Fires have broken out in Baghdad’s Green Zone after a drone swarm, believed to have been launched by groups aligned with Iran. Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig witnessed the attacks.
Published On 18 Mar 2026
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Venezuela defeats Team USA to win World Baseball Classic in thrilling fashion
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Venezuela’s dominant pitching and timely hitting shocked the United States, 3-2, to capture the World Baseball Classic (WBC) title for the first time in team history.
Only Team USA, Japan and the Dominican Republic have been able to call themselves WBC champions. Venezuela, using its momentum from a semifinal victory over Italy on Monday night, had eyes set on history.
But no one could’ve expected what transpired at loanDepot Park in Miami, as the U.S. was held to just two hits and four total baserunners until a heroic moment by Bryce Harper made this a thrilling game in the end.
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Eugenio Suárez of Team Venezuela reacts after hitting an RBI double against Team United States during the ninth inning at loanDepot park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Eduardo Rodriguez, the soon-to-be 33-year-old Venezuelan left-hander, had thrown to a 5.02 ERA over the past two seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but you wouldn’t think so the way he was living on the corners and keeping Team USA off balance throughout his 4.1-inning start.
Rodriguez let up just a single to Brice Turang, while notching four strikeouts including two on Team USA captain Aaron Judge. He probably wanted to go longer considering how much of a rhythm he was in, but manager Omar Lopez pulled Rodriguez after 57 pitches. He received a standing ovation from the Venezuela faithful as he made his way to the dugout, where the bullpen had to take over.
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Venezuela’s relievers followed Rodriguez’s lead, continuing to confuse Team USA hitters, where only Bryce Harper was able to muster a single off Jose Butto in the bottom of the sixth inning. But with Judge at the dish at a chance to turn momentum in favor of the U.S., the captain grounded out to third base to end the inning.
At the same time, Venezuela wasn’t lighting up the scoreboard, but they came up clutch in key moments to make it 2-0 by the top of the fifth inning. Team USA starter Nolan McLean found himself with runners on first and second when he yanked a curveball past catcher Will Smith, allowing those Venezuelans to advance into scoring position.
Wilyer Abreu of Team Venezuela rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against Team United States during the fifth inning at loanDepot park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Maikel Garcia lifted a fly ball to center field to get the first run across home plate in the top of the third inning, striking first as Team USA was trying to figure out Rodriguez.
Then, Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu didn’t miss a stitch of McLean’s middle-away fastball in the top of the fifth, ripping it over the center field wall.
If Venezuela had momentum before, there was no denying it as he sprinted around the bases like a madman, getting to home plate as fast as possible to celebrate the moment with his teammates as the crowd went wild.
But the funny thing about momentum is it can switch at any moment, and it came in the bottom of the eighth for Team USA.
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Bryce Harper stepped to the dish with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning following a Bobby Witt Jr. walk. At that point, Team USA had just two hits and four total baserunners, with no one making it past first base.
Harper was one of those U.S. hits, and Andres Machado had just thrown his fifth straight ball to give him a hitter’s count. The next pitch was a fastball right down the middle and Harper put his best swing on it.
Bryce Harper of Team United States celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run home run against Team Venezuela during the eighth inning at loanDepot park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
As Harper watched the ball fly to deep center field, the crowd erupted, knowing the game was tied off the crack of the bat. Harper screamed as the Team USA dugout came out onto the field to celebrate the home run that rejuvenated the entire U.S. side. Harper gave a salute as he touched third base, and he pointed to the American flag on his left sleeve before touching home.
The U.S. needed that moment desperately considering how the game was going – after all, they were down to just four more outs.
But Venezuela didn’t skip a beat in the top of the ninth inning, as Garrett Whitlock, who had been great in a high-leverage role earlier in the tournament, didn’t look like his usual self. He issued a walk to start the inning, and after Venezuela’s pinch runner, Javier Sanoja, stole second base, Eugenio Suarez smashed a changeup to left-center field for a go-ahead double to retake the lead.
Daniel Palencia got the call in the bottom of the ninth for Venezuela after closing out Italy, and the Chicago Cubs agreed this would be the only moment he could throw again.
Venezuela Wilyer Abreu (16) celebrates with his teammates after hitting a home run during the fifth inning in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic against the United States, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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He made the best of the opportunity, striking out Kyle Schwarber, getting Gunnar Henderson to pop up to Garcia, and striking out Roman Anthony to seal an emotional victory for Venezuela.
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Europe must prepare for drone strikes by terrorists and criminals, warns Zelenskyy | Volodymyr Zelenskyy
European nations should prepare for attacks by non-state actors including criminal networks, terror groups and lone attackers as drone technology advances, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned.
The Ukrainian president said it was no longer just “a wealthy madman like Putin” who could afford mass attacks as he demonstrated the latest technology to British MPs and peers.
Zelenskyy said the regimes in Moscow and Tehran were “brothers in hatred”, with Russia using Iranian-designed Shahed drones, as well as its own variants of them, to attack critical infrastructure in Ukraine.
His UK visit came as Keir Starmer said the west must not “lose focus” on Ukraine amid concerns that the Iran conflict had revived Russia’s ailing economy by increasing oil revenue and Kyiv could miss out on air defence systems being deployed to the Middle East instead.
The prime minister said: “Putin can’t be the one who benefits from the conflict in Iran, whether that’s oil prices or the dropping of sanctions. It is really important we keep our resolve in relation to supporting Ukraine, doing everything we can to weaken the hand of Putin.”
In his speech at Westminster, Zelenskyy said: “It is not only about a state launching attacks, we must be ready for any kind of strike, including from non-state actors, criminal networks, terrorist groups and even lone attackers who can gain access to such technologies.
“With the spread of drones, mass attacks no longer cost billions. They cost far less. It is no longer only a wealthy madman like Putin who can afford this, unfortunately, but even now he is still being given money as sanctions of his own are lifted.”
Zelenskyy suggested the Middle East conflict was “not a faraway war” for Ukraine because of the military technology shared by Iran and Russia.
He added: “If evil wins, the evolution of war will cross any distance on earth, no ocean will help, no desert, no mountains … the regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hatred, and that is why they are brothers in weapons. We want no such regime to threaten Europe or our partners.
“We do not say Russia cannot innovate. It can, but it does so to kill, to maim, to destroy. This is what it does best, as do the ayatollahs, you can see it in how Shaheds have evolved from something like weapons of the blitz to drones that are faster, more deadly and already using AI.”
He said Ukraine could provide defensive support – including interception teams and radars – to western allies with military and civilian sites in the Middle East that have come under attack from Iranian drones.
“This is the kind of reinforcement we offer, and it may soon be needed across Europe. Drones can be launched, not only from land, but also from ships at sea. Such long-range strikes are no longer rare,” he said.
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Melissa Conyears-Ervin [wins/loses] Illinois House primary battle with AIPAC backing
![Melissa Conyears-Ervin [wins/loses] Illinois House primary battle with AIPAC backing](https://prtechnews.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/melissa-conyears-ervin-speaking-768x432.jpg "Melissa Conyears-Ervin [wins/loses] Illinois House primary battle with AIPAC backing")
Democratic divide expands ahead of 2026 midterms
Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joins ‘Saturday in America’ to discuss the 2026 midterm elections, the growing rift between Democrats as socialism gains favor, intensifying anti-ICE protests and Nicolás Maduro’s capture.
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Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Evrvin failed to defeat a crowded field of Democratic candidates Tuesday for a deep-blue House seat, despite the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) spending aggressively to put her over the top.
Conyears-Ervin’s loss represents a notable defeat for the pro-Israel group, which frequently intervenes in Democratic primaries.
State Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Ill., won the 13-way primary ballot after weathering a torrent of attack ads powered by the cryptocurrency industry. Ford touted the endorsement of Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill, who represented the district incorporating parts of the city’s South Side and western suburbs for nearly three decades.
AIPAC and its affiliates spent more than $5 million boosting Conyears-Ervin. The Chicago Democrat also had the support of the city’s influential teachers’ unions and the cryptocurrency industry.
Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Evrvin is backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). (Getty Images)
Ford’s GOP opponent will face a steep battle to win the general election in the Democrat-heavy district. In 2024, former Vice President Kamala Harris won more than 80% of the vote in the district, where Black Americans constitute a plurality.
Conyears-Ervin previously came up short in a primary challenge against Davis in 2024, though her campaign was marred by allegations that she misused city funds for personal use and retaliated against whistleblowers. The Chicago Democrat paid a $30,000 fine in 2025 to resolve the charges brought by a city ethics panel.
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Eleven other Democratic candidates were on the ballot in a free-for-all contest to replace Davis.
Jason Friedman, a real estate developer and philanthropist, also failed to receive a sizable share of votes despite outraising the field. AIPAC’s main super PAC spent tens of thousands of dollars attacking his candidacy.
Progressive activist Kina Collins and several other left-wing candidates appeared to split the vote among voters hailing from the party’s leftward flank.
Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., passed on running for re-election after representing a Chicago-based House seat since 1997. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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AIPAC, a frequent player in congressional races, has had mixed success intervening in 2026 primaries so far.
In February, the group was successful in torpedoing former Rep. Tom Malinowski’s comeback bid in a New Jersey special election, but a Democrat with even more hostile views toward Israel narrowly won the primary. That candidate, Analilia Mejia, who is endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is on track to win the general election in April in the Democrat-held seat.
The group also spent heavily against several other Illinois Democrats running in other primary contests who have views critical of Israel, including media personality Kat Abughzaleh.
Analilia Mejia secured the Democratic Party nomination in a special election to find out who will take over newly elected New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s vacant House seat. (Heather Khalifa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Conyears-Ervin has served as Chicago’s city treasurer since 2019 and previously did a one-term stint in the state legislature.
Chicago has faced an array of fiscal challenges during Conyears-Ervin’s tenure. Two rating agencies downgraded Chicago’s credit rating in February over the city’s sizable budget deficits.
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As South Australia’s Liberals struggle to stay in the fight, will their preferences usher in One Nation? | South Australian election 2026
South Australian politics rarely takes a central position in national news, but this Saturday’s state election will be watched much more closely than usual for potential federal implications.
It is shaping up as a perfect storm for a struggling Liberal party: under pressure from a popular first-term Labor government, while One Nation eats into the Liberal base. The election will be a first test of One Nation’s growing support nationally, with federal polls showing Pauline Hanson’s party regularly outpolling a weakened Coalition.
One key unknown is how preferences will flow in seats where One Nation is in the final preference count, given the Liberal party’s decision to put it above Labor on how-to-vote cards.
All six South Australian polls published this year have shown Labor well out in front, with One Nation leading the Liberals.
But there has been rather a lot of variation. The Labor primary vote has ranged from 35% to 44%. One Nation was more than 10 percentage points ahead of the Liberals in the Roy Morgan poll, but just one point in two earlier polls. It seems One Nation has mostly picked up support from the Liberals, but Labor’s vote has also dropped since the peaks of 2025.
The most recent survey, an Advertiser/YouGov poll published on Wednesday, gave Labor 38% of the primary vote, with One Nation on 22% and the Liberals on 19%.
We have no precedent for this sort of polling trend, so it is hard to know how the results will play out.
If One Nation polls above 20% across the state, it is likely to reach 30-40% in a number of regional seats, and thus will likely make the top two. If it is in that contest against a Liberal candidate, preferences from Labor and other parties on the left would be critical, and those are unlikely to flow strongly one way or the other.
The Liberal leader, Ashton Hurn, has justified the decision to put One Nation above Labor by saying her party is “in the business of getting rid of the ALP”.
“This is a vote of no confidence in the government. And that’s who I’m focused on defeating at the election on Saturday.”
But if Liberal support drops as far as the polls have suggested, the remaining Liberal voters may well elect a One Nation candidate over their Labor rival in some seats.
The South Australian Liberal party has won only one election in the last quarter-century, taking power in 2018. Labor won power under Peter Malinauskas in 2022, and his government has proved generally popular, even allowing for the recent patchy polling.
Late last year this election was looking a bit like some recent Western Australian elections: Labor winning a large majority against a weakened opposition, which is reduced to a mere handful of seats. But things have become more complicated as One Nation has gained ground.
We don’t know if One Nation will poll as well as opinion polls have suggested. Some voters may return to their traditional home, and the presence of known local members may slow the flight of Liberal voters to One Nation in some places. But if One Nation gets over 20% of the vote, that will have a momentous impact, particularly in regional areas and the outer suburbs where it generally performs best.
Thirty-four of South Australia’s 47 seats are in Greater Adelaide, and the Liberals now hold just six of those seats, all quite marginal. The party looks to be in a lot of trouble in seats such as Unley, Morialta, Colton and Morphett.
The Liberals’ regional seats have traditionally been their safest, but in current circumstances some of those are in danger from independents as well as One Nation.
A number of regional seats are already held by independents and there are serious challengers in seats such as Flinders and Finniss. One Nation may stand a chance of winning seats such as Chaffey, a rural seat stretching to the Victorian border.
Labor is not likely to lose any seats to One Nation, but in some outer suburban electorates such as Taylor and Elizabeth we could expect to see a Labor v One Nation contest.
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Bobby Pulido faces scrutiny over controversial music video, posts
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Latin Grammy-winning singer Bobby Pulido, now the Democratic nominee in Texas’ 15th Congressional District, appeared in a controversial music video depicting lewd behavior.
In a 2010 music video for his song “Dias de Ayer,” Pulido portrayed a character wrapped in a red blanket engaging in indecent acts and appearing to expose himself to a woman seated next to him on a plane.
According to the New York Post, Pulido faced questions from the Mexican press about his sexuality following the release of the video.
“People are opening up more. I can even tell you that when I started my career, I saw the whole situation (of gays) very differently. At first, they said I was gay; there were rumors that I was like that,” Pulido said in a 2010 interview with the outlet El Norte, translated from Spanish.
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Bobby Pulido, Democratic Congressional candidate for Texas, speaks during a “Take Back Texas” campaign event with State Representative James Talaricos in Edinburg, Texas, on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (Gabriel V. Cardenas/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Pulido responded to comments about sexuality in several posts, including a 2019 post on his personal X account: “Igualmente amigo, no homo.”
In a 2015 post, Pulido taunted pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli, who later served a seven-year prison sentence, writing, “Don’t drop the soap a–hole.”
After announcing his campaign last fall, Pulido faced scrutiny over resurfaced posts linking to explicit websites on his personal X account, as well as a post that appeared to show him urinating on President Donald Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
A resurfaced post appeared to show Bobby Pulido urinating on President Donald Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star, prompting backlash. (Medios y Media/Getty Images and )
The Democratic nominee also drew backlash over past vulgar attacks against Trump, including posting the Spanish translation of “f— your mother.”
“I’d like to give you the biggest ‘f— you,’ you piece of s—, a–hole, d— head, son of a b—-,” Pulido wrote in another post.
Pulido also drew attention after previously describing himself as a “winter Texan” for spending much of the year in Mexico.
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Bobby Pulido holding his award at the Annual Latin Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony on Nov. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Greg Doherty/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy)
Pulido is vying for the seat currently held by Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, a two-term incumbent.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Pulido for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.
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X Down:
Wednesday evening is proving to be very troublesome for millions of users of social media platform X. X services have suddenly stopped around the world from around 8:15 pm on Wednesday night. Users are neither seeing new posts on the mobile app nor are the feeds loading on the desktop website.
What is the problem?
As soon as users are refreshing their timeline, they are seeing messages like “Something went wrong. Try Reloading” instead of new posts. The problem is not limited to the home feed only, but the profile search and notification sections are also not working properly.
X is down worldwide
Suddenly thousands of reports have been filed on DownDetector, a website that tracks outages. Till the time of writing the news, more than 4,500 people on the platform have reported that X is down. According to reports, this outage is being seen not only in India but also in America, Britain, Australia and European countries.
Juliana Stratton wins Illinois Democratic Senate primary race | Illinois
Illinois lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton won the Democratic primary race to succeed Illinois’ US senator Dick Durbin in Washington, beating out US representative Raja Krishnamoorthi.
Stratton, a progressive with the support of governor JB Pritzker, had been behind Krishnamoorthi in polling until recent weeks, when an infusion of cash from Pritzker and hardening sentiment on immigration pushed aside the relatively moderate congressman. Stratton also faced competition on her left from congresswoman Robin Kelly, which threatened to split the progressive vote.
Republicans have not won a statewide election in Illinois in more than a decade; the winner of the Democratic primary is expected to win the general election in November. Stratton, who will face former Republican state party chair Don Tracy in November, would be the 15th Black US senator in American history.
With Chicago still recovering from the upscaled ICE raids and concomitant street protests of Operation Midway Blitz, immigration policy separated the two front-runners. Stratton called directly for the abolishment of ICE, while Krishnamoorthi has been more nuanced, calling for the abolishment of “Trump’s ICE” in a fusillade of late-game ads across the state.
Krishnamoorthi raised more than $30m for this Senate run, second only to US senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia this cycle. The five-term congressman has been criticized for raising money from Trump supporters, people aligned with India’s nationalist movement and an executive at AI company Palantir, with critics saying the representative’s political allegiances are compromising, according to the Chicago Tribune.
A Pac that’s supporting Krishnamoorthi, the Indian American Impact Fund, ran ads boosting Kelly, seen as a way to blunt Stratton, Politico reported. Kelly, the third major contender, served the second congressional district since 2013. Both Stratton and Kelly are Black with deep ties to the state’s Black community. Former Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot supported Kelly, as did the Congressional Black Caucus.
Stratton was aided by Pritzker’s donations to Illinois Future Pac, which is running pro-Stratton ads. She has served under Pritzker since 2019.
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Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton wins Illinois Democratic Senate primary
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Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton of Illinois is now a giant step closer to becoming only the fifth Black woman elected to the Senate in the nation’s history.
Stratton on Tuesday topped Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly, her top two rivals among a crowded field of contenders, in a contentious and extremely expensive Democratic Senate primary, the Associated Press reports.
Stratton, a former state lawmaker who has served two terms as lieutenant governor under Gov. JB Pritzker, a fellow Democrat, will now be considered the clear frontrunner in blue-leaning Illinois to succeed Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who’s retiring at the end of the year after three decades in the Senate.
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Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton speaks during a news conference on Jan. 28, 2025, about the impact of President Donald Trump’s order to freeze trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is at right. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The Democratic Senate primary, as well as down-ballot battles for a quartet of Chicago-area open House seats, were hotbeds for contentious party disagreements over battling illegal immigration and policy towards Israel, how best to push back against President Donald Trump‘s unprecedented second-term agenda, and the generational struggles among Democrats.
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Krishnamoorthi, who was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. with his family as a child, was the clear fundraising frontrunner in the Democratic primary, and spent big bucks to run ads. And a super PAC funded by crypto titans has shelled out nearly $10 million in support of Krishnamoorthi.
Democratic U.S. Senate primary contenders U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton take the stage for a debate on Jan. 26, 2026, at the University of Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
But Stratton was backed by Pritzker, who had plenty on the line in the Senate primary.
That’s because the billionaire governor and potential 2028 White House contender, who was unopposed for his party’s nomination as he seeks to become the first Democrat to serve three terms steering the nation’s sixth-most populous state, dipped into his large war chest to dish out millions to fund a super PAC supporting Stratton
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois heavily supported Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in the state’s 2026 Democratic Senate primary. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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The Senate primary was viewed as a test of Pritzker’s political clout in Illinois as he likely gears up for a 2028 presidential run. The governor has seen his national profile skyrocket over the past 14 months as he’s become a top Democrat leading the resistance to Trump.
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