All posts tagged: strain

Attacks in South Lebanon Strain Ceasefire on Eve of Washington Talks

Attacks in South Lebanon Strain Ceasefire on Eve of Washington Talks

Published by Sam Flores

By Maya Gebeily and Pesha Magid BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, April 22 (Reuters) – At least four people were killed in Israeli strikes in southern ⁠Lebanon ⁠on Wednesday, Lebanon’s state news agency reported, and Hezbollah said ⁠it launched an attack drone at Israeli forces in the south, straining a ceasefire between the Iran-backed group and Israel. On the eve of talks in ​Washington between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Beirut would seek an extension of the 10-day, U.S.-mediated ceasefire, which is set to expire on Sunday. Hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel reignited on March 2, when the Lebanese ‌group opened fire in support of Iran. The ceasefire in Lebanon ‌emerged separately from Washington’s efforts to resolve its conflict with Tehran, though Iran had called for Lebanon to be included in any broader truce. The United States has denied any link between the tracks. More than 2,400 people have ⁠been killed in Lebanon since ⁠Israel launched an offensive in response to Hezbollah’s March 2 attack, according to Lebanese authorities. Israel has seized a belt …

NATO backs non-proliferation as global nuclear pacts come under strain – POLITICO

NATO backs non-proliferation as global nuclear pacts come under strain – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

NATO routinely reiterates support for the treaty, but the new statement comes ahead of a weekslong U.N.-linked review conference of the agreement in New York at the end of April. The pact has come under unprecedented pressure from growing geopolitical disputes, growing fears around Chinese nuclear armament and Russia’s all-out war in Ukraine. In recent months, France has said it would increase the size of its nuclear arsenal as it enters early-stage talks with other European countries to extend its deterrent in response to Russian aggression — even as Paris insists this does not violate the NPT. Meanwhile, the U.S. refused to extend New START, its 2010 bilateral nuclear arms control pact with Moscow, in February. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also repeatedly engaged in nuclear saber-rattling since the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The review conference, from Apr. 27 to May 22, will gather countries to assess compliance with the treaty and aim to find a consensus on a final document. Laura Kayali contributed to this report. Source link

D.C. Economy “Under Strain,” Faces Biggest Spending Cuts Since Great Recession

D.C. Economy “Under Strain,” Faces Biggest Spending Cuts Since Great Recession

Published by Jenni Sidey

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released its state-level real gross domestic product data on Thursday, revealing a sharply uneven economic landscape in the fourth quarter of 2025, with boom times in North Dakota contrasting with a sharp slowdown spreading across the Mid-Atlantic, especially in Washington, D.C. “From a regional perspective, real GDP increased in 35 states in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the percent change at an annual rate ranging from 3.8 percent in North Dakota to –8.3 percent in the District of Columbia and remaining unchanged in Indiana and Maine,” BEA wrote in the report. The fourth quarter coincided with a 43-day government shutdown from Oct. 1 through Nov. 12, a disruption that likely had an outsized effect on the Washington, D.C. economy given the metro area’s heavy reliance on federal workers, procurement, contracting activity, and the broader consumer spending tied to government.  But let’s not forget that the D.C. economy is already dealing with a spending slowdown linked to the Trump administration’s move to clean up waste, fraud, and abuse. To …

Fragile Iran war ceasefire under strain as Americans feel economic impacts

Fragile Iran war ceasefire under strain as Americans feel economic impacts

Published by Sam Flores

Less than three days after settling on a deal, the ceasefire agreement in the U.S and Israel’s war against Iran is already under strain, as Vice President JD Vance prepares for Saturday’s negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan. Israel’s invasion of Lebanon remains one of the biggest roadblocks in maintaining the ceasefire and fully opening the Strait of Hormuz, a major chokepoint for shipping traffic in the area. Iran has called Israel’s refusal to stop attacks in Lebanon, claiming to target Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, a violation of the ceasefire. “There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We continue to strike Hezbollah with full force,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday. Iranian officials and President Donald Trump have both requested Netanyahu back off the attacks. Israeli strikes killed more than 300 Lebanese people in a single day Thursday, as Amnesty International made an “urgent” call for Israel to “uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure civilians are protected.” “I just think we have to be sort of a little more low-key,” Trump said to NBC …

After states legalize sports betting, Americans see financial strain, studies show : NPR

After states legalize sports betting, Americans see financial strain, studies show : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Advertisements for sports betting apps are seen in downtown Kansas City, Mo., in November. Charlie Riedel/AP hide caption toggle caption Charlie Riedel/AP Online sports betting is more popular than ever, with Americans expected to legally wager billions of dollars on this year’s March Madness basketball tournament. But a growing body of evidence reveals that the sports betting boom leads to financial strain for bettors. A recent report from the New York Federal Reserve found that sports betting is linked to plummeting credit in the more than 30 U.S. states where the activity is legal, as well as in neighboring counties where it was not. Credit delinquency rates, primarily driven by missed payments on credit cards and auto loans, rose about 0.3% overall in states where sports betting is legal, despite legal sports bettors making up only 3% of the population. But, looking only at the 3% of the population who took up sports betting after their state legalized it, credit delinquencies spiked by more than 10% among gamblers. Credit delinquency means credit payments are at …

Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz: Fertiliser supply chains under strain – People & Profit

Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz: Fertiliser supply chains under strain – People & Profit

Published by Sam Flores

To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Try again PEOPLE & PROFIT © FRANCE 24 Issued on: 26/03/2026 – 18:12Modified: 26/03/2026 – 18:14 12:27 min From the show Reading time 1 min As tensions between the US, Israel and Iran choke the Strait of Hormuz, cutting global energy and fertiliser flows, markets face rising prices and food insecurity. We discuss the global fallout with Carlos Razo from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), exploring the risks for the world’s poorest economies and the threat of widespread inflation. Source link

Study links parents’ perceived financial strain to delayed brain development in infants

Study links parents’ perceived financial strain to delayed brain development in infants

Published by José Betancourt

A study of infants during their first year of life found that those coming from households where parents felt their income was inadequate to support the family’s needs tended to show delayed brain development. More specifically, on EEG, these children tended to show slower rates of change in alpha peak frequency, alpha power, and beta power. The paper was published in PNAS. During the first year of life, a baby’s brain grows faster than at almost any other time. This period lays the groundwork for how a child will think, feel, and relate to others in the future. Although most brain cells are already present at birth, the connections between them increase at an astonishing rate. In the early months, the brain forms millions of new connections every second, helping the baby learn from sights, sounds, and touch. The brain also begins to insulate its nerve pathways (myelination), which allows messages to travel more quickly and efficiently. As babies see faces, hear voices, and experience movement, their sensory systems become more refined. Loving and responsive …

Pets can improve the health of older adults – but also strain their finances, poll finds

Pets can improve the health of older adults – but also strain their finances, poll finds

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Owning a pet can help to improve the health and well-being of older Americans, according to a new national poll. More than half of nearly 2,700 adults between the ages of 50 and 93 reported that having a pet improved their daily lives, with 44 percent saying that it helped them to be more physically active and 63 percent saying it also led to reduced stress. Stress can often make health issues worse. Having a pet also helped to improve mental health, and 83 percent of respondents said owning a pet gives them a sense of purpose, 63 percent said it makes them feel loved and 35 percent said it helped them to cope with physical or emotional symptoms. A whopping 70 percent said that they were more connected with others – a beneficial factor that can help stave off disease …