Minimalist News

Bessent Leads Trade Talks With China In Paris Ahead Of Trump-Xi Summit Ahead of the upcoming Trump-Xi summit, China and US have begun a fresh round of trade talks to set the stage for the main event.  Trade negotiators led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng held talks in Paris on Sunday to map out plans for a leaders’ summit later this month. The first day of the talks concluded around 6 pm local time, and the delegations will meet again on Monday, Bloomberg reported. The trade negotiators are expected to review the latest developments in a truce reached in

Energy Secretary Directs Oil Company To Resume Operations In California, Citing National Security Authored by Jacob Burg via The Epoch Times, Energy Secretary Chris Wright on March 13 directed the Texas-based oil company Sable Offshore Corp. to restore operations in water off southern California. Wright invoked the Defense Production Act to restore the company’s Santa Ynez Unit and Pipeline System near Santa Barbara to address supply disruption risks that “have left the region and U.S. military forces dependent on foreign oil,” according to a Department of Energy news release. “The Trump Administration remains committed to putting all Americans and their energy security first,” Wright

Trump Administration Set To Receive $10 Billion Fee From TikTok U.S. Deal The Trump administration is poised to receive roughly $10 billion in payments from investors involved in the recently completed transaction to take control of TikTok’s U.S. operations, delivering an unusual financial windfall tied to the government’s role in keeping the popular social-media platform active in the United States. ByteDance is the Chinese parent of TikTok. John G Mabanglo/EPA/Shutterstock The payments are part of the arrangement under which a consortium of admin-aligned investors took control of TikTok’s American business from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing people

French Municipal Elections Provide Early Test For Le Pen's National Rally Ahead Of 2027 Presidential Race Takeaways * France held the first round of municipal elections on Sunday in nearly 35,000 municipalities, serving as an initial indicator of political momentum ahead of the 2027 presidential election. * Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) is seeking to expand its limited local presence, with ambitions focused on southern cities such as Perpignan, Marseille, Nice and Toulon. * Pre-vote polls suggested competitive races in key targets, but full first-round results and projections are emerging gradually after polls closed, with many larger cities expected to

Companies Are Starting To Enforce AI Use. Is That A Good Or Bad Thing? Via the AIX Files, Years ago, I was working on the editorial side for what was then a hot new media company, and found myself spending more and more time with Johan, the lead programmer, and his team, asking them a lot of annoying questions as it was all so new – certainly to me. I was standing over Johan’s left shoulder, mesmerized by whatever new video game he was obsessing over that week…when suddenly, out of nowhere, a spreadsheet and a pie chart appeared on his screen. “Whatcha

Anduril Lands $20 Billion Pentagon Contract For "Modern Battlefield" Hardware Nine days after Axios reported that Palmer Luckey's Anduril was raising around $4 billion at a $60 billion valuation led by a16z and Thrive Capital, Luckey landed a major enterprise contract with the US Army worth up to $20 billion over 10 years.  Photo: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images Announced on Friday, the deal features a five-year base period with an option to extend for another five years - and includes over 120 separate procurement actions into a single agreement which covers the full range of Anduril's commercial solutions - including hardware, software, infrastructure, data, computer systems, and

Waiting For Markets To Open By Peter Tchir of Academy Securities One thing that has become incredibly consistent during times of financial stress is all of the “green dots” on Bloomberg terminals on Sunday night. This Sunday night is likely to be no different. There are plenty of questions being asked (at a presentation on Thursday at a conference in Vegas, I may have, for the first time, faced too many questions!). There will be time to figure out how we got here. What went right, what went according to plan, and what didn’t go so well. But now is not the time

Trump 'Not Ready' For Iran Deal; US Urges Citizens To Flee Iraq, Iran Arrests 100s Of 'Spies' Summary: * Iranian retaliation accelerates, including use of cluster munitions, especially against Israel * Gulf countries reported new attacks Sunday morning, a day after Iran called for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates. * Iran says it targeted U.S. forces at Saudi base with missiles * Israel reportedly running low on missile interceptors * World's largest Aluminum smelter shutdown * Iran arrests 500 accused of spying for Israel amid escalating conflict * Araghchi said the strait was only shut

Tucker Carlson Claims CIA Trying To Frame Him For FARA Violation; Loomer Celebrates In a bombshell Saturday monologue, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson alleged that the CIA has been monitoring his private text messages as part of an effort to frame him for a crime and trigger a criminal referral to the Department of Justice (DOJ).  "The other day I found out that the CIA is preparing some kind of criminal referral against me, a crime report to the Department of Justice on the basis of a supposed crime I committed. What’s that crime? Well, talking to people in Iran before the war.

Obama-Appointed Judge Temporarily Blocks DHS From Ending Protected Status For Somali Immigrants Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times, A federal judge on March 13 temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from ending temporary protected status (TPS) for Somali nationals in the United States. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs in Massachusetts (appointed by Barack Obama in 2014) issued the order following a lawsuit filed by four Somali nationals and two nonprofits—African Communities Together and the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans—arguing that Somalis would face harm if their legal status were revoked. TPS is a designation that allows

Trump Claims "Many Countries" Will Send Warships As US "Bombing The Hell Out Of Shoreline" To Reopen Hormuz Summary: * US strikes on Kharg Island escalate war as Trump claims allies sending warships to Hormuz: Trump said US forces "obliterated" military targets on Kharg Island but warned Iran's critical oil infrastructure could be the. * Iran vows bigger regional retaliation: IRGC warned the UAE that US "hideouts" there are now "legitimate targets"; UAE oil port hit, and US Embassy in Baghdad catches fire after apparent drone strike. * Heavy casualties and explosions in Iran ongoing: US-Israeli strikes have killed about 1,450 people

California Startup Starts Drilling World's First Underground Nuclear Borehole Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Deep Fission, a California-based nuclear energy startup, started drilling the world’s first underground nuclear borehole March 10 in Kansas, taking a major step forward in building small modular pressurized water reactors one mile below the surface. The drill rig at the Deep Fission site in Parsons, Kansas. Deep Fission The test project is being funded as part of the Trump administration’s plan to breathe new life into the American nuclear sector by investing in new technology. “It represents the shift from concept to construction and begins

Hormuz Chokepoint Claims Next Victim: World's Largest Aluminum Smelter Cuts Capacity The world's largest single-site aluminium smelter in the Middle East cut its output by about 20% on Sunday, marking yet another troubling development for the global economy. The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is no longer just an energy story - it's now spreading into industrial metals. These second- and third-order effects could soon disrupt global supply chains and tighten aluminium availability, thus pressuring prices higher.  Bloomberg reports that Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) began a controlled, safe shutdown of three reduction lines on Sunday to preserve business continuity amid heavily disrupted

Cotton And Stefanik Bill Targets CCP Ties In U.S. Military Trucking Submitted by American Truckers United, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) have introduced the “Trucking Security and CCP Disclosure Act of 2026.” This legislation requires any carrier handling Department of War equipment to certify that neither it nor its subcontractors are owned, controlled by, or maintain significant ties to entities on the Department of Defense’s list of Chinese military companies (section 1260H of the 2021 NDAA). American Truckers United applauds Senator Cotton for finally taking concrete action on an issue we have been aggressively raising throughout his home state

"New Era" Begins In Venezuela As U.S. Flag Is Raised At Embassy For First Time In Years The United States Embassy in Caracas announced on X early Saturday morning that the U.S. flag was raised for the first time in seven years, stating that "a new era has begun for relations between the United States and Venezuela." "On the morning of March 14, 2019, the American flag was lowered for the last time at the United States Embassy in Caracas. This morning, March 14, 2026, at the same hour, my team and I raised the United States flag, exactly seven years after

Singularity Update: You Have No Idea How Crazy Humanoid Robots Have Gotten Authored by Peter H. Diamandis via Metatrends, I just spent the afternoon at Figure headquarters in San Jose with Brett Adcock and David Blundin, and I’m still processing what I saw. We’re not talking about concept robots. We’re talking about fully autonomous humanoid robots running neural networks end-to-end, doing kitchen work, unloading dishwashers, organizing packages – for hours at a time, with no human intervention. Today? Figure’s robots are doing 67 consecutive hours of autonomous work. One error in 67 hours. That’s not a demo. That’s a product. And here’s what most people

US Navy Surveillance Plane Made Provocative Flight Over Taiwan Strait, Weeks Before Trump-Xi Summit With the world's attention hyper-focused on fast-paced events in Iran and the effectively shuttered vital oil transit hub, the Hormuz Strait, some significant things were also happening around Taiwan this past week. The US military confirmed that a P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, a move that predictably drew Beijing's attention. US Navy China said it monitored the US Navy aircraft as it passed through the narrow waterway separating Taiwan from mainland China. "By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States

Unhappy Ending: Chinese National Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering Over Prostitution Scheme Authored by Frank Fang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), A Chinese national has pleaded guilty to laundering more than $2 million from a prostitution enterprise run through spa businesses in New York’s capital region, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York announced on March 11. The U.S. Department of Justice in Washington on Aug. 7, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times Xia Ming, 41, of Flushing, New York, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on March 3. According to his plea agreement, Xia operated a prostitution

War, Oil And Debt: Which Threats To The US Economy Are Legit? Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us It’s the magic number, the line that’s not supposed to be crossed; when a nation’s public debt finally exceeds its GDP. Historically speaking, it’s not a sign of doom like many economists suggest. Numerous countries have sustained for decades with a ratio of well over 100% and many other factors have to be considered before it’s officially time to panic. Of course, there are some cautionary tales. Greece and Argentina are two examples. A number of developing countries shave been hit with precipitous decline after

Over 3 Million Iranians Forcibly Displaced Under US-Israeli Bombardment More than 3 million Iranians have been displaced by the ongoing US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic, according to the main UN refugee agency. Ayaki Ito, director of the Division of Emergency and Program Support at the UN refugee agency, has described that the US-Israeli attack has already triggered mass internal displacement across Iran. "Between 600,000 and 1 million Iranian households are now temporarily displaced inside Iran as a result of the ongoing conflict, according to preliminary assessments, representing up to 3.2 million people," Ito said. Afghan refugees inside Iran, via AFP. Supposedly America

Democrat says Congress ‘doing nothing’ may embolden president to attack countries such as Cuba and North Korea Democratic US senator Cory Booker has criticized both his own political party as well as its Republican counterpart for being “feckless” in ceding congressional war powers to Donald Trump, saying that their decision could embolden the president to unilaterally attack Cuba, North Korea and other countries. “I’m going to be one of those Democrats [who] say I think both parties have been feckless in allowing the growth of the power of the presidency,” Booker said on Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union. Continue reading...

Rare action began peacefully but ‘degenerated into vandalism’ according to state-run newspaper Five people have been arrested in Cuba for acts of “vandalism” after a small group of protesters broke into a provincial office of the Cuban Communist party and set fire to computers and furniture. The incident, which also affected a pharmacy and another shop, took place in the town of Moron, a little more than 300 miles (500km) east of Havana. Continue reading...

Bolivian interior ministry says Sebastián Marset is being extradited to US, where he’s wanted for money laundering * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Sebastián Marset, an alleged Uruguayan drug trafficker and one of South America’s most wanted criminals, has been arrested in Bolivia. Marset, 34, is accused of trafficking tonnes of cocaine from South America to Europe, and also of having ordered the murder of a Paraguayan prosecutor who was shot dead as he honeymooned on a Colombian beach in 2022. Continue reading...

Oscar, Ana and their children fled violence for safety in the US. Now Oscar, afraid and alone, is back in Honduras – ‘at the mercy of God and his will’ As soon as Oscar’s deportation flight landed at the La Lima airport in Honduras, he put on his baseball cap. On the airport shuttle toward the terminal, he pulled his cap even lower – trying to obscure his face at various police checkpoints. His parents picked him up in a car, and drove him to a lodging they had arranged for him – miles away from his family home. He has hardly

Negotiations aimed to ‘find solutions to the bilateral differences’ between the countries, Miguel Díaz-Canel said Cuban officials have held talks with the US government, the country’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, confirmed on Friday, amid growing pain inflicted by a punishing US fuel blockade and frequent power failures. “These talks have been aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences we have between the two nations,” Díaz-Canel said in a prerecorded statement to senior Communist officials. Continue reading...

The move, which lowers fees to 25%, is a breakthrough for Chinese developers Tencent and ByteDance * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Apple announced late on Thursday it would lower the commission fees collected in its App Store in mainland China. The move follows pressure from regulators in the tech company’s second-largest market, as well as global scrutiny of its payment requirements. Fees for in-app purchases and paid transactions will be lowered to 25% from 30% starting on Sunday, Apple said in a statement on its blog for developers. Continue reading...

In China, one social media trend hangs on the idea that a life in the US is always one step from disaster, while another in the US has gen Z revelling in Chinese lifestyle hacks Across two online worlds that are normally splintered, over the last few months there has been a mirroring of sorts. On TikTok and Instagram, young people are diving into the joys of Chinese culture – from drinking hot water to playing mahjong – all under the banner of “Chinamaxxing”. On the Chinese internet, however, the US is losing its decades-long grip on soft power, and is

Viral video of girl being shoved by fellow pedestrian has reignited debate over butsukari – with experts blaming stress and gender dynamics It starts out as a heartwarming clip. A young girl, clearly delighted to be in Tokyo, beams as she makes a peace sign to the camera. Seconds later, she is shoved to the ground from behind by a woman wearing a surgical mask. The assailant doesn’t skip a beat, striding out of shot of the clip filmed by the girl’s mother. This was no accidental clash of shoulders in a crowded place, but one of the most visible examples of

From fuel caps to four-day work weeks, the Middle East conflict has left the world’s top crude oil importing region desperate to shore up supplies Donald Trump has scrambled in recent days to reassure the world that the economic impact of his war on Iran can be contained. Sure, one of the most important waterways in global trade has, in effect, been shut for almost two weeks – but it might reopen before long. In the meantime, US oil-related sanctions on “some countries” will be lifted. And besides, the entire conflict could be over soon. Continue reading...

New legislation will require schools to use Mandarin by default, taking priority over minority ethnic languages such as Tibetan, Uyghur and Mongolian China’s National People’s Congress (NPC), the state legislature, will vote on Thursday on a suite of new laws agreed at this year’s annual two sessions gathering, including a piece of legislation that will diminish the role of minority ethnic languages in the education system. NPC delegates are expected to approve a new ethnic unity law, along with a new environmental code and the 15th five-year plan, the economic planning document for 2026-2030. Delegates have spent the last week debating Beijing’s

Follow today’s news live * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Discovery of fire ant nest at New Farm park reflects growing need to deal with threat, group says Last week, the Invasive Species Council said fire ant nests had been detected and destroyed in World Heritage rainforest in the Gold Coast hinterland. The ants have also been detected on sporting fields across Brisbane and surrounds, including at Mount Gravatt, Rocklea, Coorparoo and the Redlands. That’s an iconic location in Brisbane. If we don’t eradicate fire ants, this is going to happen everywhere in the country. Brisbane is

Minister Tony Burke confirms another member of Iran’s women’s football team left Australia late Sunday night * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The captain of the Iranian women’s football squad has left Australia after withdrawing her claim of asylum. Zahra Ghanbari became the fifth member of the football cohort to change her mind after initially taking up an offer to stay in the country following the Asian Cup. Continue reading...

David Pocock’s comments come as new photos show scale of damage and government official says its ‘quite possible’ bodies disturbed * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The bodies of Australian soldiers buried in Gaza have “very likely” been disturbed, the independent senator David Pocock says, as new photos tendered to parliament show widespread damage of graves by Israeli bulldozers. About 146 of the 263 graves of Australian soldiers buried in Gaza have been damaged, Senate estimates heard last week. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Racial discrimination alleged after police withdrew indecent act charge a year after officer was recorded talking about ‘fucking Indians’ * WARNING: this article contains offensive language * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Queensland police investigated a Punjabi man for a year – over charges that were eventually withdrawn – despite knowing one of the arresting officers had been caught on camera describing Indians as a “bunch of fucking perverts”. The rideshare driver named Singh, who asked that his first name not be used because of

This blog is now closed. * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Barnaby Joyce says he disagrees with his leader, Pauline Hanson, over inflammatory comments about Muslims but says parties criticising her haven’t learned the lesson of One Nation’s rise. Hanson was censured in the Senate this month for suggesting there are no “good” Muslims. I don’t want to give pastoral care, but I think attacking Pauline today does not work like people thought it might have worked 15 years ago. [People] see Pauline as having the courage to stand behind her convictions on certain issues. I’ll make it very

Far-right and radical left parties likely to increase their local presence in advance of next year’s presidential race The first-round of the French municipal elections have seen a strong showing for Marine Le Pen’s far-right the National Rally (RN), as well as for Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s radical left, with both parties likely to increase their local presence ahead of next year’s French presidential race. The French local elections, which now go to a final round runoff on 22 March, are seen as a crucial test of the political temperature before next year’s presidential election. Emmanuel Macron’s two terms in office come to an

Ministers go to Brussels for talks amid tuition fees standoff, almost 10 years after Britons voted to leave EU This week is “Brexit reset” week for the British government, as ministers engage in a flurry of activity intended to highlight their determination to forge closer ties with Brussels almost 10 years after the country first voted to leave the EU. On Monday, Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Cabinet Office minister in charge of negotiating the government’s reset with the EU, will arrive in Brussels for a meeting of the joint EU-UK parliamentary partnership assembly. He travels mob-handed, to be joined by the Europe minister,

Ballots in 35,000 villages, towns and cities will be closely watched for signals about party strategies and alliances France has begun voting in the first round of municipal elections, seen as crucial a test of the political temperature before next year’s presidential election. The vote for mayors and councillors in 35,000 villages, towns and cities across France is focused on local issues including security, housing and refuse collection and is very different from national elections. Continue reading...

British negotiators ‘blindsided’ by Brussels’ demand for a reduction that could cost universities £140m a year Britain is in a standoff with Brussels over a demand to cut university tuition fees for European students, in a row that threatens to scupper Keir Starmer’s planned EU reset. EU officials say European students should pay “home” fees of about £9,500 a year in England and Wales as part of the negotiations over a youth mobility scheme, rather than the higher international rate, which can rise above £60,000. European students would also pay the domestic rate in Scotland, which is set at £1,820 a year,

In 2023, what were thought to be Nazar Daletskyi’s remains were buried in his home village and his mother, Nataliia, visited the grave every week. Three years later, he spoke to her on the phone Nazar Daletskyi was declared dead in May 2023. The DNA match left no room for doubt, officials told his mother, Nataliia. A Ukrainian soldier who volunteered for the front in the early weeks of the war, Nazar had become one more casualty of Russia’s invasion. Nazar’s remains were laid to rest in the cemetery of his home village. In the months after the funeral, Nataliia visited the

Israeli military spokesperson says it is ‘identifying new targets every day’ and projects at least three weeks of war * How have you been affected by the latest Middle East events? Iraq’s football team will travel to Mexico for a 2026 World Cup playoff match despite calls for it to be postponed due to the Middle East war, the country’s football association has announced. “The national team will depart at the end of the week to Mexico via a private plane,” said Iraq football association president Adnan Dirjal in a statement, adding they had contacted Fifa to help facilitate the trip during

Government reluctant to dispatch ships amid concerns complying with Trump’s demands could escalate Iran crisis Ministers are drawing up plans to send minesweeping drones to the strait of Hormuz amid concerns in Whitehall that complying with Donald Trump’s demand to send ships could escalate the crisis. The government is considering dispatching aerial minesweepers to help clear the vital waterway of mines in an attempt to allow the flow of oil exports to resume. However, officials said that sending ships, as requested over the weekend by the US president, could worsen the situation given the volatile nature of the war. Continue reading...

Mother, father and brothers aged five and seven shot in the head as they returned from Ramadan shopping trip Israeli police have killed two young Palestinian brothers and their parents in the occupied West Bank, shooting all four in the head and face as the family returned from a Ramadan shopping trip. Mohammed, five, Othman, seven, who was blind and had special needs, their mother, Waad Bani Odeh, 35, and father, Ali Bani Odeh, 37, were driving through their home town of Tamoun late on Saturday when Israeli forces opened fire. Continue reading...

There is little sign of imminent regime change in Iran as its blockade of strait of Hormuz shocks global economy * Middle East crisis – live updates Few doubt that in the first days of the new war in the Middle East, the initiative belonged to the US and its ally Israel. Now it seems less sure, however. Mohsen Rezaee, a senior officer in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, on Sunday said “the end of the war is in our hands” and called for the withdrawal of Washington’s forces from the Gulf and compensation for all damage caused by the assault. Continue reading...

Tehran wants ceasefire but terms ‘not good enough yet’, US president claims, as both sides launch new waves of strikes * Middle East crisis – live updates Donald Trump has warned he is not ready to seek a deal to end the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, saying that though he thought Tehran was keen to negotiate a ceasefire, the US would fight on for better terms. Trump’s comments came as Iran launched fresh missile and drone attacks on countries in the Gulf and on Israel, and Israeli and US warplanes launched new waves of strikes on Iran. Continue reading...

Afghan government reports zero casualties and accuses neighbouring country of wanting to ‘fuel the fire of war’ Pakistan has targeted militant hideouts in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province overnight, as the fighting that erupted between the two neighbours late last month showed no signs of abating. The cross-border attacks, which have included Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul, are the deadliest yet between the countries. Islamabad has referred to the conflict as an “open war”, adding to concerns about regional stability as the US-Israeli conflict with Iran engulfs the Middle East and beyond. Continue reading...

Under new Taliban laws, a husband is allowed to beat his wife as long as it is not done with ‘obscene force’, which the woman must prove in court The shocking level of physical violence against women permitted under the Taliban’s new laws has been revealed this week by the case of a woman in northern Afghanistan, who said she was beaten with a cable wire by her husband and told by a judge: “You want a divorce just because of that? … A little anger and a few beatings won’t kill you.” Farzana* said her husband was quick-tempered and often resorted

Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra party secures thumping victory in first poll since gen Z protests that toppled government Balendra Shah, the rapper turned politician and popular figurehead of a gen Z revolution, looks set to become Nepal’s next prime minister after his party won by an unprecedented margin. Shah, known widely as Balen, and his Rastriya Swatantra party (RSP) secured a rare landslide victory in the first election since youth-led protests during which dozens were killed and the former government was toppled. Continue reading...

‘Stopgap measure’ designed to keep oil flowing into global market as Middle East crisis disrupts crude shipments * Business live – latest updates The US has temporarily allowed India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea in an effort to keep global supplies flowing and temper further price increases. The US treasury has issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil, having previously imposed heavy sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Urgent request to dock is submitted by vessel after US submarine sank Iranian warship in same area on Tuesday * Middle East crisis – live updates Sri Lanka has evacuated 208 crew members from an Iranian navy vessel that made an emergency request to dock, a day after a US submarine strike sank another Iranian frigate, killing more than 80 people on board. Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on Thursday confirmed that the country’s navy would take over Iranian military support ship IRIS Bushehr and allow it to dock at the north-eastern port of Trincomalee. Continue reading...

Borrowers coming off fixed deals hit hard as Savills says big spike in interest payments made up half the overall rise UK households spent a record £226bn to keep a roof over their heads last year, figures showed on Monday, with mortgage borrowers finishing fixed-rate deals particularly hard hit by rising payments. Overall housing costs have gone up by £66bn over the past five years, a rise of 41%, the property group Savills said. Continue reading...

Pretending not to hear parents or hiding toys are among children’s early ploys, while by age of three they may be telling lies such as ‘a ghost ate the chocolate’, research finds They may be yet to take their first step or say their first word, but some babies have already grasped the basics of deception before their first birthday, according to research. The study, based on interviews with 750 parents, suggested that by 10 months about a quarter of children were practising some rudimentary form of deceit such as pretending not to hear their parents, hiding toys or eating forbidden foods

National Audit Office highlights benefits of state rescue for jobs and orders but warns of continuing high cost The cost of keeping the UK’s last remaining blast furnaces going at British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant could exceed £1.5bn by 2028 if it continues at its current rate, according to the government’s spending watchdog. Ministers took the plant into public control in April last year, after its Chinese owner – industrial firm Jingye – threatened to shut down the loss-making site. Continue reading...

Students in Canterbury given antibiotics for fast-acting and invasive meningococcal disease, says UKHSA Two people have died and 11 are reportedly seriously ill in hospital after an outbreak of a rare form of invasive meningitis at the University of Kent. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it had provided antibiotics to students in the Canterbury area after it detected 13 cases of invasive meningococcal disease, a combination of meningitis and septicaemia. Continue reading...

Share of 16- to 24-year-old Neets who report a work-limiting condition up 70% in a decade, says thinktank There has been a sharp rise in the number of jobless young people in the UK citing health problems as the reason they are not working, according to analysis. The share of 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training – known as Neets – who reported a work-limiting condition has surged by 70% in a decade, a charity thinktank found. Continue reading...

The actor and singer remembered her co-star in 1973’s The Way We Were, who died in September Barbra Streisand has paid tribute to her friend and former co-star Robert Redford at the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. The actor and singer, 83, sang a portion of the title song from their 1973 romantic drama The Way We Were, directed by Sydney Pollack, after remembering the pair’s respect and affection for one another. Continue reading...

Much-loved actor, who died in October aged 79, remembered an emotional segment at the 98th Academy Awards * Oscars 2026 – follow the action live! * The winners: the full list – updating live The 98th Oscars in Los Angeles have paid tribute to one of Hollywood’s best-loved and most singular stars, Diane Keaton, who died in October 2025, aged 79. Rachel McAdams took to the stage to pay tribute to a woman who “wore so many hats, literally and figuratively”, calling her “a legend with no end”. Continue reading...

Rain fell between 1 and 2in hourly in Maui, Molokai and the Big Island while tens of thousands are without power Rain continued falling in Hawaii on Sunday where a strong storm brought flash flooding, blizzard conditions and landslides to the islands as residents reported collapsed roads and one home washing away in rising waters. Flash flooding has been a major problem in recent days in places such as Maui, Molokai and the Big Island, where rain had been falling between 1 and 2in (2.5 and 5cm) an hour overnight, according to the Hawaii emergency management agency. Continue reading...

Having been nominated in 1986, the actor sets a new record for the longest gap between nominations before a win * Oscars 2026 – follow the action live! * The winners: the full list – updating live Amy Madigan has won the best supporting actress Oscar for Weapons at the 98th Academy Awards,. Madigan defeated a strong field to take the prize, including Elle Fanning for Sentimental Value, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners and Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another. In doing so she set a new record for the longest gap between nominations before a win; she was previously nominated in

Powerful storm chain to affect 200 million in US as it carries blizzard conditions, damaging winds and thunderstorms Winter’s grip has yet to release as an erratic patchwork of severe weather moved across much of the US, dumping heavy snow and making roads impassable in the upper midwest while damaging high winds swept across the Plains. As portions of the mid-south readied for thunderstorms, forecasters said the storms will spread eastward and by Monday threaten a large swath of the eastern US, with mid-Atlantic states and Washington DC at greatest risk for high winds and tornadoes. Continue reading...

The captain of the Iranian women’s football team which played in the Asian Cup in Australia has withdrawn her bid for asylum, state media said on Sunday, making her the fifth member of the delegation to change her mind. A former player and a Persian-language television channel based outside Iran said the players had been pressured to reverse their stance through threats against families back home. But Iranian authorities have in turn accused Australia of pressuring the players to stay. Captain...

The brother of the man who attacked a Michigan synagogue last week, who was killed earlier this month in an Israeli air strike, was a Hezbollah commander, Israel’s military claimed on Sunday. Ibrahim Ghazali was killed in Lebanon along with three other of the attacker’s relatives on March 5 - a week before authorities allege Ayman Mohamad Ghazali drove his car into a major synagogue outside Detroit and killed himself after security fired at him. The FBI’s Detroit office, which is investigating...

The International Energy Agency (IEA) said oil from a record stockpile release will be made available in Asia and Oceania immediately as buyers in the region clamour to replace barrels lost to war-related disruptions in the Middle East. The agency released a statement after it said it received implementation plans from member states. Barrels for Europe and the Americas will only be made available from the end of March. The IEA last week said that the oil market is seeing the biggest supply...

Energy Secretary Chris Wright signalled the war with Iran may last several more weeks, with oil and petrol prices elevated as the US and Israel seek to destroy Iranian military capabilities. In television interviews on Sunday, Wright defended the Trump administration’s argument that Americans are facing short-term pain at the pump in a midterm election year for the larger goal of eliminating Iran as a threat to the Middle East. “I think that this conflict will certainly come to the end in the...

Pope Leo XIV demanded a ceasefire in the Middle East on Sunday in his strongest comments to date, directly addressing the leaders who launched the war in Iran. “On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East and all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict,” Pope Leo said. “Cease fire so that avenues for dialogue may be reopened. Violence can never lead to the justice, stability and peace that the people are waiting for.” Pope Leo did not cite the United States...

Fatima Nazha slept on the street for two days after she and her family fled their home in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli mass evacuation order. All of the schools the government turned into shelters were full, and the family could not afford a hotel or a flat, so she and her husband eventually moved into a tent in the country’s biggest stadium while their children and grandchildren found shelter near the southern coastal city of Sidon. In just 10 days, more than 800,000 people in...

A total ⁠of ⁠62 ⁠people including eight children have died since heavy rains and flooding hit Kenya’s capital ‌Nairobi and other areas late last week, police said on Saturday. The capital was the worst hit with ⁠33 deaths, the force said in ‌a statement on X that updated the official ‌tally of casualties. More than 2,000 ⁠families ⁠have been displaced across Kenya and ‌intense rain was continuing in several ‌regions, it ‌added. Aid workers started pulling ‌bodies from floodwaters across Nairobi...

With the conclusion of China’s annual parliamentary “two sessions” meetings, emerging policy priorities suggest its relationship with the United States is entering a new technological era. This year’s government work report set an economic growth target of 4.5 to 5 per cent and announced increased fiscal support for science and technology, including a 10 per cent funding rise for research and development and over 16 per cent for basic research. More than routine budget adjustments, these figures...

Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with death, in a statement published on Sunday by Iran’s Fars and IRNA news agencies. Netanyahu would be pursued and killed, the IRGC statement said. The announcement followed mutual overnight attacks in the war between Iran, Israel and the United States. The current round of hostilities began when Israel and the US launched a large-scale offensive against Iran on February 28. Tehran...

News of black rain falling on Tehran felt all too familiar to Nejat Rahmanian as he scrolled through alerts on social media feeds and tried to contact relatives on March 8. Israeli drone strikes hit giant oil depots and refineries on the outskirts of the Iranian capital a few hours earlier, setting fuel on fire and releasing columns of black smoke, which mixed with rain clouds that poured toxic chemicals onto the city later in the day. The descriptions reminded the Iranian researcher of a...

Ukraine wants money and technology in return for helping Middle Eastern nations defend against Iranian kamikaze drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, after Kyiv ‌sent specialists to four countries in the region. Zelensky told reporters in comments cleared for release on Sunday that each of the three teams sent to the Middle East consisted of dozens of people who will conduct expert assessments and demonstrate how drone defences should operate. Gulf states have ⁠expended large quantities of...

Since the Iran war began late last month, it has threatened shipping across the Middle East’s two most important maritime chokepoints – the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb – through which much of Asia’s energy imports and manufactured exports flow. For Gulf states and their major trading partners in Asia, the conflict is forcing a hard question: what, if anything, can protect supply chains if US security guarantees can no longer be taken for granted? Analysts say the usual answers –...

Turkey’s powerful foreign minister said on Saturday that there is no serious initiative to resume negotiations between the United States and Iran but that he believes Iran is open to backchannel talks. The comments by Hakan Fidan came as Ankara is striving to stay out of the widening war in the Middle East. Ankara, which has good relations with both Washington and Tehran, had attempted to mediate a solution between them before the US and Israel attacked Iran two weeks ago, triggering the...

There are places in the world where you expect war to intrude. And then there are places where its arrival feels surreal. For me, the Sri Lankan city of Galle has always belonged firmly to the latter category. The old fort, perched above the Indian Ocean, has the feel of a tropical cousin to Cartagena’s walled city. Inside its ramparts is an improbable mix: Western expatriates, boutique hotels, a long-standing local Muslim community and wealthy Sri Lankans who have restored colonial houses into...

The American flag was raised on Saturday over the US embassy in Venezuela for the first time since 2019, a move that highlighted the recent shift in relations between the two countries since then President Nicolas Maduro was captured by American troops in January. Though the flag is now waving, the building is undergoing renovations and it remains unclear when it will fully reopen. The move comes after several statements from US President Donald Trump in support of Maduro’s successor, acting...

Jurgen Habermas, best known for his theory of political consensus-building, shaped the discourse of post-war ⁠Germany more than any other popular intellectual. He died on Saturday, aged 96, in Starnberg, ⁠Germany, the publisher Suhrkamp said. Over the course of seven decades, his public interventions – from searing critiques of fascist thought in the 1950s to more recent warnings against resurgent militarism and nationalism in Germany – steered the country at critical junctions. Not only his...

Turkey expressed deep concern on Saturday over Israel’s ongoing strikes on Lebanon, voicing fears it could commit “a new genocide” under the guise of fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah. “We are frankly concerned [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is moving toward a new genocide under the pretext of fighting Hezbollah,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a news conference. “The international community must act as soon as possible in the face of the crimes that Israel continues to...

US President Donald Trump on Saturday urged other nations, including China, to deploy ships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies disrupted by the war in the Middle East. “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea,...

Israel said the war against Iran was entering its “decisive phase” on Saturday, as explosions rocked cities across the Middle East, with strikes on the US embassy in Baghdad and a major Emirati energy facility. Washington’s embassy in Iraq was hit by a drone, security sources said, the second time it had been targeted since February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran and plunged the Gulf into a conflict that has sent shock waves through the global economy. Millions have been...

UN chief Antonio Guterres has said that diplomatic channels remain open to end the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah and urged the international community to support Lebanon. “There is no military solution, only diplomacy, dialogue and full implementation of the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions. The diplomatic avenues are available, including through my special coordinator for Lebanon ... and through key member states,” he said on Saturday during a visit to Beirut. Lebanon...

Anti-government protesters attacked a ⁠Communist party office in northern Cuba early on Saturday, a ⁠state-run newspaper reported, in a rare outburst of public dissent triggered by worsening blackouts that have been exacerbated by a US oil blockade. A rally against power cuts and food shortages appeared to begin peacefully in the city of Moron late on Friday then turned violent in the early hours of Saturday morning, Invasor newspaper said. Videos on social media showed a large fire and ‌people...

The British government is looking to provide “targeted” support for ⁠poorer households to offset the impact of ⁠surging energy costs due to the conflict ⁠in the Middle East, finance minister Rachel Reeves has said. In an interview published on Saturday, Reeves told the Times newspaper the government was looking at options to help those vulnerable to sharp rises in energy prices, especially those who relied on heating oil, but ruled out universal help for all households, saying it would be...

Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Saturday called on Iran to refrain from targeting neighbouring countries, while affirming Tehran’s right to defend itself against Israel and the United States. In a rare appeal, Hamas also urged the international community to take steps to end the war that has gripped the Middle East since it began on February 28. “While affirming the right of the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to this aggression by all available means in accordance with international...

Stranded for two weeks at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas as drones and missiles set ships ablaze nearby, 26-year-old seafarer Ambuj says he has not been home for six months and cannot wait to see his family. Ambuj, who asked Reuters not to use his second name for security reasons, is one of about 23,000 Indians working on merchant, harbour and offshore vessels across ‌the wider Gulf region, which is bearing the brunt of the war between Iran and the United States and Israel. Hundreds of tankers...

Fatima Nazha slept on the streets for two days after she and her family fled their home in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli mass evacuation order. All of the schools the government turned into shelters were full, and the family could not afford a hotel or a flat, so she and her husband eventually moved into a tent in the country’s biggest stadium while their children and grandchildren found shelter near the southern coastal city of Sidon. In just 10 days, more than 800,000 people...

War in the Middle East is again producing an oil shock, as was the case in past years. For the chief perpetrator of the new shock – the United States – this will be a multi-front war where the financial impact could hit the country harder than import price shocks. The US is a debtor nation on a grand scale, running as it does both current account and budget deficits and therefore being highly dependent upon foreign capital inflows. Will the Trump administration’s antics – widely perceived as...

When the alert arrives on his phone, Yashwant Deshmukh knows exactly what to do. The Dubai-based political analyst moves away from the windows, waits for the second message confirming the missile has been intercepted, and then goes back to work. “It has become a drill,” he said. For the roughly 9 million Indians living and working across the Gulf, the war on Iran has shattered one of the region’s most durable illusions: that cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama would remain apart from...

Palestinian actor Motaz Malhees said a travel ban imposed by Donald Trump’s administration is preventing him from attending Sunday’s Academy Awards, whose nominees include a movie in which he has a starring role. The Voice ‌of Hind Rajab, a film about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in 2024, has been Oscar-nominated for best international feature film. Malhees, who plays the role of a call centre operator attempting to help her, said he cannot attend the Academy...

The US military has started moving at least one amphibious assault ship and more than 2,000 Marines from Japan to the Middle East as the US-Israeli war against Iran continues, according to US media reports. With the war about to enter its third week and US President Donald Trump vowing to ramp up military action against Iran, The Wall Street Journal and Fox News said on Friday the military was sending the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region. The assault ship Tripoli,...

Two prominent Chinese business leaders have pledged to double down on outbound investment – including in the Middle East and Latin America – even as geopolitical risks intensify following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran and Washington’s increasing interventions in the western hemisphere. Li Dongsheng, founder and chairman of Chinese electronics giant TCL, said the recent crisis in the Middle East had only a temporary impact on the company’s operations there and that the overall...

Explosions rocked Iraq’s capital Baghdad on Saturday after two strikes targeted the powerful Iran-backed group Kataeb Hezbollah, killing two members including a “key figure”, security sources said. The strikes are the first in the heart of Baghdad to kill Iran-backed fighters since the start of the Middle East war on February 28, which has not spared Iraq, long a proxy battleground between the US and Iran. “At 2.15am, a missile struck a house that was being used by Kataeb Hezbollah,” said a...

Meta is planning sweeping lay-offs that could affect 20 per cent or more of the company, three sources familiar with the matter said, as it seeks to offset costly artificial intelligence infrastructure bets and prepare for greater efficiency brought about by AI-assisted workers. No date has been set for the cuts and the magnitude has not been finalised, the people said. Top executives have recently signalled the plans to other senior leaders at Meta and told them to begin planning how to pare...

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and US President Donald Trump discussed the possible reopening of talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a meeting in Washington, Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday. Kim told Trump he was the only Western leader to have had dialogue with North Korea’s Kim and was currently the only person who could resolve issues on the Korean peninsula, Yonhap quoted Kim as telling reporters in Washington. “President Trump said he was curious if...

For years, the West’s answer to Chinese dominance of critical minerals was to rally around Washington. Now, some of its most important allies are reaching a different conclusion: that depending too heavily on the United States carries its own risks. Japan, France and Canada have all been exploring how to build supply chains for rare earths and other critical minerals that answer to neither Beijing nor Washington. Senior officials from the three Group of Seven economies are working on...

No oil infrastructure was damaged in US strikes on Kharg Island, Iranian media reported on Saturday after President Donald Trump said US bombardment of the island had destroyed military targets. Trump said on Friday that the United ‌States had carried out strikes against “every military target” on Iran’s export hub. “For reasons ⁠of decency, I have ‌chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil ‌Infrastructure on the ⁠Island,” ⁠Trump said in a social media post. “However, should Iran, or anyone ‌else, ‌do...

A declining superpower and an aspiring regional hegemon make a deadly combination. The warmongering duo of the United States and Israel have now given the world an illegal and potentially catastrophic war in Iran. It’s a tragic irony that both countries have a culture of extreme self-righteousness, with a constant army of apologists telling others they must stand up to evil wherever it exists because if they don’t, it will come for them one day. Well, that day is here, but guess who’s committing...

A federal judge on Friday quashed US Justice Department subpoenas issued to the Federal Reserve in January, a severe blow to an investigation that has already attracted strong criticism on Capitol Hill. Judge James Boasberg said that a “mountain of evidence suggests” that the purpose of the subpoenas was simply to pressure the Fed to cut its key interest rate, as US President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded. Fed Chair Jerome Powell revealed the investigation on January 11, prompting Senator...

An alleged cocaine boss with a US$2 million bounty on his head was captured by Bolivian forces as the Andean nation renews cooperation with the US after decades of hostility. Dozens of antinarcotics police raided two houses in Santa Cruz in the early hours of Friday, with snipers positioned on nearby rooftops. Their target, Uruguayan citizen Sebastian Enrique Marset Cabrera, was immediately put on a plane to be transferred to the US by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Bolivia’s President...

A photograph of Britain’s former prince Andrew and veteran politician Peter Mandelson sitting in bathrobes alongside late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was unearthed on Friday in previously published documents. The image is believed to be the first known photograph of the two men with Epstein. They are both currently engulfed in scandal in the UK over their ties to their mutual friend. The undated photograph, first reported by ITV News, shows King Charles’ disgraced brother and Britain’s former...

Iran ⁠has allowed two Indian-flagged liquefied ⁠petroleum gas carriers to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, ⁠four sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, a rare exception to the Iranian blockade that has disrupted global energy supplies. The Indian-flagged LPG tanker Shivalik crossed the Strait under escort from the Indian Navy, said two of the sources, and the second vessel, Nanda Devi, was expected to clear in the ‌next few hours. Since the United States and Israel launched a...

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro has pneumonia and is receiving treatment in an intensive care unit, a hospital in the capital, Brasilia, said on Friday. Earlier in the day, Bolsonaro’s eldest son, Flavio, said on social media that his father was being transferred from prison to the hospital after waking up with chills and vomiting. “I ask for prayers that it not be anything serious,” Flavio wrote. He has said he would run for president this year, and recent polls show him and President...

The Trump administration has sought to minimise the impact of the Strait of Hormuz’s effective closure while offering few details on how it might restore oil flows through the strategic waterway. “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News aired on Friday, urging oil tankers to “show some guts.” Trump said Washington was still considering escorting ships through the strait but did not indicate whether a decision had been made. “We would do it...

Long before the US and Israel ⁠attacked Iran, the Islamic Republic had devised its own weapon: holding the world’s main ⁠oil lifeline hostage to offset its foes’ military superiority, three regional sources familiar with Iranian planning said. For decades, Iran has signalled that if pushed into a confrontation, it would restrict tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint where its adversaries are most exposed because disruptions there reverberate instantly through global energy...

The US economy grew at a significantly slower pace than initially estimated for the final months of 2025, government data showed on Friday, a major downgrade that comes as fallout from war in the Middle East looms. US gross domestic product rose at an annual rate of 0.7 per cent in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department said. This was sharply down from its earlier estimated 1.4 per cent over the October to December period. It also indicates that the world’s biggest economy was on a weaker...

Ships near the Strait of Hormuz are broadcasting Chinese affiliations in an apparent bid to avoid attack, at a time when Iran’s new supreme leader vows to keep the strategic waterway closed. The crews of at least 11 vessels sitting in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf had their transponders set to announce Chinese links on Friday afternoon, according to Kpler’s MarineTraffic data platform. The broadcasts were a defensive measure, said Cui Shoujun, director of the Institute of International...

The fee had been increased to $2,350 in 2015, prompting criticism and legal challenges from advocacy groups and Americans living abroad.

The winning actors, directors, pictures and more at the 98th annual Academy Awards.

See what nominees and guests for the 98th Academy Awards — including Teyana Taylor, Timothée Chalamet and Emma Stone — wore to arrive to the ceremony.

The actor has a history with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and had been skipping awards ceremonies.

The Giving Pledge, once trendy among the world’s richest, has come upon hard times.

A protest in the city of Morón in central Cuba culminated in fiery vandalism at the local Communist Party headquarters.

Latin America’s left saw Cuba as its lodestar. Now leaders across the spectrum are hesitant to aid a nation in the Trump administration’s cross hairs.

In a Democratic primary, accusations are flying that allies of a hard-line pro-Israel group are trying to divide progressives, exploiting a broader rift in the party.

Love Locks left behind were one thing. But when actual garbage (like tampons and condoms) started appearing, a righteous quest to remove it was born.

Officials in Minnesota and Wisconsin warned drivers to stay off the roads as more blowing and drifting snow was expected on Sunday.

Memphis is among the cities most at risk of tornadoes on Sunday. On Monday, the storm system will shift east.

A record-breaking snow drought has residents worried about much more than slushy slopes.

The volunteer fire department serving a rural area near Sand Springs declined a $250,000 donation from the tech giant. Now some residents are suing to block the proposed development.

The provocative broadcaster broke with Fox to build his own company on YouTube. Now he has hired a former head of MSNBC.

Voters across France choose mayors this week. The far right is performing strongly in the country’s second city, making the contest there a test of national shifts.

A seven-page document, mailed by an elusive figure, has set off a court battle over the estate of Tony Hsieh, the former chief executive of Zappos.

The artist Emine Yilmaz was shoved into a passing subway car three years ago. Six surgeries later, she’s drawing again.

He’s no longer that heart-on-his-sleeve sensitive soft boy many people fell for.

Moms donating their breast milk to strangers, dads taking someone else’s kids to school: Minnesotans showed a basic human impulse to look out for their neighbors.

Pakistani airstrikes have killed at least 75 civilians and displaced 115,000 in Afghanistan, with both sides vowing escalation and no talks in sight.

Two unearthed episodes, which were discovered in film canisters wrapped in plastic bags among the possessions of a dead collector in England, were restored by BBC archivists.

Where Washington, Idaho and Oregon meet, elk are straying from public to private lands, causing conflict and concern. If the Trump administration opens national forests further, it could get worse.