Latest News
-
In record numbers, hungry bears invade US West homes and shops
Matt Errico, sitting on his toilet in Colorado, heard noises. After a brief stare-off, they bolted out of the front door. After a?staring match, the two bears bolted from the front door. Errico had seen bears in his garbage before, but this was the first time. Errico, a small mountain town located about 57 miles (92 kilometers) northwest of Denver, said, "I've never heard of cubs being inside someone's home." Black bears have been spotted also in a Granby vapor shop. They are among the thousands of black bears that are heading to towns and cities in the U.S. West at record numbers. According to bear experts and state wildlife agencies, bears wandered around a Santa Fe school, New Mexico; climbed trees near a Denver farmers' market and surprised people in other places across the nation after the driest, most arid winter in history wiped out the plants, grasses and nuts which make up 90% of their diet. Animals' amazing sense of smell draws them to food. According to wildlife agencies, this is leading to record-breaking bear deaths as hundreds of them are killed, shot, or electrocuted when they interact with humans. Testing the Bears With West's aridification predicted to continue, experts are concerned that bears could become habituated to eating human food or even stop hibernating if winters get too warm and food becomes scarce. Black bear expert Jon Beckmann explained, "It is like testing the bears and humans in a new way. People have moved into areas that bears once used to hunt for food. In states such as Nevada, where they were nearly wiped out a century earlier, bear populations are on the rise. According to Colorado authorities, black bears are the most healthy of the eight bear species in the world. There are between 17,000 and 20.000 bears living there. Colorado Springs, Vail and other cities in that state are now surrounded by bears because of the increase in human population. Colorado, home to only black bears, had 7,000 bear sightings last year, according to the wildlife agency of the state. This is more than the previous record set in 2019. At least six bear attacks have occurred in the state. Jonathan Livingston, spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, says that between 1.5% and 2% of sightings result in euthanasia. Bears are usually killed when they're deemed dangerous. For example, when they attack people or break into houses. Wildlife agencies need to do more to avoid conflicts, say conservation groups such as the Colorado Bear Coalition. Livingston said that if people report bears to authorities early, officials are able to avoid euthanasias by scaring the animals away. New Mexico wildlife agency reports that officials and landowners have killed 187 black bears, the highest number since 2011. The agency has relocated 36 adults and 16 cubs. Police reported that a bear attacked a man last week in New Mexico, the first such attack in the state in 25 years. Utah authorities have reported that they have euthanized a total of 39 animals this year, a record number for any full year. The wildlife agency of Montana said that sightings in Montana are too many to count. Grizzlies have been moving into areas where they had not visited for decades. According to the wildlife agency, 24 grizzlies died in 2014. Most of them were killed by attacking livestock, people, or cars. A grizzly killed a man in Montana's Glacier National Park last May. Few fatal bear attacks are reported in the West each year. BEARMAGGEDON? Authorities are urging residents to use bear resistant garbage bins and not leave trash cans on the streets for long periods of time. They also urge them not to put bird or pet food within reach of animals. Livingston explained that many clashes begin with someone dumpster diving. They can end up with a black bear weighing 200 to 400 pounds (91-181 kilograms) with razor-sharp claws of 3 to 4 inches (8-10 cm). Heather Reich, a Nevada bear expert, hopes that drought conditions will ease and the animals will return to the wilderness. She fears that bears are just starting to gain weight in preparation for hibernation. We can't imagine how September and October will look. It's going to be Armageddon," said Reich. A former bear manager at Nevada's Wildlife Agency, Reich now sells doormats that emit an electric charge to keep bears out of homes. (Reporting from Andrew Hay in New Mexico, Editing by Donna Bryson & Mark Porter)
-
Sources: Gunfire and explosions at Niamey's airport and perimeter of the presidency in Niger
According to two witnesses, gunfire and explosions were heard in several parts of the capital city, Niamey on Saturday morning. The cause of the explosions and gunfire is not known. The city, and more specifically the complex that houses the international airport, and the military airbase, experienced major unrest for the third time this year. This highlights the persistent insecurity of the military-led regime which took power in a 2023 coup, promising to restore order. Security sources reported that "terrorists'" attacked the Diori Hamani International Airport and tried to breach the perimeter security around the presidency. Witnesses reported hearing heavy gunfire near the presidency. Bana Wagana Ibrahim is a member of Niger’s Bureau of the Consultative Council, and a delegate in the Alliance of Sahel States Parliament (AES). He said on Facebook that attackers targeted the military base, Base 101, but security forces had recovered control. Ibrahim wrote: "Another cowardly assault on Base 101? and once again, our defence forces and security forces made sure... situation under control." A witness, however, reported that there was 'further gunfire and heavy explosions at the airport in the early morning hours following Ibrahim's posting. Another security source said that security forces launched massive operations, and that attackers were "neutralized", while others fled. We could not independently verify Ibrahim's and the sources of security. The military government of Niger was not available to comment immediately. NIGER IS KEY URANIUM PRODUCER Since a coup in July 2023 that removed President Mohamed Bazoum, the Niger has been ruled militarily. Despite promises by its military leaders to improve security, Burkina Faso continues to fight islamist insurgencies that are linked to?al Qaeda or Islamic State. West Africa's al Qaeda -affiliated group claimed responsibility for a?attack in June on the airport at Niamey, five months after Islamic State Sahel Province had targeted the site. Since gaining power, Abdourahamane Tiani’s?junta shifted away Western partners, deepened ties to Russia, and broke with the regional ECOWAS group, joining Mali, Burkina Faso, and forming the AES breakaway bloc. Niger's unrest comes at a time when authorities are tightening control over the country's uranium industry, after seizing assets from France Orano. Niger was a major supplier of nuclear fuels to Europe, with about 15% of Orano’s uranium at full capacity. According to a government decree, last week the government redistributed former Orano uranium and GoviEx permits to state-backed firms.
-
The risk of a lake bursting near the China-Nepal border disaster area is decreasing
Chinese authorities reported on Saturday that the threat of a large lake forming after a 'glacier collapse' near the border between China and Nepal, where a deadly flood occurred earlier this week, has diminished. Satellite images taken from Thursday morning to Saturday morning show that the water flowing through the lake, which straddles the China-Nepal boundary at the confluence two rivers, has been decreasing the reservoir slowly, according to state broadcaster CCTV, citing the Water Resources Ministry. Satellite images of the lake surface at Purepu Tsangpo River showed that it was around the size 14 football fields combined on Saturday morning. This is a 21,000 sqm reduction compared to Thursday's images. A massive glacier slide on Wednesday sent a torrent of rocks, ice, and debris down the Himalayan river systems, washing away a complex of border ports linking China's Tibet with Nepal. Hundreds were killed, while thousands are still missing. Authorities and experts have warned of the high risk of secondary disasters, particularly from the lake formed by glacier debris. This could endanger rescue operations downstream. China Anneng, a state-owned engineering and safety enterprise, has been monitoring Lake Tai since Thursday. On Friday, a 15-member group was sent with reconnaissance drones and portable satellite stations, as well as mobile surveillance cameras, to collect more information about the lake. A lake overflow on Friday temporarily stopped rescue efforts until further assessment determined that the risks were manageable. Authorities have also marked another large body of water below the collapsed glacier. The depth of the mudslide is not known, said Chen Hongqi a senior engineer with the Geological Disaster Technical Guidance Center of Ministry of Natural Resources. An official from Nepal's Disaster Management Authority said that flood risks would?remain" until the two lakes had been completely drained. According to CCTV, in a 'bleak rainy morning on Saturday, more than fifty rescue workers searched through the grey rubble and mud of boulders looking for any survivors and calling out. On Friday afternoon, a first team of search and rescue dogs had arrived at the location of the Gyirong Border Crossing Complex. They described it as nothing but ruins. Xinhua, the state news agency, said that the Chinese relief efforts continue to be challenged by the dangerous conditions in the main disaster area, which are made more complicated because roads and communications have been cut off. China's death toll from the disaster grew to seven early on Saturday morning, with 554 people still missing. Xinhua reported that a total of 555 tourists, including nearly 500 villagers, construction workers and all 555 tourists, have been evacuated from the affected area.
-
Foreign Minister says Nepal needs assistance in technical areas and not in search and rescue.
Nepal is in need of foreign assistance in areas such as search and rescue and specialised technical fields, which are not its expertise, following the devastating flood that struck its Himalayan border area with China last week. The collapse of a glacier on Wednesday released a torrent of rocks, ice, debris and mud into the Himalayan river systems. Nearly 600 people were killed in Nepal, China, Tibet, while more than 2,000 are still missing. Shisir khanal stated that Kathmandu needed foreign assistance in areas like rescuing people trapped in tunnels, opening communication and transport services where bridges were destroyed, identifying?dead bodies, DNA testing, and storing corpses for longer periods. Khanal, late Friday night, said that "we have already requested such specialised services as well as technical assistance in the areas where we lack expertise and know-how." The giant neighbours India and China, between whom this poor Himalayan nation is wedged, were asked to allow bailey bridges in the disaster-hit region, where two dozen bridges had been destroyed, to reopen as soon as possible. On Friday, the Nepalese foreign ministry said that Kathmandu was able to manage rescue efforts on its own and had declined foreign involvement. Khanal, when asked about the stance taken by his government, said that there was no need for?assistance in general?search and rescue?which was being done?by Nepali rescuers. He said, "We don't think this needs to be repeated."
-
Trump: U.S. oil deal with Venezuela.
On Friday, U.S. president Donald 'Trump' said that the U.S. entered into an oil agreement with Venezuela. Trump said on Truth Social that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of war Pete Hegseth had secured the majority U.S. ownership of more than 65 BILLION BARRELS of proven oil reserves in Venezuela. This was done at no cost to American taxpayers. Trump claimed that the agreement would double American oil reserves. The U.S. has been promoting American investments in the deteriorated Venezuelan energy industry since January when it?captured? and removed? former President Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration is under pressure to lower gasoline prices ahead of the midterm elections later this year. This could be achieved by reducing oil supply costs and increasing production. The U.S. has also been searching for ways to?replenish the Strategic Petroleum?Reserve (the oil stockpile), including the possibility of swapping crude with U.S. producers. Reporting by Costas Pittas and Christian Martinez, Editing by Jasper Ward & CaitlinWebber
-
Moody's changes Nigeria's outlook from 'negative' to 'positive'
Moody's ?on Friday revised Nigeria's outlook ?to "positive" from "stable", citing the country's improved ability ?to withstand ?external shocks ?due to ?its increased foreign exchange reserves and stronger-than-expected economic growth. Africa's third largest economy, which is also a major oil exporter, has benefited from the rise in crude prices caused by the Middle East conflict, as well as the increase in refined petroleum products exported, boosting its current account surplus. Moody's expects that the West African nation's excess "will?remain substantial even with materially lower oil prices." The World Bank projected Nigeria's economy to grow by 4.2% in 2026. They also said that fiscal discipline, tighter monetary policy, and higher oil revenues could help to?strengthen the macroeconomic stability of Nigeria and contain inflation. Moody's has confirmed the country's rating at "B3", as it reflects fiscal pressures due to limited revenue generation?capacity and weak debt affordability. In May, S&P Global Ratings upgraded Nigeria's sovereign rating from "B-" to "B", citing improved creditworthiness and sustained structural reforms. A month earlier, Fitch had affirmed Nigeria's "B" rating with a stable outlook.
-
Gold falls 3% after Fed Warsh comments increase rate hike bets
Gold prices reversed their course on Friday and fell over 3% as traders increased bets that interest rates would rise after Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh made remarks about curbing inflationary forces. By 01:44 pm EDT (1744 GMT), spot gold had fallen 2.9% to $4,567.23 an ounce, its lowest price since August 20. U.S. gold futures for December delivery settled ?2.9% lower at $4,529.9. Bullion is down 2.9% after today, a drop from its more than three-month high price of $4,696.18 on Tuesday. "Gold is being slapped as Chair Warsh confirms that inflation isn't slowing meaningfully and the Fed still has work to do." It may be once again a case of'speak out loud and carry a short stick,' but this will make the price of the September meeting look like a coin toss," said independent analyst Tai Wong. The traders increased their bets for a rate hike in September after Warsh stated that the Fed would "have to work" if they are not confident the underlying inflation will return to the 2% target. This is the closest Warsh has come to admitting interest rate increases may?be necessary to ease the price pressures. According to the CME FedWatch tool, traders now expect a U.S. interest rate increase in September. This is up from 36% before Warsh's remarks. They also see an 89% likelihood of an increase in December. In an environment of high interest rates, gold tends to lose its appeal as it provides no yield. Dollars rose to a record high of over a week, increasing the price of greenback bullion for holders of other currencies. This week, gold discounts in India fell as the market grew sceptical that the government might consider rolling back a recent increase in import duties. Spot silver dropped 3.5% to $66.21 per ounce. Platinum was down 0.6% to $1,835.07 while palladium rose 5.3% to $1422.25 an inch.
-
Author of new study calls the myth that Robusta coffee is climate resilient a "myth".
In an interview, the lead author of the study called the widespread belief that Robusta coffee was more resistant to climate change than other varieties an "internet myth" that was based on flawed studies that ignored the crop's vulnerability and its inability to tolerate drought. Robusta coffee is often viewed as a cheap filler when compared to arabica beans. However, each year, millions of bags are shipped worldwide, with the majority coming from Brazil and Vietnam. The findings published in the Wiley journal Sustainable Development late Thursday are a challenge to those who advocate robusta as an alternative way of coping with 'climate change' in the coffee industry. Any reassessment on robusta's climate resilience will have implications for farmers, traders, and consumers as the demand for robusta increases around the globe. A Vietnamese coffee official said earlier this month that adapting climate change is no longer an issue for the future but a 'urgent necessity' to protect output. The robusta plant's high heat tolerance is often cited by the media, farmers, and researchers as the "coffee industry"s answer to climate change. However, a new paper published in Sustainable Development has found that these previous assessments are at best provisional. The paper cited errors in research, such as treating irrigated farmland as the best growing area. Aaron Davis, the lead author of the paper and senior research leader for crops and global changes at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, said that the "internet myths" about Robusta being more resilient to climate change emerged a decade or so ago. Davis stated, "I found that it was troubling that some people were not interpreting science correctly and were advocating robusta to save the coffee industry from climate change." "Robusta can tolerate more heat than arabica but is not drought-tolerant." The paper concluded that Brazil, Vietnam, and India do not have the right climate to grow robusta. It recommended irrigation as a way to make sure the plants get enough water to be profitable. Previous?studies sought to highlight the robusta's resistance, suggesting that the beans were more resistant to a?drought. They also suggested that they are a boon to farmers. The paper stated that any expansion of robusta production must take into account the crop's vulnerability. It added that "growers" in certain regions already face serious problems with water availability for irrigation. The study concluded that relying solely on irrigation to ensure robusta's survival and profitability is fraught with inherent dangers. Davis stated that "the global coffee supply must undergo major structural and systematic changes if it is to survive for the long-term."
Some trades made ahead of Trump's policy changes raise questions
Experts have questioned whether some of Donald Trump's most important policy decisions were preceded by timely bets.
This is a list.
IRAN CEASEFIRE Announcement: April 7, 2026
Just hours before an announcement was made of a "ceasefire" between the U.S.
LSEG data shows that at 1945 GMT, a total of 8,600 lots were sold for Brent and U.S. Crude futures. Trump announced at?around 2230 GMT a two week ceasefire with Iran. This caused crude?futures to drop by 15%, and below $100 per barrel, for the start of Wednesday’s official trading session.
Separately the Associated Press reported a group new accounts on Polymarket's prediction market platform made timely bets about whether a ceasefire will be reached on 7 April. Trading yes-or no contracts allows users to wager on real-world events.
The news agency cited publicly-available blockchain data from Polymarket, using crypto analytics platform Dune. This showed that at least 50 accounts or wallets placed "Yes" wagers before Trump posted his post.
A wallet created at 10am ET the same day made $200,000 profit after wagering $72,000. Another user, who joined the platform in April, won $125,000. One wallet, created 12 minutes prior to Trump's announcement and raking in $48,500 from a wager of $31,908.
Polymarket has not responded to a comment request.
March 23, 2026: IRAN ATTACK pause. An unidentified trader bet $500,000,000 on Brent and WTI futures within a minute, shortly before Trump announced that he would delay the attack on Iran's energy infrastructure for five days. After Trump's announcement, oil prices dropped 15%.
LSEG data show 5,100 lots traded between 1049 and 10:00 GMT. Selling dominated volume. Trump's announcement on social media at 1105 GMT caused over 13,000 lots to trade in 60 seconds. This is equivalent to 13,000,000 barrels. Brent fell to $99 from $112 per barrel and WTI to $86 from $99.
February 28, 2026: IRAN STRIKES KILLED SUPREME OFFICER AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI Wagers made on platforms such as Polymarket prior to the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah?Ali Khamenei increased scrutiny of prediction markets. Democratic lawmakers called for a prohibition on bets that are tied to military action, which could reward those who have privileged information. Kalshi faces a lawsuit because it failed to pay $54 million in winnings to those who had bet on Khamenei leaving office before March 1. The company claims that it doesn't offer markets that are settled on death.
A review of Polymarket’s website revealed that at the time, $529 million had been wagered on a variety of contracts relating to the timings of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran. Another $150 million was bet on Khamenei being removed as supreme ruler.
Bubblemaps, an analytics firm, identified six accounts which made a total profit of $1.2 million from Polymarket bets funded just hours before the raids on February 28. U.S. Rep. Mike Levin from California highlighted one particular Polymarket bet that was placed shortly before Iran's strikes.
Separately traders moved the opposite way on February 27. Despite hotter than expected inflation data, which would normally prompt investors to sell Treasuries with a long maturity, they pushed yields on the 10-year benchmark note below 4%. Analysts say that such a shift to safe-haven assets is usually driven by macroeconomic events which are negative or expected to be so.
The Dow Jones U.S. Airlines Index fell 5.13% that day, as oil prices increased.
January 3, 2026 -- U.S. CAPTURE OF FORMER VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLASMADURO An unknown trader made a profit of approximately $410,000 in January after betting on the ouster Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Before the weekend raid on Maduro’s Caracas compound by U.S. Special Forces, the trader’s account at Polymarket had built up positions on contracts that were tied to Maduro’s removal. The terms used?implied high odds. These wagers were worth $34,000 before his capture. However, their value soared after the news of U.S. military operations broke on January 3.
Trading data shows that unidentified traders bet millions on a U.S. market rally just minutes before Trump announced his tariff pause. This led to a huge rally in April of last year. Trump's Truth Social post pausing the tariffs was at 1:18 pm. ET on April 9, causing a 9.5% increase in the S&P 500. Data from the market shows that certain option contracts have seen a surge in trading activity before it. Around 1 p.m., 5,105 call options for SPY were traded. The average price was $4.20.
These calls could have risen as high as $42 when stocks rose, converting $2.14 into $21.44 on paper.
Other SPY calls bet on the ETF going above $509 at 1:10 pm. ET;?their values jumped from $624,000 to $10 million at the end of the day.
It was impossible to determine if the calls had been bought or sold all by the same trader, or by several traders and if the positions were closed with a profit.
Kush Desai, White House spokesperson, said that government ethics guidelines prohibit federal employees from profiting from nonpublic information. In an email, he stated that any implication of Administration officials engaging in such activities without evidence was baseless and irresponsible.
(source: Reuters)