Saturday 14 March Summer Day in Albania
Summer Day is a pagan festival whose observation and traditions originated in the region around Elbasan, in central Albania.
On the outskirts of the city, a shrine was built to Zana, the goddess of hunting, forests, and nature. The tradition was that Zana would come out of the shrine after her winter hibernation on March 14th.
At the time when the traditions of Summer Day became established, March was the first month of the year. In Romania and some other countries in Eastern Europe, the first day of Spring is celebrated on March 14th. In the sixteenth century, the adoption of the Gregorian calendar added 13 days, moving Summer Day away from March 1st.
A traditional food to eat on Summer day is Ballokume, an Albanian biscuit, originating from the city of Elbasan. It is made from cornflour, eggs, sugar, and sugar mixed in a copper bowl.
Summer Day has been a public holiday in Albania since 2004.
Is Dubai's glossy image under threat? Not everyone thinks so
Dubai is seen as a safe haven by many ambitious expats and holidaymakers – but the Iran war is testing that.
Source link
Dolly Parton makes major announcement about Dollywood after taking time off for health crisis
DOLLY Parton has issued a major announcement about Dollywood after taking time off for a health crisis.
She opened the amusement park, which is located in her native Tennessee, back in 1986 and it hosts nearly three million guests each year.
Now it’s been revealed that Dollywood is officially open for the new 2026 season.
She shared the exciting news on her Instagram feed with a throwback picture of herself standing at her theme park.
The 80-year-old penned: “I look just like the girls next door… if you happen to live next door to an amusement park.
“@dollywood is officially open for the 2026 season!”
READ MORE ON DOLLY PARTON
Fans flocked to the comments section to share their excitement as one said: “Yayy I love Dollywood!!”
Another person commented: “The girl next door who owns an amusement park. Because Dolly showed us, girls can do anything.”
Somebody else enthused: “Can’t wait to go back!!”
Yet another expressed: “The Queen of Tennessee, beautiful Dolly.”
While a fifth added: “Going in August – taking a family vacation and Dollywood is definitely on the itinerary.
This comes after Dolly sparked health concerns last fall when she canceled several performances.
At the beginning of fall in 2025, the Tennessee native announced she was forced to postpone her Las Vegas residency after dealing with a number of “health challenges.”
Dolly’s shows were scheduled for six dates in early December at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Tim McGraw subsequently took her place and the rescheduled shows have been set for September 2026.
In her message to fans, Dolly explained that she couldn’t perform due to doctor’s orders and had to undergo “a few procedures.”
“He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you.
“I love you and thank you for understanding.”
She assured fans that she would be back on stage soon, writing, “And don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet.
After taking some time off, she returned last month as she told her fans some exciting news.
Looking incredible while sitting in a colorful room, Dolly delivered the news that East Tennessee Children’s Hospital was officially becoming Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.
In the video, she explained how she believed every child should grow up healthy and with a fair chance.
She then revealed the hospital’s name change before saying, “I can’t do it all myself,” and asking for people to get involved via her website.
Meanwhile, the caption of the video read: “A new chapter begins.
“East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is proud to share we are becoming Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.
“Inspired by Dolly’s commitment to children, this transformation represents more than a name change, it’s a promise. A promise to bring hope, healing and world-class care to patients and families across our region.
“Together, we’re building a future where every child has the chance to grow, thrive and feel the comfort of compassionate care.
“The same dedicated team. The same trusted care. Now carrying a name that reflects the heart of our mission. Learn more at DollyChildrens.org.”
Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell exits, replaced by Matt Floca
President Trump announced on social media Friday that Richard Grenell, the former ambassador to Germany who Trump appointed as president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts more than a year ago, is stepping down. Grenell will be replaced by Matt Floca, the vice president of facilities operations at the center.
Change has been the only constant at the Kennedy Center since Trump fired the center’s board in early February of last year and had himself appointed chairman. A week later amid mass artist defections that included Shonda Rhimes and Renée Fleming, Trump appointed Grenell, a close ally, as interim executive director, a post Grenell held until now.
“Ric Grenell has done an excellent job in helping to coordinate various elements of the Center during the transition period, and I want to thank him for the outstanding work he has done,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that after an upcoming two-year closure for renovations, the center “will be, at its completion, the finest facility of its kind anywhere in the World!”
News of the center’s imminent closure came as a surprise to employees and arts fans still reeling from Trump’s announcement late last year that the board had voted to rename the venue the Trump-Kennedy Center, which prompted another wave of performance cancellations, including by composer Philip Glass. The Washington National Opera also announced in early January that it would leave the center.
Grenell’s tenure was marked by controversy every step of the way, which Grenell met with combative defiance, often slamming artists that criticized the center’s decisions. He also was known for not granting interviews to press that he deemed unfriendly, instead speaking on the record only to right-leaning news organizations.
The Kennedy Center did not respond to a request for comment on Grenell’s departure.
Delaney Shiring leads El Dorado to Division III state basketball title
SACRAMENTO — Delaney Shiring, a 5-foot-10 senior at El Dorado High, kept delivering clutch baskets when her team needed them most during a nerve-racking second half that enabled the Golden Hawks to win their first state girls’ basketball championship with a 42-40 win over San José Valley Christian in the Division III final on Friday at Golden 1 Center.
“It’s amazing,” said Shiring, who finished with 15 points and six rebounds. “It’s meant to be. Everything is so historic. We bought into those big moments.”
El Dorado (24-14) appeared to have a comfortable nine-point lead midway through the third quarter when Kenedi Nomura, who scored 18 points, helped ignite a Valley Christian rally. A basket by Shiring near the end of the quarter ended a 5-0 Warriors run.
Shiring’s biggest basket came with 47 seconds left for a 41-38 lead. The lead dropped to 41-40 with 38 seconds left on a basket by Anaya Bannarbie. Then Riley Morikawa made one of two free throws with 13.1 seconds left for a two-point advantage. Valley Christian never got off a potential tying shot.
Kennedy Wood of El Dorado focus on making free throw in Division III state final.
(Greg Stein)
“They had some really good defenders,” Shiring said. “I really focus in big moments when the shot matters.”
El Dorado made the Southern Section playoffs as an at-large team before surging in the postseason under coach Matt Raya, winning a Division 4 section title and Division III regional title.
Michigan Gov. Whitmer calls synagogue attack anti-Semitism
March 13 (UPI) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday thanked security personnel for risking their lives to thwart a potentially deadly attack on a temple this week.
Whitmer spoke at a news conference one day after a person drove a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Mich., calling the attack “anti-Semitism at its absolute worst.”
Her comments followed the attack at the temple on Thursday, where more than 100 children were attending school at the time.
“I want to thank Temple Israel’s security personnel — they were selfless in their courage and they saved lives,” Whitmer said. “Let’s be very clear: Yes, this is a place of worship, but at the time that this attack occurred, it was a school. One hundred and four children aged 5 and younger.”
The attacker, according to police, drove through the doors of the temple and down a hallway “with purpose” when a fire started inside the vehicle.
A security guard was hit by the vehicle, but security guards also responded to the driver with gunfire and the driver died.
Temple Israel is one of the largest reform Jewish congregations in the country, Whitmer noted, attracting more than 1,000 people for Friday night Shabbat services.
“Parents bring their children to daycare and school, and it’s a place of peace, unity, light and life,” Whitmer said. “Yesterday’s attack was anti-Semitism. It was hate, plain and simple.”
“We will fight this ancient and rampant evil,” she said.
There has been an uptick in anti-Semitic incidents in recent years and, according to the American Jewish Committee, roughly 70% of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the United States are committed against Jewish people.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event celebrating Women’s History Month in the East Room of the White House on Thursday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week
Welcome to Bunker Talk. This is a weekend open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn’t cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did or whatever else grabs your interest. In other words, it’s an off-topic thread.
This week’s second caption reads:
CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN AIR FORCE STATION, Colo.—Runners participating in the North American Aerospace Defense Command 5k Tunnel Run exit the Cheyenne Mountain Complex through the north portal at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colorado, May 10, 2018. The run was open to all local military personnel, friends and family and was held to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of NORAD and the U.S. Canadian binational NORAD agreement.. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dennis Hoffman)
Also, a reminder:
Prime Directives!
- If you want to talk politics, do so respectfully and know that there’s always somebody that isn’t going to agree with you.
- If you have political differences, hash it out respectfully, stick to the facts, and no childish name-calling or personal attacks of any kind. If you can’t handle yourself in that manner, then please, discuss virtually anything else.
- No drive-by garbage political memes. No conspiracy theory rants. Links to crackpot sites will be axed, too. Trolling and shitposting will not be tolerated. No obsessive behavior about other users. Just don’t interact with folks you don’t like.
- Do not be a sucker and feed trolls! That’s as much on you as on them. Use the mute button if you don’t like what you see.
- So unless you have something of quality to say, know how to treat people with respect, understand that everyone isn’t going to subscribe to your exact same worldview, and have come to terms with the reality that there is no perfect solution when it comes to moderation of a community like this, it’s probably best to just move on.
- Finally, as always, report offenders, please. This doesn’t mean reporting people who don’t share your political views, but we really need your help in this regard.
Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown revealed as one of Hollywood’s highest paid actors with eye-watering earnings
STRANGER Things sensation Millie Bobby Brown is one of the top ten highest-paid Hollywood screen stars — aged just 22.
The Brit actress earned a whopping £19.6million last year, Forbes magazine has revealed.
Her bumper pay makes her the youngest star to grace the business bible’s annual highest-paid actors list.
It comes after Millie’s hit Netflix sci-fi show ended with its fifth and final series last year — becoming one of the streamer’s most-watched shows of all time.
Topping Forbes’ 2025 list is US actor Adam Sandler, 59, known for his comedy roles.
He reportedly made £36.2million last year from producing and starring in Happy Gilmore 2, and co- starring in Netflix comedy drama Jay Kelly.
Tom Cruise, 63, came in second with a £34.7million payday off the back of Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.
Scarlett Johansson, 41, was fourth and the best-paid woman in the industry, raking in some £32.4million.
While Hollywood pay is still huge, the combined earnings of the top 20 actors actually fell from 2024’s £551million — down to £445million.
TOP TEN BEST-PAID HOLLYWOOD STARS
1) Adam Sandler – $48million (£36.2m)
2) Tom Cruise – $46million (£34.7m)
3) Mark Wahlberg – $44million (£33.2m)
4) Scarlett Johansson – $43million (£32.4m)
5) Brad Pitt – $41million (£30.9m)
6) Denzel Washington – $38milion (£28.7m)
=7) Jack Black – $28million (£21.1m)
=7) Jason Momoa – $28million (£21.1m)
9) Daniel Craig – $27million (£20.4m)
10) Millie Bobby Brown – $26million (£19.6m)
Star, Interrupted | Caracas Chronicles
When Maria Corina Machado comes to town, you expect a lot of emotions. This week in Santiago, millennial bros swooned over her. Young women elbowed each other for a selfie. Cops had to contain throngs of people looking for a hug or a kind word.
“Do you think I could take a picture with her?” inquired an anxious teenager. “She made me cry,” said an expressive professional woman. “She gives us all hope,” declared a curmudgeonly older gentleman with a trembling voice.
Mind you, this was the reaction from the Chileans.
Witnessing Maria Corina in action, particularly after her Nobel Prize win, is a sociological phenomenon. It’s not about her. It’s the effect she has on others. After a day tagging along to three different events, I felt I was seeing something very special.
The irony is that these events happened on the same day that the New York Times reported that Trump had asked her not to go back to Venezuela just yet. The most popular figure in the country, the one who can really unite Venezuelans behind a bold new agenda aligned with Washington’s interests … and they want her stored in a cupboard a little longer.
It’s baffling.
First off, the obvious: her political capital remains intact. If anything, it is bigger and more intense, surrounded by the veneer of real accomplishments and international recognition. The effect this political supernova has on Venezuelans, at least in this part of the world, is as strong as ever. Nobody in the country can conjure up this amount of goodwill. Give it up folks – it’s not even close.
But her aura goes beyond Venezuela.
One event hosted by a local university brought together a veritable who’s-who of Chilean society – all the politicians, all the businesspeople, many academics … and me, el marido de Katy, lurking in a corner.
Maria Corina made her entrance with Chile’s new President, José Antonio Kast, and his wife Pía. People enthusiastically applauded Kast – which is natural, since he had been inaugurated the day before, won with 60% of the vote, and let’s face it, this was his crowd.
Until the US realizes what they have, Maria Corina remains an elusive icon, patiently waiting for her time, planning, gaining strength, and keeping hope alive.
But Maria Corina garnered not one, not two, but three standing ovations. Hell, they stood up to applaud her when they announced her name. Kast and all the others were gracious enough to recognize the star power and bask in her aura. María Corina, if anything, seemed a bit embarrassed by it all.
Where does this come from?
It’s easy to reduce Maria Corina’s appeal to her masterful handling of emotions. We all know she talks about families ripped apart, about hugging, about the heroic 2024 campaign. “Mis adorados venezolanos” peppers her speeches.
However, I think it goes beyond that. The key to her connection with people is trust.
As the great Frances Frei explains, trust in leadership depends on three things: empathy, logic, and mastery.
The empathy part we know. Her speeches are tinged with the tragedy that has befallen us all: lost dreams, broken families, violence that belies belief.
Yet it’s in the logic and the mastery that she brings it home.
The way that she frames the Venezuelan drama makes all the logical sense in the world—it’s about good and evil, about criminal networks controlling the State, and about a regime that has sown division. Fifteen years ago, we at Caracas Chronicles used to dismiss this rhetoric as extreme. It was all true, and now we know, and it all makes sense.
And that is where the mastery part comes in. Her speeches also contain a nod to the learning that has happened in Venezuela. People listening seem to know—now—that freedom is worth fighting for, that there is no free lunch, that respect and decency have a place at the table. Expropiar es robar. Indeed.
Her speech, delivered impeccably, with no teleprompter, links these three elements together in a way that makes both the cynic and the true believer nod in agreement.
How on Earth does the US administration not see that this is a rare political asset that needs to be deployed?
Mind you, she wasn’t perfect. At that event, I thought she missed an opportunity to talk about the business opportunities a free Venezuela would have for Chilean companies. In her speeches, she does not effectively address the raging xenophobia many Venezuelans abroad face.
But those are minor things.
Venezuela faces many tough choices in the coming years. Policy decisions will not be easy, and it’s going to take an enormous amount of political skill to see them through. Only someone like Maria Corina can conjure up the trust of the Venezuelan people that can deliver the difficult decisions that lie ahead.
The US has an ally waiting to work on what needs to be done. Nobody in the country has what she has. She is aligned with you. She gave you her damn medal. She’s right there.
Until the US realizes what they have, Maria Corina remains an elusive icon, patiently waiting for her time, planning, gaining strength, and keeping hope alive. You won’t see these kinds of events in Miami or Houston. It’s not part of her plan. They want her to keep a low profile, for now. That’s a shame.
She’s a star. Interrupted.
Wakefield beat Leeds and Wigan overpower Bradford in Challenge Cup
Wakefield Trinity fought back to edge a fiercely-contested West Yorkshire derby with Leeds Rhinos, while Super League leaders Wigan Warriors made short work of Bradford Bulls in round four of the Challenge Cup.
Following a lengthy delay caused by a power failure at the DIY Kitchens Stadium, Wakefield took the lead through Harvey Smith.
Leeds hit back through two tries from in-form Maika Sivo and one from Ash Handley but Oliver Pratt’s score on the stroke of half-time reduced Wakefield’s deficit to two points at the break.
Matty Storton sent the hosts in front and Ky Rodwell went over to make sure of a 24-14 win and confirm Wakefield’s place in the quarter-finals for the second successive season.
Leeds have now failed to reach the last eight since winning the competition in 2020.
Wigan overpowered Bradford at the Brick Community Stadium, scoring first-half tries through Luke Thompson, Zach Eckersley and Liam Marshall.
Adam Keighran added a fourth for Warriors before Ethan Ryan scored Bradford’s only try and debutant Dajon Sambou completed the scoring to round off a 30-6 win for the home side.
USS Tripoli, 2,500 Marines headed to Middle East
The USS Tripoli, right, pictured in February sending fuel to the USS Rafael Peralta in a replenishment-at-sea, is heading to the Middle East near Iran as U.S. military commanders have asked the Pentagon for additional options in the ongoing operation in Iran. Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ryre Arciaga/U.S. Navy
March 13 (UPI) — The USS Tripoli, and the 2,500 Marines on the amphibious assault ship, are headed to the Middle East to bolster U.S. military power there as the war in Iran enters its third week.
The Tripoli, along with Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Group, had been operating in the Philippine Sea but is now headed west south of Taiwan through the Luzon Strait, USNI News reported.
Although the Tripoli had been with the USS San Diego and USS New Orleans in the Philippine Sea, it is not clear if the San Diego and the New Orleans are also being moved closer to Iran.
As Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz to most traffic, and is targeting vessels that transit it, the move comes as U.S. Central Command asked the Pentagon for additional military options in the conflict, Axios reported.
The 31st MEU can conduct ground operations, which have not been announced but have not been ruled out, according to the Trump administration.
The deployment comes as President Donald Trump said he is considering sending U.S. Navy vessels to escort shipping vessels through the strait, the military is planning to take out anti-ship missiles that have been sent by Iran to the area.
CENTCOM is particularly focused on ensuring freedom of navigation in the straight, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine told reporters on Friday, which “means going after Iran’s mine-laying capability and destroying their ability to attack commercial vessels.
Oil prices have surged over the last week after Iran shut down the strait, though Caine noted that some traffic is moving through it.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also said Friday that the military is “dealing with” Iranian attacks on the strait, saying that “we have been dealing with it and don’t need to worry about it.”
Hegseth added that as the military campaign continues and Iran’s military capabilities weaken, the United States has also been taking out Iranian defense companies to prevent the ability to build more weapons.
An Iranian man raises a portrait of new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei during a rally on Revolution Street in Tehran on March 9, 2026. Photo by Hossein Esmaeili/UPI | License Photo
UK travellers warned of ‘high risk of virus transmission’ in one of ‘most beautiful’ holiday locations
A big rise in infections has been detected in a report published today
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said risk of infection for travellers is ‘high’ at the Seychelles(Image: Getty)
Health officials have issued an alert of a ‘high risk’ of being infected with a potentially lethal virus at one of the world’s most beautiful holiday destinations. In an alert issued today (Friday March 13) the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said gthere has been a huge surge in cases in people returning from this hotspot.
It said that since November 2025, more than 110 travel-related cases of chikungunya virus disease have been reported by 13 EU/EEA countries among travellers returning from Seychelles. In a report today it said: “This represents a marked increase compared with
the earlier months of 2025, and no cases have been reported in preceding years. The emergence of chikungunya virus disease in the Seychelles aligns with a broader regional spread throughout the Indian Ocean. Notably, Réunion (France) experienced a major outbreak in 2025.
“According to local health authorities, chikungunya virus has become more prevalent in the Seychelles compared with other circulating arboviruses.”
Approximately 20,000 to 30,000 people from the UK travel to the Seychelles annually, with 19,870 visitors recorded in 2023. The beaches of the Seychelles have been described as being the most beautiful in the world.
The Republic of Seychelles, to give the official name, is an archipelago consisting of 115 separate islands most of which are uninhabited. The islands are set in the western part of the Indian Ocean at a distance of between 480 and 1600 km from the east coast of Africa and to the north of Madagascar. At a latitude of 4 to 10 degrees south of the equator, they form what has been described as a tropical island paradise.
The ECDC report said: “The current likelihood of chikungunya virus infection for travellers to the Seychelles is high. Given that the peak travel period to the Seychelles occurs between February and April, it is important to strengthen communication to travellers and travel medicine clinics regarding the ongoing outbreak and the need for reinforced preventive measures.
“Vaccination of travellers may be considered, based on national recommendations. The likelihood of onward transmission of chikungunya virus in mainland Europe following introduction by a viraemic traveller is currently considered low, as environmental conditions are not favourable for Aedes mosquito activity at this time of year.”
The UK Health Security Agency said: ”In 2024, there were 112 confirmed and probable cases of chikungunya reported among travellers returning to England, Wales and Northern Ireland – nearly one and a half times the number reported in 2023. Travel to India accounted for the majority of these cases, followed by travel to Pakistan and Brazil – all popular destinations for people travelling from the UK.”
It explained Chikungunya spreads through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus species. Mosquitoes breed in natural and human-made sources of standing and stagnant water such blocked gutters and drains, litter, tarpaulins, open buckets, bins, plant pots and discarded items like tyres, and these are a risk factor for transmission if left around human habitation. Unlike malaria-carrying mosquitoes that are active at night, these insects are most active during the day, and particularly at dusk and dawn. This timing makes them troublesome for travellers engaged in daytime activities.
The UKHSA said: “The first symptoms of the disease are usually a high fever and severe joint pain, often more severe in the small joints or where there have been previous injuries. Many patients also experience muscle pain, headaches, sensitivity to light, and distinctive skin rashes. While most people recover fully within 1 to 2 weeks, the joint pain can persist for months or even years in some cases, with up to 12% of patients still experiencing discomfort 3 years after infection.
Serious complications are rare, occurring in approximately one in every 1,000 cases. However, certain groups face higher risks, including young babies, elderly people, and adults with underlying health conditions. Occasional complications affecting the eyes, nervous system, heart, and digestive system have been reported.”
For more information from the UKHSA click here.
Drone Attacks On U.S. From The Sea Are A Known Possibility
The disclosure of an FBI alert warning about the possibility of an Iranian drone attack on targets in California in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes on its territory got a lot of attention earlier this week. The notice described a scenario involving drones launched from a ship off the coast. It has since been confirmed that the alert was based on raw, unverified intelligence, and was sent out of an abundance of caution rather than any fears of an imminent threat. However, this episode has served to highlight what is still a highly plausible mode of attack that TWZ has been drawing direct attention to for years now. The U.S. authorities themselves now regularly highlight growing threats posed by drones, in general, despite continuing to play catch-up in establishing domestic defenses against them.
ABC News first reported on the alert on March 11. The FBI had sent out the notice to members of a Joint Terrorism Task Force last month, ahead of the current conflict in the Middle East. The United States and Israel began launching strikes on Iran on February 28.
The main body of the alert, which the FBI has now released, reads:
“We recently acquired unverified information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran. We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.”
The alert is marked as unclassified, but also as “law enforcement sensitive.” It declares up front that “NOT FOR DISSEMINATION TO THE PUBLIC OR PRESS” and that “THIS MESSAGE CONTATINS [sic] RAW INFORMATON [sic] SUBJECT TO REVISION AND IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ONLY.”
Subsequent reporting from the Los Angeles Times, citing anonymous California law enforcement sources, said that the alert was based on intelligence the U.S. Coast Guard had received.
Additional context
Overall, much still remains unknown about the underlying intelligence behind the FBI’s drone attack alert. For unclear reasons, ABC‘s original report, which has since been updated, also did not note that the warning was the product of unverified intelligence or that it had been sent out as a precautionary measure.
For its part, the FBI had initially declined to comment in response to queries for more information from multiple outlets, including ABC and TWZ. We also reached out to U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), the principal U.S. military command for defense of the homeland, which directed us to contact the FBI. We contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the White House, as well.
“No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a post on X on Wednesday, which also called for a full retraction of ABC‘s piece.
“I am in constant coordination with security and intelligence officials, including at @Cal_OES [California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services], to monitor potential threats to California – including those tied to the conflict in the Middle East,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote in his own post on X on March 11. “While we are not aware of any imminent threats at this time, we remain prepared for any emergency in our state.”
“It’s all-around intelligence collecting, and it’s all about a posture of preparedness for the worst-case scenario,” Gov. Newsom said in response to ABC’s initial reporting, as well, according to The Sacramento Bee. “We have been gaming those out for some time as it relates to, again, what the FBI has been warning of. Again, it’s not a surprise, and it’s sort of a large part of the larger spectrum of considerations that we have as it relates to doing what we can to support our federal partners and local partners at the state level, in terms of what could happen next.”
“Law enforcement sources experienced in intelligence said such alerts are cautionary in nature,” the Los Angeles Times had also reported. “The source is experienced in counter-terrorism and said ‘that it’s not been deemed credible at this time.’ The sources stressed the warning was cautionary and there was no indication Iran was planning an attack or that it could successfully launch one.”
“This is not actionable,” a “California-based federal law enforcement official” separately told CBS News.
“All this means is we got this information and we want to get it out to law enforcement executives to make sure they’re up to speed on it,” a second law enforcement official from California also said, per that outlet. “There is absolutely nothing more to it.”
Generally speaking, there are long-standing concerns that Iran and/or other actors operating on its behalf could seek to launch asymmetric attacks on targets in the United States, as well as elsewhere outside of the Middle East, in retaliation for large-scale strikes. The risks of Iranians deciding to take such action have historically been seen as especially high in any scenario where they might be an existential threat to the regime in Tehran.
Earlier this week, ABC News also reported that U.S. federal authorities had issued another alert to law enforcement agencies after they “intercepted encrypted communications believed to have originated in Iran that may serve as ‘an operational trigger’ for ‘sleeper assets’ outside the country.”
“Although a large-scale physical attack is unlikely, Iran and its proxies probably pose a persistent threat of targeted attacks in the Homeland, and will almost certainly escalate retaliatory actions — or calls to action – if reports of the Ayatollah’s death are confirmed,” the DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis also warned in a threat assessment published on February 28 also said, according to a story last week from Reuters.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump had said “no, I’m not,” when asked about whether he was worried that Iran might attempt to attack targets in the United States in response to ongoing U.S.-Israeli operations, per Reuters.
“It’s being investigated, but you have a lot of things happening, and all we can do is take them as they come,” Trump also said later in the day.
“I have been,” the President added at the time when asked if he had been briefed about Iranian “sleeper cells” in the United States. “We know where most of them are. We’ve got our eye on all them, I think.”
Trump had previously downplayed concerns about attacks on the U.S. homeland in retaliation for the ongoing conflict against Iran in an interview with Time, which was published last week.
“I think they’re worried about that all the time. We think about it all the time. We plan for it,” he said. “But yeah, you know, we expect some things. Like I said, some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die.”
A real threat vector
Regardless, the prospect of a drone attack, launched by the Iranians or other actors, on targets in coastal areas of the United States is very plausible. The threat here is not new, and is something TWZ has been sounding this alarm for years now, especially when it comes to the clear dangers this reality poses to the U.S. homeland.
Long-range one-way attack drones with endurance measured in many hundreds of miles, if not more than a thousand miles, are increasingly a staple in military arsenals globally, and have also been proliferating to larger non-state actors.
Firms in Israel have been and continue to be pioneers in this space. However, Iran and its regional proxies have also emerged as leaders in this domain. Iranian designs have also now become a fixture in Russian attacks on Ukraine and have been cloned in the United States. U.S. Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) kamikaze drones, reverse-engineered from the Iranian Shahed-136, have been launched at Iran in the current conflict.
The Shahed-136 has become a particularly dominant example of this broad category of weapons, due in large part to Russia’s heavy use of variants and derivatives of the design in the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, it represents just one class of one-way attack drone, and there are many other types being produced globally with different capabilities.
In addition to being relatively low-cost, many of these kamikaze drones are very flexible in terms of where and how they can be launched. Iran and the U.S. military have notably demonstrated how Shahed-136-type and other kamikaze drone designs can be readily fired from ships, even smaller ones, and do not require significant deck space to be employed in this way. This also makes it easier to conceal the drones and their launchers before use. A warship with a purpose-built launch system is definitely not required. Even smaller commercial vessels could fire off multiple long-range one-way attack drones.
Iran Navy unveils its first drone division in the Indian Ocean
Once launched, the drones fly relatively low and slow, under the long-range radar horizon, creating complications for defenders. They are also relatively small and can be difficult to spot on radar, as well as by their infrared and acoustic signatures, making them even harder to spot and track. These complexities would be further amplified by a surprise attack launched from anywhere in the massive swaths of ocean ranging out many hundreds of miles from America’s shores.
For years, the U.S. military itself has been highlighting the danger of standoff cruise missile attacks on the homeland launched from ships offshore, potentially including cargo ships and other unassuming civilian vessels. Russia, China, Iran, and the United States have all developed launchers that can fit inside standard shipping containers. Cruise missiles proliferating to non-state actors has also been a major factor dating back two decades.
Cruise missile threats to the homeland from rogue states and actors were a major factor in the U.S. Air Force deciding to install new active electronically-scanned array radars on F-15C Eagles primarily belonging to the Air National Guard. Up until recently, Guard F-15C units were tasked with guarding America’s ocean borders. Today, F-35As share that responsibility. Over a decade later, F-16 Viper fighters charged with the homeland defense mission also began getting AESAs, in part due to the need to better defend against drones and cruise missiles. The F-16 radar upgrade effort has since expanded to hundreds of other jets. This was also the key driver behind the abortive Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) radar blimp program.
So, yes, for many years the military has been very concerned with surprise standoff attacks coming from far off its shores from non-traditional platforms, enough for that threat to drive critical procurement initiatives. And all this was before the long-range one-way attack munition became a primary threat.
“Our potential adversaries have created significant capacity to reach us asymmetrically. Our forward layers, our allies, our partners, our forward combatant commands and geographic commands, have largely kept those threats away from the United States,” U.S. Air Force Col. Kristopher Struve, then Vice Director of Operations for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), said during a virtual roundtable the Missile Defense Advocacy Association (MDAA) hosted back in 2021. “As we look into threats from cyber actors, space threats, as well as kinetic conventional cruise missiles, which have [seen] significant improvement on the part of China and Russia in recent years, those create avenues that can create havoc in the homeland while we are trying to project our power forward to potentially a regional conflict.”
Struve also said at that time that the U.S. homeland was “not a sanctuary any longer” and called for expanded defenses, including new surface-to-air missile batteries, to protect domestic critical infrastructure.
TWZ has noted in the past that the line between traditional cruise missiles and long-range kamikaze drones, as well as decoys, is increasingly blurry. Long-range one-way attack drones are definitely more accessible, and often have greater reach, than most traditional cruise missiles.
“We’re behind. I’ll just be candid. I think we know we’re behind,” Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commander of the U.S. Army’s V Corps, said at a panel discussion at the Association of the U.S. Army’s (AUSA) main annual symposium last year. “We’ve been talking about counter-UAS [uncrewed aerial systems] and UAS capability for a better part of a decade, since, really, we watched the war in Armenia and Azerbaijan [in 2020] go on, and saw very much the beginning of the drone UAS capabilities.”
“We aren’t moving fast enough,” Costanza continued. “And it really took Russia’s invasion of Ukraine [in 2022], and the way they’re innovating, and Ukrainians are innovating, to realize, hey, we need to move fast.”
Vessels sitting off the coast could also be vectors for near-field drone attacks using shorter-ranged types. The barrier to entry is already especially low when it comes to employing weaponized commercial designs, even by non-state actors and lone wolf terrorists, and it only continues to drop. It has been well established at this point that smaller armed uncrewed aerial systems, whether they are purpose-built or improvised in nature, also inherently lend themselves to covert and clandestine employment. Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb’s unprecedented attacks on multiple airbases across Russia last year, as well as Israel’s near-field drone and missile attacks to destroy Iranian air defenses in the opening phases of the 12 Day War last June, are prime examples.
TWZ just highlighted the overall drone threat ecosystem and the dangers it presents this past weekend in the context of Iranian attacks on prized missile defense radars in the Middle East. As we wrote:
“Now, long-range one-way-attack drones, as well as increasingly capable cruise and ballistic missiles, continue to proliferate steadily, including to smaller nation-state armed forces and even non-state actors. An attack could even come from a small drone with a C4 charge launched from a fishing trawler 10 miles away from one of these critical radar installations. The threat of these kinds of near-field attacks has largely been overlooked for years, even as the low-end drone threat has exploded and ‘democratized’ precision-guided weaponry, as they did not fit the established aerial threat matrix and the countermeasures used to repel those threats.“
The potential for shorter-range drone attacks to come from vessels offshore, specifically, is also not simply an academic assessment of the available technology and its accessibility. U.S. authorities at least explored the possibility that a Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier, the M/V Bass Strait, might have been tied to still mysterious drone swarms that harassed U.S. Navy ships off the coast of southern California back in 2019, which TWZ was first to report. Whether the Bass Strait or another nearby ship was the source of the harassment, or when it came from somewhere else, potentially further away, remains unknown, at least publicly.
More recently, authorities in Europe have raised the possibility that Russia has been launching drones for harassment purposes from a ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers it otherwise uses to skirt international sanctions.
It’s also worth noting that Representative Jeff Van Drew, a New Jersey Republican, alleged that there was an “Iranian mothership off the coast of the United States launching … drone incursions” at the height of a rash of reported sightings of uncrewed aerial systems over various parts of the United States in late 2024. The U.S. military categorically denied this assertion at the time, and Van Drew subsequently retracted his claims. That wave of drone sightings blurred the line between hysteria and real national security concerns.
The FBI’s alert about the possibility of an Iranian drone attack also comes at a time when the U.S. government continues to lag behind in establishing counter-drone defenses domestically, despite how long the threat has been apparent. Significant progress has been made under the Trump administration in addressing this threat, including the fielding of new counter-drone capabilities and the reworking of legal and other frameworks to enable their use in a more effective manner. At the same time, much work is still clearly to be done, as was evidenced by a sudden airspace closure over El Paso, Texas, last month and the chaos that ensued. That incident was prompted by the use of a counter-drone system featuring a laser-directed energy weapon, as you can read more about here.
From what is known now, the FBI’s warning about a potential Iranian drone attack on California does not appear to have reflected an imminent cause for concern, and it remains unclear exactly what triggered it. Still, even if this specific threat has not turned out to be credible, the danger of such an attack is certainly well within the realm of possibility.
Contact the author: joe@twz.com
Zendaya recreates iconic Sex and the City moment as she wows in statement white minidress
ZENDAYA grows back in time with a classic floral dress.
The actress, 29, posed in the gown, featuring a gilded hibiscus flower on the shoulder, at an awards bash this week.
Sarah Jessica Parker’s character Carrie Bradshaw strutted in it in 2008’s Sex and The City film.
And Whitney Houston wore a similar dress on a tribute issue of Life magazine in 2012.
Zendaya appeared to confirm she has wed Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland, 29, at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards in LA.
The host asked for “a signal” on whether she should send a wedding gift, prompting Zendaya to show a gold band on her ring finger.
Zendaya’s stylist Law Roach has told how the A-List couple, both 29, have gotten hitched after getting engaged last year.
The singer has now been snapped at a Louis Vuitton fashion show, flaunting what appears to be her “wedding ring.”
She was spotted donning a thin gold band on her ring finger hidden among three huge silver rings.
Zendaya looked incredibly chic, flashing her legs in a white bubble skirt.
The US star wore a long sleeved white shirt with dramatic collars and cuffs and finished the outfit off with a chunky black belt and matching heels.
Her short brunette locks were tightly curled and tucked behind her ears.
Speaking on the red carpet at the Actor Awards earlier this month, Law told Access Hollywood: “The wedding has already happened. You missed it.”
When asked to spill more details by the reporter, the stylist laughed and said: “It’s very true.”
EPA moves to roll back recent limits on ethyene oxide, a carcinogen
The Trump administration on Friday moved to roll back Biden-era limits on emissions of ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing chemical often used in the sterilization of medical devices.
The Environmental Protection Agency said repealing the rules, which fall under the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, would “safeguard the supply of essential medical equipment” — saving approximately $630 million for companies over 20 years. California is home to about a dozen such facilities.
The government said the emissions are part and parcel of protecting people from “lethal or significantly debilitating infections that would result without properly sterilized medical equipment.”
“The Trump EPA is committed to ensuring life-saving medical devices remain available for the critical care of America’s children, elderly, and all patients without unnecessary exposure to communities,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement.
An estimated 50% of sterile medical devices in the U.S. are treated with ethylene oxide, or EtO, particularly those that can’t be cleaned using steam or radiation. The colorless gas is also used to make chemicals found in products such as antifreeze, detergents, plastics and adhesives.
But EtO poses health risks. Short-term exposure by inhalation can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue respiratory irritation and other adverse health effects, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Longer-term exposure increases the risk of cancers of the white blood cells, such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, as well as breast cancer. A now-deleted page from the EPA’s website stated, “EtO is a human carcinogen. It causes cancer in humans.”
Friday’s proposal specifically targets updated rules for EtO emissions that were passed by the Biden administration in 2024 following pressure from environmental justice groups, particularly those in Louisiana’s heavily industrialized “Cancer Alley.” The change sought to reduce the amount of EtO released from commercial sterilizers by 90% and lessen the hazards for nearby communities.
The tighter rules were in part based on EPA’s own scientific study that found it to be 60 times more carcinogenic than previously thought, which the agency now says should be reassessed.
If finalized, the plan would give facilities the choice between installing continuous real-time monitoring systems for EtO emissions or complying with modified pollution control requirements at facilities that emit more than 10 tons a year, the EPA said.
The proposal follows other moves by the Trump administration to rescind regulations that it says are burdensome and costly for industries, such as those governing emissions from coal power plants. Last month, the EPA repealed the endangerment finding, which affirmed the dangers of greenhouse gas emissions and underpinned the agency’s ability to regulate those emissions from vehicles.
The action around ethylene oxide would affect about 90 commercial sterilization facilities owned and operated by approximately 50 companies. Three California companies applied for and received presidential exemptions for their EtO emissions in July.
The Sterigenics facility, center, in Vernon is pictured in 2022.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
They are located in Ontario and Vernon and operated by the company Sterigenics, which provides industrial sterilization technology for medical devices and other commercial products.
In January, a coalition of environmental and community groups challenged the EtO exemptions in federal court. The lawsuit from the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Natural Resources Defense Council argues that technology exists for facilities to comply with the tighter Biden-era standards without raising costs, and many facilities are already using it.
“EPA’s 2024 rule was an important and overdue step to reduce toxic ethylene oxide pollution and protect communities,” said Irena Como, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, in a statement Friday. “Repealing this rule that is proven to significantly lower pollution exposure and cancer risks will subject even more people who work, live, and send their children to schools located near these facilities to harm that is entirely preventable.”
Sterilization and chemical industry groups support the plan.
“The EPA rule concerning ethylene oxide use in commercial sterilizers threatens to severely restrict access to vital medical products nationwide,” the American Chemistry Council said in a statement. “We commend the EPA for their commitment to reevaluating these policies.”
The EPA will hold a 45-day comment period about the proposal after it is published in the federal register. A final decision is expected sometime this year.
Thunder triumph as Dragons' winless run continues
LexisNexis Dragons’ winless run in the Netball Super League continues as they lose to AO Manchester Thunder in round three.
Source link
Judge quashes subpoenas for Fed Chair Jerome Powell
March 13 (UPI) — A federal judge this week quashed subpoenas the Department of Justice had issued to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell because they were issued to pressure him into adjusting interest rates.
Judge James Boasberg redressed the DOJ for the subpoenas, saying that their purpose had nothing to do with a probe about renovations at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C.
The DOJ in January launched a criminal investigation into Powell’s testimony last year about the renovations, which Powell at the time said were “pretexts” to punish him and the Fed after they did not set interest rates at levels demanded by President Donald Trump.
“The Government has produced essentially zero evidence to suspect Chair Powell of a crime; indeed, its justifications are so thin and unsubstantiated that the Court can only conclude that they are pretextual,” Boasberg wrote in the opinion.
The department in January issued grand jury subpoenas in reference to Powell’s comments about the multi-year project to renovate the Fed’s office buildings during his June 2025 testimony before the Senate Banking Committee.
During a tour of the renovations, Powell disputed Trump’s over-estimates of the renovation’s cost, and threatened to sue him for the “horrible and grossly incompetent job” Powell had done on the project.
Overall, however, Trump has repeatedly ripped into and mused about firing Powell, which he cannot do, because the Fed chair has repeatedly said that interest rate changes would be dictated by only the market, rather than the preferences of any one person.
In the opinion, which was unsealed Friday, Boasberg said he blocked the subpoenas because “a mountain of evidence suggests that the Government served these subpoenas on the Board to pressure its Chair into voting for lower interest rates or resigning.”
President Donald Trump speaks during an event celebrating Women’s History Month in the East Room of the White House on Thursday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Trial starts in case of explosives sent to UK and Poland
The parcel plot is one of a wave of sabotage attacks across Europe which officials have linked to Russia.
Source link
Warwick Davis’ mystery lover revealed as woman named ‘Yvette’ who he’s been dating for a year after wife’s tragic death
ACTOR Warwick Davis’s mystery lover is a woman named Yvette who he has been dating for a year.
The star, whose wife Samantha died in 2024, affectionately referred to his new partner as “Sponge” in a speech last year.
Pals said American-born Yvette, who Warwick said had helped him “to laugh and to love again”, was his formal date when he received his OBE from Prince William at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.
The Sun can reveal she also attended the Bafta Film Awards with the Harry Potter star, 56, at London’s Royal Festival Hall last month.
And they were also seen backstage together at a Madness concert in Cornwall last July.
A source told The Sun: “Warwick has been with Yvette for over a year now and they couldn’t be happier.
READ MORE ON WARWICK DAVIS
“She has no interest in being a public figure and — although she has accompanied Warwick to events — Yvette does not court the limelight.
“Yvette is so proud of Warwick and loves to be by his side at events, but she will stand back and allow him to be in the spotlight.
“Yvette is close with his children and they have a lovely life together.
“All anyone wanted was to see Warwick happy and he has that with Yvette.”
Warwick revealed he had started dating again at the Bafta Film Awards in February last year.
After accepting the Bafta Fellowship on stage, he said: “Above all I’d like to dedicate and thank my wonderful wife Sammy, who died almost a year ago.
“Since then life has been pretty tough for me, but thanks to the support of our wonderful children Annabelle and Harrison, I’ve been able to continue working and engaging in life.
“A special mention too should go to Sponge, you know who you are.
“Thank you for showing me that life can still have meaning and helping me to laugh and to love again.”
This week at his investiture, Yvette was spotted in the background with his children while her partner spoke to William.
Warwick, who was born with a rare form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, was named in King Charles’ New Year Honours list.
He was praised for his work supporting people with dwarfism, co-founding the charity Little People UK in 2012 with Samantha.
Meanwhile, the Star Wars actor is to reprise his role as Professor Filius Flitwick in the upcoming Harry Potter TV spin-off.
Leavenworth, Kan., relents and will allow a private prison to reopen and house immigrants
TOPEKA, Kan. — A Kansas town known for its prisons is allowing a shuttered private prison to reopen and house immigrants detained for living in the U.S. illegally after a nearly yearlong legal fight amid a massive national push for new detention centers.
The City Commission in Leavenworth on Tuesday approved a permit to private prison operator CoreCivic. Members voted 4 to 1 to approve a three-year permit with conditions that set minimum staffing levels, ban the housing of minors and provide for a city oversight committee.
“If they don’t follow those guidelines, we can pull the permit,” Mayor Nancy Bauder said before the vote.
The 1,104-bed Midwest Regional Reception Center is 10 miles west of the Kansas City International Airport. CoreCivic, one of the nation’s largest private prison operators, said the center will generate $60 million annually once it’s fully open.
Leavenworth, Kan., sued CoreCivic after it tried to reopen the shuttered prison without city officials signing off on the deal.
The legal battle played out in state and federal courts, with the Department of Justice siding with CoreCivic in legal filings. The department argued that the city was engaged in an “aggressive and unlawful effort” to “interfere with federal immigration enforcement.”
It appears to be the only such legal battle nationally to delay a private prison from opening amid President Trump’s push for mass deportations. The city argued that requiring a permit would prevent future problems, while CoreCivic maintained that it didn’t need a permit and the process would take too long.
Leavenworth was an unlikely foe because the GOP-leaning city’s name alone evokes a shorthand for serving hard time. Prisons employ hundreds of workers locally at two military facilities, the nation’s first federal penitentiary, a Kansas correctional facility and a county jail, all within six miles of City Hall.
CoreCivic stopped housing pretrial detainees for the U.S. Marshals Service in its Leavenworth facility in 2021 after then-President Joe Biden called on the Justice Department to curb the use of private prisons. The American Civil Liberties Union and federal public defenders said inmates’ rights had been violated and there were stabbings, suicides and even one homicide.
The city’s lawsuit described detainees locked in showers as punishment and accused CoreCivic of impeding city police force investigations of sexual assaults and other violent crimes.
Almost four dozen people spoke in opposition to the permit before the commission’s vote. Bauder admonished the crowd several times for being too noisy, and police removed a protester who yelled vulgar comments.
“We, we the people of Leavenworth, are not fooled and we don’t care about their money,” David Benitez, a city resident, told the commission.
Some backers of the permit cited the potential boost to the local economy. Two CoreCivic employees argued for approval, and one of them, Charles Johnson, of Kansas City, Kan., said his job gave him purpose and allowed his family to get off of state assistance.
“The people I work alongside are caring, professional and committed to doing things the right way,” he said, his comments drawing boos from critics outside the commission’s meeting room.
City Commissioner Holly Pittman said because the city “stood firm,” it could negotiate conditions on the permit. She said denying it would risk a potentially expensive lawsuit.
“I will not gamble the financial stability of this city,” she said before voting yes. “Let me be clear: Approval does not mean endorsement.”
Hollingsworth and Hanna write for the Associated Press. Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kan.
Challenge Cup: Wakefield Trinity vs Leeds Rhinos suspended after power cut
Wakefield Trinity’s fourth-round match against Leeds Rhinos in the Challenge Cup is brought to an abrupt halt after a power cut causes the stadium to be plunged into darkness just six minutes into the match.
WATCH LIVE: Challenge Cup: Wakefield v Leeds
Available to UK users only.
21 people arrested for photos and videos of Iran attacks in Dubai
1 of 2 | A damaged building stands in the Dubai International Financial Center. The damage was caused by debris from the interception of an Iranian drone attack in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Friday. Those in the UAE are being warned not to take photos or videos of damage or they could be charged under cybercrime laws. Photo by a stringer/EPA
March 13 (UPI) — Several people, including tourists and influencers, have been arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for possessing, sharing or commenting on digital content that shows attacks or damage from attacks by Iran in the country.
There have been 21 people arrested in the emirate, said advocacy organization Detained in Dubai.
“The charges sound extremely vague but serious on paper. In reality, the alleged conduct could be something as simple as sharing or commenting on a video that is already circulating online,” said Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International.
“Under UAE cybercrime laws, the person who originally posts content can be charged, but so can anyone who reshapes, reposts or comments on it. One video can quickly lead to dozens of people facing criminal charges,” Stirling said.
Penalties can include up to two years in prison, fines ranging from about $5,500 to $55,000, and foreign nationals will face deportation.
“Foreigners need to understand that what may seem like normal social media behavior elsewhere can lead to arrest in the UAE,” Stirling said. “In some circumstances people can find themselves treated as national security suspects before the facts are even clarified.”
One 60-year-old British tourist has been charged under cybercrime laws for allegedly filming Iranian missiles over the city.
“We are in contact with the local authorities following the detention of a British man in the UAE,” the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office told CNN.
The UAE’s ambassador to the United Kingdom told British radio station LBC that the “United Arab Emirates is very safe.”
“The guidelines and regulations are there in the UAE to ensure people’s safety,” he said. He added that people filming could be hit by “falling debris.”
Stirling also said that Qatar has already charged more than 200 people under similar laws since the Iran war began.
The UAE defense ministry said on X Friday that 1,800 drones and missiles have been fired at the UAE since the war with Iran began.
Six people from the Emirates, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh have been killed, and 141 people have suffered mild to moderate injuries.
Iranians attend a funeral for a person killed in recent U.S.-Israel airstrikes at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery on the southern outskirts of Tehran in Iran on March 9, 2026. Photo by Hossein Esmaeili/UPI | License Photo