Top stories

Lead: On March 18, 2026, Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, announced that Israeli forces had killed Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib, a claim Tehran had not confirmed as of publication. The announcement came a day after Israeli strikes that Tehran confirmed had killed Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani on March 17. Katz said the government … Read more

U.S. stock futures climbed on Wednesday as traders sized up the Federal Reserve’s policy decision due later in the day, while oil prices eased and global markets reacted to regional tensions. Dow futures rose about 240 points, or 0.5%, with S&P 500 futures up roughly 0.5% and Nasdaq 100 futures gaining 0.7%. West Texas Intermediate … Read more

Lead: Cinnabon has ended promotional partnerships with The Bachelorette and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives after recent allegations involving reality star Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-partner, Dakota Mortensen, triggered a company review. The announcement came as local authorities in Draper, Utah, opened an inquiry into an incident between Paul and Mortensen. Production on … Read more

Lead President Donald Trump has been publicly weighing a high-risk ground operation to seize or destroy near-bomb‑grade nuclear material reportedly stored beneath a mountain in central Iran, officials and analysts say. The deliberations intensified in mid‑March 2026 after renewed U.S. warnings that Tehran was nearing a nuclear weapon capability. The potential mission, discussed in private … Read more

Lead: On March 17, 2026, after remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump indicating he might ‘do something with Cuba’ soon, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned any external aggression would face ‘impregnable resistance.’ The comments arrive amid acute energy shortages, island-wide blackouts and rising U.S. pressure that has included threats tied to oil shipments. Cuban officials … Read more

Lead: Astronomers report a newly characterized exoplanet, L 98-59 d, 35 light-years away, that combines a global molten mantle with a sulfur-rich atmosphere. Published in Nature Astronomy, the study—led by researchers at the University of Oxford—finds the roughly 1.6-times-Earth-sized world hosts a persistent magma ocean that stores large sulfur inventories. Observations from the James Webb … Read more

Lead: On March 17, 2026, a roughly 7-ton meteor about 6 feet across raced over Cleveland at an estimated 45,000 miles per hour and shattered in the upper atmosphere, producing a loud boom felt by local observers. The fireball was first sighted near Lorain above Lake Erie and fragmented after traversing more than 34 miles, … Read more

Lead: In late-night strikes on Monday, Afghanistan’s Taliban government said a Pakistani air attack hit a 2,000‑bed drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul around 9:00 p.m. local time (16:30 GMT), killing at least 400 people and wounding hundreds. Islamabad denied targeting civilians and said its forces conducted “precision airstrikes” against military and terrorist support sites in … Read more

Lead: Venezuela defeated Team USA 3-2 in Miami on Tuesday to win the World Baseball Classic for the first time, producing an upset over a highly favored U.S. roster. The result ended Venezuela’s long pursuit of a WBC title and sparked immediate celebrations among players and fans. Eugenio Suárez, Venezuela’s third baseman, hailed the victory … Read more

Lead On March 18, 2026, the skies stage a Pisces new moon closely linked with Uranus, setting a tone of sudden openings and fresh starts for many signs. Readers across the zodiac are advised to weigh bold moves alongside practical caution: immediate rewards may follow decisive action for some and require patience for others. The … Read more

Lead: Iran pledged retaliation on 18 March 2026 after the death of security chief Ali Larijani in an airstrike, as Israel launched strikes on central Beirut and the region experienced renewed missile and drone barrages. The United States and its partners carried out strikes near Iran’s coastline, citing threats to shipping in the Strait of … Read more

Venezuela claimed its first World Baseball Classic title on Tuesday, edging tournament favorite the United States 3-2 in a tense final. The score was tied 2-2 entering the ninth inning before Venezuela manufactured the decisive run: Luis Arráez drew a walk, Javier Sanoja entered as a pinch runner and stole second, and Eugenio Suárez delivered … Read more

Lead In early October 2025 and again during a wave of strikes after March 2, Israeli attacks hit medical teams and facilities in southern Lebanon, most recently destroying an Islamic Health Authority (IHA) clinic in Burj Qalaouiyah and killing 12 people. The dead included on-duty doctors, paramedics, nurses and patients; the IHA says scores of … Read more

Lead: In Miami on Tuesday night at loanDepot park, Venezuela defeated the United States 3-2 to claim its first World Baseball Classic title after Eugenio Suárez ripped a tiebreaking double in the top of the ninth. Daniel Palencia then retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to preserve a three-hitter. The … Read more

Lead Since the outbreak of the Iran war in early March, roughly 90 vessels — including at least 16 oil tankers — have traversed the Strait of Hormuz even as much commercial traffic has halted and the waterway was widely described as effectively closed. Maritime intelligence and trade analytics firms report Iran has exported more … Read more