Pakistan says it will host US-Iran talks, while Iran warns US ground troops would be 'set on fire'
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s foreign minister says Islamabad will soon host talks between the U.S. and Iran. There was no immediate word Sunday from Washington or Tehran. The announcement came after foreign ministers from regional countries met in Islamabad. The Iranian parliament speaker dismissed the talks in Pakistan as a cover after some 2,500 U.S. Marines trained in amphibious landings arrived in the Middle East. The speaker threatened that U.S. troops would be set “on fire” if they attempt a ground invasion in the monthlong war. U.S. President Donald Trump didn’t address the potential Pakistan talks but said Sunday night that Washington was in discussions with Iran and “we’re doing extremely well in that negotiation.”
Jerusalem heads into a subdued Passover and Easter under the shadow of the Iran war
JERUSALEM (AP) — Jerusalem’s holiest places sit empty as missile fire disrupts Passover and Easter. On Monday, families brace for the holidays as the Iran war enters its fifth week. Stores in the Old City stay shuttered. Plazas and alleyways feel deserted. Israeli rules cap gatherings at 50 people, so the Western Wall is closed to worshipers. A key Passover blessing will go ahead with only a small group. Churches also scaled back. The Latin Patriarchate canceled the Palm Sunday procession. It said police even block top leaders from Mass at the Holy Sepulcher.
Worries about global economic pain deepen as the war in Iran drags on
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have darkened the outlook for the world economy. The conflict has driven up oil, natural gas and fertilizer prices and sent global stock markets reeling. Developing countries have been forced to ration fuel and subsidize energy costs to protect their poorest. Ongoing strikes and counterstrikes on Persian Gulf refineries, pipelines, gas fields and tanker terminals threaten to the prolong the global economic pain for months, even years. There previously was optimism the world economy could shrug off damage from the Iran war. But those hopes are fading as threats to the Gulf’s energy infrastructure continue.
TSA pay may be coming, but airport delays could persist and ICE agents may not leave soon
Heading into the weekend, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pay the tens of thousands of TSA officers who have been working without pay for over a month during a partial government shutdown. It's unclear whether the move will translate into shorter wait times for passengers at airport security lines as the budget impasse continues. White House border czar Tom Homan said Sunday that federal immigration officers deployed to assist airports could remain in place until TSA operations return to normal. Major U.S. airports continued to recommend Sunday that passengers arrive several hours early.
Dozens arrested for failing to disperse after 'No Kings' rally in Los Angeles
Authorities in Los Angeles deployed tear gas near a federal detention center and made dozens of arrests following a “No Kings” rally this weekend. Police say 74 people were arrested for failing to heed a dispersal order after Saturday’s rally ended. One person was taken into custody on suspicion of possessing a weapon that police described as a dagger. Federal officials say two officers who were struck by concrete blocks received medical attention. The arrests stood out from what otherwise were mostly peaceful crowds across the U.S. The rallies were held to protest President Donald Trump’s actions and the war in Iran.
Apollo vs. Artemis: What to know about NASA's return to the moon
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's Apollo moonshots are a tough act to follow, even after all this time. As four astronauts get set to blast off on humanity's first trip to the moon in more than half a century, comparisons between Apollo and NASA's new Artemis program are inevitable. Artemis reflects more of society, with a woman, person of color and Canadian rocketing away from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. But they won't orbit the moon like the world's first lunar visitors did on Apollo 8 back in 1968. Instead, they'll play it safe and zip around the moon in an out-and-back slingshot like Apollo 13.
Pope Leo XIV rejects claims that God justifies war in Palm Sunday Mass message
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV says no one can use God to justify war and he's praying especially for Christians in the Middle East. He used his Palm Sunday homily to call Jesus the “king of peace” who rejects violence. He says God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has recently invoked his faith to cast the Iran war as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes with military might. Leo will also bring back the Holy Thursday foot-washing ritual in the Lateran basilica. He will then lead major Good Friday and Easter liturgies.
Midnight train from Georgia: A view of America from the tracks as airports struggle in the shutdown
ABOARD THE CRESCENT (AP) — Long security lines at airports are driving people crazy as Congress and President Donald Trump try to work out a budget stalemate. Some travelers are seeking out alternative ways of getting where they need to go. And one option is the train. Railroads are among the country's oldest methods of long-distance transportation. A train trip is still longer, but what you don't find at the station are standstill lines, Transportation Security Administration agents or stand-in immigration officers. Sometimes modern conveniences such as jet travel aren't all that convenient.
Some familiar names to the Supreme Court in a death row case over racial bias in jury makeup
WASHINGTON (AP) — Some names will be familiar to the Supreme Court in the latest case involving a Black death row inmate from Mississippi. One is Doug Evans, a now-retired prosecutor with a history of dismissing Black jurors for discriminatory reasons. He knocked all but one Black person off the jury in the case set for arguments Tuesday. State Judge Joseph Loper allowed those juror challenges. And the state Supreme Court upheld the conviction. Just seven years ago, in a case involving the same prosecutor, trial judge and state high court, the Supreme Court overturned a different conviction and death sentence because of what Justice Brett Kavanaugh described as a “relentless, determined effort to rid the jury of Black individuals.”
The Final Four is set as UConn stuns Duke to join Illinois, Arizona and Michigan
The Final Four is set. Illinois will face UConn and Michigan will take on Arizona next Saturday, with the winners squaring off two nights later for the national title. The Arizona-Michigan game is a matchup of top seeds. UConn, after a 19-point comeback for a 73-72 win over Duke, is seeded second and will play No. 3 seed Illinois. Arizona is the early favorite to take the title next Monday night in Indianapolis, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, followed closely by Michigan. The Huskies beat Duke with a 3-pointer from the logo with 0.4 seconds left by Braylon Mullins, who grew up just outside of Indianapolis.
