Hegseth gets bipartisan grilling on rising costs of the Iran war

WASHINGTON (AP) – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced tough questions Tuesday from Republican and Democratic lawmakers about the Trump administration’s end game for the Iran war, the conflict’s rising $29 billion cost and its impact on diminishing U.S. weapons stockpiles.

Wall Street's record-setting run halts as AI stocks slump

A sudden halt for technology stocks put the brakes on Wall Street's record-setting run. The S&P 500 dipped 0.2% Tuesday from its all-time high set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.7% from its own record. Oil prices meanwhile rose more than 3%.

Today in History: May 12, tens of thousands die in Sichuan earthquake

Today is Tuesday, May 12, the 132nd day of 2026. There are 233 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 12, 2008, a devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake in China’s Sichuan province left more than 87,000 people dead or missing.

 

Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Latest Updates

BEIJING (AP) – U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for his hotly anticipated talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the Iran war, trade and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The meat of the summit doesn’t start until Thursday, when the leaders hold bilateral talks.

US Inflation surged 3.8% last month as Iran War pushes gasoline prices higher

WASHINGTON (AP) – US consumer prices climbed a sharp 3.8% last month as the 10-week war with Iran continues to push gasoline prices higher. The Labor Department's consumer price index rose 3.8% from April 2025, the biggest jump in three years, and up from a 3.3% year-over-year gain in March.

King Charles III lays out UK government agenda

LONDON (AP) – The irony wasn’t lost on anyone. On a day when the British government’s legislative plans were presented by no less than King Charles III himself, Prime Minister Keir Starmer was fighting to remain in power following rising discontent within his Labour Party.

 

Trump's proposed 'Golden Dome' estimated to cost $1.2 trillion

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s plan to put weapons in space – pitched as a “Golden Dome for America” missile defense program – is estimated to cost $1.2 trillion over a 20-year period, according to a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office, a far heftier sum than the initial $175 billion price tag he gave last year.

Editorials from The Washington Post, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Republican senators need more detail on $1B White House security request

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican senators left a meeting with the director of the U.S. Secret Service on Tuesday saying they need more details on a $1 billion security plan for the White House, including a proposed $220 million to secure President Donald Trump’s new East Wing ballroom.