• US Negotiators to Meet Iran on Monday
  • Middle East Wars: The Latest Updates
  • Standoff Escalates Over Strait of Hormuz
  • Starmer Admits Mistake in Appointing Mandelson
  • Canada's prime minister says economic ties with US are a weakness that must be corrected
Doubts over talks between Iran and US after violence flares in Strait of Hormuz

ISLAMABAD (AP) – Pakistan moved ahead Monday with preparations for a new round of talks between the United States and Iran two days before a tenuous ceasefire is set to expire, even as renewed conflict around the Strait of Hormuz raised questions about whether the meeting would take place.

Resignations and firings have depleted the FBI and Justice Department

WASHINGTON (AP) – The FBI and Justice Department are scrambling to rebuild a depleted workforce after a wave of departures over the past year, with leaders easing hiring requirements and accelerating recruitment in ways that some current and former officials see as a lowering of long-accepted standards.

What to know as ceasefire in the Iran war hangs in the balance

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – The ceasefire in the Iran war hangs in the balance as Pakistan’s capital stands prepared for possible new talks between Tehran and Washington. As of right now, the two-week ceasefire will expire at 0000 GMT Wednesday (8 p.m. ET Tuesday.)

Oil prices rise anew after a US-Iran standoff in the Strait of Hormuz

NEW YORK (AP) – Oil prices rose in early trading Sunday as a standoff between Iran and the U.S. prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies.

Canada's prime minister says economic ties with US are a weakness that must be corrected

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a video address released Sunday that Canada’s strong economic ties to the United States were once a strength but are now a weakness that must be corrected.

US backs South Africa project to extract rare earths despite diplomatic clash

PHALABORWA, South Africa (AP) – Two enormous sandlike dunes at an old chemical processing plant in South Africa are at the center of an exploratory U.S.-backed project to extract highly sought-after rare earth elements from industrial mining waste.

Pakistan prepares for peace talks despite US seizure of Iranian ship

The U.S. attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship it said had tried to evade its naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. It was the first interception since the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports began last week. Iran’s military has vowed to respond, throwing the fragile ceasefire into question days before it expires Wednesday.

Starmer admits mistake in appointing Mandelson as UK ambassador

LONDON (AP) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged Monday that he made the wrong judgment when he picked Jeffrey Epstein 's friend Peter Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to Washington, batting away a barrage of calls to resign over a scandal that has left his leadership teetering.

What to know as ceasefire in the Iran war hangs in the balance

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – The ceasefire in the Iran war hangs in the balance as Pakistan’s capital stands prepared for possible new talks between Tehran and Washington. As of right now, the two-week ceasefire will expire at 0000 GMT Wednesday (8 p.m. ET Tuesday.)