作者： root

US detects drones over base where Rubio, Hegseth live, Washington Post reports

March 19, 2026 / Reuters

March 18 (Reuters) – U.S. officials detected unidentified drones above an army base in ​Washington where Secretary of State Marco ‌Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth live, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing three people ​briefed on the situation.

The officials have ​not determined where the drones came ⁠from, the report said, citing two of ​the people.

The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here.

The drones over Fort McNair prompted ​officials to weigh relocating Rubio and Hegseth, the report said.

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However, the secretaries have not moved, the report ​added, citing a senior administration official.

The ​newspaper said the U.S. military was monitoring potential threats ‌more ⁠closely because of the heightened alert level over the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.

Reuters could not independently verify the report ​immediately.

The Pentagon ​and the ⁠U.S. State Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Chief Pentagon ​spokesperson Sean Parnell declined to ​discuss ⁠the drones with the Washington Post.

“The department cannot comment on the secretary’s (Hegseth’s) movements for security ⁠reasons, ​and reporting on such ​movements is grossly irresponsible,” he told the Post.

Reporting by ​Angela Christy in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

House Democrats walk out of tense briefing with Bondi over Epstein files, calling it a “fake hearing”

March 18, 2026 / 11:56 PM EDT / CBS News

A group of House Democrats walked out of a closed-door briefing with Attorney General Pam Bondi on the Jeffrey Epstein probe late Wednesday, as tensions over the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein case continue to simmer.

The faceoff took place one day after the chair of the House Oversight Committee, Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, subpoenaed Bondi to testify about Epstein next month.

Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche went to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to meet with members of the panel. Less than an hour later, Democrats left the room.

The committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, told reporters that Bondi did not commit to honoring the panel’s subpoena. He called Wednesday’s session a “fake hearing,” adding that Bondi wasn’t under oath and did not give an opening statement.

“It’s outrageous, it’s infuriating and it continues this White House coverup of the Epstein files,” Garcia said. “We’re not going to take that anymore.”

Another Democrat, Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida, called it a “fake deposition where no one can see what’s going on,” noting the lack of C-SPAN cameras for the closed-door meeting.

Comer, meanwhile, suggested the walkout was “premeditated” and part of a “political game.”

“They came out, clutching their pearls, complaining that she wasn’t answering questions,” he said. “The first three people to ask questions, all they did was complain.”

At one point during the hearing, there was a verbal argument between Comer and Democratic Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, both lawmakers acknowledged.

Lee told reporters she asked Comer if he will compel Bondi to comply with the subpoena and initiate proceedings to hold her in contempt of Congress if she doesn’t show up, and, “instead of answering as an adult, he said that I was ‘bitching.’”

Comer confirmed that interaction, saying Lee “was just complaining about the format.”

He later wrote on X: “I said Democrats were bitching and wasting everyone’s time because Democrats were bitching and wasting everyone’s time.”

Asked whether she will comply with the subpoena, Bondi said after the briefing that she “made it crystal clear, I will follow the law” — a response that Garcia called inadequate. Bondi also criticized Democrats’ walkout.

“One congresswoman screamed: ‘C-SPAN wasn’t in there, so she didn’t want to ask questions.’ Yet all day long, they’ve been on social media saying they had all these questions,” Bondi said.

CBS News has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.

The incident underscored how caustic the Epstein issue has become. The Justice Department has faced years of intense questions over its handling of the disgraced financier, who avoided federal charges for child sex crimes until 2019, when he was indicted for sex trafficking but died by suicide in jail — drawing public fascination and conspiracy theories.

The department has released millions of government files on Epstein in recent months — spanning multiple federal investigations into him and his convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell — after Congress passed a law late last year requiring it to publish its files on Epstein.

Members of both parties have criticized the Justice Department’s handling of the files’ release, arguing that some files were inappropriately withheld or excessively redacted. Some sexual abuse survivors also say their personal information was exposed. The department has defended its release process, saying that hundreds of lawyers pored through the files to check for survivors’ names and have taken documents down when there are redaction mistakes.

Democrats have accused Bondi of engaging in a “cover up.”

“We want her under oath because we don’t trust her,” Frost said Wednesday evening.

Comer said that Republicans are committed to carrying out a serious investigation and want to work with the Justice Department to get answers.

“Does it look like a cover up?” he said. “The attorney general, Blanche and all the top brass at the DOJ [were] in here to answer questions, and yet, they don’t ask a single question.”

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/bondi-subpoenaed-to-testify-before-house-committee-over-epstein-files/

西方官员：解放军密切审视美对伊作战能力 吸取实战教训

2026年3月19日 09:49 / 联合早报

中东战事进入第三周，图为3月14日，海湾酋长国富查伊拉一处能源设施处升起浓烟，似乎是针对海湾石油设施的最新一次袭击。就在数小时前，美国刚对伊朗哈尔格岛实施打击。 （法新社）

据知情的西方官员透露，中国评估美伊冲突正让印太地区的战略平衡向中方倾斜，解放军也密切审视美国对伊朗的作战能力，以从中吸取实战教训。

彭博社星期四（3月19日）引述上述官员报道，北京很可能正密切关注美军在伊朗冲突中的表现，从中获取的“极有价值”的信息，几乎肯定会被纳入针对台海潜在冲突的战术预案。

因话题敏感，这些官员要求匿名。中国国防部未回应彭博社的置评请求。

这些官员指出，虽然中国仍在推演中东局势造成的经济和外交后果，但中国很可能乐见美国将注意力和资源从印太地区调往中东。

据悉，美国五角大楼将部分军事力量从亚洲调往伊朗这一举动，是解放军能从美伊冲突中获益的实质性原因。

此外，美国近日从日韩等亚洲盟友处调兵支援中东，美国在印太地区的防线拉响“真空”警报。上述官员透露，中国也乐见美国弹药库在与伊朗冲突的头三周内被迅速消耗。

伊朗总统强烈谴责美以袭击伊能源基础设施 | 联合早报

发布/2026年3月19日 11:53

这张由伊朗总统府提供的照片显示，1月31日，伊朗总统佩泽希齐扬（左）在已故最高领袖霍梅尼的孙子哈桑·霍梅尼和内阁成员的陪同下，参观位于德黑兰的霍梅尼陵墓。 （法新社）

这张由伊朗总统府提供的照片显示，1月31日，伊朗总统佩泽希齐扬（左）在已故最高领袖霍梅尼的孙子哈桑·霍梅尼和内阁成员的陪同下，参观位于德黑兰的霍梅尼陵墓。 （法新社）

伊朗总统佩泽希齐扬在社交媒体上发文，强烈谴责美国和以色列袭击伊朗能源基础设施。

佩泽希齐扬星期三（3月18日）说，这种侵略行径对美国和以色列及其支持者来说毫无益处，只会使局势更加复杂，并可能造成无法控制的后果，其影响甚至可能波及全球。

法新社引述伊朗国家电视台的报道称，位于阿萨卢耶（Asaluyeh）南帕尔斯经济特区（South Pars Special Economic Zone）的天然气设施部分遭到“美国-犹太复国主义敌人发射的炮弹”袭击。

以色列军方没有回应有关该指控的置评请求，而美国方面说，华盛顿方面知晓此事，但并未参与袭击。

新华社引述伊朗媒体18日的报道说，伊朗布什尔省南帕尔斯和阿萨卢耶部分石油化工设施遭美国和以色列袭击。伊朗国家天然气公司18日发表声明说，袭击造成南帕尔斯气田部分设施受损，无人员伤亡。袭击引发的大火目前已扑灭，天然气生产还在进行。

同一天，伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军司令坦格西里在社交媒体发文说，与美国相关的石油设施将与美国军事基地处于同一级别，它们将遭受猛烈攻击。

伊朗总统强烈谴责美以袭击伊能源基础设施

2026年3月19日 11:53 / 联合早报

这张由伊朗总统府提供的照片显示，1月31日，伊朗总统佩泽希齐扬（左）在已故最高领袖霍梅尼的孙子哈桑·霍梅尼和内阁成员的陪同下，参观位于德黑兰的霍梅尼陵墓。 （法新社）

伊朗总统佩泽希齐扬在社交媒体上发文，强烈谴责美国和以色列袭击伊朗能源基础设施。

佩泽希齐扬星期三（3月18日）说，这种侵略行径对美国和以色列及其支持者来说毫无益处，只会使局势更加复杂，并可能造成无法控制的后果，其影响甚至可能波及全球。

法新社引述伊朗国家电视台的报道称，位于阿萨卢耶（Asaluyeh）南帕尔斯经济特区（South Pars Special Economic Zone）的天然气设施部分遭到“美国-犹太复国主义敌人发射的炮弹”袭击。

以色列军方没有回应有关该指控的置评请求，而美国方面说，华盛顿方面知晓此事，但并未参与袭击。

新华社引述伊朗媒体18日的报道说，伊朗布什尔省南帕尔斯和阿萨卢耶部分石油化工设施遭美国和以色列袭击。伊朗国家天然气公司18日发表声明说，袭击造成南帕尔斯气田部分设施受损，无人员伤亡。袭击引发的大火目前已扑灭，天然气生产还在进行。

同一天，伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军司令坦格西里在社交媒体发文说，与美国相关的石油设施将与美国军事基地处于同一级别，它们将遭受猛烈攻击。

Tulsi Gabbard refuses to confirm Iran posed imminent threat to US | Fox News

By Morgan Phillips | Fox News
Published March 18, 2026 6:38pm EDT

Pressed repeatedly on whether intelligence supported claims of an imminent threat, DNI Tulsi Gabbard refuses to give a direct answer while Ratcliffe asserts Iran remained an immediate danger.

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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declined to say whether intelligence showed that Iran posed an “imminent threat” to the U.S. prior to the launch of recent offensive operations, as President Donald Trump repeatedly has asserted.

“Was it the assessment of the intelligence community that there was an ‘imminent nuclear threat’ posed by the Iranian regime? Yes or no?” Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., asked Gabbard during the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual worldwide threats hearing Wednesday.

“The only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president,” Gabbard said.

TRUMP RESURFACES OLD TWEET FROM INTEL OFFICIAL WHO RESIGNED

The White House has repeatedly argued Iran’s nuclear stockpiles and ballistic missile capacity pose an imminent threat to the U.S.

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said March 1.

Ossoff pressed Gabbard further Wednesday: “Was it the intelligence community’s assessment … there was an ‘imminent nuclear threat’? Yes or no?”

“It is not the intelligence community’s responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,” Gabbard said.

Gabbard highlighted the impact of U.S. operations in Iran.

“The IC assesses that Operation Epic Fury is advancing fundamental change in the region,” she said. Iran’s “conventional military power projection capabilities have largely been destroyed, leaving limited options. Iran’s strategic position has been significantly degraded.”

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.(Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Her refusal to directly answer comes one day after Trump’s director at the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, resigned after publicly stating he did not believe Iran posed an imminent threat.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe struck a more assertive tone at the hearing.

“Is there anything to indicate that Iran had ceased in its nuclear ambitions or in its desire to continue to build ballistic missiles capable of threatening American troops and allies in the Middle East?” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked him.

“No. In fact, the intelligence reflects the contrary,” Ratcliffe said.

“So you disagree with Mr. Kent?” Cornyn asked.

“I do,” Ratcliffe said.

TRUMP BIDS GOODBYE TO INTEL OFFICIAL WHO RESIGNED OVER IRAN: ‘GOOD THING THAT HE’S OUT’

“I think Iran has been a constant threat to the United States for an extended period of time and posed an immediate threat at this time,” he later added.

Top administration officials have argued that Iran was building up its missile stockpiles to a point where foreign powers could no longer effectively intervene.

Iran is not believed to currently possess missiles capable of reaching the U.S. homeland, but Trump has said the Islamic Republic is working toward that capability.

“They attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing long range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could soon reach the American homeland,” Trump said.

The Defense Intelligence Agency said in May 2025 that Iran could develop a long-range missile capable of reaching the U.S. by 2035. Russia, China and North Korea, some of Iran’s closest allies, already possess intercontinental ballistic missiles.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe asserted that U.S. intelligence asserts Iran has not ceased nuclear ambitions.(Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Iran possessed roughly 441 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% as of mid-2025, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Enough, if further enriched to weapons-grade levels, to fuel multiple nuclear weapons.

Experts estimate that final enrichment to 90% could take weeks under ideal conditions. However, producing a functional nuclear weapon would require additional steps, including weaponization and delivery system development, which could take months or longer.

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, rose to national prominence in part for her opposition to U.S. military interventions overseas.

She has said little publicly about the Iran conflict, but in a statement posted to X following Kent’s resignation, Gabbard emphasized that the determination of an imminent threat rests with the president.

Gabbard’s refusal to directly answer comes one day after Trump’s director at the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, resigned after publicly stating he did not believe Iran posed an imminent threat.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“Donald Trump was overwhelmingly elected by the American people to be our President and Commander in Chief. As our Commander in Chief, he is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat,” she wrote on X.

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“After carefully reviewing all the information before him, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat and he took action based on that conclusion.”

Her comments underscored a central tension in Wednesday’s hearing: While the administration has framed the conflict as a response to an imminent threat, intelligence officials stopped short of publicly affirming that assessment.

IAEA chief says Iran’s nuclear program can’t be eliminated by strikes | Fox News

By Morgan Phillips | Fox News
Published March 18, 2026 4:47pm EDT

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog chief says Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles remain largely in place and its nuclear infrastructure — much of it buried deep underground — cannot be fully eliminated by airstrikes, underscoring the limits of military action.

The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog suggested to reporters Wednesday that Iran’s nuclear program is unlikely to be eliminated through military force, warning that ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes cannot fully dismantle Tehran’s capabilities.

Asked directly whether the program could be resolved militarily, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said he did not believe it could.

“This program is a very vast program,” Grossi said, describing a network of buildings, expertise and infrastructure built over decades. “At the end of this … the material will still be there, the enrichment capacities will be there.

“We will have to go back to some form of negotiation.”

Grossi emphasized he does not offer military advice, framing his comments as a technical assessment of the program’s scope.

The nuclear inspector said the agency’s assessment is that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile remains largely where it was prior to the strikes, with most of the material believed to be at the Isfahan nuclear complex and smaller amounts at Natanz.

Images show where the U.S. military struck Iranian nuclear sites in June.(Fox News)

“Our assumption is that the material is … where it was,” he said.

That reality underscores a broader challenge. Much of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear infrastructure — including storage sites for enriched uranium — is buried deep underground, making it difficult to destroy through airstrikes alone.

While U.S. and Israeli strikes have degraded parts of Iran’s nuclear program, including above-ground facilities and support infrastructure, they have not eliminated the core components of the program.

That assessment aligns with previous reporting on the limits of military action against Iran’s nuclear program. Analysts say highly enriched uranium stored at sites like Isfahan is believed to be kept deep underground in relatively mobile containers, making it difficult to destroy or secure without direct access to the facilities.

A satellite image shows the Natanz fuel enrichment complex in Iran March 7, 2026, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.(Vantor/Handout via Reuters)

“It’s not even clear the United States knows where all of the uranium is,” Kelsey Davenport, director of nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, previously told Fox News Digital, noting that the mobility of storage containers raises the possibility that some material could be moved or dispersed.

Iran possessed roughly 441 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% as of mid-2025, enough, if further enriched, to fuel multiple nuclear weapons, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Experts estimate the final step to weapons-grade enrichment could take weeks under ideal conditions, though building a deliverable weapon would require additional time for weaponization and delivery systems.

Grossi also pointed to continued uncertainty surrounding a newly disclosed enrichment facility near Isfahan.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief says Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles remain largely in place, and its nuclear infrastructure—much of it buried deep underground—cannot be fully eliminated by airstrikes, underscoring the limits of military action.(Abdul Saboor/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

The site is believed to be a newly declared underground enrichment facility where Iran could potentially install centrifuges to produce enriched uranium. Grossi said the International Atomic Energy Agency has not yet inspected the location and does not know whether it is operational, under construction or equipped with nuclear material.

“We know where it is … but we have not been able to go,” he said.

Grossi said the agency has not been able to access some sites during the conflict and is relying in part on imagery to assess conditions.

The gaps in access highlight the limits of current monitoring. Grossi acknowledged the agency lacks full visibility into some parts of Iran’s program, particularly sites it has not been able to inspect.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6389891141112

Powell says he will remain at Federal Reserve during DOJ investigation | Fox News

By Amanda Macias | Fox News
Published March 18, 2026 4:30pm EDT

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday he will remain at the central bank while the Department of Justice’s criminal investigation continues.

“I have no intention of leaving the board until the investigation is fully resolved with transparency and finality,” Powell said, referring to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, commonly known as the Fed Board.

With the probe complicating efforts to confirm his successor, Powell said that if no replacement is in place by the end of his term as chair, he would continue serving as chair pro tempore until one is confirmed.

“That is what the law calls for,” he said. “That’s what we’ve done on several occasions, including in my own case, and it’s what we’re going to do in this situation.”

DOJ’S CRIMINAL PROBE OF FED CHAIR POWELL SPARKS RARE GOP REVOLT ON CAPITOL HILL

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference at the end of a Monetary Policy Committee meeting in Washington Oct. 29, 2025.(Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)

The federal investigation centers on Powell’s June 2025 testimony to lawmakers about the Federal Reserve’s renovation of its two historic main buildings on the National Mall, a project that has drawn scrutiny from Republicans and the Trump administration.

On Jan. 11, Powell disclosed that the Justice Department had opened a criminal investigation into that testimony, an unusual development for a sitting Fed chair.

In a rare video statement, Powell called the probe “unprecedented” and described it as another salvo in what he said was President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign on the central bank to cut rates. The unusually public response followed days of private consultations with advisors and stood out for a Fed chair known for his measured approach.

TRUMP VS THE FEDERAL RESERVE: HOW THE CLASH REACHED UNCHARTED TERRITORY

The video statement echoed Powell’s earlier testimony before the Senate Banking Committee, where he forcefully disputed claims about lavish features in the renovation project.

Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee, Powell said, “There’s no new marble. There are no special elevators. They’re old elevators that have been there. There are no new water features. There are no beehives, and there’s no roof garden terraces.”

Powell added that no one “wants to do a major renovation of a historic building during their term in office” and said cost overruns were driven in part by unexpected construction challenges and inflation.

ONE LITTLE-KNOWN MEETING HELPS DECIDE WHAT AMERICANS CAN AFFORD — AND WHAT THEY CAN’T

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has made a formal request that the central bank’s inspector general review its $2.5 billion building renovation, according to a spokesperson for the IG’s office.(Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

The renovation is estimated to cost $2.5 billion and is being funded by the central bank itself, not by taxpayers.

The Fed is self-financing and does not rely on congressional appropriations to cover its operating expenses, which include employee salaries, building maintenance and the current renovation.

Its primary income comes from interest earned on government securities and fees charged to financial institutions.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Powell, a Trump nominee first tapped to lead the Fed in 2017, is expected to finish his term at the end of May.

Trump has picked former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh to replace Powell, but the nomination is effectively stuck after Sen. Thom Tillis vowed to block any Fed nominees while the DOJ probe remains open.

Amanda covers the intersection of business and politics for Fox News Digital.

Russia is covertly shipping oil to Cuba using deceptive shipping tactics to bypass U.S. sanctions, according to maritime intelligence reports, and as the island grapples with fuel shortages and power outages.

One alleged delivery came amid one of Cuba’s worst energy crises and ahead of a grid collapse on March 16 which left roughly 10 million people without electricity, according to Cuban authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Cuba.

“The Hong Kong-flagged tanker, which is not sanctioned, has AIS patterns that suggest the tanker spoofed its location and likely sailed to Cuba to discharge its cargo in early March,” Windward AI said.

The Financial Times also reported March 18 that another Russian-flagged tanker, Anatoly Kolodkin, carrying crude oil, was expected to reach Cuba by April 4.

“We are ready to provide all possible assistance,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had told reporters at a briefing on Cuba on March 17, The Moscow Times reported.

[PROTESTERS TORCH COMMUNIST PARTY HQ IN CUBA AS VIDEO APPEARS TO CAPTURE GUNFIRE]

[image_1]

Russia uses deceptive maritime tactics to bypass U.S. sanctions on struggling Cuba amid energy shortages(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

The alleged shipments came as senior officials at the State Department told Fox News that, under existing law, there are ways for Cuban companies and citizens to purchase oil, but said the Cuban regime is making that impossible.

The U.S. oil embargo prevents the Cuban regime from purchasing oil only, the official confirmed.

Windward AI first identified the tanker, Sea Horse, as the key vessel in the suspected clandestine oil delivery in its report on March 18.

The firm said the vessel was thought to have transported around 190,000 to 200,000 barrels to Cuba while engaging in behavior consistent with sanctions evasion. Although the vessel is not under sanctions, Windward analysts flagged several suspicious activities.

These included switching off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) during a ship-to-ship transfer near Cyprus — where it likely loaded its cargo — and sailing without Western insurance, both common indicators of sanctions circumvention.

The tanker also repeatedly altered its stated destination, initially signaling Havana before changing to “Gibraltar for orders,” a tactic often used to obscure final delivery points.

[CUBAN ACTIVIST TO TRUMP: ‘MAKE CUBA GREAT AGAIN’ BY ENDING COMMUNIST RULE]

[image_2]

A tanker sailing under the flag of Cuba, arrives at the port of Havana on Feb. 9, 2026.(YAMIL LAGE / AFP via Getty Images)

After crossing the Atlantic, it appeared to drift while broadcasting that it was “not under command,” with analysts suggesting its AIS signals may have been manipulated to conceal its true location and activities.

These movements strongly indicate that the vessel may have completed an unreported delivery to Cuba before resuming normal transmissions.

Since Jan. 29, U.S. measures — effectively creating an oil blockade — have disrupted fuel shipments to the island.

The policy shift followed major changes in Venezuela and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, further tightening supply to Cuba and discouraging other tankers from approaching its ports.

President Donald Trump had warned that countries supplying oil to Cuba could face tariffs, while Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the measures as an “economic war” and pledged continued resistance in a post shared on X.

“The only way for Cuba to fix its energy crisis is to address the root cause of its economic failures: total government control of economic life,” a U.S. official told Fox News on March 17.

[RUSSIA TO SUSPEND FLIGHTS TO CUBA AS TRUMP SANCTIONS CUT FUEL SUPPLY]

[image_3]

People walk on the street during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, on Monday, March 16, 2026.(Ramon Espinosa/AP)

“The regime must make significant changes, allowing for privatization and for the Cuban people to provide for themselves,” they said.

Otherwise, another senior State Department official said Cuba’s blackouts have “sadly become common for many years in Cuba — a symptom of the failing regime’s incompetence and inability to provide even the most basic goods and services for its people.”

“This is the tragic result of over 60 years of Communist rule. An island that was once the crown jewel of the Caribbean has plunged into extreme poverty and darkness.

[CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP]

“As President Trump has said, what is left of the regime should make a deal and finally let the Cuban people be free and prosperous, with the help of the United States,” the official said.

“Cuba right now is in very bad shape. They’re talking to Marco,” Trump told reporters March 17 before adding that “we’ll be doing something with Cuba very soon.”

Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.

中国警方打掉假借卖内部考试资料骗留学生钱财团伙 23人被拘

发布时间 / 来源：2026年3月19日 07:46 | 联合早报

中国警方打掉一个以出售“内部考试资料”为幌子，实则骗取留学生钱财的电信网络诈骗团伙，23人被刑拘，初步统计涉案金额100余万元（人民币，下同，18万新元）。

据中国央视新闻报道，此前海外留学归来的刘姓同学到上海市公安局浦东公安分局洋泾派出所报案，称之前在海外留学的时候被骗。刘同学通过聊天软件结识了一名“热心校友”，对方称其有考试所需的内部考试资料，有原题和答案。

急于备考的刘同学信以为真，按对方要求付款5000元，可对方却百般拖延，始终未交付所谓的资料，还以防止真题外泄为由，多次诱导他继续转账、缴纳“保证金”2万元。刘同学最终也未能收到“考试真题”。

报道称，接报立案后，警方成立专案组，围绕嫌疑人社交账号、转账流水等信息层层深挖，很快摸清了该诈骗团伙的组织架构和藏身窝点，将该团伙一网打尽。

据报道，该诈骗团伙分工明确、专门针对海外留学生进行职业化诈骗。团伙成员伪装成校友接近被害人，谎称有内部考试资料，往往先以相对较低价格吸引留学生出资购买。留学生付费后，又以“保证金”等名义，索要上万元甚至十数万元的费用。一旦留学生落入圈套，交出去的钱便有去无回。

警方介绍，该团伙还会利用网络搜索公开资料，或者通过人工智能（AI）生成假题目包装成“内部考试资料”搪塞被骗学生。被害人发现题目不符后，犯罪嫌疑人会以考题临时更换作解释，并提出可以提供代写作业服务作为补偿，以安抚被害人情绪防止其报警。民警说：“但实际上，这些犯罪嫌疑人多为初高中文化，根本不具备任何学术指导能力。”

警方说，经查，该团伙赵姓负责人抓住留学生急于通过考试的心理，又认为代写、购买内部考试资料属于灰色地带，且案件事发境外，警方难以介入，便策划了这些专门针对留学生的诈骗骗局。赵姓负责人等23名犯罪嫌疑人因涉嫌诈骗罪被浦东警方刑事拘留，案件正在进一步调查中。