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President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk, joined by his son X A-Xii, speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2025-04-27T11:26:54Z WASHINGTON (AP) Elon Musk spent years building cachet as a business titan and tech visionary, brushing aside critics and skeptics to become the richest person on the planet.But as Musk gained power in Washington in recent months, his popularity has waned, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.Just 33% of U.S. adults have a favorable view of Musk, the chain-saw-wielding, late-night-posting, campaign-hat-wearing public face of President Donald Trumps efforts to downsize and overhaul the federal government. That share is down from 41% in December. It was a shame that he crashed and burned his reputation, said Ernest Pereira, 27, a Democrat who works as a lab technician in North Carolina. He bought into his own hype.The poll found that about two-thirds of adults believe Musk has held too much influence over the federal government during the past few months although that influence may be coming to an end. The billionaire entrepreneur is expected to leave his administration job in the coming weeks. Musk is noticeably less popular than the overall effort to pare back the government workforce, which Trump has described as bloated and corrupt. About half of U.S. adults believe the Republican president has gone too far on reducing the size of the federal workforce, while roughly 3 in 10 think he is on target and 14% want him to go even further. Retiree Susan Wolf, 75, of Pennsylvania, believes the federal government is too big but Musk has made a mess of everything. I dont trust him, she said. I dont think he knows what hes doing. Wolf, who is not registered with a political party, said Musks private sector success does not translate to Washington.He thinks you run a government like you run a business. And you dont do that, she said. One is for the benefit of the people, and the other is for the benefit of the corporation. Much of the downsizing has been done through so-called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which was Musks brainchild during last years campaign. Thousands of federal employees have been fired or pushed to quit, contracts have been canceled and entire agencies have been brought to a standstill.Musk has succeeded in providing a dose of shock therapy to the federal government, but he has fallen short of other goals. After talking about cutting spending by $1 trillion, he has set a much lower target of $150 billion. Even reaching that amount could prove challenging, and DOGE has regularly overstated its progress.He is expected to start dedicating more time to Tesla, his electric automaker that has suffered plummeting revenue while he was working for Trump. Musk told investors on a recent conference call that now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency is done, he expects to spend just a day or two per week on government matters.Musk, in his work for the administration, has continued a political evolution toward the right. Although the South African-born entrepreneur was never easy to categorize ideologically, he championed the fight against climate change and often supported Democratic candidates. Now he criticizes the woke mind virus and warns of the collapse of Western civilization from the threats of illegal migration and excess government spending.Musks increasingly conservative politics are reflected in the polling. Only about 2 in 10 independents and about 1 in 10 Democrats view Musk favorably, compared with about 7 in 10 Republicans. In addition, while about 7 in 10 independents and about 9 in 10 Democrats believe Musk has too much influence, only about 4 in 10 Republicans feel that way. Mark Collins, 67, a warehouse manager from Michigan who has leaned Republican in recent years, said Musk runs a nice, tight ship at his companies, and the government definitely needs tightening up.Hes cleaning up all the trash, he said. I love what hes doing.Republicans are much less likely than Democrats to be worried about being affected by recent cuts to federal government agencies, services or grants. Just 11% said they are extremely or very concerned that they or someone they know will be affected, while about two-thirds of Democrats and 44% of independents have those fears. ___The AP-NORC poll of 1,260 adults was conducted April 17-21, using a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. CHRIS MEGERIAN Megerian covers the White House for The Associated Press. He previously wrote about the Russia investigation, climate change, law enforcement and politics in California and New Jersey. twitter mailto AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX Thomson-DeVeaux is the APs editor for polling and surveys.

Firefighters try to extinguish the fire, Sunday, April 27, 2025, after a massive explosion and fire rocked a port near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Saturday. (Mahdi Nori/Fars News Agency via AP)2025-04-27T13:12:24Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Irans president on Sunday visited those injured in a huge explosion that rocked one of the Islamic Republics main ports, a facility purportedly linked to an earlier delivery of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant. The visit by President Masoud Pezeshkian came as the toll from Saturdays blast at the Shahid Rajaei port outside of Bandar Abbas in southern Irans Hormozgan province rose to 40 with about 1,000 others injured. While Irans military sought to deny the delivery of ammonium perchlorate from China, new videos emerged showing an apocalyptic scene at the still-smoldering port. A crater that appeared meters (yards) deep sat surrounded by burning smoke so dangerous that authorities closed schools and businesses in the area. Containers appeared smashed or thrown as if discarded toys, while the burned carcasses of trucks and cars sat around the site. We have to find out why it happened, Pezeshkian said during a meeting with officials aired by Iranian state television.Authorities described the fire as being under control, saying emergency workers hoped that it would be fully extinguished later Sunday. Overnight, helicopters and heavy cargo aircraft flew repeated sorties over the burning port, dumping seawater on the site. Satellite pictures taken Sunday by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by The Associated Press showed a huge plume of black smoke still over the site. Provincial Gov. Mohammad Ashouri gave the latest death toll, Iranian state TV reported. Pir Hossein Kolivand, head of Irans Red Crescent society, said that only 190 of about 1,000 injured remained hospitalized on Sunday, according to a statement carried by an Iranian government website. The governor declared three days of mourning. Private security firm Ambrey says the port received missile fuel chemical in March. It was part of a shipment of ammonium perchlorate from China by two vessels to Iran, first reported in January by the Financial Times. The chemical used to make solid propellant for rockets was going to be used to replenish Irans missile stocks, which had been depleted by its direct attacks on Israel during the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Ship-tracking data analyzed by the AP put one of the vessels believed to be carrying the chemical in the vicinity in March, as Ambrey said. The fire was reportedly the result of improper handling of a shipment of solid fuel intended for use in Iranian ballistic missiles, Ambrey said.In a first reaction on Sunday, Iranian Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Reza Talaeinik denied that missile fuel had been imported through the port.No sort of imported and exporting consignment for fuel or military application was (or) is in the site of the port, he told state television by telephone. He called foreign reports on the missile fuel baseless but offered no explanation for what material detonated with such incredible force at the site. Talaeinik promised authorities would offer more information later. Its unclear why Iran wouldnt have moved the chemicals from the port, particularly after the Beirut port blast in 2020. That explosion, caused by the ignition of hundreds of tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, killed more than 200 people and injured more than 6,000 others. However, Israel did target Iranian missile sites where Tehran uses industrial mixers to create solid fuel meaning potentially that it had no place to process the chemical.Social media footage of the explosion on Saturday at Shahid Rajaei saw reddish-hued smoke rising from the fire just before the detonation. That suggests a chemical compound being involved in the blast, like in the Beirut explosion.Meanwhile on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin deployed several emergency aircraft to Bandar Abbas to provide assistance. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

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Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)2025-04-27T15:42:21Z BEIRUT (AP) Israeli jets struck Beiruts southern suburbs Sunday after issuing a warning about an hour earlier, marking the third Israeli strike on the area since a ceasefire took effect in late November.A huge plume of smoke billowed over the area after the strike, which hit what looked like a metal tent situated between two buildings with three bombs, according to an Associated Press photographer on the ground and footage circulating on social media. The photographer saw two burned and destroyed trucks inside the hangar. There were no immediate reports of casualties.In the warning, the Israeli military said it was targeting Hezbollah facilities in the Hadath area and urged residents to move at least 300 meters from the site before the strike. Two warning strikes followed.Fighter jets were heard over parts of the Lebanese capital before the strike near the Al-Jamous neighborhood, where gunfire was shot into the air to warn residents and urge them to evacuate, as families fled in panic. During the last Israel-Hezbollah war, Israeli drones and fighter jets regularly pounded the southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has wide influence and support. Israel views the area, where it has assassinated several of Hezbollahs top leaders, including chief Hassan Nasrallah, as a militant stronghold and accuses the group of storing weapons there. President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli strike on Beiruts southern suburbs, calling on the United States and France, as guarantors of the ceasefire, to assume their responsibilities and pressure Israel to halt its attacks. He warned that Israels continued actions undermine stability and risk exposing the region to serious security threats. U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis posted on X that the latest Israeli strike generated panic and fear of renewed violence among those desperate for a return to normalcy. She urged all sides to halt any actions that could further undermine the ceasefire understanding and the implementation of the U.N. resolution that ended the war. Sundays strike follows two earlier attacks on the capitals southern suburbs, the first taking place on March 28, when Israel also issued a warning, and the second on April 1, when an unannounced strike killed four people, including a Hezbollah official.The leader of Lebanons Hezbollah group, Sheikh Naim Kassem, has recently warned that if Israels attacks on Lebanon continued and if Lebanons government doesnt act to stop them, the group would eventually resort to other alternatives.Kassem also said that Hezbollahs fighters wont disarm as long as Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon and the Israeli air force regularly violates Lebanese airspace.Under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from all Lebanese territory by late January, while Hezbollah had to end its armed presence south of the Litani River along the border with Israel.Earlier on Sunday, a drone strike killed a man in the southern Lebanese village of Halta, according to the Health Ministry. In a post on X that included footage of the strike, the Israeli military said that it had targeted a Hezbollah member, where he was working to rebuild Hezbollahs terrorist capabilities in the area. Israels near-daily airstrikes have killed scores of people, including civilians and Hezbollah members, in southern and eastern Lebanon since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect, saying it targets Hezbollah officials and infrastructure. Israel says its targeting Hezbollah holdouts in southern Lebanon.The Lebanese military has gradually deployed in the countrys southern region, and Beirut has urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop attacks and withdraw its forces still present on five hilltops in Lebanese territory.___Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue contributed to this report.

Michael Montgomery poses at his home in Huntington Woods, Mich., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)2025-04-27T08:58:23Z NEW YORK (AP) Michael Montgomery used to check the balance on his retirement account once a week and smile. But lately, not wanting to get upset and question if he could retire in a few years, there was only one solution.Im not looking, says the 66-year-old professor from Huntington Woods, Michigan.As the White House simultaneously injects turmoil into financial markets with its trade war and dismisses fears of a downturn, retired and near-retired Americans are anxiously looking on, worried about outliving their savings or having to put off entries on their bucket lists.Keeping logged off his account has made Montgomerys days less worrisome. He and his wife adjusted their portfolio after Election Day, including moving more money into bonds. But hes not sure what more he can do if the entire world economy can be affected by Washingtons decisions. I hope like hell I dont lose all my retirement savings, he says. But where else could you put the money that these people could not disorder? They cant get into your mattress but thats about it.Many experts warned U.S. stocks were overpriced and due for a correction even before President Donald Trump reclaimed the Oval Office. But a historic blanket of tariffs have injected new uncertainty into the market. Though stocks rallied this week, the S&P 500 is down 10% from an all-time high reached in February. Losses in the Nasdaq and among small-cap stocks are steeper. Even bonds and the U.S. dollar have been volatile. Many economists are warning of a possible recession. It has 71-year-old Jeanne Oats Estridge feeling so paranoid she called her financial planner with an idea.How about we put it all in cash? Oats Estridge asked.I just dont advise it, she heard back.Oats Estridge, who lives in Dayton, Ohio, retired from a job in software engineering and now writes books, including her latest, on four octogenarian women kidnapped by sex-trafficking aliens. Her account is down more than $40,000 and she gets angry thinking about how some in Washington have reacted to the market volatility, including Trumps recent market assessment that it was a great time to buy. Where am I supposed to come up with the money to buy? My underwear drawer? Oats Estridge asks. Earlier this month, the Cboe Volatility Index, considered a fear gauge of investor pessimism, reached its highest level in five years. The index, known as VIX, has since retreated but is still in territory reflecting fearful investors. Another measure of market sentiment, the Cboe S&P 500 Left Tail Volatility Index, which tracks investor worry about so-called black swan events such as the 2008 housing crash that spurred the Great Recession, likewise has backed off from highs but remains elevated.Trump has urged people to be cool in assessing the impact of tariffs on their investments. Asked about his own savings earlier this month, he chuckled and replied: I havent checked my 401(k). Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meantime, brushed off the possibility that some might need to delay retiring, saying people dont look at the day-to-day fluctuations of whats happening. That seeming nonchalance isnt sitting well with some older investors.Peter Rost, 72, retired from his software development job last year and planned to start tapping his retirement savings to supplement Social Security. But he doesnt want to bake in his losses.Im looking to take $2,000 and meanwhile the account drops by $30,000, he says.Hes been through serious downturns before, but those were different.I had the time to be patient and let it work its way back, says Rost, who lives in New Hartford, Connecticut, but now Im retired and I need money from that account.At his age, he says, theres one goal: Make sure I dont run out of money before I die.Americans retirement savings totaled about $44 trillion at the end of 2024, according to the Investment Company Institute. The composition of those savings has shifted increasingly toward stocks in the last couple decades as the 401(k) has become employers typical offering. Among fund giant Vanguards nearly 5 million accounts, for example, the average investor puts three-quarters of their savings in stocks. Even older investors are still heavily steeped in equities: People 55 to 64 have 64% in stocks at Vanguard; those 65 and older have 49% in stocks.With that exposure, financial advisers are getting an influx of calls amid the recent market uncertainty.Tj Binkowski, who runs Narrow Road Financial Planning in Clarksville, Tennessee, says some clients find themselves obsessively checking their accounts and feel the emotional strain of worrying about their money. A downturn, he says, hits an older investor much differently.When youre retired, paper losses arent just on paper anymore, says Binkowski. Youre locking them in every month that you take money out. Paul Duesterhaus, a 68-year-old retiree from Quincy, Illinois, is passing up an IRA withdrawal this year to avoid selling at a low. Instead, the retired manager at an air compressor manufacturing company will put off buying a new car as planned and cut back on things like eating out. Still, he cant help but feel bigger impacts of a trade war are ahead.I think theres going to be longer lasting effects that are going to affect every American, he says.That angst is more common among older adults than younger people. An April poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found just under half of U.S. adults ages 45 and older said their retirement savings are a major source of stress for them right now, compared to about one-third of younger people. Older Americans were also more likely to say theyre stressed about the stock market.For now, many older investors are taking the advice of many experts, to fine-tune investments if necessary but avoid dramatic moves. But it can be hard advice to swallow.The more things go up and down, the more nervous you get, says Steve Turner, a 74-year-old from Chesterfield, Missouri, who runs a small public relations business. He now finds himself anxious when he goes to log on to his retirement account, wondering, Gee, do I want to press the button?You worry that things may work themselves out in the long run, but you dont have as long, says Turner. Youre not 30, youre not 40, youre not 50, youre not even 60.___Matt Sedensky can be reached at [emailprotected] and https://x.com/sedensky.___Associated Press writer Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux in Washington contributed to this report. MATT SEDENSKY Sedensky is a national writer for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

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Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli army airstrike in Gaza City, on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-04-27T16:09:03Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Hospitals in the Gaza Strip received the remains of 51 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours, the local Health Ministry said Sunday, bringing the Palestinian death toll from the 18-month-old Israel-Hamas war to 52,243.Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas by launching a surprise bombardment on March 18, and has been carrying out daily waves of strikes. Ground forces have expanded a buffer zone and encircled the southern city of Rafah, and now control around 50% of the territory.Israel has also sealed off the territorys 2 million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, for nearly 60 days. Aid groups say supplies will soon run out and that thousands of children are malnourished.The overall death toll includes nearly 700 bodies for which the documentation process was recently completed, the ministry said in its latest update. The daily toll includes bodies retrieved from the rubble after earlier strikes. Israeli strikes killed another 17 people after the ministrys update. Eight of them, including three children and two women, were killed in a strike on a tent in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital. A strike in the central city of Deir al-Balah killed four people, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, and another on a tent there killed four children and a man, the hospital said. Israeli authorities say the renewed offensive and tightened blockade are aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages abducted in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed and all the hostages are returned. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining 59 hostages 24 believed to be alive in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as called for in the now-defunct ceasefire reached in January. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and took 251 people hostage. Most have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.Gazas Health Ministry says women and children make up most of the Palestinian deaths, but does not say how many were militants or civilians. It says another 117,600 people have been wounded in the war.The overall tally includes 2,151 dead and 5,598 wounded since Israel resumed the war last month.Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence. The military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and it blames Hamas for their deaths because the militants operate in densely populated areas.Israels offensive has destroyed vast parts of Gaza and displaced around 90% of its population, leaving hundreds of thousands of people sheltering in squalid tent camps or bombed-out buildings.___ Magdy reported from Cairo.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto

Trina Martin, left, and Toi Cliatt sit for a portrait inside the home the FBI mistakenly raided in 2017, in Atlanta on Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Sudhin Thanawala)2025-04-27T04:12:35Z ATLANTA (AP) Before dawn on Oct. 18, 2017, FBI agents broke down the front door of Trina Martins Atlanta home, stormed into her bedroom and pointed guns at her and her then-boyfriend as her 7-year-old son screamed for his mom from another room.Martin, blocked from comforting her son, cowered in disbelief for what she said felt like an eternity. But within minutes, the ordeal was over. The agents realized they had the wrong house.On Tuesday, an attorney for Martin will go before the U.S. Supreme Court to ask the justices to reinstate her 2019 lawsuit against the U.S. government accusing the agents of assault and battery, false arrest and other violations. A federal judge in Atlanta dismissed the suit in 2022 and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision last year. The Supreme Court agreed in January to take up the matter. The key issue before the justices is under what circumstances people can sue the federal government in an effort to hold law enforcement accountable. Martins attorneys say Congress clearly allowed for those lawsuits in 1974, after a pair of law enforcement raids on wrong houses made headlines, and blocking them would leave little recourse for families like her.FBI Atlanta spokesperson Tony Thomas said in an email the agency cant comment on pending litigation. But lawyers for the government argued in Martins case that courts shouldnt be second-guessing law enforcement decisions. The FBI agents did advance work and tried to find the right house, making this raid fundamentally different from the no-knock, warrantless raids that led Congress to act in the 1970s, the Justice Department said in court filings starting under the Biden administration. In dismissing Martins case, the 11th Circuit largely agreed with that argument, saying courts cant second-guess police officers who make honest mistakes in searches. The agent who led the raid said his personal GPS led him to the wrong place. The FBI was looking for a suspected gang member a few houses away. Martin, 46, said she, her then-boyfriend, Toi Cliatt, and her son were left traumatized.Well never be the same, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, she said Friday at the neat, stucco home that was raided. Mentally, you can suppress it, but you cant really get over it.She and Cliatt pointed out where they were sleeping when the agents broke in and the master bathroom closet where they hid.Martin stopped coaching track because the starting pistol reminded her of the flashbang grenade the agents set off. Cliatt, 54, said he couldnt sleep, forcing him to leave his truck driving job.The road is hypnotizing, he said of driving tired. I became a liability to my company.Martin said her son became extremely anxious, pulling threads out of his clothes and peeling paint off walls.Cliatt initially thought the raid was a burglary attempt, so he ran toward the closet, where he kept a shotgun. Martin said her son still expresses fear that she could have died had she confronted the agents while armed. If the Federal Tort Claims Act provides a cause of action for anything, its a wrong-house raid like the one the FBI conducted here, Martins lawyers wrote in a brief to the Supreme Court. Other U.S. appeals courts have interpreted the law more favorably for victims of mistaken law enforcement raids, creating conflicting legal standards that only the nations highest court can resolve, they say. Public-interest groups across the ideological spectrum have urged the Supreme Court to overturn the 11th Circuit ruling.After breaking down the door to the house, a member of the FBI SWAT team dragged Cliatt out of the closet and put him in handcuffs.But one of the agents noticed he did not have the suspects tattoos, according to court documents. He asked for Cliatts name and address. Neither matched those of the suspect. The room went quiet as agents realized they had raided the wrong house.They uncuffed Cliatt and left for the correct house, where they executed the warrant and arrested the man they were after. The agent leading the raid returned later to apologize and leave a business card with a supervisors name. But the family received no compensation from the government, not even for the damage to the house, Cliatt said.Martin said the most harrowing part of the raid was her sons cries.When youre not able to protect your child or at least fight to protect your child, thats a feeling that no parent ever wants to feel, she said. ___Whitehurst reported from Washington. LINDSAY WHITEHURST Whitehurst covers the Supreme Court, legal affairs and criminal justice for The Associated Press in Washington, D.C. Past stops include Salt Lake City, New Mexico and Indiana. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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In this image taken from video released by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, officers stop a patron from a nightclub where a raid occurred Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration via AP)2025-04-27T18:30:56Z More than 100 immigrants suspected of being in the United States illegally were taken into custody early Sunday following a federal raid at an illegal after-hours nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, authorities said.Video posted online by the Drug Enforcement Administration showed agents announcing their presence outside the building and ordering patrons to leave with their hands up. Other videos showed dozens of people fleeing the building through its entrance after federal agents smashed a window. Later, dozens of suspects were shown in handcuffs standing on a sidewalk waiting to be transported.During his second stint as U.S. president, Donald Trump s unprecedented campaign of immigration enforcement has pushed the limits of executive power, and he has clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him. The crackdown has included detaining more than 1,000 international college students, some of whom have seen their legal status restored, at least temporarily. The policies have slowed immigration at the southern border to a relative trickle. On Sunday in Colorado, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took the club-going immigrants into custody, said Jonathan Pullen, special agent in charge of the DEAs Rocky Mountain Division. Colorado Springs is waking up to a safer community today, he said. The city, Colorados second largest, lies about 70 miles (113 kilometers) south of Denver. More than 300 law enforcement officers and officials from multiple agencies responded to the nightclub, which had been under investigation for several months for alleged activities including drug trafficking, prostitution and crimes of violence, Pullen said at a news conference. Cocaine was among the drugs found, he said.When the cops showed up at the door, most of the drugs hit the floor, Pullen said.An undisclosed number of guns were seized, he said. Nothing good ever happens after 3 a.m., the DEAs Rocky Mountain Division posted on the social platform X. Pullen estimated more than 200 people were inside the nightclub. Also among those detained were a dozen active-duty military members who either were patrons or working as armed security. Some patrons were arrested on undisclosed outstanding warrants, Pullen said.U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X that as we approach his 100 days in office @POTUS Trumps directive to make America safe again is achieving results!Pullen did not specify the countries where the detained immigrants were from.Earlier this month a federal judge in Colorado temporarily blocked deportations of immigrants who face possible removal under Trumps invocation of an 18th century law known as the Alien Enemies Act.

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2025-04-27T23:42:38Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea has confirmed for the first time that it has dispatched troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.U.S., South Korean and Ukraine intelligence officials have said North Korea last fall sent about 10,000-12,000 troops to Russia. But North Korea hadnt until Monday confirmed its troops movements.North Koreas state-run Korean Central News Agency said leader Kim Jong Un decided to send combat troops to Russia under a mutual defense treaty.It cited Kim as saying that the troops deployment was meant to annihilate and wipe out the Ukrainian neo-Nazi occupiers and liberate the Kursk area in cooperation with the Russian armed forces.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks during the Democratic National Convention Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)2025-04-27T11:50:25Z MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will headline a major Democratic fundraiser in New Hampshire on Sunday as the potential 2028 presidential contender builds his national profile and positions himself as a leading voice opposing President Donald Trump.Pritzker has given several high-profile speeches this year criticizing Trump, but the keynote address at the New Hampshire Democratic Partys McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner could be the most prominent. The annual event stands out among state Democratic fundraisers thanks to New Hampshires role in holding the nations first presidential primary.Pritzker will address rising authoritarianism and the need for Democrats to fight back, according to a statement from his spokesperson, Jordan Abudayyeh.The second-term governor has yet to say whether he will run for that office again in 2026, but the billionaire Hyatt heir has been laying the groundwork for a potential presidential campaign for years. Pritzker drew national attention in February when he used part of his joint budget and State of the State address to argue for a parallel between Trumps rhetoric and the rise of Nazi Germany. Since then, the governor has spoken at the Human Right Campaigns Los Angeles dinner and is scheduled to headline a Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party dinner in June. Pritzker has carved out a distinct position among Democratic governors viewed as potential 2028 candidates. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has sought common ground with Trump, appearing alongside him multiple times early in his second term. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has launched a podcast featuring friendly conversations with Trump loyalists, including Steve Bannon.Lou DAllesandro, who retired from the New Hampshire state Senate last year after five decades in public service and met Pritzker in Chicago years ago, said the Illinois governor has all the ingredients to make it to the big time. Hes very quick on his feet, very gregarious, he said. But any Democrat who wants to win in 2028 has their work cut out for them, he said.Theyve got to reintroduce themselves to the grass roots, he said. Theyve got to let people know Democrats care about them, or theyre gonna be in big trouble.Pritzker was a keynote speaker at the New Hampshire Democratic Partys 2022 convention, which at the time also fueled speculation he was looking toward a national post. He was elected to his second term as governor that year. Last years featured speaker at the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club dinner was Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who went on to become the vice presidential nominee. The first 100 Club dinner was held in 1959 to promote the presidential candidacy of John F. Kennedy. In 2020, speakers included 10 Democratic candidates for president.___Cappelletti reported from Saugatuck, Michigan. JOEY CAPPELLETTI Cappelletti covers politics and state government for The Associated Press in Michigan. He is based in Lansing. twitter mailto

The clashes outside a synagogue where the official, Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right security minister, had planned to speak followed days of disturbances connected to his visit.

The emergency worker in Kansas City, Mo., was stabbed in his chest while transporting a patient in what started as a routine call on Sunday, officials said.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a news conference at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters, April 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file)2025-04-27T19:36:08Z WASHINGTON (AP) A suspect has been arrested in connection with the theft last week of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem s purse as she ate at a Washington, D.C., restaurant, officials said Sunday.Noems purse was nabbed on Easter Sunday and reportedly contained about $3,000 in cash, her keys, drivers license, passport and Homeland Security badge. The Homeland Security Department said Noem had cash in her purse to pay for gifts, dinner and other activities for her family on Easter.A suspect was taken into custody without incident in Washington after an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department, according to Secret Service Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool. The suspect was arrested Saturday, the police department said.Interim District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Ed Martin told NBC News the suspect was in the country illegally. In a prepared statement, McCool called the suspect a serial offender and said there was no evidence Noem was targeted because of her position. There is no indication it was because of that. It was frankly, it was a nice looking purse, Martin told NBC News. McCool said the investigation revealed evidence of potential device and credit card fraud.The Metropolitan Police Department said the suspect was connected to two other purse thefts in Washington restaurants earlier this month through video evidence. The suspect was charged with robbery for the other incidents. The Secret Service is investigating the Noem theft and will present its findings in federal court. There was no indication of criminal charges being filed against the suspect as of Sunday. The Secret Service referred questions to the U.S. Attorneys office, which did not respond to emails seeking more information.Noem thanked law enforcement agencies for finding and arresting the criminal who stole my bag on Easter Sunday as I shared a meal with my family. This individual is a career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years, Noem said in a prepared statement. DHS did not immediately respond to an email requesting further detail on the suspects immigration status.Martin told NBC another suspect was being sought.

Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Bad Company and Soundgarden but not Oasis or Phish are also part of the 40th anniversary class.

Online and in person, people are clamoring to get their hands on Labubus, which are dolls that are well-intentioned but somewhat mischievous.

This combination of photos shows Cubby Checker at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards in New York on June 12, 2014, left, British singer Joe Cocker performing in Monaco on Aug. 5, 2011, center, and Cyndi Lauper at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York on Sept. 12, 2021. (AP Photo)2025-04-28T00:40:32Z NEW YORK (AP) First-time nominees Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper, the hip-hop pioneers Outkast, the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden.Salt-N-Pepa, the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status, and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award. The late record producer Thom Bell, pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award.The late Cocker, who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles With a Little Help From My Friends, had the backing of Billy Joel, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and Pete Thomas, a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, who argued that Cocker is about as rock and roll as it gets. Soundgarden with the late Chris Cornell as singer get into the Hall on their third nomination. They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin Love, Cant Get Enough and Rock n Roll Fantasy. The Ahmet Ertegun Award given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music will go to Lenny Waronker, a former head of Warner Bros. Records who signed Prince and R.E.M., and had a part in records from Madonna, Randy Newman, the Doobie Brothers, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul Simon and Gary Clark Jr. Some nominees that didnt get in this year include Mariah Carey, Phish, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Man, the Black Crowes and Oasis.Checkers recording of The Twist, and subsequent Lets Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock n roll. The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadnt been granted entry before, including telling the AP in 2014: I dont want to get in there when Im 85 years old. Ill tell them to drop dead, so you better do it quick while Im still smiling. Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots. OutKast, made up of Andr 3000 and Big Boi, have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. The White Stripes made up of Jack White and Meg White were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army.Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before theyre eligible for induction. The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall.Nominees were voted on by more than 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals. The selection criteria include an artists impact on other musicians, the scope and longevity of their career and body of work, as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique.Last year, Mary J. Blige,Cher, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton all were inducted. MARK KENNEDY Kennedy is a theater, TV, music, food and obit writer and editor for The Associated Press, as well as a critic for theater, movies and music. He is based in New York City. twitter mailto

From camerlengo to white smoke, heres what to know about the words and phrases that guide the process after a pope dies.

Forty people were aboard the ferry that was struck near a bridge in Clearwater, Fla., according to the police. It was unclear how many had been injured.

The shows top producer abruptly said last week he was quitting. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways, the correspondent Scott Pelley told viewers.

Crucial meetings will be held this week in which contenders begin jockeying in earnest for the job of leading the Roman Catholic Church.

European officials see the concern over the safe haven reputation of U.S. financial assets as a chance to attract investors.

People visit a memorial after a vehicle drove into a crowd during a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)2025-04-28T04:07:41Z VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) A 30-year-old man was charged with multiple counts of murder on allegations he killed 11 people when he rammed a crowd of people at a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, as hundreds attended vigils across the city for the victims and the Canadian prime minister visited the site on the eve of a federal election.Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, was charged with eight counts of second degree murder in a video appearance before a judge on Sunday, hours after he was arrested at the scene, said Damienne Darby, spokeswoman for British Columbia prosecutors. Lo has not yet entered a plea. Investigators ruled out terrorism as a motive and said more charges are possible. They said Lo had a history of mental health issues.An attorney for Lo was not listed in online court documents and The Associated Press wasnt immediately able to reach an attorney representing him. Those killed were between the ages of 5 and 65, officials said. About two dozen people were injured, some critically, when the black Audi SUV sped down a closed street just after 8 p.m. Saturday and struck people attending the Lapu Lapu Day festival. Authorities had not released victims names by Sunday evening. Nathaly Nairn and her 15-year-old daughter carried flowers to one of the vigils. They had attended the festival on Saturday, and Nairn recounted seeing the damaged SUV and bodies on the ground. Something really dark happened last night, Nairn said, as she and her daughter wiped away tears.Emily Daniels also brought a bouquet. Its sad. Really sad, she said. I cant believe something like this could happen so close to home.Police Interim Chief Steve Rai called it the darkest day in Vancouvers history. There was no indication of a motive, but Rai said the suspect has a significant history of interactions with police and health care professionals related to mental health. Video of the aftermath showed the dead and injured along a narrow street in South Vancouver lined by food trucks. The front of the Audi SUV was smashed in. Kris Pangilinan, who brought his pop-up clothing and lifestyle booth to the festival, saw the vehicle enter slowly past a barricade before the driver accelerated in an area packed with people after a concert. He said hearing the sounds of people screaming and bodies hitting the vehicle will never leave his mind.He slammed on the gas, barreled through the crowd, Pangilinan said. It looked like a bowling ball hitting bowling pins and all the pins are flying into the air.Suspect detained by bystanders before the police arrivedRai said the suspect was arrested after initially being apprehended by bystanders.Video circulating on social media showed a young man in a black hoodie with his back against a chain-link fence, alongside a security guard and surrounded by bystanders screaming and swearing at him.Im sorry, the man said, holding his hand to his head. Rai declined to comment on the video. Prime Minister Mark Carney canceled his first campaign event and two major rallies on the final day of the election campaign before Mondays vote. Last night families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, father, son or a daughter. Those families are living every familys nightmare, Carney said. And to them and to the many others who were injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver, I would like to offer my deepest condolences.Carney joined British Columbia Premier David Eby and community leaders Sunday evening in Vancouver.The tragedy was reminiscent of an attack in 2018, when a man used a van to kill 10 pedestrians in Toronto. Witnesses describe how they leaped out of the wayCarayn Nulada said that she pulled her granddaughter and grandson off the street and used her body to shield them from the SUV. She said that her daughter suffered a narrow escape. The car hit her arm and she fell down, but she got up, looking for us, because she is scared, said Nulada, who described children screaming, and pale-faced victims lying on the ground or wedged under vehicles.I saw people running and my daughter was shaking, Nulada said.Nulada was in Vancouver General Hospitals emergency room Sunday morning, trying to find news about her brother, who was run down in the attack and suffered multiple broken bones.Doctors identified him by presenting the family with his wedding ring in a pill bottle and said that he was stable, but would be facing surgery.James Cruzat, a Vancouver business owner, was at the celebration and heard a car rev its engine and then a loud noise, like a loud bang that he initially thought might be a gunshot.We saw people on the road crying, others were like running, shouting, or even screaming, asking for help. So we tried to go there just to check what was really actually happening until we found some bodies on the ground. Others were lifeless, others like, you know, injured, Cruzat said. Vincent Reynon, 17, was leaving the festival when he saw police rushing in. People were crying and he saw scattered bodies. It was like something straight out of a horror movie or a nightmare, he said. Adonis Quita said when he saw the SUV ramming through the crowd, his first reaction was to drag his 9-year-old son out of the area. The boy kept saying Im scared, Im scared, Quita recalled. Later they prayed together. His son had just relocated to Vancouver from the Philippines with his mother to reunite with Quita, who has lived here since 2024. Quita said he worries the child will struggle to adjust to life in Canada after witnessing the horrific event.Vancouver Mayor Kenneth Sim said the city had suffered its darkest day.I know many of us are fearful and feel uneasy, said the mayor. I know its hard to feel this way right now, but Vancouver is still a safe city.Vancouvers large Filipino population was honoring a national heroVancouver had more than 38,600 residents of Filipino heritage in 2021, representing 5.9% of the citys total population, according to Statistics Canada, the agency that conducts the national census.Lapu Lapu Day celebrates Datu Lapu-Lapu, an Indigenous chieftain who stood up to Spanish explorers who came to the Philippines in the 16th century. The organizers of the Vancouver event, which was in its second year, said he represents the soul of native resistance, a powerful force that helped shape the Filipino identity in the face of colonization.Eby said the province wont let the tragedy define the celebration. He urged people to channel their rage into helping those affected. I dont think there is a British Columbian that hasnt been touched in some way by the Filipino community, he said. You cant go to a place that delivers and not meet a member of that community in the long-term care home or hospitals, childcare or schools. This is a community that gives and gives and yesterday was a celebration of their culture.Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a statement expressing sympathy with the victims and their families. The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver is working with Canadian authorities to ensure that the incident will be thoroughly investigated, and that the victims and their families are supported and consoled, he said.___Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press journalists Manuel Valdes and Lindsey Wasson in Vancouver; Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, Utah, contributed to this report. CLAIRE RUSH Rush is an Associated Press reporter covering Oregon state government and general news in the Pacific Northwest more broadly. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Two people react at a memorial after a vehicle drove into a crowd during a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)2025-04-28T04:09:43Z VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) The smells of crispy lumpia, caramelized plantains and other Filipino street foods beckoned attendees of a Vancouver festival as they flooded out of a concert on an unusually sunny spring day in the Canadian city.As the sun set, lines for food trucks began to wrap around the block. A slow trickle of cars entered the closed street to replenish vendor supplies. Then, one driver hit the accelerator, killing 11 people and injuring dozens at the Lapu Lapu Day festival Saturday night. So far, none of the victims have been identified publicly.Here is how people witnessed the tragedy. Like a car racing It sounded like an F1 car about to start a race, followed immediately by screams, clothing vendor Kris Pangilinan recalled. He said he will never forget the sound of bodies hitting the hood of the black Audi SUV as it rammed into the crowd.All I can remember is seeing bodies flying up in the air higher than the food trucks themselves and landing on the ground and people yelling and screaming, Pangilinan said. It looked like a bowling ball hitting bowling pins and all the pins are flying into the air.Adonis Quita pulled his 9-year-old son out of the way as the SUV plowed into the line of families waiting for their food. For the young boy, who had just relocated to Vancouver from the Philippines, the festival celebrating British Columbias large Filipino population was his first taste of home away from home. But now, his father said the boy cannot close his eyes without seeing flashbacks of bloody bodies, some as young as age 5, hitting the pavement. The darkest day in Vancouvers historyA 30-year-old Vancouver man was arrested at the scene after initially being apprehended by bystanders. The British Columbia Prosecution Service charged Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, with eight counts of second degree murder on Sunday and said more charges were possible.Investigators ruled out terrorism in what Interim Police Chief Steve Rai proclaimed the darkest day in Vancouvers history. Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said the suspect has a significant history of mental health issues.As Quita rushed his son away from the commotion, he said he was comforted to see festivalgoers circle the SUV and subdue the suspect. Video circulating on social media shows a man in a black hoodie with his back against a chain-link fence, surrounded by bystanders screaming and swearing at him.Im sorry, the man responds, holding his hand to his head. Bodies covered in white tarps lined the row of food trucks as ambulances rushed injured people to the hospital. The victims range in age from 5 to 65, Rai said.Those families are living every familys nightmare, Prime Minister Mark Carney said. The car ramming occurred two days before the countrys federal election Monday. Uncertainty for the injuredCarayn Nulada was in Vancouver General Hospitals emergency room early Sunday morning trying to find news about her brother, who was run down in the attack and suffered multiple broken bones. Doctors identified him by presenting the family with his wedding ring in a pill bottle. He was stable but needed surgeries.Nulada used her body to shield her granddaughter and grandson from the SUV as it barreled by. Her daughter, meanwhile, was struck in the arm and fell down but was able to get up quickly. The family recalled children screaming and pale-faced victims lying on the ground.Of the more than two dozen injured, some remain in critical condition and others have not yet been identified, Rai said late Sunday.Emily Daniels, 41, came to lay a bouquet at a vigil in Vancouver Sunday evening that drew hundreds of people. She saw a man who was injured in the attack when she was visiting her uncle at the hospital Sunday morning. The man was being rolled into the intensive care unit and still had blood on his arms, she said.A scene st raight out of a horror movieOthers who attended the festival are struggling to process the trauma.Mohamad Sariman had been helping at his wifes food truck when he heard a loud boom that he initially thought was an explosion. He looked out the trucks window and saw a disfigured body on the ground. When he and his wife opened the door, he said they saw another body.It was really, really traumatic, Sariman said.Vincent Reynon, 17, was leaving the festival with his girlfriend after 8 p.m. when he saw fire trucks and police officers rushing to where the festival was being held. They decided to circle back to see what was going on. He said they saw people crying as he approached, then bodies on the ground when they arrived at the scene.It was horrible to see, Reynon said. It was like something straight out of a horror movie or a nightmare.Lorena Sales, 17, similarly ran back to the festival from the bus stop when she saw ambulances rushing to the scene. She and her friends arrived to find a sea of bodies laying in the street. The image of a woman who had her skull crushed in the collision is burned into Sales memory, she said. A community in mourningVancouvers Filipino community had been celebrating Lapu Lapu Day, which honors the Indigenous chieftain Datu Lapu-Lapu, who stood up to Spanish explorers when they arrived in the Philippines in the 16th century. Organizers of the Vancouver event said he represents the soul of Native resistance.Community members gathered at Vancouvers Filipino Fellowship Baptist Church on Sunday to mourn those who died in the attack and pray for the injured. Hundreds laid bouquets and lit candles at a vigil later Sunday.It hurts, it really hurts to see that someone could do this to a community of mine thats known to be so kind and caring, Sales said through tears.Nathaly Nairn and her 15-year-old daughter brought flowers to the vigil after attending the festival the night before. She said police had to escort them through the crime scene so they could get back to their car, and that they were shocked by what they saw: a dented and bloodied SUV, and bodies on the ground.Now were just here supporting our community, trying to help my daughter process what we saw yesterday, trying to be there for the Filipino community that has been there for us so much, Nairn said as she wiped away tears.___Schoenbaum reported from Salt Lake City. Associated Press writers Jim Morris in Vancouver and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report. HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Schoenbaum is a government and politics reporter based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She also covers general news in the Rockies and LGBTQ+ rights policies in U.S. statehouses. twitter mailto CLAIRE RUSH Rush is an Associated Press reporter covering Oregon state government and general news in the Pacific Northwest more broadly. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Going after antisemitism on campus has swept up Jewish students protesting the war in Gaza.

Trumps approach risks leaving U.S. automakers isolated and incapable of competing on their own merits as foreign companies bolt ahead.

This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)2025-04-28T02:06:33Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Yemens Houthi rebels said Monday an alleged U.S. airstrike that hit a prison holding African migrants killed at least 30 people.Thats according to the Houthis al-Masirah satellite news channel. There was no immediate independent confirmation of the death toll and the U.S. military has not acknowledged conducting the strike in Yemens Saada governorate, a stronghold of the Houthis.Some 100 prisoners were held at the site, the news channel said. Graphic footage aired by al-Masirah showed what appeared to be dead bodies and others wounded there.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.Yemens Houthi rebels on Monday alleged a U.S. airstrike hit a prison holding African migrants, killing and wounding some of the 100 inmates held there. The U.S. military had no immediate comment. The strike in Yemens Saada governorate, a stronghold for the Houthis, is the latest incident in the countrys decadelong war to kill African migrants from Ethiopia and other nations who risk crossing the nation for a chance to work in neighboring Saudi Arabia. It also likely will renew questions from activists about the American campaign, known as Operation Rough Rider, which has been targeting the rebels as the Trump administration negotiates with their main benefactor, Iran, over Tehrans rapidly advancing nuclear program. The U.S. militarys Central Command in a statement early Monday before news of the alleged strike broke sought to defend its policy of offering no specific details of its extensive airstrike campaign.To preserve operational security, we have intentionally limited disclosing details of our ongoing or future operations, Central Command said. We are very deliberate in our operational approach, but will not reveal specifics about what weve done or what we will do.It did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press about the alleged strike in Saada. Graphic footage shows aftermath of explosionGraphic footage aired by the Houthis al-Masirah satellite news channel showed what appeared to be dead bodies and others wounded at the site. An al-Masirah correspondent said some 100 migrants had been detained at the site.Casualty figures werent immediately clear. However, footage from the site analyzed by the AP suggested some kind of explosion took place there, with its cement walls seemingly peppered by debris fragments and the wounds suffered by those there.A womans voice, soft in the footage, can be heard repeating the start of a prayer in Arabic: In the name of God. An occasional gunshot rang out as medics sought to help those wounded.African migrants caught in middle of Yemens warEthiopians and other African migrants for years have landed in Yemen, braving the war-torn nation to try and reach Saudi Arabia for work. The Houthi rebels allegedly make tens of thousands of dollars a week smuggling migrants over the border.Migrants from Ethiopia have found themselves detained, abused and even killed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen during the war. An Oct. 3, 2022, letter to the kingdom from the U.N. said its investigators received concerning allegations of cross-border artillery shelling and small arms fire allegedly by Saudi security forces causing the deaths of up to 430 and injuring 650 migrants. Saudi Arabia has denied killing migrants.The alleged strike Monday recalled a similar strike by a Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis back in 2022, which caused a collapse killing 66 detainees and wounding 113 others, a United Nations report later said. The Houthis shot dead 16 detainees who fled after the strike and wounded another 50, the U.N. said. The Saudi-led coalition sought to justify the strike by saying the Houthis built and launched drones there, but the U.N. said it was known to be a detention facility.The coalition should have avoided any attack on that facility, the U.N. report added.That 2022 attack was one of the deadliest single attacks in the yearslong war between the coalition and the Houthi rebels and came after the Houthis struck inside the UAE twice with missiles and drones, killing three in a strike near Abu Dhabis international airport. US military says over 800 strikes conducted in campaign so farMeanwhile, U.S. airstrikes overnight targeting Yemens capital killed at least eight people, the Houthis said. The American military acknowledged carrying out over 800 individual strikes in their monthlong campaign. The overnight statement from Central Command also said Operation Roughrider had killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders, including those associated with its missile and drone program. It did not identify any of those officials. Iran undoubtedly continues to provide support to the Houthis, the statement said. The Houthis can only continue to attack our forces with the backing of the Iranian regime.We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region, it added.The U.S. is targeting the Houthis because of the groups attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, and on Israel. The Houthis also are the last militant group in Irans self-described Axis of Resistance that is capable of regularly attacking Israel. US discusses deadly port strikeThe U.S. is conducting strikes on Yemen from its two aircraft carriers in the region the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea and the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea. On April 18, an American strike on the Ras Isa fuel port killed at least 74 people and wounded 171 others in the deadliest-known attack of the American campaign. Central Command on Monday offered an explanation for why it hit the port. U.S. strikes destroyed the ability of Ras Isa Port to accept fuel which will begin to impact Houthi ability to not only conduct operations, but also to generate millions of dollars in revenue for their terror activities, it said. Meanwhile, the Houthis have increasingly sought to control the flow of information from the territory it holds to the outside world. It issued a notice Sunday that all those holding Starlink satellite internet receivers should quickly hand over the devices to authorities. A field campaign will be implemented in coordination with the security authorities to arrest anyone who sells, trades, uses, operates, installs or possesses these prohibited terminals, the Houthis warned. Starlink terminals have been crucial for Ukraine in fighting Russias full-scale invasion and receivers also have been smuggled into Iran amid unrest there. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

Pregnant Palestinian woman Yasmine Siam undergoes an ultrasound scan at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. She suffered a miscarriage a few days later. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-04-28T05:01:32Z KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza City (AP) Nearly seven months pregnant, Yasmine Siam couldnt sleep, living in a crowded tent camp in Gaza and shaken often by Israeli bombardment. She couldnt find proper food and hadnt eaten meat for more than a month. Weak and losing weight, she saw doctors every day. There was little they could do. One night this month, pain shot through her. She worried labor was starting but was too terrified of gunfire to leave her tent. Siam waited till daybreak to walk to the nearest mobile clinic. The medics told her to go to Nasser Hospital, miles away.She had to take a donkey cart, jolted by every bump in the bombed-out roads. Exhausted, the 24-year-old found a wall to lean on for the hourslong wait for a doctor.An ultrasound showed her baby was fine. Siam had a urinary tract infection and was underweight: 57 kilos (125 pounds), down 6 kilos (13 pounds) from weeks earlier. The doctor prescribed medicine and told her what every other doctor did: Eat better. Where do I get the food? Siam said, out of breath as she spoke to The Associated Press on April 9 after returning to her tent outside the southern city of Khan Younis.I am not worried about me. I am worried about my son, she said. It would be terrible if I lose him. With Gaza decimated, miscarriages riseSiams troubled pregnancy has become the norm in Gaza. Israels 18-month-old military campaign decimating the territory has made pregnancy and childbirth more dangerous, even fatal, for Palestinian women and their babies.It has become worse since March 2, when Israel cut off all food, medicine and supplies for Gazas more than 2 million people.Meat, fresh fruits and vegetables are practically nonexistent. Clean water is difficult to find. Pregnant women are among the hundreds of thousands who trudge for miles to find new shelters after repeated Israeli evacuation orders. Many live in tents or overcrowded schools amid sewage and garbage. Up to 20% of Gazas estimated 55,000 pregnant women are malnourished, and half face high-risk pregnancies, according to the United Nations Population Fund, or UNFPA. In February and March, at least 20% of newborns were born prematurely or suffering from complications or malnutrition.With the population displaced and under bombardment, comprehensive miscarriage and stillbirth figures are impossible to obtain. Records at Khan Younis Nasser Hospital show miscarriages in January and February were double the same period in 2023. Dr. Yasmine Shnina, a Doctors Without Borders supervisor of midwives at Nasser Hospital, documented 40 miscarriages a week in recent weeks. She has recorded five women a month dying in childbirth, compared with around two a year before the war. We dont need to wait for future impact. The risks are emerging now, she said. A love story in the tents For Siam and her family, her pregnancy after a whirlwind, wartime marriage was a rare joy.Driven from Gaza City, they had moved three times before settling in the tent city sprawling across the barren coastal region of Muwasi.Late last summer, they shared a meal with neighbors. A young man from the tent across the way was smitten.The next day, Hossam Siam asked for Yasmines hand in marriage. She refused initially. I didnt expect marriage in war, she said. I wasnt ready to meet someone.Hossam didnt give up. He took her for a walk by the sea. They told each other about their lives. I accepted, she said.On Sept. 15, the grooms family decorated their tent. Her best friends from Gaza City, dispersed around the territory, watched the wedding onlineWithin a month, Yasmine Siam was pregnant. Her family cherished the coming baby. Her mother had grandsons from her two sons but longed for a child from her daughters. Siams older sister had been trying for 15 years to conceive. Her mother and sister now back in Gaza City sent baby essentials. From the start, Siam struggled to get proper nutrition, relying on canned food.After a ceasefire began in January, she and Hossam moved to Rafah. On Feb, 28, she had a rare treat: a chicken, shared with her in-laws. It was her last time eating meat.A week later, Hossam walked for miles searching for chicken. He returned empty-handed. Even the basics are impossibleIsrael has leveled much of Gaza with its air and ground campaign, vowing to destroy Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. It has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gazas Health Ministry, whose count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.In the Oct. 7 attack, militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. They still hold 59 hostages after most were released in ceasefire deals. In Gazas ruins, being pregnant is a formidable struggle.Its not just about quantity of food, said Rosalie Bollen, of UNICEF, its also about nutritional diversity, the fact that they have been living in very dire, unsanitary conditions, sleeping on the ground, sleeping in the cold and just being stuck in this permanent state of very toxic stress. Nine of the 14 hospitals providing maternal health services before the war still function, though only partially, according to UNFPA.Because many medical facilities are dislocated by Israeli military operations or must prioritize critical patients, women often cant get screenings that catch problems early in pregnancy, said Katy Brown, of Doctors Without Borders-Spain. That leads to complications. A quarter of the nearly 130 births a day in February and March required surgical deliveries, UNFPA says.Even the basics are impossible, Brown said.Under the blockade, over half the medicines for maternal and newborn care have run out, including ones that control bleeding and induce labor, the Health Ministry says. Diapers are scarce. Some women reuse them, turning them inside out, leading to severe skin infections, aid workers say. Israel says the blockade aims to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages. Rights groups call it a starvation tactic endangering the entire population and a potential war crime.At Nasser Hospitals maternity ward, Dr. Ahmad al-Farra witnessed things go from bad to worse. Israeli forces raided the hospital in early 2024, claiming it housed Hamas fighters. Incubators in a warehouse were wrecked. The maternity ward was rebuilt into Gazas largest and best equipped for emergencies. Since Israel broke the two-month ceasefire on March 18, the hospital has been flooded with wounded.Up to 15 premature babies at a time need respirators, but the hospital has only two CPAP machines to keep preemies breathing. Some are put on adult respirators, often leading to death, al-Farra said.Twenty CPAP machines languish outside Gaza, unable to enter because of the blockade, along with 54 ultrasounds, nine incubators and midwifery kits, according to the U.N. A lack of cleaning supplies makes hygiene nearly impossible. After giving birth, women and newborns weakened by hunger frequently suffer infections causing long-term complications, or even death, said al-Farra.Yasmine Zakout was rushed to Nasser Hospital in early April after giving birth prematurely to twin girls. One girl died within days, and her sister died last week, both from sepsis.Before the war, al-Farra said he would maybe see one child a year with necrotizing pneumonia, a severe infection that kills lung tissue.In this war, I treated 50 cases, al-Farra said. He removed parts of the lungs in nearly half those babies. At least four died.Pregnant women are regularly among the wounded. Khaled Alserr, a surgeon at Nasser Hospital, told of treating a four months pregnant woman after an April 16 strike. Shrapnel had torn through her uterus. The fetus couldnt be saved, he said, and pregnancy will be risky the rest of her life. Two of her children were among 10 children killed in the strike, he said.The stress of the warIn her sixth month of pregnancy, Siam walked and rode a donkey cart for miles back to a tent in Muwasi after Israel ordered Rafah evacuated.With food even scarcer, she turned to charity kitchens distributing meals of plain rice or pasta.Weakened, she fell down a lot. Stress was mounting the misery of tent life, the separation from her mother, the terror of airstrikes, the fruitless visits to clinics. I just wish a doctor would tell me, Your weight is good. Im always malnourished, she told the AP, almost pleading.Hours after her scare on April 9, Siam was still in pain. She made her fifth visit to the mobile clinic in two days. They told her to go to her tent and rest.She started spotting. Her mother-in-law held her up as they walked to a field hospital in the dead of night.At 3 a.m., the doctors said there was nothing she could do but wait. Her mother arrived from Gaza City.Eight hours later, the fetus was stillborn. Her mother told her not to look at the baby. Her mother-in-law said he was beautiful. Her husband took their boy to a grave.Days later, she told the AP she breaks down when she sees photos of herself pregnant. She cant bear to see anyone and refuses her husbands suggestions to take walks by the sea, where they sealed their marriage. She wishes she could turn back time, even for just a week. I would take him into my heart, hide him and hold on to him.She plans to try for another baby. ___El Deeb reported from Beirut. Keath reported from Cairo. SARAH EL DEEB El Deeb is part of the APs Global Investigative team. She is based in the Middle East, a region she covered for two decades twitter mailto LEE KEATH Keath is the chief editor for feature stories in the Middle East for The Associated Press. He has reported from Cairo since 2005. twitter mailto

Its leader, Kim Jong-un, ordered a monument for soldiers killed in the war against Ukraine and praised their heroism and bravery.

Representative Mike Lawler faced shouts, groans and mockery at a high school auditorium in Rockland County.

This Dec. 10, 1999 file photo shows Michelangelo's fresco "La Creazione" ("The Creation") on the ceiling of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)2025-04-28T04:08:09Z VATICAN CITY (AP) Exit tourists. Enter cardinals.The Vatican has closed the Sistine Chapel, where cardinals will gather for the conclave to elect the next pope after the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at age 88. Francis was buried Saturday after a funeral in St. Peters Square that gathered world leaders and hundreds of thousands of others, and a nine-day period of mourning is continuing before the conclave can start. But the church is at the same time turning its attention to the next steps.Key is preparing the Sistine Chapel for the red-robed cardinals who will gather at the Vatican in the heart of Rome to choose the next pope in an ancient process fictionalized in the 2024 film Conclave.One key task: installing the chimney where ballots will be burned after votes.Those visitors who managed to enter on Sunday considered themselves lucky, since there is no telling how long the conclave will last, and how long the gem of the Vatican Museums will remain off-limits. I think we felt very lucky to be able to be the last group of visitors to come in today, said Sumon Khan, a tourist from the United States. You know, our trip would not have been complete without seeing this beautiful place. According to a schedule determined by church law, the conclave can only begin after the nine-day mourning period. It is expected to start between May 5 and May 10. When it does, the cardinals will enter solemnly to participate in a secretive process said to be guided by the holy spirit that will result in the selection of the next leader of the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic church. The choice will determine whether the next pontiff will continue Francis reforms, with his focus on the poor and marginalized and the environment, or whether they will choose a pontiff closer in style to conservative predecessors like Benedict XVI focused on doctrine. For inspiration the cardinals will also have the great beauty of the frescos painted by Michelangelo and other renowned Renaissance artists. The most recognizable is Michelangelos Creation of Adam, showing Gods outstretched hand imparting the divine spark of life to the first man.The chapel is named after Pope Sixtus IV, an art patron who oversaw the construction of the main papal chapel in the 15th century. But it was a later pontiff, Pope Julius II, who commissioned the works by Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling depicting scenes from Genesis from 1508 and 1512 and later returned to paint the Last Judgement on one of the walls.When the conclave opens, cardinals will chant the Litany of Saints, the solemn, mystical Gregorian chant imploring the intercession of the saints, as they file into the chapel and take an oath of secrecy. The chapels thick double doors will close and the master of liturgy will utter the Latin words Extra omnes, meaning everyone out.The secretive process is part of a traditioned aimed at preserving the vote from external interference.The world will then wait for a sign that that a successor to Francis has been chosen. Black smoke coming from the chimney in the Sistine Chapel will indicate that they havent achieved the two-thirds majority for a new pope. But when a pope is finally chosen, white smoke will rise and bells will toll.___AP video reporter Pietro De Cristofaro contributed from Rome.