Israel has approved the establishment of dozens of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank, an Israeli watchdog group said on Thursday, amid a rise in settler attacks on Palestinians across the occupied territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has not formally announced the establishment of the 34 new settlements,...
Oil Prices Rise About 5% as Hormuz Concerns Keep Supply Risks Elevated
Oil prices rose nearly 5% on Thursday as doubts over a fragile two-week Middle East ceasefire raised concerns that energy flows through the crucial Strait of Hormuz will remain restricted, with shippers hesitant to resume transit. Brent crude futures were up $4.41, or 4.7%, at $99.14 a barrel at 1449...
What to Know About Israel’s Strikes on Lebanon
Lebanon said Thursday, a day after an intense wave of Israeli airstrikes, that more than 200 people had been killed in the bombardment. The attacks, targeting the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah, put heavy pressure on the fragile U.S.-Israeli truce with Iran. The strikes Wednesday added to a grim death toll in...
Clovis East’s Fire-Fighting Program Receives National Accreditation
Clovis East High School’s Fire Technology career technical education program has earned an Industry-Certified Program of Excellence designation from a prestigious national accreditation group. The Law and Public Safety Education Network, which works to recognize exemplary law and public safety education programs, is awarding the Clovis Unified program. “This national...
Trump Again Hits Out at NATO Over Iran War
President Donald Trump has hit out at NATO after a tense meeting with Mark Rutte, the secretary-general of the military alliance, at the White House on Wednesday. Rutte had traveled to Washington to try to assuage Trump’s anger that NATO members had refused to participate in the U.S.-Israeli war in...
US Wholesale Inventories Post Biggest Increase in 13 Months
U.S. wholesale inventories increased by the most in 13 months in February, boosted by sharp rises in the stocks of professional and electrical equipment, government data showed on Thursday. Stocks at wholesalers rebounded 0.8%, the largest increase since January 2025, after falling 0.3% in January, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau...
Dollar Struggles to Rebound as Fragile US-Iran Ceasefire Keeps Markets Wary
A fragile calm reigned across currency markets on Thursday as traders kept their eyes fixed on whether the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran would hold, a day after its announcement sent the dollar tumbling across the board. The deal appeared to be on thin ice, as Israel bombed more...
Bahamas Police Arrest Michigan Man After Wife Vanishes at Sea
Bahamian authorities have arrested a Michigan man whose wife went missing at sea over the weekend, police in the Caribbean nation told Reuters on Wednesday after search and rescue efforts for the woman were called off. Brian Hooker's arrest came after the U.S. Coast Guard launched a criminal investigation into...
Cash-Strapped US Postal Service Suspends Contributions to Pension Plan
The U.S. Postal Service said Thursday it will temporarily suspend employer payments for a federal pension program to conserve cash amid a severe financial crisis. USPS told the White House Office of Personnel Management that effective Friday it will stop making $200 million payments every other week for its employer...
Wall Street Opens Muted Over Fragile Mideast Truce; Inflation Data Parsed
Wall Street's main indexes opened muted on Thursday after rallying in the previous session, as cracks emerged in the fragile Middle East ceasefire, while investors parsed through an in-line inflation reading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 69.3 points, or 0.14%, at the open to 47,840.63. The S&P 500 fell...