Orlando area, has been active for several years in libertarian political circles, including by attending meetings of the Libertarian Party of Florida to support the party’s activities.” (03/14/26)
“Ten months after taking office, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday finally moved into his apartments in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, a historic papal residence that his predecessor had eschewed. … Leo, the first U..S pope, decided to move into the apartments in the wake of his May 8, 2025, election as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. But after being abandoned under the late Pope Francis, who chose a more modest dwelling elsewhere in the Vatican, they required extensive renovation. During the interim, the 70-year-old Leo continued staying at the Palace of the Holy Office, near the Vatican, where he had lived as a cardinal.” (03/14/26)
“A slow-moving storm is battering Hawaii with heavy rain, flash flooding and damaging winds, knocking out power for more than 100,000 Hawaiian Electric customers, including parts of Waikiki. Some streets are also underwater.” (03/14/26)
“President Donald Trump’s political action committee this week sent a fundraising email promising donors ‘private national security briefings’ by the president himself and featuring a photo from the dignified transfer for U.S. service members killed in Kuwait. ‘For the first time ever, I’m opening up spots on the National Security Briefing Membership,’ reads the email, from Trump’s Never Surrender Inc. PAC. … The email includes a black-and-white version of an official photo taken by the White House showing the president in a white ‘USA’ baseball cap saluting a transfer case during the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on March 7. … The White House and the Pentagon did not respond to MS NOW’s request for comment on the fundraising email pegged to the Iran war and what the offers of ‘national security briefings’ would entail.” (03/14/26)
“The University of Florida (UF) has moved to deactivate its chapter of the College Republicans following allegations of antisemitic conduct by some members. The action was prompted by a request from the Florida Federation of College Republicans (FFCR), though the UF chapter asserts it operates independently under the umbrella of the College Republicans of America. … However, the UF College Republicans chapter disputes the FFCR’s authority over its operations. They claim to be affiliated with the College Republicans of America and have retained legal counsel, alleging that the FFCR has previously attempted to silence Christian conservative groups on campus through similar tactics.” (03/15/26)
“North Korea on Saturday fired about 10 ballistic missiles toward the eastern sea, South Korea’s military said, staging its own show of force as the rival South conducts a joint military exercise with the United States. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from an area near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, but didn’t immediately say how far they flew. Japan’s Defense Ministry said the weapons landed in waters outside the country’s exclusive economic zone. The South’s Joint Chiefs said the military has stepped up surveillance and is maintaining readiness against possible additional launches while closely sharing information with the U.S. and Japan.” (03/14/26)
