New threats and tensions rattle Iran ceasefire and test peace push

The Iran ceasefire and peace talks this week are hanging by a thread as tensions boil over the strategic waterway that epitomizes Tehran’s new leverage and a conflict that critics warn has escaped President Donald Trump’s control.
On Friday, Trump said Iran had “agreed to everything,” prompting a stock market rally on hopes the war could soon end. But by Sunday, this looked like another case of overhyping diplomacy, and the president was again threatening to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants, and Tehran had shut the S

Record US drought sparks worries about fires, water supply and food prices

Drought in the contiguous United States has reached record levels for this time of year, weather data shows. Meteorologists said it's a bad sign for the upcoming wildfire season, food prices and western water issues.
More than 61% of the Lower 48 states is in moderate to exceptional drought — including 97% of the Southeast and two-thirds of the West — according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. It's the highest levels for this time of year since the drought monitor began in 2000.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adm

Oil price plunge on US-Iran peace hopes to give rupee, bonds some breather

By Dharamraj Dhutia and Jaspreet Kalra
MUMBAI, April 20 (Reuters) - The Indian rupee and government bonds this week will be comforted by a drop in oil prices even as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains at a standstill, days before a ‌ceasefire between the United States and Iran is set to expire.
Brent crude oil prices fell sharply on Friday and could experience ‌fresh volatility this week after U.S. President Donald Trump said his envoys would return to Pakistan for fresh talks with Iran, while threatenin

US seizes Iranian-flagged ship near Strait of Hormuz and Tehran vows to respond

The United States said it attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get around a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first interception since its blockade of Iranian ports began last week.
Iran will respond soon, its state broadcaster said later, calling the armed boarding an act of piracy.
The events threw into question both the fragile ceasefire and President Donald Trump’s earlier announcement that US negotiators would head to Pakistan on Monday for another round of

Iran doubles down on closing the Strait of Hormuz as the ceasefire inches toward expiration

CAIRO (AP) — Iran doubled down on its pledge to restrict ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains in place, as mediators scrambled to extend the ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday.
The dueling blockades have complicated Pakistani-led mediation attempts and raised questions about whether the two-week truce can be extended.
“It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohamme

Wildfires used to 'go to sleep' at night. Climate change has them burning overtime

WASHINGTON (AP) — Burning time for North American wildfires is going into overtime. Flames are lasting later into the night and starting earlier in the morning because human-caused climate change is extending the hotter and drier conditions that feed fires, a new study found.
Fires used to die down or even die out at night as temperatures dropped and humidity increased, but that's happening less often. The number of hours in North America when the weather is favorable for wildfires is 36% higher than 50 year

Stock market today: Dow soars over 1,000 points, S&P 500 and Nasdaq surge on news of 2-week US-Iran...

US stocks surged on Wednesday, while oil prices cratered amid relief after the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that could lead to a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) soared 2.5%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) vaulted 3.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) jumped 2.9%, or over 1,300 points.
Global markets saw a return of risk appetite after President Trump called for a two-week suspension in hostilities in return for Tehra

Stock Futures Soar After U.S., Iran Walk Back From the Brink

Oil prices plunged, stock futures surged and government bond yields sank after President Trump said he had agreed to a cease-fire with Iran if the Strait of Hormuz reopened immediately.
The pause in hostilities sparked relief among investors who feared the war was about to spiral into a dangerous new phase that could inflict even graver damage to the global economy. The immediate question for the financial world now is whether tankers trapped in the Persian Gulf can start to sail out and deliver much-needed supplies to increasing

Starmer travels to Middle East to 'support and sustain' ceasefire

ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston is travelling with the prime minister on his trip to the Middle East following the ceasefire between the US and Iran
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed a ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran overnight as he travels to the Middle East to meet leaders of Gulf countries.
Downing Street said the prime minister would use his visit to the Gulf on Wednesday to make clear the UK’s commitment to de-escalation and hold further talks on “practical efforts” to restore freedom of

Bitcoin Price Surges Above $70,000. Ethereum, XRP Jump as Cryptos Rally on Iran Hope.

April 08, 2026, 2:52 am EDT
The price of Bitcoin
BTCUSD
+3.96%
and other cryptocurrencies was rising sharply Wednesday amid relief after the U.S. and Iran agreed a 14-day cease-fire pending negotiations to secure a permanent peace deal.
BTCUSD
+3.96%

https://www.barrons.com/ar...

Iran ceasefire deal a partial win for Trump - but at a high cost

In the end, cooler heads prevailed – at least for now.
At 18:32 Washington time, President Donald Trump posted on his social media website that the US and Iran were "very far along" with a "definitive" peace agreement and that he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire to allow negotiations to proceed.
It wasn't exactly the last minute, but with Trump's looming 20:00 EDT (00:00 GMT on Wednesday) deadline to reach a deal or the US would launch massive strikes against Iranian energy and transportation infrastructure, it came pretty

Iran war ceasefire pushes energy markets into twilight zone

Commentary
Ron Bousso

https://www.reuters.com/bu...

Trump agrees to two-week Iran ceasefire, drops threat to destroy 'whole civilization'

By Steve Holland, Parisa Hafezi, Enas Alashray and Ahmed Tolba
WASHINGTON/DUBAI/CAIRO, April 7 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating attacks on its civilian infrastructure.
Trump's announcement on social media represented an abrupt turnaround from earlier in the day, ‌when he issued an extraordinary warning that "a whole civilization will die tonight

Donald Trump's good news might be short-lived

PUBLISHED
APR 07, 2026 AT 09:14 PM EDT
Oil futures tumbled on Tuesday after President Donald Trump announced a two‑week ceasefire with Iran, offering a rare moment of relief for energy markets rattled by weeks of war and threats around the Strait of Hormuz, but the administration will have to tread carefully if they want those benefits to trickle down to American consumers.
The Trump administration has been plagued by an economy that's falling well short of Americans' expectations for the president. It's contributing to the drop his approval

Iran rejects ceasefire as Trump ramps up threats ahead of deadline

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday it wanted a lasting end to the war with the U.S. and Israel, and pushed back against pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while U.S. President Donald Trump warned the country could be "taken out" if it did not meet his Tuesday night deadline to reach a deal.
Responding to a U.S. proposal through mediator Pakistan, Tehran rejected a ceasefire ‌and said a permanent end to the war was necessary, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The Iranian response consisted

2026 NFL draft: Scout likens Kadyn Proctor to New York Giants' Evan Neal

Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor enters the 2026 NFL draft as one of the most physically imposing prospects at his position.
Listed at 6-foot-7 and 352 pounds, the former five-star recruit possesses rare size and flashes of athleticism that have drawn attention from evaluators. Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Proctor as the 14th overall prospect on his big board, projecting him as a potential late first-round selection.
Despite the measurable appeal, concerns persist about Proctor's consistency and competitive fire.

htt

Asia's migrant workers debate if Gulf jobs are worth deadly risk of Iran war

All Norma Tactacon can do is pray as the sirens blare.
The 49-year-old, who works in the Middle East as a domestic worker, is thousands of miles away from her home in the Philippines, where her husband and three children live.
Stuck in Qatar, which is caught in the crossfire of the US and Israel's war on Iran, her only hope is that she makes it home to her family.
"I get scared and nervous every time I see pictures and videos of missiles in the air," she tells the BBC. "I need to be alive to be there for my fami

Rare daytime fireball may have dropped meteorites on Texas: Here's where to find them

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
NASA has released a "strewn field" map of where meteorites may have fallen after a rare daytime fireball explosively disintegrated in the skies over Houston on Saturday (March 21) evening — with the force of 26 tons of TNT.
Houston residents reported hearing loud booms as pressure waves brought about by the meteor's demise reached the ground at 5:40 p.m. EDT (21:40 GMT), following its brief but fiery de

Foreign secretary denounces 'reckless Iran threats' after missiles fired at Diego Garcia

The foreign secretary has said the UK will continue to provide defensive support against "reckless Iranian threats" but insisted it would not be drawn into a wider conflict in the Middle East.
Yvette Cooper was speaking after it emerged Tehran had targeted the joint US-UK military base in the Chagos Islands, with reports of two ballistic missiles being fired at the island of Diego Garcia.
Supporting UK interests included taking defensive action against ballistic missile threats, she added.
Cooper sai

Meteorite hunters scour Ohio for fragments of 7-ton **** e rock that crashed into Earth

MEDINA, Ohio (AP) — Meteorite hunters fanned out across a wide swath of Ohio on Thursday, hoping to collect fragments of an estimated 7-ton (6,350 kilograms) **** e rock that crashed into Earth this week after a dazzling fireball that was seen from hundreds of miles away.
The meteoroid broke apart around 9 a.m. Tuesday over Valley City, a half-hour south of Cleveland, after it sped through the atmosphere at about 45,000 miles (72,420 kilometers) per hour. It caused a sonic boom that rattled buildings an

SpaceX fires up next-gen 'V3' Starship for 1st time ahead of April launch (photos)

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
SpaceX's biggest, most powerful Starship to date just breathed fire for the first time.
On Monday (March 16), the company conducted a static fire test with Starship's "Super Heavy" first stage, briefly igniting the booster's engines while the vehicle remained anchored to Pad 2 at ******* eX's Starbase site in South Texas.
It was the first-ever static fire for a Version 3 (V3) vehicle — the latest iteratio

7-ton meteor identified as likely cause of boom heard across Ohio

An asteroid weighing about 7 tons and traveling at 45,000 miles per hour zoomed over multiple states and lit up the sky as a meteor Tuesday morning, causing a loud boom that some residents mistook for an explosion, officials said.
NASA said eyewitnesses from 10 states, Washington, D.C., and the Canadian province of Ontario reported seeing the "bright fireball" moments before 9 a.m. ET. The National Weather Service office in Pittsburgh shared an employee's video of the meteor arcing across the sky.
Witnesses in Ohio, New Yor

X-ray ****** ecraft watches monster black hole wake up and fire cosmic bullets at starburst galaxy

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
The joint NASA and ****** an Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission XRISM has spotted a monster black hole awakening in a distant "starburst" galaxy.
The research is revolutionary to black hole science, because it represents the first observation of the exact stage at which "winds" from a black hole begin to shape an entire galaxy.
Thus, the "switching on" of this supermassive black h

Any teacher who leads an anti-ice walkout should be instantly fired.

Possibly deported.

This is a reminder that a radical Islamic terrorist opened fire at a bar, while wearing a “Property of Allah” sweatshirt,

& democrat Senators refuse to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Gray Media’s KPDX enters partnership with Portland Fire, Portland Thorns

The WNBA’s Portland Fire and NWSL’s Portland Thorns announced a multi-year media partnership establishing Gray Media’s (GTN) KPDX as the regional broadcast home for the two professional women’s sports teams in Portland. Additionally, the Portland Fire will add a direct-to-consumer opportunity through a new partnership with Kiswe, also providing fan access to live games, original programming, and in-depth team storytelling on a newly-branded Portland Fire streaming platform. FOX 12 Plus will serve as the exclusive local

Aap chor raastey se aaye ho: Shadab Khan under fire for Pakistan beat India comment

Veteran Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad has strongly criticised all-rounder Shadab Khan following the latter’s recent comments aimed at former national players. The backlash comes in the wake of Pakistan’s defeat to India in the T20 World Cup, a result that triggered widespread criticism of the Salman Ali Agha-led side.

In response to former cricketers questioning the team’s performance, Shadab had pointed out that he had at least been part of a Pakistan side that beat India in an ICC ev

(WHNT) — Blue Origin has announced that it plans to put a pause on its New Shepard program for at least two years.
On Friday, the company announced it will pause its ****** e tourism flights to free up resources to accelerate development of its lunar program.
One injured after vehicle runs into Toney Fire Station
“The decision reflects Blue Origin’s commitment to the nation’s goal of returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent, sustained lunar presence,” the company said.
Blue Origin touts the New Shepard launch system as the first reusable ****** eflight system that can land vertic

CLAXTON, Ga. (WSAV) — Kerosene bought on or after Tuesday from the El Cheapo in Claxton may cause explosions or fires if used, the Georgia Agriculture commissioner said Friday.
The affected kerosene, which is possibly contaminated with gasoline, was sold on or after Jan. 27, 2026, from El Cheapo at 821 W. Main Street.
If used in home heaters or lamps, the kerosene has the potential to cause an explosion or fire, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper said.
The affected product was sold on or after Jan. 27, 2026, from El Cheapo at 821 W. Main Street.
LIST: Making an emergency kit for winte

Trump says no to low-income housing in fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades

President Donald Trump reiterated that he doesn’t want the construction of low-income housing in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, as it slowly recovers from last year's deadly wildfires.
During his first administration Cabinet meeting of the year on Jan. 29, Trump tapped into his real estate expertise, saying he's not going to allow it happen in the beach-adjacent community known for its upscale, expensive housing. The Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people, burned more than 23,000 acres, including nearly 7,000