Iran offers to end chokehold on Strait of Hormuz and asks US to end blockade, officials say
CAIRO (AP) — Two Middle Eastern officials say Iran is offering to end its chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz without addressing its nuclear program. The proposal, passed to the U.S. by Pakistan, also includes a request for the U.S. to end its blockade of Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump is unlikely to support the proposal, as he wants Iran’s nuclear program ended as part of a broader deal to end the war. Iran's foreign minister is visiting Russia to consult on the war against Israel and the U.S. The standoff in the Strait of Hormuz is affecting global oil prices and trade.
DC gala shooting suspect aired grievances against Trump in writings to family
WASHINGTON (AP) — The man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” in writings sent to family members minutes before the shooting. That's according to a message reviewed by The Associated Press. The writings, the official said, were sent shortly before shots were fired at the Washington Hilton, and made repeated references to President Donald Trump without naming him directly. The writings alluded to grievances over a range of administration actions, including U.S. strikes on drug smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific.
Accused attacker at Washington media dinner is a tutor and computer engineer from California
TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) — The California man arrested in the shooting incident at the media dinner in Washington is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer who's opposed to the policies of President Donald Trump. In writings sent to family members shortly before the Saturday night incident, Cole Tomas Allen described himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and railed against recent actions taken by the U.S. government under Trump, though he didn't mention the president by name. That's according to a law enforcement official who wasn't authorized to publicly discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Tired and worried, seafarers have been stranded in the Persian Gulf for weeks
NEW DELHI (AP) — Around 20,000 seafarers on hundreds of vessels are stuck in the Persian Gulf, unable to cross the Strait of Hormuz that remains effectively shut by Iran. Indian Capt. Rahul Dhar and his crew have been stranded on their tanker for about eight weeks. They have witnessed drones and missile interceptions as they try to keep in touch with their families. Some other crews have faced shortages of food and water. A ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has brought some hope, but anxiety over uncertainty has taken its toll. The International Maritime Organization has called for a safe corridor, but most ships remain stranded.
King Charles III heads to Washington on a delicate mission to restore the UK-US relationship
WASHINGTON (AP) — King Charles III arrives in Washington on Monday for a four-day state visit aimed at celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary. The trip comes amid strained trans-Atlantic ties that are partly over disagreements between the U.K. government and President Donald Trump over issues including the Iran war. Trump has praised Charles but criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not supporting military action. The visit includes a White House state dinner and a speech to Congress. Concerns exist about potential embarrassments especially given Trump’s recent contentious remarks. A shooting incident at a Washington dinner attended by Trump sparked a last-minute security review. Buckingham Palace said the trip would go ahead as planned.
How a surgeon kept a Sudan hospital functioning on the war's front line
OMDURMAN, Sudan (AP) — A soft-spoken surgeon kept a hospital running on the front line of Sudan's war as many staffers fled. He took The Associated Press around the hospital near the capital, Khartoum, after the fighting shifted elsewhere. He described making excruciating choices as the hospital was bombed and the wounded flowed in. Who should live and potentially die? How would they find supplies as medicines like antibiotics and painkillers ran out? It's a rare look at the war's toll on health care. Nearly 40% of Sudan’s hospitals no longer function. Many have been stripped for parts or used by fighters as bases.
Latest US military strike on alleged drug boat kills 3 in eastern Pacific
WASHINGTON (AP) — The latest U.S. military strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean killed three people Sunday. That's according to a social media post by U.S. Southern Command, which included a video showing a boat moving swiftly in the water before an explosion left it in flames. The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has gone on since early September and killed at least 186 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the Caribbean Sea. The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.
Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman head to court in high-stakes showdown over AI
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Technology tycoons Elon Musk and Sam Altman are poised to face off in a high-stakes trial revolving around the alleged betrayal, deceit and unbridled ambition that blurred the bickering billionaires’ once-shared vision for the development of artificial intelligence. The trial, which is scheduled to begin Monday with jury selection, centers on the 2015 birth of ChatGPT maker OpenAI as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion. The civil lawsuit accuses Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, of double-crossing Musk by straying from the company’s founding mission to be an altruistic steward of the technology.
Tillis says he's ready to move ahead with confirming Warsh as Trump's pick as Fed chair
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican senator who had effectively blocked confirmation of President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve says he's dropping his opposition after the Department of Justice ended its investigation of the current central bank chair. The announcement by Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina removes a big hurdle to Trump’s effort to install Kevin Warsh in the job in place of Jerome Powell. At issue was an investigation by the top federal prosecutor in Washington of the Fed’s multibillion-dollar building renovations. Tillis had seen that as a “vindictive prosecution” and suggested it threatened the Fed’s longtime independence from day-to-day politics. He tells NBC's he's prepared to move on with Warsh's confirmation.
With goals of Iran war unfulfilled, Netanyahu's government faces unhappy public as elections loom
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sold a vision to Israelis as the country entered the war with Iran and invaded Lebanon. Iran's government would fall. Hezbollah would never again be able to pose a threat to residents of Israel's north. Israel and the U.S. would work together to change the world order and come out successful. Things haven't gone according to plan, and that could mean trouble for Israel’s longest-serving prime minister in elections scheduled for later this year. Many Israelis are dissatisfied with the Netanyahu government’s wartime leadership, according to a recent poll.
