TEHRAN, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Iran's military announced on Wednesday evening a new wave of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases in the Gulf, though there was no immediate word from either of any direct hits. In a statement, the military's central command, Khatam Al-Anbiya, said the targets included Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast and Eilat on the Red Sea, as well as US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. The announcement came hours before US President Donald Trump was set to make a highly anticipated address on the state of the war, which began on February 28 with a wave of US-Israel attacks against the Islamic republic.

MANADO, Indonesia, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A major 7.4-magnitude quake struck off the coast of eastern Indonesia on Thursday, killing one person, damaging buildings and sending people running into the streets in panic. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) initially said hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) of the epicentre along the coasts of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. The PTWC lifted its warning just over two hours after the tremor, saying the tsunami threat "has now passed". The PTWC had initially warned that tsunami waves of up to one metre were possible for parts of Indonesia, and smaller ones were possible for the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, Guam and Palau. A magnitude-9.1 quake struck the westernmost Aceh province in 2004, causing a tsunami and killing more than 170,000 people in Indonesia.

Symbolic PhotoDHAKA, Apr 2, 2026 (BSS) - About 372,388 litres of illegally stored fuel have been recovered during the drives of energy and mineral resources division across the country. The fuel was recovered during the mobile court drives conducted from March 3 to April 1 to ensure proper fuel management. According to official data, 2, 71,374 litres of diesel, 30,960 litres of octane and 70,054 litres of petrol were recovered during the drives. The Energy and Mineral Resources Division has intensified such drives to prevent fuel hoarding and artificial fuel crisis. Strict action is being taken against those involved in fuel hoarding through regular monitoring and mobile court drives, said sources at the Energy and Mineral Resources Division.

WASHINGTON, United States, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Amazon is in talks to buy US satellite telecoms group Globalstar, seeking to boost its bid to rival Elon Musk's Starlink, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. It comes after Musk's SpaceX, which operates the Starlink satellite internet service, filed papers for what could be the largest-ever public stock offering. AFP has contacted Amazon, Globalstar and Apple for comment. The Financial Times report said no deal had been struck and discussions could still collapse. Globalstar told the Financial Times it "does not comment on industry speculation or rumours," while Amazon declined to respond.

TOKYO, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron left Japan on Thursday bound for fellow US ally South Korea, a day after praising Europe's "predictability" in an apparent swipe at Donald Trump over the Iran war. In Japan, Macron signed a roadmap on critical minerals and defence cooperation and on Thursday held more talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and met the imperial couple with his wife Brigitte. Let South Korea, who was not helpful to us, by the way.You know, we only have 45,000 soldiers in harm's way over there, right next to a nuclear force. Let South Korea do it," Trump said, referring to North Korea. The United States has around 28,500 troops in South Korea.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday met with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Photo: MoFADHAKA, April 2, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh has conveyed a message of solidarity with the United Arab Emirates amid ongoing regional tensions, following a meeting between Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday evening. Kabir handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to the UAE foreign minister, addressed to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a Foreign Ministry press release said here today. In the letter, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed "firm solidarity" with the UAE leadership, government and brotherly people in light of the current conflict situation. The UAE minister also expressed his government's gratefulness for Bangladesh's solidarity and support.

NASA teams and spectators alike were ecstatic as the spacecraft ascended into a radiant sky atop a cascade of flames. US President Donald Trump praised "our brave astronauts," calling the successful launch "quite something" at the top of his televised address on the war against Iran. Isaacman also emphasized the historic nature of Wednesday's launch: "NASA is back in the business of sending people to the Moon." The mission marks a series of historic accomplishments: it will send the first person of color, the first woman and the first non-American on a lunar mission. It is also the inaugural crewed flight of NASA's new lunar rocket, dubbed the Space Launch System.

LONDON, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - England white-ball captain Harry Brook and team-mate Jacob Bethell have been warned about their future conduct after a nightclub incident on the pre-Ashes tour of New Zealand last year. The Cricket Regulator -- a body independent of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) responsible for enforcing regulations -- on Wednesday issued cautions to Brook and Bethell for breaching player conduct rules. Brook and Bethell both played in the match the next day, which England lost by two wickets to complete a 3-0 series defeat. The Regulator "issued a caution notice to Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell in relation to their conduct", said a statement. England players were photographed spending hours in bars during a mid-series beach resort break, with a video of an apparently drunk Ben Duckett circulating on social media.

Iran president asks US people if Mideast war puts 'America First'TEHRAN, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Iran's president asked the people of the United States if the Middle East conflict was truly putting "America First", accusing the US of war crimes and being influenced by Israel ahead of a much-anticipated address by Donald Trump. Sparked by a US-Israeli offensive launched against Iran on February 28, the war has rippled across the Middle East, creating global economic turmoil. More than a month in, US President Trump claimed Wednesday that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was seeking a ceasefire, a claim Tehran has denied. "Attacking Iran's vital infrastructure -- including energy and industrial facilities -- directly targets the Iranian people," Pezeshkian said in an open letter, published to his website Wednesday. His letter came ahead of US President Donald Trump's prime-time address to Americans on the Iran war in the face of plunging approval rates, economic jitters and spiralling diplomatic fallout.

Trump says Iran war almost over, warns of weeks more heavy strikesWASHINGTON, United States, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US President Donald Trump said Wednesday the US-Israeli war campaign against Iran was almost complete but that the country would be hit hard over the next two to three weeks as Washington pressed toward its military objectives. Speaking in his first national address since the war began on February 28, Trump sought to reassure war-weary Americans that the offensive was worth the effort. - 'Irrational' -Iran on Thursday dismissed Washington's ceasefire overtures, describing US demands to end the conflict as "maximalist and irrational." In Lebanon, seven people were killed in strikes around south Beirut, with the Israeli military saying it had struck a senior Hezbollah commander. Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli attacks had killed more than 1,300 people in the country since war erupted between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah on March 2.

TEHRAN, April 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Former Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharazi was seriously wounded in a strike that also claimed the life of his wife, Iranian media reported. Still an adviser to the government, Kharazi had given an interview to CNN a few weeks ago. According to the newspapers Shargh, Etemad and Ham Mihan, his home in Tehran was targeted on Wednesday in a US-Israeli strike. He was badly injured and hospitalised following the attack, the outlets said. Kharazi had served as foreign minister from 1997 to 2005 under reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami.

The journey marks a series of historic accomplishments: it will send the first person of color, the first woman and the first non-American on a lunar mission. If the mission proceeds as planned, the astronauts will set a record by venturing farther from Earth than any human before. It is also the inaugural crewed flight of NASA's new lunar rocket, dubbed the Space Launch System (SLS). - Repeated setbacks -Under bright Florida sunshine, four giant tanks on the rocket were filled with liquid hydrogen and oxygen. But repeated setbacks stalled the mission and even necessitated rolling the rocket back to its hangar for analysis and repairs.

Years ago, I wrote a children’s book based on the true story of a lost shoe floating in the Colorado River. It turns out ten days was plenty of time for me to reach a Zen level of daily life on the river. In fact, the trip was so profound, I came home and wrote a children’s book about it. There’s a children’s book by Ingersoll Lockwood that keeps resurfacing, just like “Little Chaco” stuck in a wave. Written in 1889, “Travels and Adventures of Little Baron Trump and His Wonderful Dog Bulger” bears a striking resemblance to Trump’s life story.

The report uses the most recent information available for consistency; this means electricity price data is from 2024, and gasoline and diesel fuel prices are from 2025. It produces the vast majority of its electricity through natural gas and nuclear, with small contributions from solar, hydroelectric, and other sources. MaineALEC says, “Maine reflects some of the highest average retail electricity prices in the nation. MassachusettsALEC says, “Massachusetts maintains some of the highest retail electricity prices in the nation. Domestic generation capacity is dominated by natural gas, with smaller contributions from solar, hydroelectric, wind, and petroleum.

Corsicana, TX (75110)TodayRain ending this morning. Then remaining mainly cloudy. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..TonightPartly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.