Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Iran restates peace deal terms
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s top diplomat reiterated Tuesday that the tentative deal to end the war with the United States would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon — a condition Israel has already rejected and that could sink the...
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Stocks jump higher amid news of US-Iran deal
NEW YORK — Stock markets rallied worldwide Monday, and oil prices eased after the United States and Iran reached a tentative deal to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to get the global flow of crude going again. The S&P 500 rose...
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US, Iran reach initial deal to close conflict
ISLAMABAD — The United States and Iran have reached an initial agreement to end their war and open the Strait of Hormuz, offering relief to the Gulf region and global economy more than three months since fighting began. Details of the deal were not...
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Records: 4 groups funded legislators’ visits to Israel
Four organizations collectively paid more than $100,000 for overseas travel-related expenses of a dozen Arkansas state lawmakers in what they described as educational trips to Israel in 2025, state records show. The organizations that covered those...
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Peace deal wording gets OK
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s prime minister said Friday that the United States and Iran have agreed to wording of an agreement aimed at ending their war in the Middle East and that mediators were working with both sides to finalize a deal. Prime Minister...
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Trump claims Iran talks had breakthrough
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he had called off new military strikes on Iran, claiming a breakthrough in negotiations to end the war just hours after the American leader threatened to escalate the conflict by...
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US hits Iran with more strikes
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. military said Wednesday it has begun another round of strikes against Iran after President Donald Trump said more were coming. The escalating attacks threatened to derail efforts to end the war, with Trump warning...
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Israel, Iran stop firing, return to fragile truce
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel and Iran appeared to back away from further strikes Monday, hours after they traded fire for the first time since the U.S. agreed to a ceasefire with Tehran two months ago. Both countries warned that they were ready...
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Israel returns fire after Iran missile attack
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel launched airstrikes early Monday targeting central and western Iran in response to missile fire from Tehran, attacks that threatened to drag the wider Middle East back into a regional war. Iranian state television...
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Odors spark renewed questions
TONTITOWN — Questions about how to handle wastewater seeping out of the Eco-Vista Landfill — and whether existing permit limits are being enforced — are once again being raised in Tontitown. Kam Sardari, process team leader with the engineering,...
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Welcome home
A Ukrainian soldier speaks to his relative by phone after returning from captivity after a prisoner of war exchange between Russia and Ukraine in Chernyhiv region, Ukraine, on Friday.
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Arkansas TV to renew PBS ties
CONWAY — The Arkansas TV Commission voted Thursday to renew its PBS affiliation — reversing its December decision to break with the national broadcaster — after a donation drive made up for a budget shortfall. The commission’s December vote would have...
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Debate on funds for immigration agencies to begin
WASHINGTON — The Republican-led Senate is moving forward with legislation to fund immigration enforcement agencies after forcing the Trump administration to say it will drop its settlement fund for political allies and strip a separate proposal for...
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Colorful celebration
The Italian Tricolor Arrows aerobatic squadron fly over the Colosseum on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the proclamation of the Italian Republic in Rome on Tuesday.
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US, Iran unleash dual attacks
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States said Monday that it bombed radar and drone sites in Iran after Tehran shot down an American drone over the weekend. Iran then said it targeted American soldiers in Kuwait with missiles, which the U.S....
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Israeli troops seize Lebanese mountain site
BEIRUT — Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon in the deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter-century, the military said Sunday. The taking of Beaufort Castle, near...
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Meth overtakes fentanyl for ’25 overdose deaths
Methamphetamine now kills more Arkansans than fentanyl, data on overdoses shows, with experts saying awareness efforts and the availability of a drug that can reverse opioid overdoses have caused fentanyl fatalities to retreat. The number of people...
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Girls State’s volunteers quit amid closing event
Controversy surrounding Arkansas Girls State continued Friday as volunteer staff quit on stage during the program’s closing ceremonies, which caused an emotional reaction from several spectators. A video posted to social media shows roughly 10 members...
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School Board passes on property purchase
FAYETTEVILLE — The School Board on Thursday opted not to pursue buying additional land for the new Ramay Junior High School, a proposal that had stirred some controversy among residents. Consideration of the purchase of 10.5 acres to the northeast of...
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Iran restores internet access
CAIRO — Iranians began to regain internet access on Wednesday after authorities ended a monthslong shutdown. But users said service was slow and spotty in some areas, with apps such as YouTube and Instagram heavily restricted, as they were before the...
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Video of state police car hitting geese incites rage
Video showing an Arkansas State Police trooper running over a gosling while trying to clear a group of geese from Interstate 57 on Sunday drew outrage from online commenters and a frustrated response from the head of the state police. State police...
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US says Iran sites were hit in self-defense
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military said Monday that it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations were “proceeding...
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Russian drones, hypersonic missiles batter Kyiv, killing 2
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia used the powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during a mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv on Sunday that killed at least two people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday, marking the third time the...
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Trump: Peace deal with Iran being finalized
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — President Donald Trump said Saturday that a deal with Iran on the war, including opening the Strait of Hormuz, has been “largely negotiated” after calls with Israel and other allies in the region. “Final aspects and details of...
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Graduate’s exultation
A Naval Academy graduate celebrates after receiving her diploma during the graduation and commissioning ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on Friday.
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Chief of judicial discipline body queried on delay
At a tense show-cause hearing Thursday, an attorney representing the state’s judicial discipline commission director asked for another extension for the commission to fully comply with an Arkansas Supreme Court order for records. The director of the...
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Review outlines ways to bolster athletic revenue
A consultant’s review presented Wednesday to the University of Arkansas System board of trustees outlined multiple ways the athletic department of the system’s flagship university could increase revenue, including changes to its ticketing model,...
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CEO: State’s hospital system unsustainable
CONWAY — Arkansas’ current hospital system is not sustainable because roughly 40% of the state’s hospitals operate at a net income loss, the president and chief executive officer of Conway Regional Health System warned state lawmakers on Tuesday. Matt...
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Transport workers strike
People strip parts from a burned-out vehicle during a public transport strike over fuel prices in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday.
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Sole UAE nuclear plant hit
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A drone strike sparked a fire on the edge of the United Arab Emirates’ sole nuclear power plant on Sunday in what authorities called an “unprovoked terrorist attack.” No one was blamed, but it highlighted the risk of...
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Strike kills Hamas military official
TEL AVIV — An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed the leader of Hamas’ military wing who was one of the last surviving architects of the attacks that triggered the war in late 2023, the Israeli military said Saturday. Hamas confirmed the death. Izz...
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Soccer game cut short after claim of racial abuse
The Class 6A boys soccer state tournament game between Fayetteville and Conway on Thursday was ended by officials with more than eight minutes remaining in regulation after Fayetteville’s players refused to continue play following a reported incident...
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Trump welcomed in China
U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday in Beijing.
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Warsh OK’d by US Senate as Fed leader
WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, bringing new leadership to the world’s most powerful central bank at a fraught moment for the global economy. Warsh, 56, a former top Fed...
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Bentonville makes choice for Ward 1 seat
BENTONVILLE — The City Council decided to appoint a person on an interim basis to replace one of its members who stepped down from her position last month. The council voted 5-1 Tuesday to appoint Dan Grover to its Ward 1, Position 2 seat up until a...
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Fleeing for safety
Residents flee their homes Monday to escape clashes between armed gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A new wave of gang violence in Haiti’s capital forced hundreds to flee their homes over the weekend, leaving families scattered along the road to the...
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State effort to train doulas lagging
CONWAY — Due to give birth to her second child in July, Taylor Huff arrived for her appointment at the offices of the Ujima Maternity Network last month, eager for guidance she hoped would help her avoid the complications she faced toward the end of...
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Iced out
SPRINGDALE — A mother from Honduras said she is terrified to leave the home where she lives with her four children. A lifelong Springdale man said his hometown has become more welcoming and diverse during his 75 years. A woman from El Salvador...
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Flying a flag
A flag bearer and veteran stands under a French national flag during a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris on Friday, marking the 81st anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, which commemorates the end of the Second World War in Europe.
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Tennessee OKs new House map
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Amid raucous protests Thursday, Republicans in Tennessee enacted a new U.S. House map that carves up a majority-Black district in Memphis, reshaping it to the GOP’s advantage as part of President Donald Trump’s strategy to hold on to...
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Governor signs tax cut bills
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday signed into law identical bills that will trim the state’s top individual and corporate income tax rates — the fourth income tax rate cut during her nearly 3½ years at the helm of state government. The...
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State lawmakers pass tax rate cuts
Identical bills that would trim the state’s top individual and corporate tax rates zipped through the Arkansas Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday. The action came in the second day of the special session called by Gov. Sarah Huckabee...
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Arkansas TV gets guarantee for PBS funds
The private foundation that supports Arkansas TV will “guarantee” up to $1.5 million a year during the next three years so the station can continue to offer programming from the Public Broadcasting Service. That’s the gist of an email that Ed McClure,...
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West Bank clashes
Israeli soldiers take positions during clashes with Palestinians in the West Bank city of Nablus on Sunday.
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Dousing the blaze
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire following a Russian drone attack in Odesa region, Ukraine, on Saturday.
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Trump ‘not satisfied’ with Iran’s latest offer
ISLAMABAD — U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal to end the war between the countries, saying Friday he still was not satisfied while blaming Iran’s “fractured” leadership. Trump turned back the latest proposal almost as soon as...
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Paying their respects
Britain’s Queen Camilla is presented flowers to lay after King Charles III laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on Thursday.
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Bill to help pay for PBS fails again in House vote
A bill to help the state’s public broadcasting network pay to keep PBS shows on its airwaves failed for the third time to pass the Arkansas House of Representatives. Senate Bill 77 would have created a fund where the state could match private...
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2 bills to raise revenue budget to $6.7B OK’d
The Arkansas House of Representatives and Senate on Tuesday approved identical proposed Revenue Stabilization Acts that would increase the state’s general revenue budget by $211 million to $6.7 billion in the next fiscal year. The measures also would...
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Public voices worries over proposed IDA
HIGHFILL — Concerns ranging from control over private property to defense contractors potentially operating in the city drew people to a town hall meeting on a proposal to create an industrial development authority in Highfill. Residents of Highfill...
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Suspect’s anti-Trump texts reported by kin
WASHINGTON — The man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner railed against Trump administration policies and referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” in writings sent to family members minutes before...
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Slot machines reign supreme in Arkansas casino industry
Slot machines have been king in the Natural State since Arkansas legalized casino gambling, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be giving up their crown anytime soon. Terminal games, commonly called slots, have evolved over the years, and while some...
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US envoys dispatched to planned Iran talks
ISLAMABAD — President Donald Trump is sending his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to meet with Iran’s foreign minister, the White House said Friday, as officials in the South Asian nation pushed to revive ceasefire talks between the...
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Panel OKs bills to bolster West Memphis site odds
Up to $300 million in surplus state funds could be allocated to bolster the odds of a sprawling manufacturing facility being built in West Memphis under legislation that cleared the Arkansas Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee on Thursday. Arkansas’...
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Proposal to ban funds transfer at UA rejected
A legislative subcommittee on Wednesday voted down a proposal to block the transfer of University of Arkansas, Fayetteville institutional funds to Razorback athletics next year. In a split voice vote, the Joint Budget Committee’s special language...
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Ceasefire extends as talks hold
ISLAMABAD — President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States was indefinitely extending its ceasefire with Iran — a day before it was to expire — as a new round of peace talks was on hold. The announcement appeared to ease fears that the fighting,...
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Trump’s war messages mixed
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump offered mixed messages on Monday about the path ahead for the U.S. war against Iran, declaring that he was in no rush to end the conflict while also expressing confidence that further negotiations with Tehran will...
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Louisiana shooting leaves 8 children dead
SHREVEPORT — A Louisiana father fatally shot eight children, including seven of his own, during an early morning attack on his family Sunday that stretched across two houses in a Shreveport neighborhood left shaken by one of the nation’s deadliest mass...
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Arkansas legal professionals note promise, pitfalls of AI
In recent years, research and development in the field of artificial intelligence have brought forth huge leaps in the technology that, while seemingly miraculous, can be a minefield for the unwary. AI technology enables computers and machines to...
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Burns praises state’s strong support of PBS
BENTONVILLE — Ken Burns, the documentary filmmaker, said Friday he was moved by the support Arkansans showed for the Public Broadcasting Service when the Arkansas Educational Television Commission met March 12. A large, overflow crowd came to the...
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House passes tax credit resolution
Homeowners could soon get a small tax break after the Arkansas House of Representatives advanced legislation Thursday to increase the homestead property tax credit. The House voted 92-0 to pass House Resolution 1006, sponsored by Rep. Bart Schulz,...
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Trump official: Military in need of budget boost
WASHINGTON — An effort to ramp up U.S. weapons production and build more ships, planes and drones will require a major upfront investment, President Donald Trump’s budget director told a House committee Wednesday. The testimony from Russell Vought...
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Panel moves to limit prison funds
The Joint Budget Committee on Tuesday directed legislative staff to draft a reappropriation measure under which the Arkansas Department of Corrections would be barred from spending any of the $73.7 million in state funds for construction of a prison in...
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Iran threatens region’s ports amid blockade
CAIRO — U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the American military had begun a blockade of Iranian ports as part of his effort to force Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept a deal to end the war that has raged for more than six...
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Hungary votes to oust Orbán, concluding 16 years in power
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungarian voters on Sunday ousted long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power, rejecting the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement that he embodied in favor of a pro-European challenger in a...
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Public decries proposed agency during town hall in Bella Vista
BELLA VISTA — Dozens of residents came to vent their grievances against a proposed authority that would finance and build large-scale real estate projects to attract businesses to Benton County. Joseph Bollinger, Benton County District 7 justice of...
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Vance sets off as US, Iran prepare for talks
ISLAMABAD — With the ceasefire in Iran still shaky, U.S. Vice President JD Vance headed to Pakistan Friday for high-level talks with Iranian officials, as Israel and Hezbollah militants traded fire and Tehran maintained its hold on the Strait of...
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Account program rule changes OK’d
A slate of proposed changes to the Educational Freedom Account program are one step closer to becoming reality after Arkansas education officials voted to approve them Thursday. The proposed rule changes would make fees for certain community or...
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$3.4 million facility to wrap up in November, mayor says
LITTLE FLOCK — The city expects its new municipal campus will be up and running by the end of the year, allowing it to replace the City Hall building destroyed during the 2024 Memorial Day weekend storm. Mayor Jeff Van Sickler said the first component...
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