Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Syria mourns prisoners
Women mourn during a mass funeral for prisoners who died in a fire that broke out during unrest at the local prison in the predominantly Kurdish city of Kobani, northern Syria, on Monday.
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Ukraine asked to stop attacks
KYIV, Ukraine — U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel, saying the attacks are causing a global...
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Left behind
SPRINGDALE — The Chavez family’s lives changed abruptly March 11. That is when immigration agents detained Eduardo Chavez, a Mexican immigrant described by his loved ones as a hardworking man, devoted husband, father of three and the primary financial...
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Houthis take Red Sea island near key strait
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen seized a key island Friday after capturing a Red Sea port, moves that threatened to further disrupt international shipping in the region. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said it shut down a major oil pipeline as a...
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Houthis seize Yemeni port city, forge ahead
CAIRO — Iran-aligned Houthis seized control of Yemen’s port city of Mokha on Thursday and advanced down the Red Sea coast to strategic islands, military sources said, hours after President Donald Trump said he expected the Iran war to end after the...
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IAEA board reports Iran to UN council
VIENNA — The U.N. atomic watchdog’s board on Wednesday reported Iran to the U.N. Security Council for the first time in 20 years, citing it for failure to cooperate in a long-running investigation into uranium traces detected by inspectors at...
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Battling the flames
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin assured U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call Tuesday that Moscow doesn’t harbor aggressive intentions toward Europe, a senior Kremlin official said, after European officials blamed Moscow for...
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Iran vows to retaliate if US attacks its assets
Iran threatened on Monday to retaliate against any new U.S. attacks on its assets, warning that energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf, including U.S. oil and gas interests, was vulnerable. Lebanon’s Health Ministry says Israeli airstrikes on a...
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US denies Iran struck vessel
The U.S. military has denied Iran’s claim to have struck an unmanned American military vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a “total lie.” A top Iranian official said Tehran plans to announce an “exclusion zone” outside the Strait of Hormuz aimed...
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Ambassador Huckabee visits Palestinian town
TURMUS AYYA, West Bank — U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday met with Palestinian Americans, including relatives of U.S. citizens killed by Israeli settlers, in a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank that has been the target of...
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New part of bypass, XNA road complete
SPRINGDALE — The Springdale Northern Bypass morphed into a parking lot Friday morning as state and local officials and community members gathered for a ceremony celebrating completion of two major projects at the same time. Those two projects were the...
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Iran military fires barrage at Kuwait
WASHINGTON — Iran fired at Kuwait on Thursday as part of its retaliation for U.S. bombardments earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Israeli police said they arrested a settler reportedly involved in an attack on Palestinians last week. Sirens sounded in...
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Fleeing the floods
Chase Barfield walks to his truck as he takes belongings and his dogs away from floodwaters around his house in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Edouard near Honey Island, Texas, on Wednesday.
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Arkansas aims to bring down SNAP error rate
Arkansas lawmakers and administrators are racing to find ways to cut the state’s error rate for federal food assistance, hoping to avoid a looming penalty. One state senator lamented Tuesday that Arkansas is at a disadvantage compared to larger states...
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Late king’s procession
Norway’s King Harald V’s coffin is moved by his family and court staff from the Red Salon to the Palace Chapel in Oslo on Monday.
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NASA’s new Roman Space Telescope launches
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s newest crown jewel blasted off Sunday to hunt for planets around other stars, explore secret dark energy and survey the cosmos like never before. SpaceX launched the $4.3 billion Roman Space Telescope shortly after...
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Money flows despite Hogs’ losses
FAYETTEVILLE — Money will flow at the University of Arkansas even if victories do not for a football team that has posted six losing seasons in the past decade. Ticket sales at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium for the 2024-25 academic year hit...
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Israeli airstrikes kill 8; Iran touts Russia deal
Israeli airstrikes killed five people in Gaza and three in the West Bank on Friday, despite a fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States. Meanwhile, thousands of sailors remain stranded in the Persian Gulf by the Iran war, while Iran is touting...
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Sanders shares $150M in rural health grants
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday announced nearly $150 million in grants to hospitals, clinics and other organizations from Arkansas’ share of a $50 billion fund established by the sweeping tax and spending bill passed by Congress last...
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Flash floods in Nepal, China kill over 160, officials report
UDIN DHUNGA, Nepal — Flash floods in a border area of Nepal and China on Wednesday killed over 160 people and left hundreds of tourists, workers and others missing after sweeping through communities and bringing travel in some areas to a halt. Experts...
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Lightning strike kills 7 animals at Bee Branch farm
Alan and Angela Mahan left Rabbit Ridge Farms near Bee Branch during a lightning storm Monday morning. When they returned about 45 minutes later, seven of their animals were dead. Their legs and bellies had been burned. Alan Mahan said Tuesday that...
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Iran hit with new sanctions
WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new round of sanctions aimed at Iran on Monday and warned every country that does business with the Islamic Republic to sever those financial ties or face retaliation from the United...
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Freedom 250 Grand Prix sees race cars roar through capital
WASHINGTON — Washington hosted an IndyCar race through its streets Sunday, with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump kicking off the Freedom 250 Grand Prix by leading a slow lap in the presidential limousine through the course. Soon...
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Delegates’ panel roles see legislative payoff
WASHINGTON — U.S. Reps. French Hill and Bruce Westerman did not picture themselves as committee chairs when they entered Congress more than a decade ago. Hill and Westerman, both Republicans, were part of the same class of freshman lawmakers in...
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Panel OKs $12.4M tutoring contract for rural students
A panel of state lawmakers endorsed a nearly $12.4 million federally funded contract with a California-based virtual tutoring firm on Tues- day. The agreement requires Air Education Inc., also known as Air Reading, to provide high-impact tutoring to...
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State calls off prison project, records show
A proposal for a 3,000bed state prison in Franklin County has been canceled with corrections officials quietly working on a plan to expand existing prisons and possibly build smaller facilities across Arkansas. An April 29 state Department of...
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Strike aftermath
Ukraine launched hundreds of drones across Russia on Sunday, killing at least six people in one of Kyiv’s largest aerial attacks of the war. Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Russia this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones targeting...
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Grape harvest begins
Grape harvest is underway well before mid-August, marking the earliest on record date because of ongoing climate change, near Turin, Italy, on Saturday, as higher temperatures and drier summers force local winegrowers to harvest during cooler hours and...
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Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan ink new pact
ANKARA, Turkey — Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a defense agreement on Friday that would treat an attack on one as an attack on all three, officials said, solidifying cooperation between the three regional powers at a time of growing security...
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Keeping it cool
People walk under a misting device at the Gwangmyeong Cave tourist site in Gwangmyeong, South Korea, on Thursday.
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Fighting the flames
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian attacks on Kyiv and its surrounding region killed 17 people and wounded dozens, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday, as Ukraine’s depleted air defenses failed to stop any of Moscow’s incoming missiles overnight. The...
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Volcanic display
GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemala remained on alert Tuesday after evacuating hundreds of people following an eruption the day before of the Fuego volcano, which is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and one of Central America’s most active volcanoes. The...
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Western wildfires spread
SPOKANE, Wash. — Authorities say they have arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of starting one of the devastating wildfires burning around Spokane, Wash. The Spokane County sheriff’s office said Monday they arrested Aaron F. Farinacci for arson. He’s...
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Wildfires in Greece
A firefighter stands and looks out as flames rise during a wildfire near Porto Germeno, northwest of Athens, Greece, on Sunday.
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Trump claims deal emerging to end conflict
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump in a Saturday evening social media post claimed that Mideast allies have reached the parameters of a deal to end the Iran war and said that he would hold off on ordering new strikes in the 5-monthold conflict for...
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Power demand dwarfs capacity at data center
Before California-based data center builder Serverfarm can power up the first four buildings at its $6.6 billion campus in Clarksville, it will need to find a way to supply more than 400 megawatts of electricity. Clarksville’s electric utility has a...
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Court lifts injunction on library rule
An Arkansas law aimed at prohibiting minors from obtaining books and movies with nudity or sexual contact, and allowing people to challenge the appropriateness of public library materials, can take effect after the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals...
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Fauci takes the Fifth in hearing
WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer dozens of questions from senators in a Republican-led committee hearing about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision, at least for...
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Paying respects
WASHINGTON — Sen. Lindsey Graham, the son of pool hall owners who rose to become one of his generation’s more influential U.S. politicians at home and abroad, was eulogized Tuesday as “a true American original” during memorial services in...
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Meta’s Louisiana deal shrouded
HOLLY RIDGE, La. — A Louisiana state legislative committee was about to consider a bill in April 2024 when Richard Nelson, then the state’s revenue secretary, received an urgent message from Gov. Jeff Landry. Get the bill passed, the newly elected...
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Cultural celebration
People dressed in costumes perform during the mask festival in Porto-Novo, Benin, on Sunday.
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One year after killings, visitors still enjoy park
WEST FORK — One year after two people were fatally stabbed at Devil’s Den State Park, the incident sticks in the minds of some who visit this outdoors destination. Clinton David Brink and Cristen Amanda Brink were found stabbed to death on a hiking...
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Trade partners decry Trump’s latest tariffs
President Donald Trump’s latest set of tariffs drew objections Friday from America’s trading partners including China and Japan, with Australia’s trade minister slamming them as “completely unjustified.” The administration announced tariffs of 10% to...
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Fatal shooting in Madison
A mourner visits a memorial Thursday at the site where a man was shot and killed by Madison police on Wednesday in Madison, Wis.
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US, Iran both target civilian infrastructure
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. military announced Wednesday that it was conducting a 12th night of strikes against Iran as both sides increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure. U.S. Central Command said the attacks were designed to...
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After the strike
KABUL, Afghanistan — Rescue crews in Afghanistan searched Tuesday for survivors and bodies in the rubble of houses destroyed by devastating flash floods that authorities said have killed at least 23 people and left more than 100 missing. The...
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Iran hits ship in strait amid US airstrikes
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship even as the United States conducted yet another round of airstrikes targeting the Islamic Republic over control of the key...
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Visit Bentonville moving to implement tourism plan
BENTONVILLE — New facilities and programs may be coming to the city as part of a plan Visit Bentonville is preparing to grow and guide tourism. Kalene Griffith, president and CEO of Visit Bentonville, said via email her organization is organizing task...
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US strikes Iran after 2 troops killed in attack
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. military said Sunday that it launched new airstrikes against Iran to “swiftly punish” the country’s Revolutionary Guard for an attack in Jordan that killed two American service members, left one missing and...
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Kids served by program drop by 32% after cuts
A Cabot daycare center on Friday joined the dozens of Arkansas childcare facilities that have closed down since the Arkansas Department of Education cut payments last fall for a program serving low-income families. Beth Flippo, the executive director...
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Letting the smoke clear
A firefighter puts out a fire after a Russian air-guided bomb hit a private house in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Thursday.
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Intel nominee meets with Senate panel
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee plans to vote next week on President Donald Trump’s nominee to oversee the nation’s intelligence agencies, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., announced Wednesday. Jay Clayton appeared Wednesday before the...
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Justice Webb recovering from May fall
Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Barbara Webb was hospitalized in early May after falling in her kitchen and hitting her head, her husband, Doyle Webb, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in an interview Tuesday. She is currently receiving care at a...
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ICE-involved shooting
BIDDEFORD, Maine — The motorist killed by ICE officers in a Maine shooting Monday was not the target of the warrant the officers were executing, Sen. Angus King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told him. It’s the second time in a week...
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Buyers, retailers differ on SNAP limit reviews
More than a week after the rollout of Arkansas’ ban on using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to purchase candy and soft drinks, retailers had reported few hiccups. The reviews from at least some shoppers were less positive,...
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Housing bill championed by Hill becomes law
— U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., began this Congress with his sights on passing legislation addressing housing affordability. The Little Rock congressman led the push in the House of Representatives on a housing measure, which received overwhelming...
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Wildfire in Spain leads to deaths of at least 12
MADRID — A wildfire roared through a remote expat community in southern Spain overnight, killing at least 12 people as victims tried to flee the flames in cars and on foot, authorities said Friday. Eight people were injured and 23 missing, Andalusia’s...
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Game & Fish’s new permits take effect
Some birdwatchers have their feathers ruffled about a new permit required by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The permit, which went into effect July 1, is required for anyone age 16 and older who is using a commission-owned wildlife management...
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US again fires against Iran
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by hitting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in crossfire that again threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the...
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US education office grants state waiver
HOT SPRINGS — The U.S. Department of Education has approved Arkansas’ request to loosen federal requirements around funding and accountability, state and federal officials announced Tuesday. During a visit to Hot Springs Junior Academy alongside Gov....
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Russian barrage finds gaps in Ukraine defense, kills 22
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia unleashed waves of missiles and drones at Ukraine early Monday, killing at least 22 people in attacks that exposed widening gaps in the country’s air defenses more than four years into Moscow’s full-scale invasion, authorities...
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Iran mourns leader, students
Iran — Among the tens of thousands of mourners gathered in central Tehran for the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are families of the schoolchildren from the southern city of Minab who, like the supreme leader, were killed in an airstrike on the...
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Mustang rescue comes together, step by step
SOMEWHERE NORTHEAST OF MENA — Moon Mountain Sanctuary and Rescue can’t be found in the way people are used to finding places now. Somewhere northeast of Mena, the cell signal fades. Trees and mountains resume their ancient authority. The traveler...
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Ballot group submits signatures
The group behind a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at strengthening direct democracy in Arkansas said Friday it turned in enough signatures for its measure to make the ballot. Protect AR Rights, the sponsor of an amendment that it said will...
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Russia bombards Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia hammered Kyiv in an 11-hour drone and missile attack overnight into Thursday morning, killing at least 21 civilians in the city and injuring scores more in what Moscow said was retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil...
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Medicare rolls out weight loss drug program
NEW YORK — The federal government is now offering a selection of brandname weight loss medications to certain Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries for $50 a month through a new trial called Medicare GLP-1 Bridge. Starting Wednesday, eligible...
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Supreme Court upholds blocks on trans athletes
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams in another setback for transgender people. The court’s six-justice conservative majority, which has repeatedly ruled...
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