“Authorities in the UAE say [a] ‘drone-related incident’ sparked fire near Dubai airport while another drone attack has also been reported at Fujairah’s industrial area. US and Israeli forces have continued to bombard Iran, hitting cities including Tehran, Hamadan and Isfahan, as Iranian counterattacks continue, with damage reported in several Israeli cities. … Several Israeli media outlets are reporting that at least one Iranian missile has struck central Israel, although it remains unclear if the impact was from shrapnel or a direct strike. … Israel maintains very strict military censorship regarding information about the damage caused by missiles, particularly at strategic and military sites.” (03/16/26)
“Russia said on Monday that Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Moscow with about 250 drones over the weekend, and that wave after wave of long-range drones had been shot down by air defences on their way to the city. ‘Over the past two days, air defense forces have destroyed about 250 enemy UAVs directly on the approach to Moscow and on the second line towards Moscow,’ Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram. The war in Ukraine and now the Iran war have showcased the effectiveness of relatively cheap drones that can attack far-off targets ranging from oil infrastructure to major population centres at a fraction of the cost of a fighter jet.” (03/16/26)
“Brian Doherty, a longtime Reason senior editor and the leading historian of the libertarian movement, was found dead Friday morning after a fall the night before in Battery Yates park along the San Francisco Bay. He was 57. Doherty, who began working at Reason in 1994, was the author of six books, most notably the definitive 2007 study, Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement.” (03/14/26)
“Israeli police have killed two young Palestinian brothers and their parents in the occupied West Bank, shooting all four in the head and face as the family returned from a Ramadan shopping trip. Mohammed, five, Othman, seven, who was blind and had special needs, their mother, Waad Bani Odeh, 35, and father, Ali Bani Odeh, 37, were driving through their home town of Tamoun late on Saturday when Israeli forces opened fire. … The Bani Odeh family were killed just hours after Israeli [squatters] shot and killed Amir Moatasem Odeh, 28, in Qusra south of Nablus. The attackers also stabbed his father, Moatasem Awda, who was taken to hospital in serious condition.” (03/15/26)
“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)
