• Pakistan Emerges as Mediator Between US and Iran
  • Trump's Conflicting Messages Sow Confusion
  • A year after Trump's DOGE cuts, workers question what was saved
  • Iranian-Backed Houthi Rebels Attack Israel
  • Middle East War: The Latest Updates
Trump brings UFC cage-match bout to the White House

WASHINGTON (AP) – Cage-match fighting is coming to the White House to fete President Donald Trump, a proud proponent of cage-match politics. In the coming weeks, crews will erect a 6-foot wire-mesh fence shaped into an octagon on the lawn, where UFC fighters will use a combination of kickboxing, jiujitsu, wrestling and other martial arts.

Afghans hold second mass funeral for victims of an airstrike on Kabul

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – Dozens of people were buried in a Kabul cemetery on Thursday in the second mass funeral of victims killed in an airstrike that hit a drug rehabilitation center in the Afghan capital earlier this month.

How the Homeland Security deal unraveled and split Republican leaders

WASHINGTON (AP) – For several hours Friday, in the stillness before dawn, the Senate appeared to have finally figured out how to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security before it faced the longest partial shutdown in U.S. history.

French police thwart suspected bombing outside Bank of America building in Paris

PARIS (AP) – French police have thwarted a suspected bomb attack outside a Bank of America building in Paris, authorities said Saturday. One suspect was detained and another escaped. The national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office, or PNAT, told The Associated Press that it has opened an investigation into alleged terrorism-related offenses.

Africa is hurting again from a global crisis it had no part in starting

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) – Lagos taxi driver Adegbola Isaac went to the gas station twice last weekend. Each time, the price in the Nigerian city had climbed further and hit 1,350 naira ($0.99) per liter, a nearly 35% increase since the Iran war started. That’s wiped out most of his daily profit.

China's BYD sees first profit drop since 2021

HONG KONG (AP) – Chinese automaker BYD said Friday its annual sales rose to a record $116 billion, outpacing Tesla’s, but its profit fell for the first time since 2021 under pressure from cutthroat competition. BYD, the largest electric vehicle maker, has been expanding into global markets including Latin America and Europe.

Iran-backed Houthis enter the month-old Iran war and could threaten shipping

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Iranian-backed Houthi rebels entered the month-old war in the Middle East on Saturday, claiming a missile launch that Israel said it intercepted. Pakistan said regional powers plan to meet Sunday to discuss how to end the fighting, while Iran expressed skepticism about the diplomatic efforts. And about 2,500 U.S. Marines arrived in the region.

Trump's conflicting messages sow confusion over the Iran war

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says the United States is winning the war with Iran even as thousands of additional American troops deploy to the Middle East. He has pilloried other countries for not helping the U.S., only to say later he does not need their assistance. He has twice delayed deadlines for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

How the Homeland Security deal unraveled and split Republican leaders

WASHINGTON (AP) – For several hours Friday, in the stillness before dawn, the Senate appeared to have finally figured out how to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security before it faced the longest partial shutdown in U.S. history.

JERUSALEM (AP) – The Hamas militant group is weighing a new proposal for disarming its fighters in Gaza, a major concession that would clear the way for U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for rebuilding the war-ravaged territory.