Prime Minister Viktor Orbans defeat will make it harder for the Kremlin to divide Europe, but Moscow retains leverage through energy sales.

It's "almost like gaining a new room to the house," the homeowner says.READ MORE...

Nature, Published online: 13 April 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00744-0Early publishing success, team size and international collaborations are some of the best predictors of future publication rates.

Workers remove the rubble as rescuers keep searching for a missing woman and girl at a destroyed building that was hit on April 8, in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)2026-04-13T12:27:48Z BEIRUT (AP) Fierce fighting Monday rocked the strategic southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, as Israeli troops appeared to encircle the area while Hezbollah militants launched rockets and artillery in an effort to push them back.The clashes in the hilly town that overlooks the U.N.-mandated Blue Line dividing the two countries just over 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away have intensified over the past week, after Iran and the United States agreed to a temporary truce. On Tuesday, Lebanon and Israels ambassadors to the U.S. are set to meet in Washington for an in-person meeting in a bid to kick off a landmark series of direct negotiations.Israel has scaled back its attacks in Lebanon, especially in Beirut, after a series of deadly strikes without warning hit the heart of the capital in some of its busiest residential and commercial areas, killing over 350 people. At the same time, Israel appears to have stepped up strikes and ground invasion in southern Lebanon, where it intends to create a security zone along the Litani River, almost 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the border. Bint Jbeil is among dozens of towns and villages south of the river that Israel called to evacuate early on in the war. The latest round of fighting was sparked by Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel on March 2, in solidarity with Iran. At least 2,055 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the Health Ministry said, among them 252 women, 165 children, and 87 medical workers, while 6,588 were wounded. Read More Lebanons state-run National News Agency has reported Israeli ground forces making their way into the town with most of the exit roads cut off. Local media reported dozens of Hezbollah gunmen were largely encircled.The Israeli military said its troops surrounded Hezbollah infrastructure and started ground operations in Bint Jbeil and surrounding areas, killing over 100 Hezbollah fighters. Hezbollah did not immediately announce any fatalities among its ranks, and Israel did not comment on its military casualties. Hezbollah on Sunday claimed at least five attacks on Israeli troops in the town and outskirts with rockets, artillery and drones. According to the groups statements, Israeli troops were positioned near a school, a hospital and juncture that surrounds the heart of Bint Jbeil. That day, Israel said its troops attacked Hezbollah forces surveilling from the Bint Jbeil Government Hospital and found a cache of machine guns and rockets.When Israel occupied southern Lebanon until its withdrawal in 2000, it had relied on Bint Jbeil and other elevated locations for strategic vantage points. A major turning point was Hezbollah retaking the hilly town, and the victory speech by then-Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah in a stadium there. The Israeli military on Monday shared a satellite photo showing the stadium apparently destroyed in a strike. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. Lebanese Red Cross volunteer laid to restElsewhere, a Lebanese Red Cross volunteer killed in an Israeli strike Sunday while on a mission in the southern village of Beit Yahoun was laid to rest in Choueifat, just south of Beirut. On Monday, an Israeli strike near the entrance to Red Cross offices in the coastal city of Tyre killed a wounded person who was being transported, damaging several Red Cross vehicles. A person familiar with the matter said the strike targeted a man on a motorcycle transporting the wounded. Its unclear who either people were. The person spoke on condition of anonymity they werent authorized to disclose the information. The Red Cross did not immediately comment. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to The Associated Press when asked for comment. ___Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Sidon, Lebanon contributed to this report. KAREEM CHEHAYEB Chehayeb is an Associated Press reporter in Beirut. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

The letter warns that the deal will result in fewer jobs for creatives, along with higher costs and less choice for audiences.

This wouldve been a great place to raise a family, but instead a wealthy couple will collect egregious amounts of passive income from bachelorette parties.Reference #32487The post Never Mind, Its An Airbnb Now appeared first on The Onion.

SPRINGFIELD, ILAs the landmark bipartisan legislation passed into law Thursday, Illinois became the first state in the union to mandate paid haircut leave while an employees new bob grows out.Effective immediately, every employer in Illinois will be required to provide two weeks of compensated time off for workers who thought a blunt, chin-length haircut might be a good idea, said Gov. JB Pritzker, commending the Illinois General Assembly for its passage of the bill at a time when federal support for hairstyle-related absences from work has been drastically reduced. Studies show time and again that workers are happier and more productive when they are able to see what their haircut looks like after washing it a few times instead of immediately debuting their dramatic new look in public. No one should have to worry about losing their job just because they need time to come to terms with what the heck they were thinking when they brought a photo of Keira Knightley from 2002 into the salon and said, Do that. On top of the base of 14 days off, full-time private sector employeesregardless of gender or face shapewill also be able to accrue additional paid hairstyle leave at a rate of one day for every inch of hair chopped off. The new statute also grants spouses and domestic partners of those who have received a bob several days of paid leave to help them learn how to properly style it.The post Illinois Becomes First State To Require Haircut Leave While Bob Grows Out appeared first on The Onion.

WASHINGTONIn a major new agreement expected to provide the United States with unprecedented market access to the island nation, President Donald Trump announced Friday that he had finalized a long-anticipated trade deal with Pedotopia.Despite years of tension between the two leaders, Trump smiled and gave a thumbs-up as he shook hands with Prime Minister Felix Orwick of Pedotopia, lauding the special relationship he shared with his mustachioed counterpart. The pact follows months of heated negotiations that reportedly made use of a diplomatic back channel with Pedotopia maintained by American casting directors, superyacht owners, youth ministers, and scoutmasters.Today Im proud to announce another great trade deal for the American people, perhaps the greatest deal in our nations history, Trump said of the accord, which requires Pedotopia to purchase two dozen F-35 fighter jets, 3 million tons of American soybeans, and 100,000 U.S.-born preteens over the next decade. My administration was able to find a lot of common ground with Pedotopia. Other presidents have tried, but this is the first time anyone has succeeded.We look forward to having Pedotopia as a partnerits a wonderful country, Trump continued. They say it has someof the most gorgeous Catholic cathedrals in the world. And the children there are beautiful, just beautiful.Freight containers filled with Pedotopias best-known exports are already en route to American consumers.The trade framework, officially known as the U.S.-Pedo Agreement on Critical Minerals and Transnational Lolitas, gives the United States increased access to rare earth elements crucial for the electronics and defense industries, while also setting the effective tariff rate at 15% for all underage sex slaves shipped into the country from Pedotopia. This is significantly lower than the 135% duty Trump imposed in April, when he repeated his long-held claim that Pedotopia was ripping off Americans and he promised to reshore child prostitution jobs from abroad.Top White House officials credited the president with extracting major concessions from Pedotopia, which will open its markets to U.S. oil and gas, in addition to granting American predators the right to import up to 1.2 million cubic yards of prepubescents annually.According to sources with knowledge of the talks, the deal nearly fell apart when Trump insisted on eliminating the demolestimis exemption, a loophole that allowed Pedotopia to avoid levies on underdeveloped children below 80 pounds. But the prime minister agreed to give up that benefit in exchange for the lifting of U.S. export restrictions on Nvidias most advanced AI chips.Im pleased to announce the United States will remain Pedotopias largest child-trading partner, said Orwick, who during his time leading the Groper Republic has prioritized the cultivation of a customer base among North American pedophiles. President Trump has been a great friend to Pedotopia. He understands the importance of investing in supply chains of sexually immature minors so the child-sex trafficking that is vital to both our economies can continue to flourish.Ethics watchdogs have warned the deal would give child sex offenders with ties to Trump family businesses preferential access to the vast reserves of children arriving on container ships in U.S. ports. In addition, a recent ProPublica investigation found that Orwick has approved generous tax credits for several of the presidents commercial real estate developments, including a new Trump International Golf Club to be built on the Pedotopian coast.Though Trump ran for office on reigning in inflation to keep prices low for American families, the costs of masseuses, adolescent spa attendants, and domestic rent boys have remained stubbornly high, and in December the president announced a $12 billion relief package for groomers whose activities have been impacted.Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who oversaw U.S. child-groping efforts under President Bill Clinton, criticized the new trade deal.The pedophiles ate Trumps lunch on this one, the Harvard economist said. What you ideally want out of a healthy international sex-trafficking ring are lower barriers to market that bring down the ages of these girls for everyone. Protectionist policies inevitably backfire and make it harder for American families to have a dark secret.Its also important to note that many of these child-bride agreements are nonbinding, Summers added.The post U.S. Reaches Trade Deal With Pedotopia appeared first on The Onion.

A class of medications called GLP-1s have skyrocketed in popularity recently for their effectiveness in reducing body mass. The Onion examines the myths and facts surrounding these weight-loss drugs.MYTH: GLP-1s are only prescribed for diabetes. FACT: GLP-1s have many applications, from aiding in addiction recovery to making your stepsister jealous.MYTH: The long-term effects of these drugs havent been thoroughly studied.FACT: Tamaras wedding is in two months.MYTH: You only lose body fat, not muscle.FACT: You also lose out on coveted sassy fat lady movie roles.MYTH: To lose weight, you must also incorporate changes to your diet and lifestyle. FACT: Just take more.MYTH: Wegovy is better than Ozempic.FACT: Wegovy is only good for losing weight on your top half while Ozempic slims down your bottom half.MYTH: GLP-1s are for everyone.FACT: Not sumo wrestlers.The post GLP-1s: Myth Vs. Fact appeared first on The Onion.

Eligible men in the United States will be registered into the military draft pool automatically by December, a measure slipped into last years annual defense policy bill that will replace the previous self-registration process. What do you think?If you cant even fill out a form, how can you be trusted to die in a pointless war?Cameron Benton, Ink SupplierThis is pretty scary for the 3% of American men healthy enough to serve.Max Harris, Produce WaxerDying in war should be a frictionless experience.Jenna Thornton, Organ DusterThe post Automatic U.S. Military Draft Registration To Begin By December appeared first on The Onion.

WebinarTV, a site that scrapes Zoom webinars without permission, has downloaded and posted Zoom Webinars for anonymous addiction recovery meetings, support groups for caregivers and people who suffer from chronic illness, and a meeting of nudists.WebinarTVs Michael Robertson told me that the company asks every single person for permission to promote their webinars, but these specific examples show that WebinarTV scrapes and shares the videos on its site before asking for permission and that some people are not aware that this is happening to them.As with all of our support group meetings, this meeting was not intended to be recorded, but rather to be a private discussion among participants, Kimberly Dorris, executive director at the Graves Disease & Thyroid Foundation (GDATF), which hosted a Zoom session which vetted participants, and which still ended up on WebinarTV, wrote in a post about the meeting being uploaded to WebinarTV. That post was titled A Warning For Patient Communities Connecting on Zoom.I first reported about WebinarTV in March, after a teacher told me that a sensitive meeting he held on Zoom for educators who wanted to protect their students from ICE raids ended up on the site. The teacher found out about the video when a someone calling themselvesSarah Blair, which appears to be an AI-generated persona, sent him an email letting him know that the meeting was posted to WebinarTV and also turned into an AI-generated podcast. The teacher asked WebinarTV to take down the meeting because it could put some of the participants in danger, and WebinarTV removed it shortly after.WebinarTV claims it hosts more than 200,000 Zoom webinars it scraped this way.After I published the story, several people who use Zoom regularly for meetings or webinars they consider private checked to see if their Zoom videos were posted to WebinarTV and got in touch with me.Gillian Brockwell, a journalist and 404 Media reader who goes to addiction recovery meetings on Zoom searched WebinarTV for her own meeting after seeing my story. She didnt find her own meetings, but flagged several other meetings that were clearly meant to be for people who want to preserve their anonymity.One meeting posted to WebinarTV for panic anonymous, or people who suffer from panic and high anxiety, was described as a a confidential group that bridges decades of clinical biofeedback practice with modern wearable technology. The recording of the webinar posted to WebinarTV included participants full names and shows their faces.A 12 steps and faith-based recovery meeting for people with substance abuse issues also shows participants full names and faces."If I found out I was in one of these meetings captured by WebinarTV, I would feel terrified and betrayed, especially if I were in early recovery," Brockwell told me. "These meetings are clearly meant to be confidential and anonymous, and anonymity is a key component of mutual-support and 12-step recovery models. It allows people a pathway through the stigma that so often prevents them from seeking help, and members sharing openly about some of the most humiliating moments in their lives things they might never say in public is a key part of 'identifying in.'"I hosted a meeting last night that was intended to be for family members of patients with Graves' disease, thyroid eye disease, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Dorris from the GDATF told me in an email in March. The link to *register* was public, but in order to receive the joining link, you had to fill out a questionnaire.The description for the Zoom meeting was: Has a loved one been diagnosed with Graves disease, thyroid eye disease, or Hashimotos thyroiditis? Join us for a short presentation followed by an interactive discussion with people who understand what your family is going through! This meeting is intended for family members and caregivers only. If you are a researcher, industry representative, etc. please contact GDATF at info@gdatf.org to discuss how we can better assist you.The registration form specifically asked potential participants whether they were attending in support of or on behalf of someone impacted by these conditions, and were admitted to the meeting one at a time from a Zoom waiting room. Dorris said that no visible AI and transcription tools were running.One meeting of nudists, or naturists, also featured every participants face and name, and some appeared shirtless on camera. Its not clear if this meeting was designed to be private nor if the participants know the meeting was recorded and posted on WebinarTV.Robertson told me that WebinarTV is not violating these peoples privacy because the site only scrapes Zoom webinars as opposed to Zoom meetings. Zoom webinars work similarly to a regular Zoom meeting, but are intended for larger audiences with features like polling, breakout rooms, and EventBrite integrations.Webinars are no different than Facebook Live, X broadcast, or Youtube Live. They are broadcast to the public. This is why we have 200,000 webinars and zero issues to date, Robertson told me. We contact every host, twice to make sure they want the promotion. We're the only search engine that does this. Also we make it one click easy to remove. Go try and get something removed from any other search engine. Robertson is of course ignoring the fact that many people organizing or joining these sessions, even if they are technically webinars, expect them to be private or limited to just the participants.When I reached out to Zoom in March it said that based on its review WebinarTV accesses meetings using links that have been shared publicly, then records the sessions using browser extension or other tools.Because these recordings occur on the participants device and outside of Zooms environment, no platformincluding Zoomhas the technical ability to fully prevent third-party screen recording, the spokesperson said.While it is true that our meeting wasnt infiltrated due to a technical flaw from Zoom, as a customer, I would still like to see Zoom speak out against companies like WebinarTV that send bots with fake identities to infiltrate meetings and covertly record participants who had a reasonable expectation of privacy, Dorris told me.

Man City's win at Chelsea and Arsenal's defeat at Bournemouth have thrown the title race wide open -- arguably, it's City's to lose from here. PLUS: Inter Milan show win a seven-goal thriller at Como as Gab Marcotti recaps the weekend.

From teammates and opponents to coaches, officials and staff, those who were there remember how Bryant's last game became something no one expected -- and no one will forget.

Pope Leo XIV arrives at Algiers' Houari Boumdine International Airport on Monday, April 13, 2026, at the start of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)2026-04-13T04:23:58Z ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) Pope Leo XIV arrived in Algeria on Monday on a first-ever papal visit, calling for peace and the end of neocolonial tendencies in world affairs, while facing an extraordinary broadside by President Donald Trump over his criticism of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.Leos arrival in Algiers kicked off an 11-day tour of four African nations Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea that will bring historys first U.S.-born pope deep into the growing heart of the Catholic Church.Leo is in Algeria to promote Christian-Muslim coexistence in the majority Muslim nation at a time of global conflict and to honor the locally born inspiration of his religious spirituality, St. Augustine.The trip began, however, against the backdrop of a growing feud between the Chicago-born Leo and Trump over the war. Trump overnight said he didnt think Leo was doing a good job as pope and suggested he should stop catering to the Radical Left. Leo responded en route to Algeria, saying the Vaticans appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he didnt fear the Trump administration. In his first remarks in Algiers, Leo tied his current appeal for peace to Algerias struggle for independence from France, obtained in 1962. Hundreds of thousands died in the revolution during which French forces tortured detainees, disappeared suspects and devastated villages as part of a strategy to maintain their grip on power. Read More God desires peace for every nation, a peace that is not merely an absence of conflict but one that is an expression of justice and dignity, he told several thousand people at the monument to Algerias martyrs.Later, meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and other government authorities, Leo praised Algerians for their solidarity and respect for one another, which he said provided an important perspective on the global balance of power.Today, this is more urgent than ever in the face of continuous violations of international law and neocolonial tendencies, he said. Leo didnt name examples but has previously spoken about Russias war in Ukraine, the Iran war and Israels invasion of southern Lebanon. A message of peace in AlgeriaIn Algeria, a tiny Catholic community of around 9,000 people made up mostly of foreigners exists alongside the Sunni Muslim majority of about 47 million, according to Vatican statistics.The archbishop of Algiers, French Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, said on any given day, nine out of 10 people who visit the Our Lady of Africa basilica are Muslim.Its wonderful to be able to show that we can be brothers and sisters together, building a society despite our different religions, Vesco told The Associated Press. And that is what our church has been doing since this country gained independence.The United States, though, has placed Algeria on its special watch list for having engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom. The Algerian constitution recognizes religions other than Islam and allows individuals to practice their faith if they respect public order and rules. But proselytizing to Muslims by non-Muslims is a crime, and some other Christian denominations have faced persecution from Algerian authorities, who have closed their churches.I imagine its a good thing that a pope is visiting Algeria, said Selma Dnane, a student who lives in Annaba down the coast from Algiers. But what will it change afterward? Will Christians be able to say, I am a Christian without fear or stigmatization?A violent past of martyrsThree decades after declaring independence from France, Algeria fought a civil war in the 1990s that is known locally as the black decade, when some 250,000 people were killed as the army fought an Islamist insurgency.Among them were 19 Catholics, including seven Trappist monks from the Tibhirine monastery south of Algiers, who were kidnapped and killed in 1996 by Islamic fighters. Also among them were two nuns from Leos Augustinian religious family.On his first day in Algeria, Leo was paying homage to the 19 martyrs and visiting the remaining Augustinian nuns who run a social services project out of the Algiers basilica that helps people of all faiths. They gave their lives for God, for Jesus, for the church, for the Algerian people because they didnt want to leave the country, even in the difficult moments, said Sister Lourdes Miguelez.All 19 were beatified in 2018 as martyrs for the faith in what was then the first such beatification ceremony in the Muslim world.The Algiers archbishop likes to remind audiences that Leo was elected on May 8, the Catholic feast day of the 19 martyrs. Immediately after Leos election, Vesco invited him to visit.Leo has made a mantra out of one of the sayings of the martyred prior of the Tibherine monastery, Christian de Cherg, who spoke of an unarmed and disarming peace. Leo has cited the line starting from the night of his election. A personal and pastoral visitThe visit to Algeria is pastoral but also deeply personal. Leos Augustinian religious order was inspired by the teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo, the fifth-century theological and philosophical titan of the early Christian church who was born in what is today Algeria and spent all but five years of his life there.On Tuesday, Leo will visit Annaba, the modern-day Hippo where St. Augustine was bishop for three decades, and will literally walk in the footsteps of the saint.From his first public words as pope, Leo proclaimed himself a son of St. Augustine, and he has repeatedly cited the church father in speeches and homilies.I dont know if I have seen a statement, a homily, an apostolic letter or exhortation that doesnt reference Augustine, said Paul Camacho, associate director of the Augustinian Institute at Villanova University, Leos Augustinian-run alma mater outside Philadelphia.The shadow that he casts on Western thought, not just the Roman Catholic Church but on Western thought more broadly, is very, very long indeed, he said.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. NICOLE WINFIELD Winfield has been on the Vatican beat since 2001, covering the papacies of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and the Francis pontificate and traveling the world with them. PAOLO SANTALUCIA Santalucia covers events throughout Southern Europe, Italy, the Mediterranean sea and the Vatican for The Associated Press based in Rome. instagram mailto

Nature, Published online: 13 April 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01199-zState-of-the-industry report finds that, despite the limitations of artificial-intelligence systems, researchers have embraced them.

The judge said Mr. Trump had not plausibly alleged that The Journal published the article with actual malice.

President Trump is trying to choke off the countrys lifeline with a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. But the Iranians are betting that his tolerance for political pain is limited.

ESPN combed through more than 450 matches to rank the 10 greatest moments in WrestleMania history.

Your guide to research, drafting and roster strategy to play (and win) fantasy women's basketball this season.

The judge said President Trump had not plausibly alleged that The Journal published the article with actual malice.

President Donald Trump waves to reporters as he walks on the South Lawn upon his arrival at the White House, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)2026-04-13T13:49:53Z WASHINGTON (AP) A federal judge dismissed President Donald Trumps $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch on Monday over a story on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in Florida wrote in the order that Trump had failed to make the argument that the article was published with the intent to be malicious, but gave the president a chance to file an amended complaint.Trump filed the lawsuit in July, following up on a promise to sue the paper almost immediately after it put a new spotlight on his well-documented relationship with Epstein by publishing an article that described a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper said bore Trumps signature and was included in a 2003 album compiled for Epsteins 50th birthday. The letter was subsequently released publicly by Congress, which subpoenaed the records from Epsteins estate. Trump denied writing it, calling the story false, malicious, and defamatory. Attorneys for the newspaper and Murdoch had asked Gayles to rule that the articles statements were true and therefore couldnt be defamatory, but the judge wrote that whether President Trump was the author of the Letter or Epsteins friend are questions of fact that cannot be determined at this stage of the litigation, Gayles wrote. The ruling marks yet another blow in the Trump administrations efforts to manage fallout over its release of the Epstein files and the presidents attempts to use the legal system to chill reporting he finds critical of him.Neither the White House nor a spokesperson for Dow Jones, which publishes the Journal, immediately responded to requests for comment.___Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP MEG KINNARD Kinnard covers national politics for The Associated Press. She lives in South Carolina. twitter instagram mailto JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto

Many unfavorable results go unreported, skewing the available data on medical treatments.

The fast-food giant will add fruit-flavored drinks to its menus next month as chains like Dunkin and Starbucks sell more cold drinks than hot ones.

Our CEO designed two of them!READ MORE...

What do the latest top 25 rankings look like after top teams lost over the weekend?

The election defeat for Prime Minister Viktor Orban is less the result of an ideological shift in Hungary, and more the playing out of a fundamental rule of politics.

Terrance McCauley works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)2026-04-13T03:54:42Z NEW YORK (AP) Oil prices are back above $100 per barrel on Monday after 21 hours of ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran failed to end their war. But U.S. stocks are holding relatively steady, an indicator that Wall Street still hopes both sides will ultimately avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy. The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged in morning trading after erasing an earlier dip. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 250 points, or 0.5%, as of 10:05 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.3% higher. The moves were much more modest than the extreme swings that have been hitting financial markets since the war began in late February. The oil market showed more concern, and prices there rose roughly 5%. But even there, prices pared bigger, earlier gains as the morning progressed.After the weekends talks failed, President Donald Trump threatened a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a move that raises the pressure on Iran by trying to prevent it from making money by selling oil. A blockade would keep even more oil off the global market, after prices already jumped for everyone worldwide because of shortfalls due to Irans restrictions on traffic in the important strait. That narrow waterway is how much of the oil produced in the Persian Gulf area reaches customers worldwide. Iran responded by threatening all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Read More Security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or for NO ONE, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported Monday. NO PORT in the region will be safe, according to a statement from the Iranian military and the Revolutionary Guards.The price of Brent crude, the international standard, rose back to $100.18 per barrel and is well above its roughly $70 price from before the war. But it remains below the $119 peak its touched at times, when worries about the U.S.-Iran war have been at their heights. It also pulled back from its nearly $104 price reached earlier Monday morning. Markets are taking some encouragement from the fact that the two sides are talking and that the broader ceasefire seems to be holding, for now, according to Sameer Samana, head of global equities and real assets at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.And, as with so many pronouncements made so far in the U.S.-Iran war, much will depend on the details of the blockade and exactly what gets restricted.Not all blockades are created the same, said Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management. The developments over the weekend might not be as negative for the markets as many fear. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. In the meantime, big U.S. companies are beginning to tell investors how much money they made during the first three months of the year. Goldman Sachs, the investment bank, said it made $5.63 billion in profit during the quarter, more than investors expected. But financial analysts pointed to some potentially concerning signals underneath the surface, including lower revenue from the trading of fixed income, commodities and currencies. Its stock fell 4%. Big banks traditionally lead earnings reporting season, and Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America will all report later this week. So will Johnson & Johnson, Netflix and PepsiCo.In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury erased an earlier rise and was at 4.31%, where it was late Friday.A report said that sales of previously occupied homes were weaker in March than economists expected. The housing market has taken a hit because of more expensive rates for mortgages, which have largely climbed with the 10-year Treasury yield on worries that the U.S.-Iran war will keep oil prices and inflation high.In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across much of Europe and Asia. Hong Kongs Hang Seng fell 0.9%, and South Koreas Kospi dropped 0.9% for two of the worlds larger losses. The outcome of the talks was not really what people were hoping for, thats for certain, Neil Newman, Managing Director, Head of Strategy at Astris Advisory Japan, said in Hong Kong about the U.S.-Iran negotiations. As we stand here at the moment, it doesnt look very nice. Certainly, the oil prices are a big concern. ___AP journalists Yuri Kageyama, Matt Ott and Mayuko Ono contributed to this report. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Donald Trump hold a Playboy magazine and gold Trump sneakers at Sneaker Con Philadelphia, an event popular among sneaker collectors, in Philadelphia, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)2026-04-13T11:03:28Z NEW YORK (AP) For decades, presidents avoided even the appearance of profiting from their office.Harry Truman refused to lend his name to any business, even in retirement. Richard Nixon so feared a brother might profit off their ties, he had his phone tapped. And George W. Bush dumped his individual stock holdings before taking office.President Donald Trump is taking a different approach.The family real estate business is undergoing the fastest overseas expansion since its founding a century ago, each deal potentially shaping everything from tariffs to military aid. Led by Eric, and his brother, Donald Jr., the family business has expanded into cryptocurrencies with ventures that brought in billions of dollars but raised questions about whether some big investors received favorable treatment in return.The brothers have also joined or invested in a number of companies that aim to do business with the government their father runs. Last month, they struck a deal giving them stakes worth millions in an armed drone maker seeking contracts with the Pentagon and with Gulf states under attack by Iran and dependent on the U.S. military led by their father. The White House and the Trump Organization deny there are any ethical problems. Asked about the issue at a recent crypto conference, Donald Jr. said, Frankly, its gotten old.The problem of conflicts of interest goes back a decade to when Trump first ran for office, but some government ethics experts and historians argue its more pressing than ever as conflicts pile up in his second term that they consider unprecedented, blatant and dangerous to democracy.I dont think theres any line right now between policy decisions and political calculations and the interest of the Trump family, said Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University. Read More Deal-making spree abroadIn Trumps first term, the Trump Organization did zero deals in foreign countries. In a little over a year into his second term it did eight, all ostensibly complying with the Trump Organizations self-imposed rule not to do business directly with foreign governments. But governments in authoritarian and one-party states rarely take a hands-off approach especially when the business belongs to a sitting president. In Qatar, a Trump golf club and villa project is being developed in part by a company owned by the Qatari government. In Vietnam, where The New York Times reported the government pushed farmers off their land to make way for a Trump resort, the countrys deputy prime minister signed off on the deal at a ceremony. And in Saudi Arabia, a planned Trump Plaza resort on the Red Sea is being built by a Saudi real estate developer close to the ruling family. Whether the deals played any role in changing U.S. policies in ways these countries sought is nearly impossible to know but the countries did get what they wanted access to advanced U.S. technology for Qatar, tariff relief for Vietnam and fighter jets for Saudi Arabia. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. And the Trump Organization got something too: Tens of millions in fees.Asked about those projects, the Trump Organization said it has done no deals with governments so far, noting that the Saudi company was private and has said it is collaborating with the Qatari business and had not struck a partnership with it that would have broken its self-imposed rules. The UAE, crypto and BinanceAnother deal raising conflicts of interest questions first came to light in a Wall Street Journal article in January a year after it was struck.Days before the inauguration, the Trump family sold nearly half of its World Liberty Financial crypto business to a UAE government-linked company run by a member of the UAE royal family for $500 million.A second UAE entity, a government fund, invested in the offshore cryptocurrency exchange Binance using $2 billion worth of a digital currency called a stablecoin issued by World Liberty. That allowed the Trump company that received the dollars to put it in safe investments such as bonds or money market funds and keep the tens of millions of dollars in interest for itself. Shortly after, the Trump administration reversed a Biden-era restriction and granted the UAE access to advanced U.S. chips. Binances founder, Changpeng Zhao, later got a pardon from Trump, despite having pleaded guilty to failing to stop criminals from using his platform to move money connected to child sex abuse, drug trafficking and terrorism.A lawyer for Zhao denied any connection between the Binances business with the Trump family and the pardon.Any claim of a quid pro quo by Binance or CZ, or preferential financial treatment by Binance, is a clear misstatement of the public record, said Teresa Goody Guillen in a email to the AP, referring to Zhao by his initials. Asked about the pardon, the White House said federal authorities had unfairly punished Zhao in what it called The Biden Administrations war on crypto. World Liberty dismissed the notion of a conflict, saying the UAE deal had no connection to the presidents chips policy. Crypto billionsWorld Liberty has also provided a separate income stream to a new Trump limited liability corporation through sales of governance tokens that give owners certain voting rights in its business, though not equity stakes, raising $2 billion last year. That translates into hundreds of millions of dollars for the Trumps through their World Liberty ownership stake and a separate side deal allowing them a cut of these sales.One big token investor was Justin Sun, a cryptocurrency billionaire who as a foreign citizen would be banned under U.S. law from making political donations to U.S. politicians. Between Trumps election and inauguration, Sun spent $75 million on the tokens.In February last year, a federal lawsuit charging Sun with duping investors was paused before being settled last month for a $10 million fine.Then there are the souvenir-type meme coins stamped with Trumps face that went on sale days before he took the oath of office last year. Over the next four months, the coins generated $320 million, mostly going to Trump-related entities, according to blockchain tracker Chainalysis. That is more than double the money collected in four years running his Washington D.C. hotel in Trumps first term. Unlike the lobbyists or campaign donors trying to influence Trump, the coin buyers can buy anonymously. One who chose to make his purchase public was Sun, who spent $200 million on the coins and got access to Trump at a gala party he held for the biggest buyers.Another family cryptocurrency business, American Bitcoin went public in September, giving Donald Jr. and Eric about $1 billion in paper wealth at that time. Months earlier, their father announced a new national bitcoin reserve, sending the price for the cryptocurrency soaring to a record. The Trump businesses arent completely immune to cryptos notorious volatility. The value of bitcoin and other digital tokens have since plunged and rattled investors. Both American Bitcoin stock and the value of Trumps souvenir meme coins have collapsed 90% from their highs.Last month, Trump announced he would hold another dinner with new top holders of his meme coins, giving the coin a boost before it fell back again.Whatever constraints there were in the first term appear to have completely disappeared, says Columbia University historian Timothy Naftali. Do you want future presidents to be open to the highest bidder?Trump thinks people dont careAsked to comment for this story, the White House said Trump acts in an ethically-sound manner and that any suggestion to the contrary is either ill-informed or malicious. It reiterated that his assets are in a trust managed by his children and stated he has no involvement in family business deals.There are no conflicts of interest, said spokesperson Anna Kelly.In a separate statement, the Trump Organization said it is fully compliant with all applicable ethics and conflicts of interest laws and added, The implication that politics has enriched the Trump family is unfounded. Trump in January told The New York Times that when it comes to potential conflicts of interest, I found out that nobody cared, and Im allowed to, alluding to an exemption the president gets from the federal statute banning federal officials from holding financial interests in businesses impacted by public policy they help shape.Its not clear hes wrong about American attitudes, though they appear to be changing even among Republicans. In a Pew Research Center poll in January, 42% of those voters said they were confident that Trump acts ethically in office, down from 55% at the start of his second term a year ago.Change of fortuneForbes estimates Trumps net worth is now $6.3 billion, soaring 60% from before he returned to office, a striking development given how much the Trump Organization struggled before.The Trump International Hotel in D.C. never turned a profit before being sold. Two Trump hotel chains catering to middle class travelers in his first term shut down for lack of demand. Condominium buildings stripped the Trump name off their facades after discovering that instead of attracting buyers, it was repelling them.No new U.S. condominiums are putting the Trump name above their entrances in his second term, but his name is prized in Washington where people have business before the federal government. Donald Jr., Trumps oldest son, opened a private club in the Georgetown section of Washington that is charging initiation fees as high as $500,000 for founding members.One of the few clubs with comparable fees, the Yellowstone Club in Montana, offers access to multiple resorts, 50 ski trails and more than a dozen restaurants across a members-only area the size of Manhattan. Donald Jr.s club is in the basement of a building but offers something else proximity to power.The clubs name is Executive Branch.Bibles, guitars and sneakersOther presidents and their families have done things in pursuit of profit that stained that high office.Hunter Biden got paid as a director of a Ukrainian gas company while his father was vice president. The Clinton Foundation got foreign donations, though after Bill Clinton had left office. And Jimmy Carters brother Billy cashed in on the family name by selling beer.In Trumps case, the president himself is hawking goods, including $59.99 God Bless the USA Bibles, $399 sneakers stamped Never Surrender and electric guitars priced up to $11,500 shipping not included for a model autographed by the president. New year, new profitsIn the first months of Trumps second year back in the White House, the momentum hasnt let up. In January, the Trump Organization announced its third deal involving Saudi Arabia in less than a year, this time a collaboration with a company more directly tied to the government because it is owned by the countrys sovereign wealth fund chaired by its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Asked by the AP whether the project outside Riyadh for Trump mansions, a hotel and golf course violated the companys pledge not to strike deals with foreign governments, the Trump Organization said it doesnt conduct business with any government entity but didnt address the project specifically. Meanwhile, as the two oldest brothers new drone company seeks Pentagon contracts, other government contractors in which one or both have gotten ownership stakes this past year are taking in tens of millions of dollars of new taxpayer money. That includes a rocket motor maker, an AI chip supplier and a data analytics company, according to government contracting records.Asked about potential conflicts after the drone deal was announced, Eric said, I am incredibly proud to invest in companies I believe in. A spokesman for Donald Jr. said he doesnt interface with the government on companies in his portfolio, adding that the idea that he should cease living his life and making a living to provide for his five kids just because his dad is president, is quite frankly, a laughable and ridiculous standard.A new investment firm that the brothers joined as advisers last year has raised $345 million in an initial public offering to buy stakes in U.S. companies designed to help their father revive Americas manufacturing base. After the AP asked Trumps chief business lawyer about language in a regulatory filing stating the firm would target companies seeking federal grants, tax credits and government contracts, he filed a new document with that language removed.Zelizer, the Princeton historian, says he expects future presidents will show more restraint in enriching themselves, but worries about the message Trump is sending.He has shown politically there is no price to be paid to making money, he said. You know you can go there. BERNARD CONDON Condon is an Associated Press investigative reporter covering breaking news. He has written about the Maui fire, the Afghanistan withdrawal, gun laws, Chinese loans in Africa and Trumps business. twitter facebook mailto

Patients receive treatment at a hospital in Damaturu after Nigerian Air Force strikes targeting jihadi rebels hit a local market Saturday in northeastern Nigeria, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Micheal Abu)2026-04-12T15:50:37Z MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) A Nigerian Air Force strike targeting jihadi rebels hit a local market in northeastern Nigeria, killing over 100 civilians including children and injuring many others, a rights group and local media reported on Sunday. Officials confirmed a misfire without providing details.Amnesty International cited survivors as saying that at least 100 people were killed in the airstrike on Saturday on a village in Yobe state, near the border with Borno state, which is the epicenter of the jihadi insurgency that has ravaged the region for over a decade.We have their pictures and they include children, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty Internationals Nigeria director, told The Associated Press, referring to the casualties. We are in touch with people that are there, we spoke with the hospital, he said. We spoke with the person in charge of casualties, and we spoke with the victims. A worker at the Geidam General hospital, in Yobe, said at least 23 people injured in the incident were receiving treatment. The worker spoke anonymously as he was not authorized to speak to the media.Such misfires are common in Nigeria, where the military often conducts air raids to battle armed groups who control vast forest enclaves. At least 500 civilians have died since 2017 in such misfires, according to an AP tally of reported deaths. Security analysts point to loopholes in intelligence gathering as well as insufficient coordination between ground troops, air assets and stakeholders. The large, remote market located near the Borno-Yobe border is known to be often used by Boko Haram jihadis to buy food supplies. Read More Abdulmumin Bulama, a member of a civilian security group working with the Nigerian military in the northeast, said there was intelligence that Boko Haram terrorists had gathered very close to the market and were planning an attack on nearby communities. The intel was shared and the Air Force jet acted based on the credible information, Bulama said.The Yobe State Government confirmed in a statement that a Nigerian military strike was targeting a stronghold of the Boko Haram jihadi group in the area and that some people who went to the Jilli weekly market were affected. The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency also acknowledged that an incident had occurred resulting in casualties affecting some marketers and said it had dispatched response teams to the area.Nigerias military issued a statement saying it conducted a successful strike on a terrorist enclave and logistics hub belonging to jihadis in the area, killing scores of them as they rode on motorcycles. It did not provide any detail about a possible misfire, but noted that motorcycles remain prohibited in conflict hot spots and any such movements in restricted areas are therefore treated with the utmost seriousness. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the incident, adding that the military is fond of labeling civilian casualties as banditsNigeria, which is Africas most populous country, is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north, where there is a decade-long insurgency and several armed groups that kidnap for ransom. Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group and known as Islamic State West Africa Province. There is also the IS-linked Lakurawa group operating in communities in the northwestern part of the country that borders Niger Republic.Shibayan reported from Abuja, Nigeria.

Why does the internet feel like its getting worse every single day, and why does it feel like the political landscape is getting worse in response? The answer might seem obvious, especially if you read 404 Media on a regular basis, where weve been documenting this decline, but its important to occasionally zoom out and ask the big questions.Thats why this week on the podcast Im joined by Whitney Phillips. Phillips is the author of several books about internet culture and ethics, including This is Why We Cant Have Nice Things and The Ambivalent Internet. Shes a professor of information politics and media ethics at the University of Oregon, and also one of my favorite people to talk to and listen to because shes a genius when it comes to the kind of internet culture and platform dynamics we report on every day at 404 Media.I wanted to talk to Whitney today because its been a few years since we talked in depth about the state of the internet and so much has changed in that time, sadly for the worst, and I really wanted some help in understanding the current state of things, as bad as they are. We also spent quite a bit of time talking about her upcoming book, The Shadow Gospel: How Anti-liberal Demonology Possessed U.S. Religion, Media, and Politics.404 Media is a journalist-founded company and needs your support. To subscribe, go to 404media.co. As well as bonus content every single week, subscribers get access to additional episodes where we respond to their best comments. Subscribers also get early access to our interview series. Gain access to that content at 404media.co.Listen to the weekly podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.Become a paid subscriber for early access to these interview episodes and to power our journalism. If you become a paid subscriber, check your inbox for an email from our podcast host Transistor for a link to the subscribers-only version! You can also add that subscribers feed to your podcast app of choice and never miss an episode that way. The email should also contain the subscribers-only unlisted YouTube link for the extended video version too. It will also be in the show notes in your podcast player.

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