Forecast in Palm Springs area shows lingering heatWhile temperatures are expected to be a few degrees cooler, Palm Springs won’t see significant relief from the scorching heat heading into next week, according to forecasters. The weather is slightly cooler than the record heat Riverside has seen in recent days. What's the outlook for April weather in Palm Springs? Cooling centers open in Palm Springs, IndioAmid triple-digit heat, the cities of Palm Springs and Indio recently opened cooling centers for people who need a place to cool off. Martha’s Village and Kitchen will also operate the Palm Springs Access Center, located near the airport at 225 El Cielo Rd., as a daily cooling space for unhoused residents.

MAINZ, Germany, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU faces a regional election battle Sunday in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, now held by the centre-left Social Democratic Party. Merz's Christian Democratic Union has enjoyed a narrow poll lead over the SPD -- their coalition partners at the national level -- who have ruled the mid-sized state for 35 years. The CDU's top candidate in Rhineland-Palatinate is the brother of Merz's national transport minister Patrick Schnieder. But he stressed that the CDU win he hoped for over the SPD should not distract the two parties from their government cooperation at the national level. "The next day I will continue discussions with the SPD party leaders how we can get this country back on track together," he said.

BEIJING, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - China's number two leader Li Qiang said Sunday that his country was willing to help expand the global "trade pie" by further opening up, state media reported, while he slammed unilateralism from certain countries. The Chinese premier added that Beijing would work with other countries to "join forces to make the global economic and trade pie larger for everyone". It had been locked in a blistering trade war last year with Washington after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on countries including China. The China Development Forum convenes as the Middle East war, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran, rages on. Li told the Chinese officials and global business executives the international rules-based order was suffering "severe disruption" with power politics "running rampant".

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense said Sunday three ballistic missiles were detected around the capital, as the kingdom and its Gulf neighbours face Iranian strikes in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks. Early Sunday morning, the Saudi Civil Defense issued a warning, before cancelling it seven minutes later after determining the danger had passed. According to the defense ministry, five drones were also intercepted since midnight. Iran has kept up retaliatory attacks on Saudi Arabia and nearby nations in response to US-Israeli strikes that sparked the regional war late last month. The attacks on the oil-rich nations, some of which have targeted energy facilities, have exacerbated concerns of a global energy supply shock.

LJUBLJANA, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Slovenians vote on Sunday in tight parliamentary elections, with the conservatives of veteran politician Janez Jansa, an admirer of US President Donald Trump, eyeing a comeback. Polls open at 7:00 am local time (0600 GMT) and close at 7:00 pm, with exit polls released just after the closure expected to indicate the result. - 'Slovenian values' -Jansa's conservatives long polled ahead of Golob's liberals, but the gap has recently closed, according to opinion polls, with the two parties now running neck-and-neck. Golob, 59, said in Friday's debate that voters were deciding "what kind of Slovenia" they want. "For those who love Slovenia under the free sun, the choice is very clear," said the former power company manager.

Later, the other Egyptian challengers, record 12-time champions Al Ahly, were also eliminated after a 3-2 defeat at home to Esperance of Tunisia. Reda Slim put FAR ahead on nine minutes and captain Mohamed Hrimat added a second goal in the 54th minute. FAR became the first Moroccan winners of the competition in 1985, when it was known as the African Cup of Champions Clubs. - Sweet victory -Victory was particularly sweet for the Rabat outfit as they lost to Pyramids at the same stage of the Champions League last season. Pyramids began the second leg as the only one of the eight title contenders boasting an unbeaten record.

BARCELONA, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Levante earned a crucial 4-2 win over Real Oviedo in La Liga on Saturday to boost their hopes of avoiding relegation. Sevilla fell to a 2-0 home defeat by Valencia to leave the Andalucian side just three points clear of the drop zone. In-form striker Carlos Espi netted twice for Levante, 19th, in the opening 25 minutes against bottom-of-the-table Oviedo. Oviedo are losing hope of staying in the top flight and are seven points behind Alaves with nine matches remaining. On Sunday, La Liga leaders Barcelona welcome Rayo Vallecano before second-place Real Madrid host Atletico Madrid in a derby clash.

DUBAI, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The United Arab Emirates said its air defences responded to Iranian aerial attacks on Sunday. "UAE air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran," the defence ministry said in a statement, explaining "the sounds heard are the result of the Air Defence Systems intercepting missiles and drones". Gulf states have repeatedly denied those accusations, saying even before the war that they would not allow their territory or airspace to be used to attack Iran. On Saturday, the UAE joined 21 other countries in agreeing to contribute to efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz passageway in the Gulf. Iran's de facto blockade of the strait, through which about 20 percent of the world's oil and gas normally flows, and the attacks on oil and gas infrastructure in the Middle East, have sent energy prices soaring.

Golob goes toe-to-toe again with veteran Jansa in Slovenia electionLJUBLJANA, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob faces a tough challenge from nationalist ex-premier Janez Jansa -- an admirer of US President Donald Trump -- in Sunday's election after unseating him in 2022. - Golob, charismatic liberal -Golob, the former head of a state-owned power company, was a political newcomer when he became prime minister four years ago. - Jansa, conservative veteran -From corruption scandals and a spell in prison, conservative three-time premier Jansa has seen a fair share of drama in his long career. He attacks opponents and established media alike, echoing the tactics of allies like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. He started his third mandate as prime minister in 2020, weeks after the Covid-19 epidemic was declared.

Japan FM says Iran released one of two detained Japanese nationalsTOKYO, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Japan's foreign minister said Sunday that one of two Japanese nationals detained in Iran has been released.The person, who has not been publicly identified, was released on Wednesday and will be returning to Japan, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told a political talk show programme on Fuji Television. Iran released the person after deciding the individual's jail term was over, Jiji Press reported, citing unnamed Japanese diplomatic sources. Motegi said the development came after he made "strong calls" to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to release the detainees. He confirmed a second Japanese national remained in detention but did not identify the person. A Japanese government spokesperson at the time told reporters that a Japanese citizen had been detained on January 20 but declined to give more details.

WASHINGTON, United States, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who led a politically explosive investigation into Donald Trump's election campaign, has died aged 81, triggering a gloating response Saturday from the US president. Trump responded quickly on Truth Social, writing: "Robert Mueller just died. Mueller led the FBI for 12 years, starting just days before the September 11, 2001 Al-Qaeda attacks on the United States, during which time he built up the bureau's counterterror mission. Before taking on the politically sensitive Russia investigation, Mueller, a former Marine who was wounded and decorated for heroism in Vietnam, enjoyed a sterling reputation in Washington. Mueller is a "consummate professional and a straight shooter," then-FBI chief Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee, said in July 2019.

SYDNEY, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Japan coach Nils Nielsen hailed the character of his "inspirational" side after they withstood a sustained Australian barrage to win the Women's Asian Cup, with the Greenlander calling the title well-deserved. We can find a style that fits our players because they are talented. "We couldn't find our own rhythm but the character of the players, the way they never stop playing, makes us 10-20 percent better. It's been too long since Japan last won a trophy so it was very important and well-deserved." "Australia are a world-class team with world-class players.

PARIS, France, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique hailed his side's "perfect evening" after reclaiming top spot in Ligue 1 with a dominant 4-0 victory over 10-man Nice on Saturday. PSG move one-point ahead of Lens, who thrashed Angers 5-1 on Friday and have played one more game. "It will be difficult until the end," warned Luis Enrique of the title battle. But already missing several key players, Luis Enrique lost two more, with Senny Mayulu substituted just before halftime, visibly suffering a calf injury. Toulouse secured their second consecutive Ligue 1 victory 1-0 against Lorient with substitute Emerson scoring after a solo run nine minutes from time.

WASHINGTON, United States, March 21, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A record-breaking heatwave afflicting the western half of the United States moved eastward Saturday toward the center of the country, bringing unseasonably warm temperatures to places that were at freezing or below just a week prior. Dozens of cities from California to Colorado recorded their highest temperatures ever for the month of March, according to the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center. On Saturday, areas that saw new records for the highest temperatures in March included 92 Fahrenheit (33.3C) recorded in Kansas City, Missouri, and North Platte, Nebraska. For instance, in Chanute, Kansas, temperatures went from a record low of 13F (-10.5C) on March 16 to a record high of 91F (32.8C) just four days later. On Friday the heatwave had brought temperatures up to 44.4C (112F) in several areas along the southern California-Arizona border, a national US record for March.

US-China 'Board of Trade' may help ties but experts flag market worriesWASHINGTON, United States, March 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - As Washington and Beijing mull a new mechanism to adjust trade between the world's two largest economies, some analysts warn that it could interfere with market forces, while others consider it a path to smoother coexistence. -After top US economic officials held talks with their Chinese counterparts in Paris last weekend, US trade envoy Jamieson Greer said both sides discussed creating a "US-China Board of Trade." The mechanism would help to formalize and identify what kinds of goods the United States should be exporting to and importing from China, he said. For now, officials appear to have made progress towards Chinese purchase commitments for agriculture, energy and planes from the United States, added Cutler, a former US trade official. -Bown of PIIE believes a managed trade agreement between the United States and China could be more successful than previous attempts to solve economic conflicts.