USS Gerald Ford arrives in Croatia for maintenance

The ability of Israel's highly sophisticated air defences to keep intercepting Iranian attacks is coming under scrutiny as the Middle East war drags on into a second month.

The military has dismissed reports that it is running low on the interceptors used to shoot down the steady stream of Iranian missiles and Hezbollah rockets fired at Israel.

However, some analysts suggest that the war against Iran has significantly drained allied resources, with long-range interceptors among the most severely depleted.

Israel has a multi-layered air defence array, with a variety of systems intercepting threats at different altitudes.

The top tier consists of the anti-ballistic missile Arrow systems, with Arrow 2 operating both within the Earth's atmosphere and in space and Arrow 3 intercepting above the Earth's atmosphere.

Below that sits David's Sling, which was created to target medium-range threats including drones, shorter-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.

Israel's famed Iron Dome system is the third tier and was originally designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells.

US systems also complement Israel's air defences with some THAAD anti-missile batteries reportedly in Israel.

"There is no area in Israel that is not under multi-layer defence," said reservist Brigadier General Pini Yungman, who played a key role in developing the country's air defences and is now president of defence company TSG.

But "there is no 100 percent in defence," he told AFP.

"To get the 92 percent that we are getting all together with all the systems, it's outstanding".

The Israeli military, which reveals few details about its air defences, says Iran has launched more than 400 ballistic missiles since the start of the war on February 28 -- sparked by US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic.

Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani recently lauded the interception rate as "exceeding expectations".

Most damage in Israel has been caused by falling debris, but among the 19 civilians killed in the country since the start of the war, more than half died when Iranian missiles broke through.

- 'Nearing exhaustion' -

Around two weeks after the war began, news outlet Semafor first reported that Israel was "running critically low on ballistic missile interceptors", citing unnamed US officials.

An Israeli military source at the time denied the reports, saying there was no shortage "as of now" and that the military was "prepared for prolonged combat".

But analysis published by the London-based RUSI defence think tank on Tuesday indicates that the US, Israel and regional allies have burned through vast quantities of missiles and interceptors since the end of February.

Researchers estimated that in the first 16 days of conflict, allied forces expended 11,294 munitions costing roughly $26 billion.

Stockpiles of long-range interceptors and precision munition in particular, it said, were "nearing exhaustion".

"This basically means that if the war continues, coalition aircraft have to fly deeper into Iranian airspace -- and on the defensive side it means absorbing more Iranian missiles and drones," one of the co-authors, US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jahara Matisek, told AFP.

Long and costly production timelines make the depletion of high-end interceptors, like Israel's Arrows, particularly critical.

Each Arrow 2 interceptor costs an estimated $1.5 million, with Arrow 3s around $2 million.

"The bottleneck isn't just money. It's industrial physics", Matisek said, pointing to issues including capacity constraints at the supplier level.

These are "production lines that don't scale like an iPhone factory," he said. 

These are munitions "you save for the worst threats" he said, and the supply "is never going to be huge".

The RUSI analysis estimated that 81.33 percent of Israel's pre-war Arrow interceptor stocks had already been depleted, and that they would likely "be completely expended by the end of March".

- Accelerated production -

Yungman insisted that, taking into account all its air defence systems, Israel could produce interceptors faster than Iran could produce ballistic missiles.

He added that Israel accelerated its interceptor production after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack and upgraded its systems to deal with ballistic missiles.

The military confirmed on Monday that it was a malfunction in David's Sling that had allowed Iranian ballistic missiles to strike the southern towns of Dimona and Arad last week.

Dimona is widely believed to hold Israel's undeclared nuclear arsenal.

Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist reported that the military had chosen to use David's Sling in a bid to preserve Arrow interceptor stocks.

Faced with the challenges posed by Iranian missiles, Israel has three options to conserve interceptor stocks, Jean-Loup Samaan, a senior researcher at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore, told AFP.

"Mixing the different missile systems in order to avoid massive shortages; not intercepting missiles or drones if they land in unpopulated areas; and increasing the pressure on the offensive campaign, hoping that they are able to degrade Iran's capabilities before the IDF's air defence resources run out".

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Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced the widening gap between the haves and have-nots as he visited Monaco, a millionaires' playground that is the surprise pick for the first western European trip of his papacy.

Arriving by helicopter from Rome, the pope was greeted by Monaco's ruler Prince Albert II and his wife, Princess Charlene, at Monte Carlo's heliport under radiant sunshine.

Just after his arrival at the tiny principality on the French Riviera, Leo condemned what he termed the widening "chasms between the poor and the rich." 

In an address in French from the balcony of the Prince's Palace, the American pope denounced "unjust configurations of power, structures of sin that dig chasms between poor and rich, between the privileged and the rejected, between friends and enemy."

He added wealth should serve "law and justice, especially at a historical moment when displays of force and the logic of omnipotence wound the world and jeopardise peace," in a clear reference to the growing number of conflicts across the globe.

- Bells peal -

Bells pealed across the principality to mark Leo's arrival in the microstate nestled on the Mediterranean between France and Italy.

Locals gathered outside the palace, many brandishing flags in the red and white of the principality and the yellow and white of the Vatican.

"I'm trembling - it's so emotional, and I'm so proud," says Alix Pearce, a 34-year-old sales representative who came with her family.

Along the route of the Popemobile on Rue Grimaldi, a major thoroughfare, shopkeepers had decked out their windows in the colours of both statelets to mark the occasion.

From the palace, the pope was to head to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to meet the Catholic community, then to the square in front of the Church of Saint Devota, dedicated to the patron saint of Monaco.

In the tiny city state's streets billboards showing the pontiff in his church regalia offered a stark contrast to gleaming sports cars and jostling crowds of tourists.

The highlight will be an open-air mass at the Louis II Stadium, expected to be attended by 15,000 people.

"The pope brings people together," said Eric Battaglia, a 64-year-old Monegasque artist and musician. "In a world that has been at war for the past few years, it's a blessing that there are people like him, trying to ensure that people remain human."

Pope Leo was slated to make speeches addressing environmental protection -- which is a cause close to Prince Albert’s heart -- Monaco's role in Europe and "the protection of life in all its forms", according to the Vatican’s press office director, Matteo Bruni.

That phrase encompasses opposition to abortion, banned in the principality, and euthanasia, but also serves as condemnation of all conflict, at a time of war in the Middle East which is destabilising the global economy.

Monaco is one of the few places in Europe where Catholicism remains the state religion, and it has long-standing diplomatic ties with the Holy See.

Though only around eight percent of citizens identify as practising Catholics, church pews are one of the few places where billionaires, cleaning ladies and construction workers mingle.

- 'Powerful sign' -

"This visit is a powerful sign testifying to the Principality’s importance within the Catholic Christian world," Prince Albert said in an interview with local daily Nice-Matin.

The prince added he shared with the Vatican common causes including international solidarity and "the promotion of peace through sport."

Though some locals professed indifference to the papal visit, Isabel Fissore, the 62-year-old owner of a small jewellery shop, had managed to secure invitations to attend meetings with the pontiff.

"It's historic: the two smallest states in the world coming together to spread a message of peace, light and love throughout the world. We may be a small nation, yet our hearts are big," Fissore told AFP.

Monaco Archbishop, Monsignor Dominique-Marie David, said the pope is reaching out to "other cultures, other countries, other backgrounds and other languages" in the principality, home to some 140 nationalities.

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A huge shipment of Nestle's crunchy KitKat chocolate bars was stolen in Europe, the brand said, warning that the heist risked causing shortages in stores right before Easter.

KitKat, owned by Swiss food giant Nestle, confirmed in a statement sent to AFP on Saturday that "a truck transporting 413,793 units of its new chocolate range has been stolen during transit in Europe".

The shipment, weighing around 12 tonnes, disappeared last week while heading between production and distribution locations, it said. 

"We've always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat," a spokesperson for the brand said, referring to its catchphrase.

"But it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate."

The brand warned that "the theft may lead to a shortage of KitKats appearing on shelf", acknowledging that "consumers, unfortunately, may struggle to find their favourite chocolates ahead of Easter".

The stolen truck had left central Italy and was making its way to Poland, with a plan to distribute the bars in countries along the way.

KitKat did not say where specifically the goods had gone missing, but said "the vehicle and its contents remain unaccounted for".

"Investigations are ongoing in close collaboration with local authorities and supply chain partners," it said.

KitKat warned that the missing chocolate bars "could enter unofficial sales channels across European markets".

It said it was possible to trace the stolen goods by scanning the unique batch codes found on each bar. 

"If a match is found, the scanner will be given clear instructions on how to alert KitKat who will then share the evidence appropriately," it said.

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Yemen's Houthi rebels announced their entry into the Middle East war on Saturday by launching a ballistic missile towards Israel, as the world struggled to contain the economic damage of a conflict now entering its second month.

The intervention of Iran's Yemeni allies into Tehran's conflict with Israel and the United States will spark concern about disruption to Red Sea shipping, with trade from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz already choked off.

The war began when the United States and Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across Iran, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, engulfing the Middle East in conflict and triggering global economic pain by sending oil and gas prices soaring.

With no end to the conflict in sight, despite US President Donald Trump's optimism that US forces have obliterated Iran's military, a spokesman for the Houthis issued a video statement declaring that the group had launched ballistic missiles towards Israeli bases.

A few hours earlier, the Israeli military had said it had "identified the launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israeli territory, aerial defence systems are operating to intercept the threat". 

There were no reports of any casualties or damage in Israel, and the missile was reportedly intercepted.

- New Red Sea war? -

During Israel's recent war on Gaza the Houthis, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians, attacked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. But, until Saturday, had sat out the latest conflict.

The Red Sea has become increasingly important during the new war.

Saudi Arabia has diverted a large proportion of its oil exports to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran says it has closed to shipping from hostile powers -- driving up energy prices worldwide.

Iran's military said on Saturday that it had targeted a US logistics vessel near the Omani port of Salalah on the Arabian Sea. Oman said a drone attack on the port wounded a foreign worker.

Air travel has also been disrupted. 

On Saturday, authorities in Kuwait and in the city of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan said airport facilities had been damaged in strikes. Fire also broke out after Iranian missiles and drones hit an industrial zone in the United Arab Emirates, injuring five people.

In Iran, meanwhile, production was shut down at a major steel plant in the southwest of the country after US-Israeli strikes, according to a statement from the Khuzestan Steel Company, cited by the Shargh newspaper.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned they will retaliate for any economic damage by striking industrial sites across the region, having earlier issued similar warnings for US military bases and hotels hosting American troops.

Israel announced fresh strikes on Tehran and an AFP journalist in the city reported around 10 intense blasts and a plume of black smoke overnight.

Meanwhile on Saturday Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sent a message to other countries in the region, warning: "If you want development and security, don't let our enemies run the war from your lands."

- 'Could solve it all' -

An Iranian missile and drone attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on Friday wounded at least 12 American soldiers, two of them seriously, according to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, citing unidentified officials.

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Friday he believed Iran would hold talks with Washington "this week, we're certainly hopeful for it". Washington expected Tehran to respond to a 15-point US peace plan, he told a business forum in Miami.

"It could solve it all," he said.

Pakistan, which has been a go-between between US and Iranian officials, is to host foreign ministers from regional powers Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt in Islamabad on Monday for talks on the crisis.

Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul had said on Friday that he expected a direct US-Iran meeting in Pakistan "very soon", without revealing his source.

Thailand on Saturday joined a handful of nations that have announced they were able to secure safe passage for their oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz in an agreement with Iran.

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The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier that has been part of Middle East war operations, arrived at the Croatian city of Split on Saturday, the US embassy said in a statement.

AFP journalists saw the vessel arriving on Saturday morning as it headed toward the port, with the embassy saying it was part of a "scheduled port visit and maintenance".

The carrier left a naval base in Crete earlier this week after returning to the base following a laundry fire onboard, which injured two crew members.

"During its visit the USS Gerald R Ford will host local officials and key leaders to recognise the strong and enduring alliance between the United States and Croatia," the embassy statement said.

The United States and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran in late February following a major US military buildup in the Middle East that included the Ford and another aircraft carrier, the Abraham Lincoln.

Both ships -- which have air wings made up of dozens of aircraft -- have played key roles in Iran operations, and the withdrawal of the Ford leaves a gap for US forces in the region.

The Ford has been at sea for nearly nine months -- a deployment that has already seen it take part in US operations in the Caribbean, where Washington's forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, interdicted sanctioned tankers and seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

A fire broke out in a laundry room aboard the carrier on March 12, injuring two sailors and causing major damage to some 100 beds, according to the US military.

The carrier has also reportedly suffered significant problems with its toilet system while at sea, with US media reporting clogs and long lines for restrooms on the ship.

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Massive nationwide protests against US President Donald Trump are expected Saturday as millions of people vent fury over what they see as his authoritarian bent and other forms of cruel, law-trampling governance.

It is the third time in less than a year that Americans will take to the streets as part of a grassroots movement called "No Kings," the most vocal and visual conduit for opposition to Trump since he began his second term in January 2025.

And now they have something new to fume over -- the war in Iran that Trump launched alongside Israel, with ever-shifting goals and timelines for completion.

The first such nationwide protest day came in June on Trump's 79th birthday and coincided with a military parade in Washington that he insisted on holding.

Several million people turned out, from New York to San Francisco and many places in between.

The second "No Kings" day in October drew an estimated seven million protesters, according to organizers.

The goal now is to bring out even more people on Saturday, as Trump's approval rating is low at around 40 percent and midterm elections loom in November, when Trump's Republicans could lose control of both chambers.  

Just as Trump is worshipped by many in his "Make America Great Again" movement, on the other side of America's wide political chasm he is disliked or even loathed with equal passion.

Trump foes bemoan his penchant for ruling by executive decree, his use of the Justice Department to prosecute opponents, his embrace of fossil fuels and climate change denial even as the planet warms, his fight against racial and gender diversity programs, and his newfound taste for flexing US military power after campaigning as a man of peace.

"Since the last time we marched, this administration has dragged us deeper into war," said Naveed Shah of Common Defense, a veterans association that belongs to the "No Kings" movement.

"At home, we've watched citizens killed in the streets by militarized forces. We've seen families torn apart and immigrant communities targeted. All of it done in the name of one man trying to rule like a king," Shah said.

- Springsteen in Minneapolis -

Organizers say more than 3,000 rallies are planned, an increase from the last protest day, in major cities coast to coast and in suburbs and rural areas -- even in the Alaskan town of Kotzebue, above the Arctic circle.

Minnesota will be a key focal point, returning to the limelight months after becoming ground zero for the national debate over Trump's violent immigration crackdown.

Legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen, a fierce critic of the president, is scheduled to perform in St. Paul, the capital of the northern state, his song "Streets of Minneapolis." 

It is a ballad he wrote and recorded in the space of 24 hours in memory of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Americans shot and killed by federal agents during protests in frigid January weather against Trump's immigration offensive.

"Masked secret police terrorizing our communities. An illegal, catastrophic war putting us in danger and driving up our costs. Attacks on our freedom of speech, our civil rights, our freedom to vote. Costs pushing families to the brink. Trump wants to rule over us as a tyrant," the "No Kings" movement said.

It said what began in 2025 as a simple day of defiance has mushroomed into a powerful movement of national resistance to the Trump administration.

Organizers say two-thirds of those who plan to rally Saturday do not live in big cities, which in America are often Democratic strongholds -- a data point that is up sharply since the last protest.

"America is at an inflection point," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. 

"People are afraid, and they can't afford basic necessities. It's time the administration listened and helped them build a better life rather than stoking hate and fear."

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The Oklahoma City Thunder got back in the win column on Friday, beating the Chicago Bulls 131-113 to maintain their grip on first place in the NBA Western Conference.

Two days after their 12-game winning streak was halted by the Boston Celtics, the defending champions Thunder were again on the ropes against the visiting Bulls.

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander connected on just eight of 24 shots for the Thunder, who trailed by eight late in the third quarter but unleashed a furious 22-0 scoring run to turn it into a blowout.

Cason Wallace added 21 points for Oklahoma City.

Jalen Williams scored 18 and Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Joe added 15 apiece off the bench for the Thunder, who were without All-Star Chet Holmgren who sat out with a bruised hip.

It was a key win for the Thunder, who came into the contest with a two-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs for top spot and home court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs.

Collin Sexton scored 22 points and Tre Jones added 21 for the Bulls.

In Boston, the Celtics shook off a sluggish start against the high-flying Hawks to triumph 109-102.

The Hawks, who had won nine of their last 10 games, led by as many as 16 in the first quarter.

But Payton Pritchard's 36 points off the bench and 26 points and 12 rebounds from Jayson Tatum led the hosts' fightback on a night when Jaylen Brown was sidelined by Achilles tendinitis.

It was Tatum's highest-scoring performance since he made his season debut this month after recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in last year's playoffs.

He scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to help the Celtics seal the comeback and maintain their slim advantage over the New York Knicks for second place in the Eastern Conference.

The Los Angeles Clippers, jostling for position in the play-in tournament, got a scare against the league-worst Indiana Pacers.

But Kawhi Leonard drilled a game-winning basket with less than a second remaining in a 114-113 victory.

Leonard finished with 28 points and eight rebounds and Darius Garland scored 30 for the Clippers.

Denver star Nikola Jokic delivered another monster triple-double, his 31st of the season, in the Nuggets' 135-129 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Jokic tallied 33 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists and point guard Jamal Murray added 31 points and 14 assists to help the Nuggets tighten their hold on fourth place in the West.

- Doncic shines -

The third-placed Los Angeles Lakers, fueled by 41 points from Luka Doncic, beat the lowly Brooklyn Nets 116-99.

Doncic could be facing a one-game suspension after being whistled for his 16th technical foul of the season after tangling with Nets forward Ziaire Williams in the third quarter.

A player's 16th technical triggers an automatic one-game ban, something Doncic had already avoided after his last technical foul -- in a victory over Orlando last weekend -- was rescinded upon league office review.

The Golden State Warriors, fueled by 28 points from Kristaps Porzingis, got a morale-boosting 131-126 victory over the Washington Wizards despite the continued absence of superstar Stephen Curry.

Curry missed his 24th straight game with a nagging knee injury, and the Warriors said before the contest that he'll miss at least one more -- against Denver on Sunday -- before being re-evaluated next week.

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After the airstrikes that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian-Canadian Salar Gholami went to a rally in a Toronto suburb to celebrate the downfall of a leader he fiercely opposed.

Then, in the early hours of March 1, someone fired 17 shots at his boxing gym, which was empty at the time but is often full of children he teaches to fight.

The bullet holes, marked by numbered police tape, were still visible outside the building in Richmond Hill on a rainy morning three weeks after the shooting, which has drawn renewed attention to the alleged presence of Iranian government officials inside Canada, including members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Gholami is a physically imposing former competitive fighter aged 32 who describes himself as an activist within Canada's large Iranian diaspora. He wants the Tehran government brought down.

His gym includes multiple portraits of Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran's last shah.

Gholami told AFP he was shocked by the shooting.

"I thought Canada is safe," he said, next to sweets spread out on the boxing ring's mat, part of festivities marking the Persian New Year, called Nowruz.

Asked who he believed was responsible, Gholami said: "For sure, (the) Islamic republic."

- 'Top priority' -

York Regional Police told AFP the "investigation into the shooting remains ongoing and the motive behind it is still unknown."

Police say a person observed at the scene wearing dark clothes is considered a suspect but remains at large. They did not share information linking the crime to a foreign government.

Following the shooting, Gholami and other Iranian-Canadians met federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree.

Anandasangaree's office did not reply to a request for comment, but in a March 15 interview with CTV he confirmed meeting Gholami and said rooting out IRGC members from Canada "is the top priority of the CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency)."

- Deportations -

Toronto, and the large suburban communities that surround it, are home to one of the world's largest Iranian diaspora communities -- some jokingly refer to Canada's largest city as "Teheranto."

Concern about Iranian government presence grew after June 2024, when Canada listed the IRGC as a "terrorist entity."

But the issue has received outsized attention since the outbreak of the war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

The CBSA told AFP that as of March 5 it had reviewed about 17,800 visa applications over possible inadmissibility to Canada due to involvement with the Tehran government.

From that group, 239 issued visas were cancelled -- individuals who never came to Canada.

Regarding people in Canada, dozens of investigations are ongoing but 32 people have already been ordered to leave "for being a senior official in the Iranian regime," the CBSA said.

Four left voluntarily after learning Canada intended to remove them, one was deported, and immigration proceedings are ongoing against others.

- 'Tough guy' -

The opposition Conservative Party has accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of not doing enough.

"There have always been conflicts abroad, but we have never seen them spill out onto the streets in the way it has under this Liberal government," deputy Conservative Leader Melissa Lantsman said in a statement.

She charged that "the Liberals have known for years that there are hundreds of Iranian regime officials in Canada," but have failed to act with the urgency required.

Lantsman's office declined an interview request but she told Canadian media this month that Iranian constituents in her suburban Toronto district report feeling "terrified of the (pro-government) activists we have on soil."

Joe Adam George, a national security analyst at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a conservative Ottawa think-tank, has warned of a steadily increasing IRGC presence in Canada and said the country has proven useful for money laundering.

In a March 12 op-ed for the National Post he said "Canada can no longer ignore Iran's dangerous shadow network."

But George told AFP it is "unlikely" the gym shooting was perpetrated by Iranian government agents.

They wouldn't risk getting caught for something like shooting at an empty building, he said. 

"These are likely the actions of individuals who are sympathetic to the regime," George said.

Gholami said the shooting would not dissuade him from further activism, even if personal security was increasingly front-of-mind.

"I'm a tough guy," he said. But "for sure I want to protect myself, protect my friends."

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The US Conservative Political Action Conference has become as much a cultural marketplace as a political gathering, with activists, vendors and influencers turning grievance and identity into a booming ecosystem.

Conspiracy talk, sequined pro-Trump fashion and niche conservative businesses sit side by side at the four-day event in Texas, offering a window into a movement increasingly defined by culture as much as policy.

In CPAC Central, a cavernous hall packed with merchandise stalls two floors below the main stage, a far-right influencer whips up a crowd with talk of looming indictments of "Deep State" figures. 

At the other end, three nuns from Chicago quietly chatter, favoring passers-by with beneficent smiles.

The juxtaposition is jarring -- and entirely normal here.

The attendees are such a mixed bunch that it can be hard to fathom what binds them beyond politics. Yet in this dense marketplace of ideas, identities and impulse buys, a shared sensibility quickly comes into focus.

- Merch, messaging and money -

If CPAC once served primarily as a forum for competing strands of conservative thought, it has evolved into something broader -- and more cohesive.

Politics here is not just debated. It is worn, sold, performed and shared. CPAC Central is part bazaar, part broadcast studio, part ideological showcase.

Vendors sell items ranging from Trump-themed cigars and $25 baseball caps to bank accounts and mobile phone plans pitched as alternatives to institutions accused of "canceling" conservatives.

A giant banner depicts a muscled Donald Trump as a Rambo-style action hero beneath the battle cry "Save America Again." 

Nearby, racks of sequined jackets shimmer with slogans like "Make Heaven Crowded," worn by supporters well into their seventies who, for a few days at least, dress more like pop fans than retirees.

One group, the "Trump Tribe of Texas," moves through the hall in coordinated gold outfits, each member bearing a single letter that spells out the president's name when they line up.

There is even an arcade-style game, "Water Gun Fun" -- a reminder that at CPAC, politics is rarely presented without a layer of spectacle.

"It's about values -- good values, being ethical and having integrity," said Sandy Schoepke, a Trump supporter who is running a merchandise booth at her second CPAC, which is typically held in Washington but moved to the Dallas suburbs this year.

- 'The message resonates' -

For some vendors, CPAC offers something rarer than exposure: a captive audience.

"It's not often that everyone's gathered so concentrated," said Eric Ohlhausen, co-founder of Old Glory Bank, an online institution launched in response to what he sees as conservatives being "debanked" by traditional banks.

"We are an openly pro-America bank that promises not to cancel its customers for their views," he said.

His pitch -- financial services framed as free speech -- lands easily with a crowd that sees itself as culturally embattled.

"That message resonates... because this is the audience that has been so attacked by financial institutions," Ohlhausen said.

Elsewhere, John Adams -- who enjoys that he shares his name with the second US president -- oversees the stall for Liberty Cigar Company, selling toros, coronas and robustos in gift sets honoring Trump and other US presidents.

"Anything history-related, we're there," he told AFP. "Our mission is to tell America's magnificent story."

Many customers, he noted, head straight for the $13 Trump cigars regardless of their usual taste.

But he chuckled when asked about the speakers upstairs, revealing that he was far too busy to get involved in the actual politics of CPAC.

"In five years, I haven't seen a single speaker," he said.

- Culture as glue -

Beyond the merchandise, the hall doubles as a media ecosystem.

Podcast Row and Radio Row buzz with influencers broadcasting live, while smaller stages host a rotating cast of political personalities, including former British prime minister Liz Truss.

The effect is immersive: a feedback loop where political messaging is produced, consumed and reinforced in real time.

Even the products reflect that blend of identity and ideology.

A pro-gun yard sign warns: "Protected by FAFO — 24-hour surveillance — 2nd Amendment." 

Nearby, stalls promote groups like Students for Life and the Alliance for Secure AI, alongside pro-Israel activists from Generation Zion.

The result is less a traditional conference than a cultural hub, one that both reflects and reinforces the modern conservative movement.

For attendees like Schoepke, that sense of belonging is as important as any speech from the main stage.

"I've built relationships with people. I've met such quality friends," she said.

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Mizzou softball earned a 3-0 win against Auburn in its first game of the weekend on Friday in Auburn, Alabama. The win marked just its second of SEC play.

Kayley Lenger kicked off the scoring for the Tigers with a ball to left field that sent Abby Carr home during the second inning.

Madison Uptegrove notched her second home run of the season in the fourth frame to put Mizzou up 2-0. She struck again in the sixth to earn the final run for Missouri.

A swift double play sealed the second consecutive Mizzou win after a mid-week victory over SIUE.

Cierra Harrison stayed hot with a no-hitter through five frames adding four strikeouts.

Missouri (17-18) will continue its series looking for its first conference series win against Auburn at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Alabama.