The economy advanced at an unexpectedly sluggish 0.7% annual rate from October through December. Consumer spending grew modestly in January, rising 0.4%, but just 0.1% after adjusting for inflation. For all of last year, the economy grew 2.1%, solid but down from 2.8% in 2024.
The IEA said on Thursday that the war in Iran was expected to cut the region’s oil and gas production by at least 10m barrels of oil a day. It has cut 1m barrels a day from its global oil demand forecasts for this year because of lower refining and air travel in the Middle East. Oil prices have again topped $100 a barrel.
The region contains about 12 percent of the world’s oil, according to one 2024 estimate. The International Energy Agency said diesel and jet fuel markets are “particularly vulnerable’ to the war’S effects on Middle East fossil fuel production. The agency tracks and helps set policy for the global energy sector. Around a fifth of the World's shipments of oil and liquid natural gas pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Pentagon and National Security Council significantly underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to US strikes, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader, warned that the Strait would remain closed as a “tool of pressure” – though the Iranian ambassador to the UN claimed otherwise hours later.
Honda is killing three of its electric models that it has previously planned to build and sell in the United States. The news comes as U.S. EV sales fell in 2025 amid disappearing federal tax credits for plug-in models and tariffs imposed on imported cars and parts. Other automakers, including Ford and Lamborghini, are also adjusting their EV strategies.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says Strait of Hormuz "open for transit," if Iran stops targeting shipping. Iran may be getting ready to deploy naval mines in the strait, officials say. Iran should continue using the closure of the Strait as leverage, Iran's supreme leader says.
“We don’t know how many missiles they have,” Brew says. “It’s a big problem.” “We’re going to have to wait and see,’’ he says of U.S. response. � “I’m worried.’
All six crew members aboard a U.S. military KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq are dead, the American military said. The circumstances of the incident are being investigated. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine addressed the crash at a press conference.
Pussycat Dolls announce their reunion with a 53-date ‘PCD Forever’ tour. Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberly Wyatt and Ashley Roberts, are making their return with a new single titled Club Song. The reunion will feature a global tour set for over three areas, like United States, Europe and the U.K.
"I was marvellous in it," she reflected. "I should have been nominated but I wasn't," she said. Hamnet is following in EastEnders' footsteps. Zootopia 2 is this year's highest-grossing film. It has been used in Arrival, Shutter Island, The Last of Us, Stranger Than Fiction, The Handmaid's Tale, The Innocents.
First Nations leaders in Alberta have voiced their opposition to the separation movement. Some have filed legal challenges. One Alberta First Nation - Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation (SLCN) - has sued the Alberta government for allowing separatists to gather enough signatures in support of a referendum. "Alberta's secession cannot happen without First Nation consent to change a party to Treaty No. 8," the statement of claim says.
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, has achieved a feat many thought impossible under Nepal's dual-election system. The RSP, founded the same year as his mayoral win, ran a highly organised campaign. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the vote a ‘proud moment’
The IEA said that oil running through ‘the crucial waterway’ of the Strait of Hormuz had been reduced to “a trickle’ Iran has threatened to attack any U.S., Israeli or allied ship that tries to get through the strait, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil typically passes.
Drones reported to have hit fuel storage tanks at the airport. Video shows dark plume of smoke rising from the main airport in Bahrain. Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called on Iranians to participate in rallies today to help "confront the enemy" Senior Iranian leaders emerge to attend pro-regime rallies.
New law in China aims to promote "ethnic unity" in schools, government and other public places. The law is designed to foster a "stronger sense of community" among China's ethnic groups. It is also designed to promote the country's economic growth. The new law was approved by the National People’s Congress on Thursday.
Israel and the U.S. are reshaping the strategic balance of the Middle East through a joint military campaign, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Netanyahu noted that he had warned about the Iranian threat more than three decades ago, referencing a column he penned for the Hebrew daily, Yediot Achronot.
As Iran regime change hopes fade, Netanyahu faces political test. After decades of repeated wars with Hezbollah, many in Israel see this moment as an opportunity to end the threat on their northern border once and for all. Israel's unresolved conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah on its own borders are a sharp reminder of the limitations of military power.
In the past, high gas prices and oil crises have had disastrous effects when it comes to new car sales. During the 1973-1974 Arab Oil Embargo, domestically produced vehicle sales dropped a whopping 44.7%. During the 1990-1991 Gulf Crisis when Iraq invaded Kuwait, auto sales were down 18.6%.
Ellison has maintained that CNN will remain an editorially independent news organization. Ellison said the goal would be to appeal to the 70% in the center left and center right instead of the political fringes. CNN defended its reporting, stating the Pentagon underestimated Iran's willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz, impacting oil prices.
Oxford Economics: $140 oil could trigger mild UK recession. Goldman Sachs on Thursday said that higher oil prices would cause inflation to be higher, growth to be slowe. If oil rises to $140 a barrel, then UK inflation could top 5% in Q4 2026, according to OxfordEconomics.
Trump has already announced a 10% tariff, invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, and may raise it to 15%. The Section 122 tariffs are also being challenged in court. The administration has moved quickly to impose new tariffs, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that that new levies “will result in virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026”
All six crew members of an American KC-135 refueling plane were killed when it crashed in Iraq. It was the third such interception over the NATO member in the last two weeks. Last week, three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire.Iran has continued to launch widespread missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf states.
The code could reveal information such as the type of phone, browser, screen size and network details. Even when they do lead to those platforms, users may first be redirected to intermediary pages capable of collecting data. This includes threatening phone calls and text messages sent randomly to large numbers. If this happens, users should immediately check whether anything has been downloaded in the background.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says Iran's attacks in the Strait of Hormuz are a sign of "sheer desperation" Wright says the U.S., Israel are focused on destroying Iran's ballistic missile program. Hegseth: "Never before has a modern, capable military, which Iran used to have, been so quickly destroyed"
Iran has threatened to attack any U.S., Israeli or allied ship that tries to get through the Strait of Hormuz. Around a fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through the waterway. The IEA said that oil running through ‘the crucial waterway’ had been reduced to ‘a trickle’
An American military aerial refueling tanker that was involved in the U.S. military operation in Iran crashed in western Iraq on Thursday. Four of six crew members were killed in the crash. Rescue efforts are ongoing for the other two. Follow updates on the war in the Middle East for Friday, March 13 here.
The wife of George W. Bush protested the death of yet another Iranian, believing at the hands of the Iranian government. She was brought to another country because of these restrictions. Women around the world are fighting for gender justice, which is so mauling, she says. Women should be allowed to vote, she adds.
All six crew members of a KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed while supporting operations against Iran are dead, the U.S. military said Friday. The plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday afternoon. It is the fourth publicly acknowledged U.s. aircargo that has crashed in Iraq.
The Bipartisan Policy Center released a report this week on education. The report says the federal government must encourage innovation in states' K-12 and workforce programs. States must improve their academic standards and identify the skills students need to compete for evolving jobs, the report says. The federal government could encourage such innovation by providing more flexibility around competency-based education, it says.
At least 16 oil tankers, cargo and other commercial ships have been attacked in the Persian Gulf since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began nearly two weeks ago. Iran has claimed responsibility for several of the attacks. Before the war, around 80 oil and gas tankers typically passed through the strait, according to a New York Times analysis.
Stryker (SYK) has lost almost $6 Billion since Iranian-linked hacker group Handala halted their operations globally. Stryker enters this disruption from a position of genuine strength, with free cash flow hitting $4.283 billion in 2025 and the company carrying $4 billion in cash and equivalents.
The Michigan State Police said it's "increasing patrols at other places of worship in the area" Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said, "Antisemitism and terrorism" are linked. The sheriff said a man drove a truck into the synagogue. The man then fired a gun and set the building on fire, the sheriff said.
Cuba says it will release 51 prisoners in the coming days as a demonstration of "goodwill" following talks with the Vatican. Authorities did not reveal the identities of those to be released. The nonprofit Prisoners Defenders has said there were 1,214 political prisoners in Cuba as of February 2026.
A million illegally registered cars are on French roads due to fraudulent activities. The system’s flaws have allowed a wide range of criminals – from petty offenders to organised crime – to access the registration system to commit offences. Around 2,000 civil servants were reassigned and instead access to the system was given to car dealers to issue documents.
France returns a sacred drum looted during the colonial era to Ivory Coast. The Djidji Ayôkwé was once used by the Atchan people of the Abidjan region to communicate. The drum is among at least 140 looted artifacts Ivory Coast has asked France to return. The repatriation process required consultations with Atchan traditional leaders.
US immigration agents in Oregon used a custom-made app to identify neighborhoods and people to target, and had daily arrest quotas they sought to meet. Details about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers’ surveillance tools and arrest goals in the state have come to light in a federal lawsuit.
Israel's most senior military lawyer has said all charges against five soldiers accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee from Gaza have been dropped. The alleged assault was partially caught on camera. The case exposed divisions within Israel over whether soldiers can abuse enemy prisoners with impunity. The charges against the soldiers were dismissed by the military's top legal officers.
"We thank the committee for their praise of our staff working in difficult and dangerous conditions and will respond to them more fully in line with their recommendations," the BBC said. The Government has been approached for comment. The BBC is calling for the government to take back full funding of the World Service as part of the BBC Charter Review.
A court in Moscow on Thursday convicted 19 people of involvement in the 2024 shooting rampage in a Moscow concert hall that killed 149 people. Four gunmen opened fire on concertgoers before setting the building ablaze, killing 149 people and injuring more than 600 in one of Russia’s deadliest terror incidents in decades.
Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel confirms talks with the Trump administration. He says the talks are aimed at finding solutions to bilateral differences. But he says any agreement is "still distant, but we are in the initial stages of that process" Trump has repeatedly said his administration is talking to Cuba, but this is the first time.
The project began in 1944, when University President James B. Conant, class of 1914, called for a comprehensive record of Harvard’s wartime history. Dow conducted laboratory visits, interviewed researchers, corresponded with faculty who had served in the war, and compiled extensive records. By June 1943, The Crimson reported that Harvard Business School had been “completely converted into an Army-Navy establishment.”
The NCAA has specific parameters on how teams get to their venues. The value long-term for programs and institutions in terms of enrollment, fundraising, etc., of being selected into March Madness is so significant. "I don’t really care where we’re going, I’m just excited that we”re going," says A-10 commissioner Bernadette McGlade.
A surge in drone strikes in the Sudanese region of Kordofan has taken a growing toll on civilians. A drone blamed on the RSF struck a secondary school and a health care center in southern Sudan on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that increasing drone strikes across Sudan “are exacting a growing Toll on civilians”
I'm proud to have done it, and I'm glad that I got convinced to come back into the world of cinema for it. It reminds me of the films that we were making in the ’90s. In the United States, it’s always been a great export for us.
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An American military aerial refueling tanker that was involved in the U.S. military operation in Iran crashed in western Iraq on Thursday. Four of six crew members were killed in the crash. Rescue efforts are ongoing for the other two. Follow updates on the war in the Middle East for Friday, March 13 here.
Air campaigns are risky, but so are combined arms. It is only by offering the opponent a choice between more bombs or negotiation that air campaigns succeed at a political level. Without a particular definition of ‘victory,’ the air campaign will likely continue to wobble onwards at great cost in just about every conceivable sense.
NATO didn’t specify which unit was deployed to carry out the mission, but several allied countries possess the Patriot system. U.S. patriot batteries also were sent to southern Turkey to protect Turkish air space during hostilities along the country’s border with Syria. Turkey confirms third ballistic missile from Iran shot down Friday.
Airstrikes hit two buildings in the heart of Beirut near the Lebanese government's headquarters. Israel continued striking several areas of Lebanon throughout the day, including the town of Arkey in the south. Israel had kept up its strikes in Lebanon even before the war despite a 2024 ceasefire, has since launched air raids and sent ground troops.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was first reported missing on February 1. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos shared an update on the investigation on March 12. Nanos said authorities believe they know the motive for the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie's mother, Savannah Guthrie. The sheriff said Nancy was likely "taken from the home against her will, possibly in the middle of the night"
The IEA said that oil running through ‘the crucial waterway’ of the Strait of Hormuz had been reduced to ‘a trickle’ Iran has threatened to attack any U.S., Israeli or allied ship that tries to get through the strait, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil typically passes.
Iran has threatened to attack any U.S., Israeli or allied ship that tries to get through the Strait of Hormuz. Around a fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through the waterway. The IEA said that oil running through ‘the crucial waterway’ had been reduced to ‘a trickle’
Saudi Arabia said it had downed nearly 50 drones sent in multiple waves throughout the early morning hours on Friday. One drone had targeted the diplomatic quarter in the capital Riyadh, which houses foreign embassies, the defense ministry said. Six U.S. service members were killed in a drone attack in Kuwait earlier this week.
Iran has threatened to attack any U.S., Israeli or allied ship that tries to get through the strait. The Strait of Hormuz is the shipping route through which a fifth of the world's oil passes. The IEA said that oil running through ‘the crucial waterway’ had been reduced to ‘a trickle’
Hegseth’s antipathy for military lawyers stems from his view that they shackle rank-and-file soldiers. Military lawyers don’t oppose the idea of changes to how JAGs are allocated across the armed forces. Hegseth and his top advisers, the person said, are committed to “absolutely cutting JAGS out of key decisions.”