• Iran Rejects US Ceasefire Plan
  • Trump Showed off Classified Map in 2022
  • Prices May Rise Quickly Due to Iran War
  • Warning Signs Flash Red for Republicans
  • Hungary Will Cut Natural Gas Supplies to Ukraine
Possible end to war with Iran send US stocks higher

NEW YORK (AP) - Hope for a possible end to the war with Iran pushed stocks higher again, while oil prices eased. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% Wednesday in its latest flip-flop. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8%. Stock indexes rose more than 1% across Europe and Asia.

Middle East War: The Latest Updates

Iran on Wednesday dismissed an American plan to pause the war in the Middle East, issuing its own counterproposal instead, as it launched more attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries. The 15-point U.S. proposal addressed sanctions relief, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, limits on missiles and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Conservatives gather for CPAC with the right openly divided over Iran war

GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) – Conservatives are holding one of their largest annual gatherings at a perilous political moment for President Donald Trump and with open division on the right over the war he launched in Iran.

Amazon buys Fauna Robotics, maker of the Sprout humanoid robot

NEW YORK (AP) – Amazon has acquired Fauna Robotics, just under two months after the startup introduced a humanoid robot called Sprout designed to be a friendly addition to social spaces like homes and schools.

Central banker thinks businesses may be quicker to raise prices due to Iran war

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) – The head of the European Central Bank says that businesses may be quicker to raise prices in response to the oil shock from the Iran war due to bitter memories of the inflation spike after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. If oil and gas prices continue to rise, “the response of firms and workers may be faster than last time.”

Merck buying Terns in $6.7B deal to bolster its cancer portfolio

Merck is buying oncology company Terns Pharmaceuticals in a deal valued at approximately $6.7 billion as the pharmaceutical giant works on beefing up its cancer portfolio before a key patent on its cancer drug Keytruda expires in two years.

Iran rejects US ceasefire plan, issues its own demands

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – The United States sent a 15-point plan to Iran for a possible ceasefire, an official said, even as it began to move paratroopers to the Mideast to back up a contingent of Marines heading there Wednesday.

Warning signs flash red for Republicans as Florida district flips

WASHINGTON (AP) – Political warning signs that have privately worried some Republicans for months are starting to flash red ahead of November’s midterm elections, as the war in Iran keeps gas prices high, travelers face unprecedented airport security wait times and Americans remain concerned about steep costs of living.

Russia shoots down 400 Ukrainian drones as aerial barrages escalate

Russian air defenses downed 389 incoming Ukrainian drones, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday, in what was the largest reported overnight attack on Russian regions and Crimea since Moscow’s forces invaded Ukraine more than four years ago.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Long before he became Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf went on a charm offensive for almost two decades, portraying himself as a hard-liner the West could do business with in the Islamic Republic. “I would like the West to change its attitude to Iran and trust Iran.”