World Echo

A broker for United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to make a significant investment in major defence companies in the days before the Iran war, according to the Financial Times (FT). The Pentagon, however, has dismissed the report. According to CNBC, FT reported Tuesday that Hegseth’s broker at banking giant Morgan Stanley contacted BlackRock in February about making a multimillion-dollar investment in its iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF. The ETF, which has about $3.1 billion in assets, counts companies such as RTX Corp, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, among its largest holdings, BlackRock data showed. The CNBC report states that according to the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) data, the ETF has lost 12.4% in the past month, around the time when the Iran war started. Read: Crude oil tanker off Dubai hit by Iranian strike after Trump's latest threats FT also said that the investment discussed by Hegseth’s broker did not move forward as the fund wa...

Israel’s Knesset approved a controversial law on Monday allowing the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners, with 62 lawmakers voting in favour, 47 against and one abstaining, according to an official Knesset voting record. A contentious bill introduced by the far-right Jewish Power party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was approved in its second and third readings in the Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voted in favour of the bill, according to Israeli media. The bill passed its first reading in November. Critics say the bill’s scope would, in practice, apply almost exclusively to Palestinian prisoners, raising concerns over discriminatory enforcement. The vote exposed sharp divisions between the ruling coalition and opposition, including Arab parties. SOURCE: ANADOLU AGENCY The bill was heavily favoured by right-wing and religious coalition parties such as Likud (led by Netanyahu), Shas, Religious Zionism, and Jewish Power (colored in red). Centrist and l...

Heavy rain that triggered severe flooding and caused buildings to collapse has killed 22 people and injured 32 in Afghanistan over the last two days, the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Monday, as it warned of continued risk due to bad weather. Most of the deaths were reported from the central and eastern provinces of the war-shattered South Asian nation, including Parwan, Maidan Wardak, Daykundi and Logar, where torrential rain triggered flash floods and caused houses to collapse in rural and mountainous regions, the authority said. Conditions remained "unstable" in parts of the country on Monday, with continued risk of further rain and flooding in some areas, it said. Also Read: Operation Ghazab Lil Haq against Afghan Taliban resumes after Eidul Fitr pause "Twenty-two people were killed, 32 injured and 241 houses damaged in flooding and other weather-related incidents across 13 provinces over the past two days," an NDMA official...

US President Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that Iran is sending the United States 20 oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning. "And now, today, they gave us, as a tribute — I don't know, I can't define it exactly, but they gave us, I think out of a sign of respect, 20 boats of oil — big, big boats of oil — going through the Hormuz Strait, and that's taking place starting tomorrow morning," he told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, DC. "I would only say that we're doing extremely well in that negotiation," Trump said. He added that he is "pretty sure” the US will make a deal with Iran, “but it's possible we won't.” "I do see a deal in Iran," he said, adding it "could be soon." Trump also said the US is negotiating with Iran both "directly and indirectly." Read: Trump calls Iran's current leaders 'very reasonable' as Pakistan prepares to host talks When...

Syria's assistant defence minister said Sunday that his country's forces had repelled a drone attack from neighbouring Iraq targeting one of Syria's last US military bases. "Earlier today, the US base in Qasrak, located on our territory, was attacked by four drones launched from Iraqi territory," Sipan Hamo said on X, adding that "the drones were shot down without casualties". "We hold Iraq responsible and call upon it to prevent the recurrence of attacks that threaten our stability." The attack came a day after Syria's army said it repelled another drone attack from Iraq aimed at al-Tanf, a base in the southeast which used to house US forces. Read: Iran says US planning ground attack despite diplomacy claims Earlier this week, the Syrian military said another base in the northeast was also targeted by a missile attack from Iraq, with an Iraqi official saying a local armed group was behind it. Iraq has arrested four people in connection wit...

A man has been arrested after seven people were injured when a car hit pedestrians in the central English city of Derby on Saturday night, the police said on Sunday, adding the force was "keeping an open mind" about the motive. The incident occurred at 2130 GMT. All seven people suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries and were treated at the scene before being taken to the hospital. Police said officers stopped the vehicle believed to be involved shortly after the incident and arrested the driver, a man in his 30s, who remains in custody. The man, originally from India, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and dangerous driving. Police said their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident was ongoing. "Although we know this will be alarming, we would like to reassure people that we do not believe there is an ongoing risk to the public," th...

Iran's Revolutionary Guard has threatened retaliation against US university campuses in the Middle East, saying US and Israeli strikes have destroyed two Iranian universities. In a statement carried by the Fars news agency, closely linked to the IRGC, it warned that US universities in the region could be targeted unless Washington issues an official condemnation of the bombings by noon on Monday, March 30. "We advise all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region and residents of their surrounding areas to stay a kilometre away from campuses." 🚨 FROM NOW ON ALL UNIVERSITIES OF AMERICA IN THE REGION ARE LEGITIMATE TARGETS. "Warning to the criminal rulers of America! The zionist American invading forces have bombed Tehran University of Science and Technology, targeting Iranian universities with their bombings for the… pic.twitter.com/ECqaxb5pOm — True Promise - الوعد الصادق ✪🇮🇷 (@IRTruePromise) March 28, 2026 The statement is in respo...

When US President Donald Trump's signature appears on $100 bills in June, it will end 165 years of the US Treasurer signing banknotes and place Trump among a small band of sitting global leaders, most heads of developing economies, whose autographs or images have ​graced their currencies. Banknotes around the world often show the signature of a central bank leader, finance minister, or other ‌official associated with the printing and issuing of money. Trump's signature would replace that of the US Treasurer, which has appeared on US currency since 1861. The Treasury secretary's signature was added about a century ago. It will remain there alongside Trump's. Euro notes bear the signature of the European Central Bank president ​and pounds sterling are signed by the chief cashier of the Bank of England. Soviet roubles, for a while, took ​the signature of a finance minister or central banker. The Treasury Department on Thursday announced the plan to have ⁠Trump's signat...

As the video opens, Democratic Texas State Representative James Talarico appears to stand in front of a Texas flag, beaming. "Radicalised white men are the greatest domestic terrorist threat in our country," the US Senate candidate seems to say into the camera. As a voice whispers "white men," Talarico continues: "So true. So true." But Talarico never filmed that video. Instead, the clip is an AI-generated ad from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the party's Senate campaign arm, featuring a computer-altered Talarico reciting social media posts he wrote years ago. The words "AI-generated" show up in easy-to-miss font in the lower right-hand corner. The realistic video is among a vanguard of "deepfake" advertisements that some campaigns are already deploying ahead of November's midterm elections, taking advantage of AI tools that are improving at a breakneck pace. The ads are being introduced into a media lands...

More than 1,900 people have ​been killed and ‌at least 20,000 injured in Iran ​since the ​start of United States and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic, ​said Maria Martinez of ​the International Federation of Red Cross and ​Red Crescent ​Societies (IFRC) on Friday, citing figures ‌provided ⁠by the Iranian Red Crescent. Martinez said the Iranian ​Red ​Crescent ⁠continued to serve as the ​only nationwide ​humanitarian ⁠organisation operating across the country ⁠amidst ​the escalating ​conflict. Meanwhile, Iran said that 237 women and more than 200 children have been killed over the past 25 days in the US-Israeli attacks. Read: US, Iran could meet for direct talks in Pakistan ‘very soon’: German FM According to figures released by the government’s Information Centre, the head of Iran’s Emergency Organisation said the casualties included more than 200 people under the age of 18 and 237 women. Over 4,000 women and 1,600 minors were injured since the start of the war, he added...

European powers accused Russia of helping Iran target United States forces in the Middle East war and said they would raise the issue on Friday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in France. Rubio is joining the second day of the gathering of ministers of leading Western democracies, taking place amid wars in Iran and Ukraine, economic uncertainty and mounting unease over unpredictable US foreign policy under President Donald Trump. The ministers are also expected to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, the critical Gulf waterway for the transport of oil and gas, which Iran has effectively blocked, spiking energy prices and roiling financial markets. Two Western security sources and a regional official close to Tehran told Reuters that Moscow has been providing satellite imagery to Tehran and has also helped Iran upgrade its drones to emulate the equivalent versions used by Russia against Ukraine. Other media outlets have also reported that Russia is ai...

Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement on defence cooperation that lays the foundation for future contracts, technological cooperation and investments, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday. During an unannounced visit to the Gulf, Zelenskiy said he hopes to bolster support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, which is now in its fifth year, as the war with Iran raises uncertainty over whether Washington will restrict its military supplies. We have reached an important Arrangement between the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on defense cooperation. The document was signed ahead of our meeting with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.… pic.twitter.com/j3aXzLXSNr — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 27, 2026 Zelenskiy said the framework agreement was signed ahead of a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "We are ready to share our expert...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held a summit in Pyongyang on Thursday, where the two leaders signed a friendship treaty, North Korea's state media KCNA reported. The two countries signed agreements on cooperation in various sectors, including diplomacy, agriculture, education and public health, KCNA said. At a banquet, Kim said Lukashenko's visit to Pyongyang, the first state visit by a Belarusian president since the two countries established diplomatic relations, was meaningful for upgrading bilateral relations between the two countries. Read: Ukraine signs deal with Saudi Arabia on defence cooperation, Zelenskiy says Further, Lukashenko told Kim that the bilateral relations "are developing at a very fast pace" and the leadership of the two countries shared the same views on international affairs, KCNA said. The summit brought together two leaders, both under international sanctions, who have provided crucial backing for...

At least 24 people died after a passenger bus carrying around ​40 passengers plunged into the Padma ‌River while attempting to board a ferry in Bangladesh, officials said on Thursday. The accident occurred ​on Wednesday when the bus lost ​control approaching a ferry at Daulatdia ⁠in Rajbari district, about 100 kilometres from Dhaka. The bus overturned and sank ​nearly nine metres into the river, according to police and the Fire Service and Civil ​Defence. Read More: Five teenage cousins killed in road crash Rescuers recovered 22 bodies from inside ​the submerged bus, including six men, 11 women ‌and ⁠five children, Fire Service official Talha Bin Zasim said. Twenty-four people have been confirmed dead so far, including two women who ​died after ​being rescued, ⁠he said. Four fire service units and 10 divers were leading ​the search and rescue efforts, supported ​by ⁠the army, police, coast guard and local authorities. Officials fear more passengers may still be ⁠missing. ​Hund...

The United States, Israel and Iran have laid out maximalist positions to end warfare that has set the Middle East aflame and threatened the global economy by choking off Gulf energy supplies. This is what the sides are saying about their positions in the conflict in which the US and Israel have launched airstrikes on Iran since February 28 and Iran has carried out strikes against Israel, US bases and Gulf states. What are the Americans saying? US President Donald Trump has passed a 15-point plan to Iran via Pakistan. It has not been published and the US administration has declined to disclose specifics of the plan. It has said that some media reports on what is in it are incorrect, without elaborating. Three Israeli cabinet sources have said the plan includes: The removal of Iran's stocks of highly enriched uranium An end to Iran's uranium enrichment programme Curbs to Iran's ballistic missile programme An end to Iran's support for regional allies such as Lebanon's ...

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday that ending the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran is the only real solution to surging oil prices. "We cannot offset every price increase through tax measures or measures from the federal budget," Merz told lawmakers during a parliamentary session. "The best way to bring prices back under control is to end the war in Iran. And the government is doing everything in its power to achieve this as quickly as possible,” he added. The chancellor emphasised that he has raised Berlin's concerns about the war and its risks to the global economy repeatedly in recent calls with US President Donald Trump. "I am coordinating closely with my colleagues in the European Union and also with the UK, Norway, and many others," said Merz. "We are trying to do everything we can to persuade the US and Israel to seek a diplomatic solution to this war." The chancellor acknowledged that ending hostilities requires a ...

The BBC named former Google executive Matt Brittin as its ‌new director general on Wednesday, replacing Tim Davie who quit last year after a misleading edit of a speech by US President Donald Trump. BBC Chair Samir Shah said it was "clear there is need for radical reform" at the publicly funded broadcaster, and he and the board ​believed Brittin to be the right person to steer the change. "The stakes for the BBC, and the future ​of public service broadcasting, have never been higher," he added. Also Read: OpenAI drops AI video tool Sora, startling Disney, sources say Aside from a $10 billion lawsuit from ⁠Trump, the BBC is facing a battle to stay relevant as viewers, particularly younger audiences, shift to streamers and ​other digital platforms. Trump accuses it of defamation over how the BBC spliced together footage of parts of a speech he ​gave on January 6, 2021, before his supporters stormed the US Capitol. The broadcaster has argued the lawsuit should be dismi...

Pakistan has delivered a proposal from the United States to Iran, and either Pakistan or Turkiye could be venues for discussions to de-escalate the war in the Gulf, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday. The ​comments, on condition of anonymity, were among rare signs that Tehran might consider diplomatic proposals, despite insisting in public that no talks were under way and it would make no deal with ‌the administration of US President Donald Trump. The Iranian source did not disclose details of the proposal passed on by Pakistan, or whether it was the same as a 15-point US framework previously reported by news outlets including Reuters. The source said Turkiye had also "helped to end the war and either Turkey or Pakistan was under consideration as the venue for such talks". Oil prices fell and battered shares recovered on Wednesday after reports that the US had sent the 15-point plan to Iran, with investors hoping for an end to nearly four weeks of ​w...

Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said on Wednesday there have been no negotiations between Tehran and Washington, contradicting remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting progress in efforts to end the conflict. “We have heard such reports in the media, but according to my information, no direct or indirect talks have taken place so far,” the envoy said, adding it was natural for friendly countries to engage both sides in efforts to halt what he described as “illegitimate aggression.” Separately, Iran’s military dismissed Washington’s claims of diplomacy. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said the United States was effectively “negotiating with itself,” according to state media. He also warned that regional stability would remain tied to Iran’s military posture, adding that pre-war economic conditions would not return unless Washington changed course. Missile strikes widen conflict Fighting continued to intensify acro...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday exchanged views with Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the evolving regional situation as diplomacy ramps up to resolve the conflict between Iran and the United States. Since the start of the war between the US, Israel, and Iran, Pakistan’s leadership has stepped up diplomatic efforts to help de-escalate tensions. Dar has held telephonic conversations with his counterparts from several Gulf states and other countries, stressing the importance of de-escalation and emphasising the need to pursue dialogue and diplomacy in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. In a talk with his UAE counterpart today, FM Dar underscored the importance of peace and stability, calling for immediate de-escalation and emphasising that dialogue and diplomacy remained the only viable path forward, the Foreign Office (FO) said on X. He also expressed sorrow over the loss of live...

Thousands of people have been killed across the Middle East since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 and Iran launched strikes against Israel, US bases and Gulf states. Here are the death tolls reported as of ‌March 23, which Reuters has not independently verified. Iran US-based rights group HRANA said on March 22 that 3,268 people have been killed. It said 1,443 ‌of those were civilians, including at least 217 children. The group says its data comes from field reports, local contacts, medical and emergency sources, civil society networks, open source materials and official statements. The latest figures ​reported by state media put the toll at 1,270 people. Iran's ambassador to the UN said on March 6 that at least 1,332 people had been killed since the war began. There has been no clarification of the discrepancy. It was not clear if those figures included at least 104 people who the Iranian military said were killed in a US attack on an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka o...

The United States Supreme Court is set on Tuesday to hear a defense by President Donald Trump's administration of the government's authority to turn away asylum seekers when officials deem US-Mexico border crossings too overburdened to handle more claims. The legal dispute centers on a policy called "metering" that the Republican president's administration may seek to revive after it was dropped by Trump's Democratic predecessor Joe Biden. The policy allowed US immigration officials to stop asylum seekers at the border and indefinitely decline to process their claims. Read: Trump threatens to put ICE agents in airports over funding impasse The Trump administration has appealed a lower court's finding that the policy violated federal law. This policy is separate from the sweeping ban on asylum at the border that Trump announced after returning to the presidency last year. That policy also faces an ongoing legal challenge. Under US law, a migrant who "a...

Bahrain has put forward a draft UN Security Council resolution that would authorise countries to use "all necessary means" - diplomatic language for force - to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday. Diplomats said the draft text was backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States, although they said it was unlikely to get through the council, where Russia and China had veto power. France circulated a more conciliatory alternative draft resolution, seen by Reuters, on Monday evening. The move underscores mounting concern in the region that Iran could continue to threaten the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint that carries about a fifth of global oil supplies and underpins Gulf economies. Closing the Strait has been one of Iran's main objectives. Shipping through the waterway has ground to a near-⁠halt after Iran hit vessels in its conflict with the US and Israel. The draft resolution calls...

More than 40 energy assets across nine countries in the Middle East have been “severely or very severely” damaged amid the ongoing conflict, the International Energy Agency said, according to media reports on Sunday. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said the damage could prolong disruptions to global supply chains even after the conflict ends. “It will take some time for the oil fields, refineries and pipelines to come back online,” he said. Birol said more than three weeks of fighting have disrupted the entire energy supply chain and nearly halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Read More: Iran to completely close Hormuz if Trump executes threats on Iranian energy, Revolutionary Guards say He said the impact of the disruptions is comparable to “the two major oil crises in the 1970s and the 2022 natural gas crisis … all put together”. “Not only oil and gas, but some of the vital arteries of the global economy … their trade is all interrupted,” he added. Birol warned that Asia ...

US-Israeli strikes near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran are extremely dangerous, and Russia has shared its concerns with the United States, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. Such strikes could have irreparable consequences, Peskov said. Strike Near Bushehr Nuclear Plant Triggers Global Safety Alarm International Atomic Energy Agency confirms projectile hit inside Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant complex just hundreds of meters from reactor warning of serious risks despite no damage to core #WashingtonEye pic.twitter.com/UyFUzvibsd — Washington Eye (@washington_EY) March 19, 2026 "We believe that strikes on nuclear facilities are potentially extremely dangerous. (...) Therefore, the Russian side, taking an extremely responsible stance on this issue, has repeatedly voiced its concerns," Peskov said. The Kremlin spokesman said that the conflict in Iran "as recently as yesterday" should have been channelled towards a political and diplomatic settlement....

An attack on Iran's southern coast and islands will lead to Gulf routes being cut with the laying of sea mines, the country's Defence Council said on Monday, according to state media. The US is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil export hub, to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping, according to Axios. "Any attempt to attack Iran's coasts or islands will cause all access routes in the Gulf (...) to be mined with various types of sea mines, including floating mines that can be released from the coast," the statement read. "In this case, the entire Gulf will practically be in a situation similar to the Strait of Hormuz for a long time (...) One should not forget the failure of more than 100 minesweepers in the 1980s in removing a few sea mines." The Defence Council recalled that non-belligerent states can only pass through the Strait of Hormuz by coordinating passage with Iran...

The Afghan Taliban flogged at least 1,186 people and carried out six public executions in Afghanistan during the the last year – March 2025 to March 2026. The official statements and data compiled by an Afghan television channel, and drawn from statements issued by the Taliban’s Supreme Court, indicate the continued application of corporal punishment in most parts of the country. The total excluded the final 12 days of July 11 to 22, implying that the actual number of floggings could be higher. These punishments took place across dozens of provinces, including Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Khost, Badakhshan, Ghor, Paktia, Paktika, Faryab, Laghman, Kapisa, Parwan, Uruzgan, Zabul, Kunar, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Kunduz, Baghlan, Takhar, Badghis, Farah, Nimroz, Logar, Jawzjan, Helmand, Sar-e-Pul, Daikundi and Bamiyan. Read More: Govt rejects Afghan Taliban’s claim of Pakistan breaking truce Taliban court statements showed an increase in the use of corporal punishment du...

Iran’s critical water and energy infrastructure have suffered extensive damage due to US and Israeli strikes, the country’s energy minister said on Sunday. Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran on February 28, killing the Islamic republic’s supreme leader and sparking a war that has since spread across the Middle East. “The country’s vital water and electricity infrastructure has suffered heavy damage following terrorist and cyber attacks by the United States and the Zionist regime,” said energy minister Abbas Aliabadi, according to ISNA news agency. “The attacks targeted dozens of water transmission and treatment facilities and destroyed parts of critical water supply networks,” he noted, adding that efforts were underway to repair the damage. Read More: Iran's president says immediate cessation of US-Israeli aggression needed to end war Earlier on Sunday, US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran’s power plants if it failed to reopen the strate...

A strike on a hospital in Sudan’s East Darfur state killed 64 people and wounded 89 others, including 13 children, the World Health Organization said Saturday. The attack on El-Daein Teaching Hospital in the state capital occurred on Friday, damaging the pediatric, maternity, and emergency departments and leaving the facility non-functional. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for an end to the nearly three-year conflict. “Enough blood has been spilled,” he said. “Health care should never be a target. Peace is the best medicine”. Human toll and emergency response Among the dead were two female nurses, one male doctor, and multiple patients. Eight health staff were reported among the wounded. The WHO is supporting local health partners to treat the injured and fill urgent gaps in medical services with essential supplies. Read: Drone strikes in Sudan kill 33 Sudanese rights group Emergency Lawyers reported that the hospital was struck by a drone. The paramilitary Rapid...

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz ​said on Sunday that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the military to accelerate the demolition of Lebanese homes in "frontline villages" to end threats to Israeli communities. The military was instructed to immediately destroy all bridges over Lebanon's Litani River, which he said were used for "terrorist activity", Katz said in a statement released by his office. The Israeli military said early on Saturday it was striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut after issuing an evacuation warning for seven neighbourhoods in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Israel has been stepping up airstrikes against Lebanon in the third week of its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah. The Hezbollah-Israel conflict has become the deadliest spillover of the US-Israeli war on Iran since the Lebanese fighter groups fired at Israel in support of Tehran on March 2, with mor...

A record early heat wave striking the western United States on Friday is a one-in-500-year event and almost certainly the result of human-caused climate change, experts say. The heat has been toppling records this week and is set to continue into the weekend across western cities while expanding eastward. Four locations in the desert area near the California-Arizona border registered 44.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, a US national record for March. The readings were recorded near Yuma and Martinez Lake in Arizona, and around Winterhaven and Ogilby in California. Read: Intense heatwave grips US, triggering record-breaking temperatures Already, 65 cities have recorded new March highs, ranging from Arizona and California to Idaho, Weather.com reported. Death Valley reached 40°C on Thursday, while typically cool and foggy San Francisco tied its historic March record at 29°C. In Colorado, skiers were seen hitting the slopes shirtless. The National Weather Service issued extreme heat warni...

President Donald Trump ends the third week of the Iran war confronting a crisis that seems to be slipping out of his hands: global energy prices are surging, the United States stands isolated from allies and more ​troops are preparing to deploy despite his promise that the war would be only a "short excursion". A defensive Trump called other NATO countries "cowards" for refusing to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and insisted the campaign was ‌unfolding according to plan. But his declaration on Friday that the battle "was militarily won" clashed with the reality of a defiant Iran that is choking off Gulf oil and gas supplies while launching missile strikes across the region. Read: Iran's Natanz nuclear facility attacked by US-Israeli airstrikes again: report Trump, who took office promising to keep the US out of "stupid" military interventions, now appears to control neither the outcome nor the messaging of a conflict he helped to initiate. ...