Millions of Cubans plunged into darkness as fuel crisis deepens

Getty Images A woman holds a candle during a blackout in Havana in January Getty Images

Millions of people were left without power in Cuba on Wednesday - the latest in a string of blackouts to hit the island as it struggles with fuel shortages worsened by pressure from the US.

Two-thirds of the island was plunged into darkness following what officials described as an "unexpected" shutdown at one of the country's main power plants.

Cuba's national electricity company UNE said the blackout affected a vast area stretching from the central province Camaguey to Pinar del Rio in the west, and including the


How depleted weapons stockpiles could affect the Iran conflict

Jonathan Beale Defence correspondent

US Navy via Getty Images US sailors prepare to stage ordnance on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln US Navy via Getty Images

US President Donald Trump claims his country has a "virtually unlimited supply" of key weapons. Iran's defence ministry says it has "the capacity to resist the enemy" for longer than the US had planned.

Weapons stocks and supplies alone will not decide the outcome of this conflict – Ukraine has long been outnumbered and outgunned by Russia – but it's certainly a significant factor.

The tempo of operations has been high from the the start. Both sides will already

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'Every day feels like a month': Iranians describe life under 'constant' US-Israeli strikes

Faren Taghizadeh BBC Persian

EPA A man plants the Iranian flag on a pile of rubble in Tehran. EPA

"The number of explosions, the destruction, what is happening - it's unbelievable," says Salar, whose name has been changed.

Iran's capital, Tehran, is under heavy attack since strikes began on 28 February, as the US and Israel target military and political sites in a bid to weaken the Islamic regime.

However, other areas have been hit as a consequence of the strikes. Iranian officials said when a girls' school was hit in the city of Minab

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Russia blames Ukrainian naval drones as tanker sinks in Mediterranean

Serhii Sternenko/X A ship on fire in the dark Serhii Sternenko/X
Unverified footage of the blaze was shared by an adviser to Ukraine's defence minister

A Russian LNG gas tanker has sunk in the Mediterranean between Libya and Malta after it was hit by explosions and a fire, Libyan port officials have said.

Russia has accused Ukraine of targeting the Arctic Metagaz with "uncrewed sea drones" launched from the Libyan coast.

Ukraine's SBU state security service has not commented on the allegation and the Libyan port authority said the cause of the fire was


Iran postpones Khamenei funeral as US-Israeli bombardment continues

WANA/Via Reuters Women prepare a makeshift memorial in tribute to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on a street in Tehran, Iran (4 March 2026) WANA/Via Reuters
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a strike in Tehran at the start of the US and Israeli air campaign

Authorities in Iran have postponed the funeral ceremony for the late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as US and Israeli forces continue intense strikes across the country.

An official said there had been many requests from people wanting to attend the three-day event at a Tehran prayer complex and that infrastructure needed to be prepared. It had been due to begin on Wednesday night.

A

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Watershed moment as Russia's sporting exile ends

IOC president Kirsty Coventry certainly suggested as much recently when she said: "Our game is sport. That means keeping sport a neutral ground. A place where every athlete can compete freely, without being held back by the politics or divisions of their governments."

Although she did not directly reference any particular country, the comments were widely interpreted to be hinting at a potential lifting of the partial Olympic ban on Russia and Belarus. Her words were welcomed warmly by Russian officials, with its sports minister suggesting the IOC could consider


US Senate to vote on Trump's war powers as Iran conflict continues

Ana Faguy on Capitol Hill

Getty Images Exterior photo of the US Capitol, a beige building with a circular dome atop. An American flag is flying in the corner. Getty Images

The US Senate is set to vote on a war power resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump's ability to order further military action in Iran.

The measure would require the withdrawal of US forces from the conflict unless Congress approves the operation. But previous efforts have failed, and it is unclear how much its success would change the war.

Democrats argue that Trump sidelined Congress and has offered shifting reasons for the war. Most Republicans say they will block the resolution, but may change


US sub sinks Iranian warship in Indian Ocean, Hegseth says

Yogita Limaye , South Asia and Afghanistan correspondent and

Alys Davies

Video of moment US torpedo hits Iranian warship released by Pentagon

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said an American submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean.

He said the ship was sunk by a torpedo on Tuesday, and that it died a "quiet death".

Hegseth did not name the ship, but his announcement came after Sri Lankan officials said its navy had responded to a distress call from an Iranian ship on Wednesday morning named the Iris Dena,

AP Iranian military ship the Iris Dena is pictured in the Bay of Bengal.
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Regulator contacts Meta over workers watching intimate AI glasses videos

Chris Vallance Senior technology reporter

Getty Images Mark Zuckerberg wearing thick black rimmed smart glasses and gesturing with his hand. Getty Images
Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg demonstrated the Ray-Ban Meta glasses in September 2025

The UK data watchdog is writing to Meta following a "concerning" report claiming outsourced workers were able to view sensitive content filmed by the company's AI smart glasses.

Meta said subcontracted workers might sometimes review content, including films and images, captured by its AI smart glasses for the purpose of improving the "experience".

Videos, including of glasses-wearers using the toilet or having sex

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Nigeria halts Christian pilgrimages to Holy Land over Middle East conflict

Chris Ewokor , in Abuja, and

Jean Otalor

AFP via Getty Images A group of pilgrims wearing light‑coloured clothing gather inside the Grotto at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Some individuals are reaching forward to touch the ornate, blue‑draped area surrounding the entrance to the small alcove traditionally believed to mark the birthplace of Jesus Christ. AFP via Getty Images
Thousands of Nigerian Christians go on pilgrimages each year to Biblical sites in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth

Nigerian authorities have suspended all pilgrimages to Israel and the occupied West Bank with immediate effect, citing security concerns linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The decision was announced by the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), the national body responsible for coordinating Christian pilgrimages.

In a statement, the commission said the measure was necessary to

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