Saturday, March 14, 2026

BIG Wrap

U.S. military moving Navy, Air Force assets to Middle East

(Al Jazeera Media Network) A United States aircraft carrier strike group is heading toward the Gulf as tensions build with Iran. The US military last staged a major build-up in the Middle East in June – days before striking three Iranian nuclear sites during Israel’s 12-day war with Tehran. This month, US President Donald Trump backed antigovernment protesters in Iran. “Help is on its way,” he told them as the government cracked down. But last week, he...

Former Olympic snowboarder and FBI most wanted Ryan Wedding turns himself in

(CNN) A former Canadian Olympic snowboarder and the largest cocaine distributor in Canada, according to officials, has been arrested and is being placed in US custody. Ryan Wedding was one of FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” fugitives, with a $15-million reward for his capture, after being indicted for allegedly running a criminal enterprise, cocaine trafficking and murder in an operation stretching across the US, Canada, Mexico and Colombia. Mexico’s Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said in a tweet on X that...

Russia targets Ukraine’s energy as trilateral talks loom

(Al Jazeera Media Network) As the presidents of Ukraine, Russia and the United States prepare to hold their first trilateral meeting to end Russia’s war in Ukraine this weekend, almost half of Ukraine is without electricity and heat in sub-zero temperatures, following repeated Russian drone strikes targeting energy infrastructure. The strikes appeared designed to break Ukrainian resistance at the negotiating table on territorial concessions to Russia – the one issue Ukraine and the US said remained unresolved...

Trump’s Board of Peace – what it is and who is joining

(CNN) US President Donald Trump is struggling to attract western allies to his "Board of Peace", but so far he has garnered the support of Middle Eastern monarchs, the man known as Europe’s last dictator and at least one leader wanted for alleged war crimes. Trump has invited dozens of countries to join the board that seeks to resolve global conflicts, but its remit has alarmed several US allies, as has the US leader’s comment that it...

Japan shuts reactor at world’s biggest nuclear plant one day after restart

(Al Jazeera Media Network) The restart of a reactor at the world’s largest nuclear power plant has been suspended in Japan, a day after the process began, said its operator, which also manages the wrecked Fukushima plant. But the reactor remains “stable”. The No 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in north-central Japan – closed since the 2011 Fukushima disaster – reactivated on Wednesday as plant workers started removing neutron-absorbing control rods from the core to start...

Trump drops tariff threat, says U.S. will not take Greenland by force

(Al Jazeera Media Network) United States President Donald Trump has dropped his threat to impose tariffs on European countries opposed to his bid to take control of Greenland and ruled out the use of force to seize the territory, a stunning about-face in a dispute that has brought transatlantic relations to their lowest ebb in decades. Trump said on Wednesday that he would not go ahead with his planned tariffs after he and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte agreed on...

Museveni’s son threatens Bobi Wine after Uganda election

(Al Jazeera Media Network) The son of Uganda’s newly re-elected President Yoweri Museveni has directed death threats at singer-turned-opposition leader Bobi Wine, who has been in hiding since last week’s election, of which he is disputing the results. Uganda’s General Muhoozi Kainerugaba issued the threat on Tuesday just days after Museveni, 81, was declared winner of a seventh term as president in an election declared a “sham” by the opposition over claims of fraudulent votes. In an interview...

Syrian forces hunt for ISIS fugitives after prison break

(CNN) Syrian forces are hunting ISIS fugitives after dozens escaped from a prison in northeastern Syria, the interior ministry said, as the government moves to take territory from Kurdish fighters. Of the 120 who escaped, 81 have been captured, the ministry said Tuesday, adding that “intensive security efforts continue to track down the rest.” Meanwhile, the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a former U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS, accused the U.S.-led coalition of failing to come to...

After Trump reignites trade war over Greenland, Europe weighs ‘bazooka’ response

(New York Times) In a single post on Saturday night, United States President Trump upended months of progress on trade negotiations with an ultimatum that puts Europe on a crash course with the United States — long its close ally and suddenly one of its biggest threats. In the Truth Social post, Trump demanded a deal to buy Greenland, saying that otherwise he would slap tariffs on a group of European nations, first 10 percent...

Syria announces ceasefire agreement with Kurd-led SDF after heavy fighting

(Al Jazeera Media Network) The Syrian government has announced a ceasefire has been agreed with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that will involve the withdrawal of the latter’s forces from areas west of the Euphrates River, according to Syrian state media. Sunday’s deal will also see SDF forces integrate into the Syrian military. The agreement comes after days of fighting between the Syrian government and the SDF in northeastern Syria. The army and the SDF had been...