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Cuba has suffered its third power grid collapse of March following a generating unit failure, as Slovenia's election ended in a near-tie leaving neither major party with a majority.

This comes as an Iranian missile struck Dimona — home to Israel's widely believed nuclear facility — injuring dozens, with Iran also launching ballistic missiles at the US-UK base on Diego Garcia.

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1️⃣ 🇨🇺 Cuba suffers third blackout of March: Cuba’s power grid collapsed for the third time this month after a generating unit failure in Camagüey province knocked out electricity across the island. President Díaz-Canel attributed the deepening crisis to a US energy blockade and the loss of Venezuelan petroleum shipments.

2️⃣ 🇸🇮 Slovenia election ends in near-tie: PM Golob’s Freedom Movement took 28.5% against Jansa’s SDS at 28.1%, leaving neither party with a majority in the 90-seat parliament. Smaller parties will act as kingmakers, with Golob confident his side will govern and Jansa warning of little stability ahead.

3️⃣ 🇭🇺 Orbán rallies right-wing at CPAC Hungary: Orbán vowed to challenge progressive dominance in Brussels if he wins next month’s election, with Trump sending a video endorsement in absentia. Right-wing figures including Alice Weidel, Herbert Kickl and Javier Milei filled the guest list.

4️⃣ 🇺🇦 Russia intensifies offensive as Ukraine talks conclude: Zelenskyy said Russia is pushing harder amid more favourable weather conditions, though heavier losses remain the only tangible result. US-Ukraine talks wrapped up in Florida without Russian participation, with envoy Steve Witkoff citing unspecified progress.

5️⃣ 🇮🇹 Italy votes on judicial reform referendum: Italians voted on a constitutional referendum to separate the career paths of judges and prosecutors, with opposition parties framing the change as a threat to democracy. Analysts warned a loss would politically weaken Meloni at an already difficult time.

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Major Story

IRAN WAR UPDATE: DAY 24

MILITARY

1️⃣ An Iranian missile struck Dimona — home to Israel’s widely believed but officially unacknowledged nuclear facility — injuring 33 people including a child in serious condition, in what Tehran described as retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on its Natanz enrichment site, which Iran’s atomic agency said caused no radioactive leakage.

2️⃣ Iran also launched ballistic missiles at the US-UK base on Diego Garcia, some 4,000km away — beyond Iran’s previously known 3,000km range — though the attack was unsuccessful; Israel’s military chief identified the weapon as a two-stage ICBM capable of reaching European capitals.

3️⃣ Israel’s military chief has approved plans for expanded ground and air operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon — described as a “prolonged operation” — with the defence minister ordering destruction of Litani river crossings and demolition of border villages using methods modelled on Gaza, as Lebanese President Aoun called the strikes a “prelude to a ground invasion” amounting to collective punishment.

4️⃣ Ukrainian specialists deployed in the Middle East have shot down multiple Iranian-made Shahed drones in the region, with President Zelenskyy confirming 228 personnel are operating across Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan.

5️⃣ The State Department has issued a worldwide caution advisory for Americans, with particular emphasis on the Middle East, warning that U.S. diplomatic facilities globally have been targeted and that pro-Iran groups may strike U.S.-linked interests or locations associated with Americans anywhere in the world.

DIPLOMACY

1️⃣ Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened to completely close the Strait of Hormuz and attack US bases if Trump follows through on his pledge to strike Iranian energy facilities, giving a 48-hour window for the strait to be fully reopened.

2️⃣ Iran’s military command Khatam Al-Anbiya also warned that all US and allied energy, IT, and desalination infrastructure in the region will be targeted if Iran’s own fuel and energy facilities are struck, following Trump’s threat.

3️⃣ NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told Fox News he is “absolutely convinced” the alliance will reopen the Strait of Hormuz, describing the US operation against Iran as “crucial” given what he called an “existential threat.”

4️⃣ UK Housing Secretary Steve Reed flatly rejected IDF claims that Iran possesses missiles capable of reaching London, stating there is “no assessment to substantiate” the assertion and no intelligence suggesting Iran is targeting — or could target — the UK.

ECONOMIC/OIL

1️⃣ IEA head Fatih Birol warned the Iran war poses a “major, major threat” to the global economy, stating the conflict has already removed 11 million barrels of oil per day — exceeding the combined losses of the 1973 and 1979 oil shocks — and disrupted roughly 140 billion cubic metres of gas, nearly double the volume lost during the Russia-Ukraine war, with 40 energy assets across nine countries severely damaged.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇩🇪 AfD records historic western German result: The CDU won Rhineland-Palatinate with around 30.6% while the SPD dropped roughly nine points to 25.7%, continuing a string of heavy losses. The AfD jumped more than eleven points to around 20%, its strongest ever result in a western German state election.

2️⃣ 🇸🇩 Hospital attack in Sudan kills 64: An airstrike on Al Deain Teaching Hospital in East Darfur killed at least 64 people including 13 children, injuring 89 others and leaving the facility nonfunctional. The RSF blamed Sudan’s military, which denied the attack, though two officials told the AP a strike had been targeting a nearby police station, bringing total healthcare fatalities since the war began to over 2,000.

3️⃣ 🇺🇸 Trump labels Democrats “greatest enemy”: Trump declared the Democrats America’s greatest enemy on Truth Social, drawing a sharp rebuke from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who warned the remark could get someone killed.

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