• Despite Iran tensions, King Charles III will celebrate US-UK bonds
  • Iran US Talks Called Off
  • Russia Attacks Ukraine, Killing Dozens
  • Middle East Wars: The Latest Updates
  • Orbán Steps Back After Landslide Loss
Ukrainians thought they had reduced the risks at Chernobyl. Then Russia invaded

PRIPYAT, Ukraine (AP) – The two explosions at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant came decades apart in the dead of night. The first, at 1:23 a.m. on April 26, 1986, spread a cloud of deadly radiation that raised fears across Europe and shook the very foundations of the Soviet Union. Some say it led to its eventual collapse.

EU considers helping with Mideast energy infrastructure

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) – A painful fuel crunch and soaring oil and gas prices triggered by the Iran war have nudged the European Union to look hard into funding alternative energy routes in the Middle East to circumvent hot spots like the Strait of Hormuz.

France and Greece say their is no alternative to the NATO

ATHENS, Greece (AP) – The European Union’s ongoing push to bolster its own defensive capabilities isn’t intended to spawn an alternative to the NATO alliance but to answer a long-standing U.S. call for the continent to take charge of its own security, the French president said Saturday.

Justice Department drops criminal probe of Fed chair Powell

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department has ended its investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, clearing a major roadblock to the confirmation of Kevin Warsh as his successor.

US sanctions China-based oil refinery and 40 shippers over Iranian oil

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administration is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil. The move makes good on the Trump administration’s threat to impose secondary sanctions on companies and countries that do business with Iran.

Meta slashes 8,000 jobs, or 10% of its workforce, as Microsoft offers buyouts

Meta is laying off about 8,000 workers, or about 10% of its workforce, the company said Thursday as it continues to ramp up spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and highly paid AI-expert hires.

Talks stumble as Iran's top diplomat leaves Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) – The latest ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran appeared to fail Saturday before they began, as Tehran’s top diplomat left Pakistan and President Donald Trump soon afterward said he had told envoys not to travel to Islamabad.

Orbán steps back after a landslide loss, vowing to rebuild

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) – Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will not take his seat in parliament following a landslide election loss this month, and will instead focus on rebuilding his nationalist-populist political community, he announced Saturday in a video on social media.

Trump Evacuated After Security Incident at Correspondents Dinner

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump and other top leaders of the United States were evacuated from an annual dinner of White House correspondents on Saturday night after an unspecified threat. There did not immediately appear to be any injuries. The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the banquet hall as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds.

BRUSSELS (AP) – The European Union on Thursday approved a 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) loan package to help Ukraine meet its economic and military needs for two years after oil began flowing through a key pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia, ending months of political deadlock.