A smoke cloud could be seen rising from an area of southern Tehran on Saturday after Israel launched an attack on Iran's capital. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas visits the coast guard ship KV Bjornoya, in Tromso, Norway, Tuesday Feb. 3, 2026. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks with students and staff, during a visit to the Walbottle Academy Campus in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks before media members as he visits facilities of Siemens Energy during his official visit, in Hangzhou, China, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. BRUSSELS (AP) — World leaders reacted warily to U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Saturday that triggered concerns of a broader conflict. European leaders held emergency meetings and took measures to protect their citizens in the Middle East, with key leaders calling for a negotiated settlement between Iran and the U.S. Australia and Canada were more open in their support for the strikes, while Russia and China responded with criticism. Britain, France and Germany called for a resumption of U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations and condemned Iranian attacks on countries in the region. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in a statement their countries didn't take part in the strikes on Iran but are in close contact with the U.S., Israel and partners in the region. The three countries have led efforts to reach a negotiated solution over Iran's nuclear program. Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future,” they said. The strikes on Iran create a dilemma for Washington's allies. While European leaders firmly oppose Iran's nuclear program and crackdowns by its hard-line theocracy, they are loath to embrace unilateral military action by President Donald Trump that could breach international law and unleash a broader conflict. Trump's strikes on Iran last June, and the arrest of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro last month, caused a similar quandary. Russia's Foreign Ministry called the strikes “a pre-planned and unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent U.N. member state.” The ministry accused Washington and Tel Aviv of “hiding behind” concerns about Iran's nuclear program while actually pursuing regime change. “Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said. It was unclear whether U.S. allies were given any advance warning of the attacks. The German government said it was only given notice Saturday morning. Earlier on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron called for an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting in response to the strikes in Iran. “The outbreak of war among the United States, Israel and Iran has serious consequences for peace and international security,″ Macron said earlier on Saturday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired a meeting of the government's emergency committee on Saturday morning. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his country supports the U.S. in its effort to stop Iran from obtaining an atomic bomb. He described Iran's current leadership as a destabilizing force and noted two attacks on Australian soil that were blamed on Tehran. Australia in August cut off diplomatic relations with Iran and expelled its ambassador after accusing it of orchestrating two antisemitic attacks in the country. EU leaders issued a joint statement Saturday calling for restraint and engaging in regional diplomacy in hopes of “ensuring nuclear safety.” “We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that he was concerned the failure of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran meant a “new, extensive war in the Middle East” would happen. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons condemned the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in harsher words. “These attacks are totally irresponsible and risk provoking further escalation as well as increasing the danger of nuclear proliferation and the use of nuclear weapons,” said its executive director, Melissa Parke. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday condemned what he described as “unwarranted attacks” on Iran during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports on joint strikes targeting Iran and the country's retaliation. Iran launched missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. military facilities in multiple Middle Eastern countries Friday, retaliating after coordinated U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-linked sites. Explosions were reported in or near areas hosting American forces in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan, according to regional officials and state media accounts. Several of those governments said their air defense systems intercepted incoming projectiles. No U.S. service member fatalities or injuries have been reported yet, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital. U.S. authorities have not publicly released casualty figures or formal damage assessments. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described the operation as a direct response to what Tehran called "aggression" against Iranian territory earlier in the day. Iranian officials claimed they targeted U.S. military infrastructure and command facilities. The United States military earlier carried out strikes against what officials described as high-value Iranian targets, including IRGC facilities, naval assets and underground sites believed to be associated with Iran's nuclear program. One U.S. official told Fox News that American forces had "suppressed" Iranian air defenses in the initial wave of strikes. The campaign was described as a multi-geographic operation designed to overwhelm Iran's defensive capabilities and could continue for multiple days. Smoke rises after reported Iranian missile attacks, following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, in Manama, Bahrain, Feb. 28, 2026. Iran's retaliatory barrage targeted countries that host American forces, including Bahrain — home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet — as well as Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base and the UAE's Al Dhafra Air Base. Authorities in those nations reported intercepting many of the incoming missiles. At least one civilian was killed in the UAE by falling debris, according to local authorities. Iranian officials characterized their response as proportionate and warned of additional action if strikes continue. A senior U.S. official described the Iranian retaliation as "ineffective," though independent assessments of the overall impact are still developing. Smoke rises over the city after the Israeli army launched a second wave of airstrikes on Iran in Tehran on Feb. 28, 2026. Regional governments condemned the strikes on their territory as violations of sovereignty, raising the risk that additional countries could become directly involved if escalation continues. Pentagon officials are expected to provide further updates as damage assessments and casualty reviews are completed. Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Vicki Parmelee, owner of Jumby Bay Island Grill in Jupiter, Florida, tells Fox News Digital that tips should be earned, not expected, and reveals the common scenario that she says makes many restaurant customers "uncomfortable." Americans may be feeling "tip fatigue," but most are still leaving gratuities for a range of services — and where they live appears to shape how much they give, according to a new report. South Carolina tops the list, with an average tip rate of 20.71%, making it the only state to surpass the 20% threshold, according to a report from JIM, an AI-powered financial platform for small sellers. It broke down tipping behavior across all 50 states. More than 89,068 verified tipping transactions from 6,214 active merchants in 177 business categories throughout 2025 were analyzed to determine the states with the highest and lowest average tip percentages, a news release indicated. Americans still gravitate toward the 15% to 20% standard, regardless of industry," said Ricardo Cici, chief growth officer at CloudWalk, the Brazilian fintech company behind JIM. We are seeing meaningful tip dollars flowing into higher-value services beyond restaurants, which has real implications for small operators who rely on fast, fair access to their earnings," Cici said in a statement. A new report found wide differences in tipping rates across the U.S., with some states averaging above 20% and others closer to 13%. The average tip value is $12.44, with higher-ticket services such as car repair, transportation and specialized personal services often generating larger dollar amounts than restaurant tabs. Barber and beauty shops rank among the highest for tip percentage at 17%, while certain personal services, such as tattoo and pet care providers, trend even higher, the report found. But experts caution against interpreting state rankings as simply a measure of generosity. "Before we label certain states as 'more generous,' we need to level the playing field and understand the wage structure behind the data," said Jessica Hart, an MBA and California-based HR consultant at Hart Consulting, who specializes in the alcohol industry. Hart, who wasn't involved in the analysis, points to the federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13 per hour, which is still used in states such as South Carolina. Under federal law, employers in those states can pay workers $2.13 an hour as long as tips bring them up to at least the standard minimum wage. Other states, including Oregon, do not allow a tipped minimum wage at all, requiring employers to pay the full state minimum wage before tips. "That difference dramatically influences consumer behavior," Hart told Fox News Digital. … The guest understands they are helping close a compensation gap," she added. "In states where servers earn full minimum wage plus tips, gratuity feels more discretionary." Experts say tipping rates can reflect wage policies, including whether a state allows employers to pay a tipped minimum wage. California etiquette expert Lisa Mirza Grotts told Fox News Digital that the psychology around tipping is shifting, especially as digital payment screens prompt customers to tip more than ever before. "Tipping fatigue is real — not because people have become less generous, but because the social rules have blurred," Grotts said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, gratuities helped support workers who depended on them, Grotts said. Higher menu prices mean consumers may pay more for tips even when percentages remain the same. "A tip is meant to acknowledge service — [it's] not simply a screen that swivels around requesting 25%," Grotts said. Inflation and rising menu prices also play a role, experts say. Even when tip percentages remain steady, higher bills mean higher final totals, which consumers are feeling at checkout. Deirdre Bardolf is a lifestyle writer with Fox News Digital. A look at the top-trending stories in food, relationships, great outdoors and more. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. World leaders reacted swiftly Saturday after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, exposing a deep divide between governments backing the attack on Iran and those warning the attacks risk a wider regional war. In a joint statement, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and Foreign Minister Anita Anand voiced firm support saying, "Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security." The statement described Iran as "the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East" and stressed it "must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons." Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also endorsed the action, writing on X, "Australia stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against oppression." He confirmed Australia supports "the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," while activating emergency consular measures and urging Australians to leave Iran if safe. The United Kingdom said Iran "must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon." A person holds an image of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iranian demonstrators protest against the U.S.-Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 28, 2026. French President Emmanuel Macron warned, "The outbreak of war between the United States, Israel and Iran carries grave consequences for international peace and security." He added, "The ongoing escalation is dangerous for all. It must stop," and called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council. In a joint statement, the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom also said they had "consistently urged the Iranian regime to end Iran's nuclear program, curb its ballistic missile program, refrain from its destabilizing activity in the region and our homelands, and to cease the appalling violence and repression against its own people." The three governments said they "did not participate in these strikes," but remain "in close contact with our international partners, including the United States, Israel, and partners in the region." They reiterated their "commitment to regional stability and to the protection of civilian life," condemned "Iranian attacks on countries in the region in the strongest terms," and called for a "resumption of negotiations," urging Iran's leadership to seek a negotiated solution. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described developments as "perilous," saying Iran's "ballistic missile and nuclear programmes… pose a serious threat to global security," while emphasizing that "Protection of civilians and international humanitarian law is a priority." Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said, "We reject the unilateral military action by the United States and Israel, which represents an escalation and contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order." Meanwhile, Gulf states responded to reported Iranian missile activity. It affirmed "its full solidarity with and unwavering support for the brotherly countries" and warned of "grave consequences resulting from the continued violation of states' sovereignty and the principles of international law." The United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Defense said the country "was subjected to a blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles," adding that air defense systems "successfully intercepted a number of missiles." Authorities said falling debris in a residential area caused "one civilian death of an asian nationality" and material damage. Smoke rises after reported Iranian missile attacks, following strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, in Manama, Bahrain, Feb. 28, 2026. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar "strongly condemned the unwarranted attacks against Iran" and called for "urgent resumption of diplomacy." A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, wrote on X that Beijing is "highly concerned over the military strikes against Iran launched by the U.S. and Israel." He added that "Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected" and called for "an immediate stop of the military actions" and "no further escalation." Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held calls with counterparts across the region, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source told Reuters. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directly linked the developments to Russia's war against his country. "Although Ukrainians never threatened Iran, the Iranian regime chose to become Putin's accomplice and supplied him with ‘shahed' drones," Zelenskyy wrote, adding that Russia has used "more than 57,000 shahed-type attack drones against the Ukrainian people." "Whenever there is American resolve, global criminals weaken." Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said, "All negotiations with Iran are a cover operation." Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned, "We will not accept anyone dragging the country into adventures that threaten its security and unity." Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the strike "is not in line with international law." Efrat Lachter is a foreign correspondent for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports on joint strikes targeting Iranian military sites and leadership. In a sweeping pre-dawn bombing campaign across Iran, Israeli forces targeted sites linked to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior Israeli official confirmed to Fox News. The official said Iran's president was also targeted as part of the joint U.S. operation, dubbed Operation Epic Fury. Reuters reported that Khamenei was not in Tehran during the strikes and was instead transferred to a secure location. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that Khamenei and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian are still alive "as far as I know." President Donald Trump described the "massive and ongoing" operation as the opening phase of a campaign that he said would devastate Iran's military, dismantle its nuclear program and ultimately bring about regime change. "It will be yours to take," Trump said in a video statement addressing the Iranian public. Hours later, Tehran signaled it would not back down, saying it would defend itself against any attack. "This will be probably your only chance for generations," he added. Officials in Tehran said the country would defend itself against any attack. A screen grab from a video released on U.S. President Donald Trump's Truth Social account shows him making statements regarding combat operations on Iran. Mapped out across the Persian Gulf and beyond, the deployment tells its own story, one of calculated pressure backed by credible capability. The buildup coincided with indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran's disputed nuclear program. Trump has warned that the regime must fully dismantle its nuclear infrastructure or face consequences. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Frankie M. Guage) At the heart of America's force projection are the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier strike groups — dual mobile fortresses at sea, guarded by destroyers and equipped to unleash precision strikes at a moment's notice. More than a dozen other U.S. warships are also in the region to support. For Iran, it means U.S. forces are not concentrated in a single vulnerable location — they are distributed, layered and positioned to operate from multiple directions at once. It was not immediately clear how or when Iran might respond. Amanda covers the intersection of business and politics for Fox News Digital. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes.

Michael B. Jordan poses for photographers upon arrival at the 79th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA's, in London, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. For Black people living with Tourette syndrome, the British Academy Film and Television Arts Awards incident earlier this week where a vocal tic manifested as a racial slur while two Black stars of the movie “Sinners” were onstage has left them with complicated feelings. “It's been pretty difficult because I feel like there's such a clash between both sides,” said Chloe Winston, 24, who experiences coprolalia, the same verbal tic as John Davidson, the BAFTA nominee and Tourette syndrome advocate who yelled the slur. “A tic is not intentional, but it still causes harm. Davidson's utterance just as Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the first award of that night's ceremony ignited a firestorm that overshadowed Sunday's BAFTAs. Then there was frustration from the disability community at a lack of understanding about Tourette syndrome. But anger has been loud and widespread for broadcaster BBC because of its decision to allow the racial slur to air uncensored two hours after the live event. Most live awards shows like the Oscars operate on a seconds-long tape delay. The BAFTA and BBC apologies also were criticized as insufficient. The BBC plans to edit it out of its iPlayer streaming service. There needs to be acknowledgment of the harm, some have said. Now, advocacy groups are using the BAFTA moment to try to grow existing support networks focused on Black people who feel isolated by Tourette syndrome. “We know that there's this sort of sensory and motor loop happening. And again, similarly in the vocalizations, they typically start with things like coughing, sniffing, or other just non-specific sounds, said Dr. Jeremiah Scharf, a tic disorder specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. These vocal outbursts — typically vulgarities and insults — are a biological condition that can sometimes be triggered by stress such as not enough sleep or being upset, Scharf said. The tics are hard to stop and involuntary — almost like a sneeze. “Unfortunately, for this subset of people, it is incredibly disabling because they don't want to say those things. It's very distressing to them,” said Scharf, who was talking in general terms and not about the BAFTA awards incident specifically. Treatment for severe tic disorders can range from medication to behavioral therapies. Retraining the brain to handle tics is “takes an enormous amount of practice in terms of recognizing when the tics are coming,” Scharf said. Jhónelle Bean, an American Sign Language interpreter who is Black and has Tourette syndrome, took to TikTok after seeing so much “all-or-nothing” discourse around the BAFTA awards. “Two things can be true at the same time,” Bean said. “Just because he ticced that does not mean it was intentional. The incident also brought up “ableism” comments that were flat-out discriminatory. They included that Davidson, the man who shouted the racial slur, “should have been locked away, he should've had a muzzle, things like that,” Bean said. Jumaane Williams, New York City's public advocate who is Black and has Tourette syndrome, said it can be “painful both physically and mentally” to hold in a tic. As someone who has coprolalia too, Williams gives Davidson some credit for removing himself from the situation though “maybe he could have moved a little sooner.” “For me, it was all about making sure we're practicing care. There's always going to be inherent concern if you are Black with Tourette syndrome or any tic disorder, said Reice Griffin, 20, who is a Tourette Association of America rising leader and ambassador. “Law enforcement is not well equipped to deal with Tourette syndrome, but also historically, as a Black person, you never really want to be around law enforcement,” Griffin said. The association, which offers printable “I Have TS” cards, is actively trying to offer more support for people of color. Griffin recently attended a virtual support group meeting for Black young adults, and she has been speaking at schools and to groups to become more comfortable with herself. “If I could help another young Black girl with Tourette syndrome not feel as alone or help people get diagnosed — that's the dream.” Williams, the New York City public advocate, agrees there is not enough support for Black people with Tourette syndrome. He tries to help by speaking about his own life. That has led to him hearing directly from New Yorkers. “Sometimes in the street or an event people will bring their family member up which is always a pretty emotional space for me because when I see the kid, I know what they're going through,” Williams said.

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters. At Vox, our mission is to help you make sense of the world — and that work has never been more vital. But we can't do it on our own. We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today? Editor's note, February 28, 7:20 am ET: Israel joined the US-led assault on Iran early Saturday. For more on that story, read Vox's latest coverage. The glimpse came during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel, in which he signed an expansive defense cooperation agreement and gave a speech to Israel's parliament (called the Knesset). This kind of thing may seem like the routine stuff of international politics, but it's actually highly unusual: Historically, India has kept its distance from Israel and has often acted as a prominent international supporter of the Palestinian cause. Such a country should, in theory, be moving away from Israel, given the past several years of brutality in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also been aggressively attacking the foundations of Israeli democracy, which you'd think would be a problem for the leader of a country frequently described as the world's largest democracy. It is quite likely that Israel's assault on Gaza and ongoing democratic backsliding are, for India's current leadership, not vices but virtues. Growing security cooperation between India and Israel doesn't just make sense on a material level: It's also because these countries, with these particular governments, feel a genuine ideological affinity. And in a post-Trump world, where old rules about human rights and international law continue to weaken, these kinds of ties between human rights-abusing authoritarians may become an increasingly important part of the global landscape — even in countries that claim, on the surface, to be democracies. And at first, the two countries appeared to be traveling in opposite directions. The early Indian state was defined by its partition with Pakistan. While India aimed to be a secular liberal democracy for all of its citizens, Pakistan's leaders believed that its citizens could only be secure in a Muslim-majority state. Israel, by contrast, was more like a Middle Eastern Pakistan. Believing that the Jews of Palestine could only be safe in an avowedly Jewish state, the Zionist movement pushed for post-colonial political separation from surrounding Arab states — and fought its first war to enforce it. This approach was, as leading India expert Christophe Jaffrelot recently wrote in The Wire, a driving force in India's Middle East policy. “India has long been a leader in the Palestinian cause,” he writes. “India tried hard not to take sides in Israel's war on Gaza, but by abstaining [in UN votes] as civilian casualties — and international outrage — continued to mount, it effectively sided with Israel,” Jaffrelot writes, adding that Israel also sent weapons to Israel and deepened economic ties as the Gaza war grew more vicious. Not only does New Delhi explicitly cite Israel as a source of inspiration for its counterterrorism policies, but it has begun paying into them — making up roughly half (46 percent) of all foreign purchases of Israeli arms. Modi's trip this past week was, on top of any tangible agreements, an all-but-official confirmation that India has switched sides in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Modi's speech to the Knesset spent a lot of time lavishing praise on Israel — and confined its discussion of the Palestinians to a thin, barely noticeable aside. Unlike secularists like Nehru, Hindutva devotees see a spiritual twin in the hardline versions of Zionism embraced by Netanyahu and his allies on the Israeli right. Both Modi and Netanyahu see the nation in ethno-national terms: There is only one people who has a legitimate claim on belonging and ownership. Both share a special antipathy for Muslims living on land they see as rightfully theirs, seeing them as interlopers at best and invaders at worst. “After October 7, 2023, leaders of the Hindutva movement — including ministers and members of parliament — expressed their unreserved solidarity with Israel, denouncing not only terrorists but Muslims in general,” Jaffrelot writes. “This pro-Israel bias was so widespread that the judiciary once again echoed it by banning demonstrations in support of the Palestinians.” This is, in essence, the concept that far-right movements are increasingly sharing knowledge and coordinating their activities to advance a shared struggle against the existing liberal order. Originating from Western politics, in reference to things like the ties between the Republican party and Hungary's ruling Fidesz group, the term “nationalist international” is often deployed semi-ironically — in the sense that nationalist movements are, by their nature, unlikely to be able to be stable partners with each other for very long. But unlike, say, Eastern European nationalist movements, the Israeli and Indian far-right nationalisms have few points of geographical or historical conflict. In this future, countries will no longer feel burdened by the need to even pay lip service to human rights concerns. Leaders of ascendant powers like Modi, who might once have at least had political reservations about being too closely linked to an Israeli prime minister under ICC indictment, will act on their unrestrained impulses. A network of far-right movements, united in large part by shared hostility to Muslims, will unite a group of governments ranging from Western Europe to South Asia — maybe even North America. Should we trust Claude to stop a missile attack? The 3 big lessons we've learned since “Liberation Day.” Both parties just approved billions for lifesaving aid abroad.

After the August blast at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works, some current and former steelworkers say management's investment decisions have left workplace safety and pollution issues to linger at a plant where operators have little margin for error. The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been using a full-body restraint device called the WRAP during deportations. That continued despite concerns about safety from a watchdog division of its parent agency, the US Dept. In Mexico, traditionally women didn't inherit chinampas, island farms first built by the Aztecs thousands of years ago. Today, more women are buying them and doing sustainable farming to preserve this unique ecosystem. An AP investigation found more than 420 anti-science bills attacking longstanding public health protections – vaccines, milk safety and fluoride – have been introduced in statehouses across the U.S. this year. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said “no one has died” because of his government's decision to gut its foreign aid program. American contractors guarding aid distribution sites in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scramble for food, according to accounts and videos obtained by The Associated Press. The U.S. military trained him in explosives and battlefield tactics. But after two tours in Iraq, Chris Arthur was calling for taking up arms against police and government officials in his own country. A “sea war” is brewing off the West African nation of Gambia as desperate local fishermen attack foreign commercial fishing vessels, and each other. The fight is driven by market forces and foreign seafood appetites that are far beyond their control. After a long search for her birth family filled with many twists, Korean adoptee Rebecca Kimmel still doesn't know who she is. (Video: Lora Moftah and David Goldman/ Edited by Serginho Roosblad) At 800 episodes and 37 seasons, “The Simpsons” remains a cultural juggernaut that refuses to age. Creator Matt Groening and longtime showrunners Al Jean, and Matt Selman speak with Associated Press entertainment journalist Liam McEwan about the secrets behind the animated show's nearly four-decade run — from evolving characters and legendary guest stars to the “accidental” predictions that have become internet legend. Bart Simpson voice actor Nancy Cartwright takes viewers inside a recording session, revealing how playing a 10-year-old boy for nearly 40 years has become inseparable from her own identity. Animator David Silverman revisits his original sketches that transformed rough ideas into iconic moments, while principal composer Kara Talve offers a rare look inside a live scoring session. As “Bridgerton” enters its fairytale era in season four with a masquerade ball meet-cute, AP entertainment journalist Hilary Fox sat down with the cast of the steamy Netflix hit to discuss their own Cinderella moments, being spotted by fans and sex scenes. With the focus on Luke Thompson's Benedict and the mysterious Sophie, played by newcomer Yerin Ha, returning stars include Hannah Dodd, Luke Newton and Claudia Jessie as the Ton's Bridgerton siblings Francesca, Colin and Eloise. When Tunisian writer and director Kaouther Ben Hania first heard Hind Rajab's voice, she knew that she had to tell her story. Ben Hania and actor Saja Kilani spoke with AP entertainment journalist Leslie Ambriz about the difficult task of blending reality with narrative as they sought to bring Hind's story to the cinema. One year after the Palisades Fire destroyed his family's longtime home in Malibu, Calif., Cary Elwes is looking back — at a four-decade film and TV career that includes “The Princess Bride,” “Liar Liar,” “Days of Thunder,” “Glory” and “Robin Hood: Men In Tights” — as well as forward, with the new movie “Dead Man's Wire” hitting theaters this weekend. Forge also opens up about trusting his musical instincts, his favorite instruments, and how storytelling, mythology, and music continue to shape the band's ever-evolving world. Tony Kanal is looking back at No Doubt's journey from Orange County to Las Vegas — and what fans can expect from the band's upcoming residency at Sphere. Kanal sat down with Associated Press entertainment journalist Liam McEwan to discuss the band's early gigs, rehearsal process and rapid rise to fame. He also opens up about their musical evolution across landmark albums like “Tragic Kingdom” and “Rock Steady,” as well as the emotions surrounding their 2024 Coachella reunion and what it meant to reunite on such a massive stage. So the couple started reading Khalil Gibran's “The Prophet” out loud to each other — launching a creative journey that resulted in Ami Taf Ra's debut album, “The Prophet and The Madman.” They sat down with AP entertainment editor Ryan Pearson to talk about their meeting at a New York City jazz club and their musical and personal partnership. Danny Ramirez's acting career began unexpectedly on a soccer field. Known for his roles in “Captain America: Brave New World” and “The Last of Us,” Ramirez first began acting while sidelined with a sprained ankle when a production assistant invited him to be an extra in Mira Nair's film “The Reluctant Fundamentalist.” Seeing actor Riz Ahmed portraying a soccer player on set inspired Ramirez. He's set to produce, write, direct and star in his directorial debut “Baton.” The famed guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer says that while he's “kind of a hoarder,” it's time to put some 800 items up for auction to benefit his military veterans charity. Walsh sits down with Associated Press entertainment journalist Liam McEwan to discuss selling his customized guitars and amps, vehicles and decades of memorabilia. Legendary singer-songwriter Paul Anka sits down with Associated Press entertainment journalist Liam McEwan to discuss his new documentary, “Paul Anka: His Way.” Anka reflects on seven decades in show business, the evolving future of music in the age of A.I., and the stories behind some of his most iconic collaborations. He opens up about writing “My Way” for Frank Sinatra, his crucial role in bringing The Beatles to the U.S., and working with Michael Jackson, Drake, Sammy Davis Jr. and Elvis Presley. Cherien Dabis' “All That's Left of You” follows one Palestinian family over the course of three generations — beginning in 1948 and ending in the present day. The Palestinian American actor, writer and director's epic, executive produced by Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo, is Jordan's submission to the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. James Cameron's “Avatar: Fire and Ash” lands in theaters Dec. 19 — 16 years after the sci-fi franchise's landmark first entry and seven years after most of its stars completed their performance capture work. As they began a globe-trotting publicity tour, AP entertainment editor Ryan Pearson sat down in Los Angeles with Cameron and actors Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Sam Worthington, Oona Chaplin, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion and Bailey Bass. As “Stranger Things” enters its fifth and final season, stars of the hit Netflix series are refliecting on what they'll miss most — from the friendships forged over nearly a decade to the pressure of starring in a global phenomenon. Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Sadie Sink, Caleb McLaughlin, Jamie Campbell Bower, Charlie Heaton, Maya Hawke, Natalia Dyer and Joe Keery — along with show creators Matt and Ross Duffer — sit down with Associated Press entertainment journalist Liam McEwan to discuss the emotional weight of saying goodbye and leaving behind the environment that shaped their adolescence. After taking home 22 trophies at the Emmy Awards in September and scoring a summer box office hit with Brad Pitt's “F1" — streaming Dec. 12 — the leaders at Apple TV are taking a victory lap. “It's Not That Deep” for Demi Lovato as she enters a new era with her ninth studio album and an upcoming tour. The pop star sat down with Associated Press entertainment journalist Liam McEwan in Los Angeles to reflect on her journey. She says at 33 she's making peace with her past, embracing the memes that once made her self-conscious, and learning not to take herself too seriously. She opens up about how finding true love inspired her new album, details her upcoming tour, and reveals how she remains emotionally connected to earlier hits like “Skyscraper” when performing them today. Becky G says “now is the best time to be an artist” as she finds herself able to cross between music genres, including Mexican regional music. She's part of a new cadre of women who are carving out their own space in the often male-dominated world, often singing lyrics that differ from their male counterparts tailored around love, heartbreak and the experience of being a woman. She sat down with AP entertainment journalist Itzel Luna to talk about her Mexican-American identity, using creativity as resistance to anti-immigrant sentiment, and feeling “divinely guided from above.” Sudan Archives wants fans to get up a dance with her third studio album “The BPM.” The violinist, singer and songwriter born Brittney Denise Parks sat down with AP entertainment journalist Leslie Ambriz to talk about expanding her artistry, collaborating with family and her spiritual connection to J Dilla. Jeremy Allen White says learning to play guitar for his lead role in the Bruce Springsteen biopic “Deliver Me From Nowhere” was actually more difficult than singing. White, his co-star Odessa Young and writer-director Scott Cooper sat down with AP entertainment journalist Brooke Lefferts to talk about making the first movie based on the rock icon's life, centered on the creation of his 1982 album “Nebraska.” K-pop group P1Harmony sat down with Associated Press entertainment journalist Liam McEwan to reflect on their creative journey and the growing importance of authenticity in their music and public lives. They share insights on letting go of image control, embracing imperfection, the push-and-pull of creative decision-making in K-pop, and how love from fans has helped them recognize their own worth. She sat down with AP entertainment journalist Leslie Ambriz to talk about life after all those awards, how diving into “Portrait” has helped her continue to grow as an artist — and what it means to make her mark in the jazz world. K-pop superstars TOMORROW X TOGETHER sat down with Associated Press entertainment journalist Liam McEwan backstage at their Los Angeles concert to celebrate their contract renewal with BIGHIT MUSIC and reflect on their journey as a group. Since debuting in 2019, Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai have become known for heartfelt storytelling and a deep bond with their fans, nicknamed MOA. Latin Grammy-winning singer Silvana Estrada sat down AP entertainment journalist Leslie Ambriz to chat about her new album, “Vendrán Suaves Lluvias” and the healing journey that Estrada went on to craft the self-produced work of art. Ondi Timoner was in Europe working on a movie when the Eaton Fire burned through the Southern California community of Altadena in January, destroying her home and more than 5,000 others and killing more than 19 people. Timoner spoke with AP entertainment journalist Ryan Pearson about why she pushed herself to complete the film in under nine months, what makes Altadena unique and how she hopes to help her neighbors. “We're gonna bask in it now.” The breakout singing voices behind Netflix's hit “KPop Demon Hunters” — Rei Ami, EJAE, and Audrey Nuna (a.k.a. They spoke with Associated Press entertainment journalist Liam McEwan about inside jokes, the film's unexpected success and their own surprising journey from solo artists to a powerhouse trio. Pino Palladino and Blake Mills have reinvented themselves many times over their decades in the music industry. And now they're stepping gently into the spotlight, after releasing their second collaborative instrumental jazz album, “That Wasn't A Dream.” Like their first project together, 2021's “Notes With Attachments,” it showcases a range of styles, their sometimes-experimental tastes and elite musicianship on the guitar and bass. They spoke with AP entertainment reporter Ryan Pearson about reinvention, imposter syndrome and playing live together. While spending months in solitary confinement, he created beats on his chest, crafted lyrics and hand-wrote music video treatments. Carey sat down AP entertainment journalist Leslie Ambriz to chat about her new era, spirituality and more. The former Beatle sat down with Associated Press entertainment journalist Liam McEwan to reflect on decades of touring, his All-Starr Band, and the enduring power of songs like “With A Little Help From My Friends,” “Yellow Submarine” and “Octopus' Garden.” Starr also opened up about his STARR ART exhibition in Las Vegas, his creative beginnings as a painter, and the upcoming release of “Anthology 4,” which he calls both “intimate” and surprising: “There's still a lot of stuff to be found.”

He's been reporting on aviation for CNN for 25 years, but he's spent a lifetime as an avgeek — a lover of all things aviation. There are few airplanes CNN anchor Richard Quest hasn't set foot on, either as a passenger or in a museum. “Nothing ever stands still in aviation because you're always trying to improve that which went before,” he says. The British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) was just five years old when its ‘One Eleven' — the first aircraft to bear the BAC name — made its debut passenger flight. It was a strong start — the plane, powered by rear-mounted Rolls-Royce turbofan engines, roared into Europe's new jetset era, swiftly becoming the aircraft of choice for flights across the continent (as well as across the pond, where American Airlines was a loyal customer). Updated into a longer version in 1967, it continued to acquire clients across the globe, and rivaled the Douglas DC-9 and Boeing 737 in popularity. While it made a lot of noise, both literally and reputationally, eventually those noisy turbofans led to its demise. In 2003, it fell foul of EU noise restrictions. It rumbled on, but in 2010 its European safety certificate was revoked and the last model — owned by US aerospace company Norfolk Grumman — was retired in 2019. Quest says: It was a little plane that you went on holiday to Spain on. It had two engines at the back and it was extremely noisy and, I'm guessing, environmentally unfriendly. But I can remember coming back as a kid, getting off the plane at Speke Airport in Liverpool — what they now call John Lennon Airport — coming down the stairs, turning around, looking at this BAC 1-11 and thinking, “How did it get in the air and stay there?” And that wonderment has never left me. It had two engines at the back and was extremely noisy and, I'm guessing, environmentally unfriendly. Flying back to New York and sitting on an aircraft, taking off in London, all of a sudden, I think… “Can I tell the moment when we're going to take off?” I try still to do it. It still has me absolutely enthralled, the whole business. I cannot think of something more exciting to cover than aviation. In 1929, if you'd wanted to fly across America coast to coast, it would have meant a series of hops in slow aircraft — interspersed with train rides — on Transcontinental Air Transport, which would become TWA. That changed in June 1936, when American Airlines started flying the Douglas DC-3 twin-propeller plane. This “game changer,” Quest says, “allowed the US carriers to truly open up the domestic United States.” More than 13,000 of the airplanes would eventually be produced, according to the National Air and Space Museum. Designed as a rival to Boeing's 247, which could fly 10 passengers at 160mph, the DC-3 swiftly took the lead in importance and popularity. It became so iconic that when Richard Branson launched his short-lived retro-themed Vintage Airways, which flew between Miami and Key West from 1992 to 1995, he used DC-3 aircraft. Quest says: It's a funny shape, but it was a real workhorse of an aircraft, propeller-driven long before jets came along. It was an absolute aircraft for its time and ushered in tremendous advancement for US aviation. Richard Branson ran the aircraft in traditional livery. The music of Glenn Miller from that era was played on board. So it was very much a tourist attraction. As Boeing's recent woes have slowed down its production line, Airbus has been going from strength to strength — and the narrowbody A320, the French company's answer to the 737, became the most delivered aircraft in history in October 2025. According to the manufacturer, an A320 takes off or lands somewhere in the world every two seconds. Quest calls it, along with the 737, an “engineering marvel.” It is of course strong in its homeland, Europe — KM Malta Airlines opted for a fleet of A320s when it launched in 2024, for example, while the A320 family is the backbone of short-haul flights for the likes of easyJet and British Airways. But it's rightly beloved across the globe. The first passenger flight — a demonstration flight at the Habsheim Air Show for Air France, on June 26, 1988 — ended in a crash which killed three people. One of my favorites because it was such an achievement to build and to get it going. Quest says: Airbus knew what it had to do — create a family of planes. It does have a very strange noise when you park at the gate — it's the turbine underneath. The 707 was the first passenger jet to be designed and produced by Boeing's commercial arm. Another coup for Pan Am meant the airline was able to launch the plane's first service. It even persuaded President Dwight D. Eisenhower to attend the aircraft's baptism on October 17, 1958. Nine days later, it made its first commercial passenger flight from Idlewild, NY, to Paris Le Bourget. It became the one you had to have. I flew on it from Manchester in northern England to Tel Aviv. Those who could afford it, those who knew what they were doing, they traveled on the 707. Boeing's first widebody twin-jet became the US manufacturer's workhorse. It's an uber-popular plane that Quest calls “an absolute mainstay of the fleet.” It's been produced in all kinds of iterations — longer, and extended range models — and built a legion of fans thanks to touches of luxury in economy class. Its 2-3-2 configuration meant the majority of seats were either a window or an aisle. Most airlines have phased them out, though United and Delta plan to fly theirs until 2028. Quest says: In a certain way, the 777 is similar to Airbus's A330. It's an aircraft that does wonders for the economics of the airline, but passengers are never going to rapturously fall in love with it. My love of the 767 is personal because I often fly United between New York and London, and they use 767s. On United 767s, business class stretches back beyond the wing — a profitable use of space other airlines now emulate. It's an aircraft that does wonders for the economics of the airline, but passengers are never going to fall rapturously in love with it. Now, of course, it's going to fly safely, it's going to fly magnificently — but that's getting up there in terms of aircraft age. Is this the most stealthily popular widebody ever built? The world's largest twinjet, perhaps its popularity might be down to the way Boeing crowdsourced part of its design process, asking launch airlines for input. After its successful 1994 test flight, it debuted for United the following year. It's still going strong — so strong, in fact, that N777UA, the aircraft which made that first commercial flight, is still in United's fleet. Designed to challenge Airbus' much-lauded A350, the 777X's launch has repeatedly been delayed, but has been promised for delivery in 2027. Quest says: I remember talking to the CEO of Continental Airlines. We were at a reception and they were about to get rid of their 747s for 777s, and I was saying, “Oh, but we love the 747.” And he turned around and said, “The 777 is a game-changer.” And it was, and it still is, in a sense, because it gave you range, it gave you numbers of passengers, and it gave you variance. There were 34 of us onboard, and we flew from Hong Kong to London, but we went the long way, three-quarters of the way around the planet, nonstop. The 777, I think, is a plane that truly deserves its accolade as one of the best, because it enables new routes and more people to fly. Planned since the 1980s, its conception was announced in 1990, and avgeeks feverishly awaited its maiden flight with Singapore Airlines in 2007. To date the only fully double-decker aircraft in the sky, it instantly became a passenger favorite. But by the time the plane was in production, airlines were looking for smaller aircraft. The A380, which was capable of accommodating more than 800 passengers in an all-economy configuration (though it usually carried around 500 across multiple classes), was no longer what airline CEOs wanted. Quest says: It's the most extraordinary piece of engineering. Some people say it was 20 years too late, some say it was 20 years too early, in terms of when it was constructed. What was needed more were smaller planes that could operate with greater frequency and open up new routes — in other words, the 787s and the A350s. Yes, I have taken the Emirates shower, and it's quite an experience. You and I could be sitting on the wing next to the engines at full takeoff power and be talking like this — a normal conversation because it is so beautifully built. The bulbous hump of the Boeing 747 made her an instant icon when she debuted for Pan Am on a New York-London route, using one of the 25 aircraft ordered while the plane was still in development. The hump, Quest notes, was rumored to have been designed to make conversion into a cargo aircraft easier if the passenger version failed. American Airlines was so keen to join the club that it leased some of Pan Am's 747s before its own arrived. Boeing's long-haul flagship was the first widebody passenger aircraft, introducing generations of travelers to the glories of seating rows that stretched from seat A to K. And for elite flyers, its first-class passenger lounge on the upper deck added prestige. The gas guzzler has gradually been phased out of service, but not all are gone. A few remain in the skies, operated by airlines including Lufthansa, Korean Air and Air China. Quest says: From the very beginning, Boeing wanted to design a truly spectacular aircraft. And it was Juan Trippe, the then-CEO of Pan Am, who determined this aircraft was going to be his airline's flagship. It was going to be like nothing else. Initially, many people thought it was too big — how are airports going to cope? But it was well structured, well thought through, and very, very quickly, the 747 became probably the jet most people wanted to fly on, because they loved it. If you got to ascend those stairs and sit upstairs, it was wonderful. If you got to ascend those stairs and sit upstairs, it was wonderful. I walked up and down the spiral staircases many times. Memorable flight: The first time I went to the United States, I was an exchange student. I was flying out of London Gatwick on People Express, one of the first low-cost carriers in the 1980s. I remember waking up in the airport hotel, looking out of the window and seeing a 747 landing. The flight attendant came along with one of those old credit card machines that you rolled backwards and forwards with carbon paper. When Concorde first sailed into the skies on January 21, 1976 — with sibling flights, from London to Bahrain and Paris to Rio de Janeiro — she showed that humans were capable of traveling faster than the speed of sound in style. Not just faster, in fact, but twice as fast. Concorde had a maximum cruising speed of Mach 2.04, or 1,354 mph. Europeans could now reach New York in around three and a half hours — an extraordinary feat when you consider the eight-hour transatlantics that we still endure 50 years on. A joint UK-France venture — with British Airways and Air France as the launch operators — Concorde's astronomical development costs were her downfall. The project never broke even, and hemorrhaging funds forced both airlines to cut back their initial multiple routes to the single most popular one: across the Atlantic to New York. For Quest, who flew on it multiple times, it remains the finest aircraft ever made. Quest says: It was like nothing else. It didn't matter how you got on board the damn thing, whether you robbed, stole, finagled or bought your ticket. I had a smile from here to here the first time I flew on Concorde. I had a smile from here to here the first time I flew on Concorde. It was small — just 100 seats — cramped and noisy. The carpet had to be specially made and it had to have elasticity in it because the fuselage stretched due to the heat. And when they took you supersonic, you felt a kick in the back as the plane accelerated and you saw the Mach meter start to tick over. It was a sad day because I believe it was the first time in aviation that a technological development had not been built on — we were actually going backwards. It's only in the last five, 10 years with Boom that it's become a potential reality again. If you ask me what my favorite story of my career has been, it was the last flight of Concorde.

North Korea on Saturday released pictures showing leader Kim Jong Un and his teenage daughter at a rifle range, the latest propaganda images to promote the child touted as a potential successor. State media KCNA said Kim and his daughter – along with Kim Jong Un's powerful sister Kim Yo Jong and other officials – fired the rifles after the North Korean leader gifted them to military leaders to salute their service to the reclusive state's ruling party. One of the images – which was flagged during a CNN check as being potentially AI-manipulated – showed the girl, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and in her early teens, firing a sniper rifle. In all, North Korea released 27 pictures of the event. Only the picture of Kim Ju Ae firing the rifle showed possible use of AI. At the assembly, Kim Yo Jong was promoted to director of a party department after years in a deputy role, solidifying her standing in the inner circle. Several senior party and military posts were reshuffled, elevating younger loyalists. But much of the attention was on Kim's daughter. Kim Ju Ae stood withbher father on the grandstand as he reviewed some 14,000 troops goosestepping through Kim Il Sung Square, named after her great-grandfather, in the capital of Pyongyang. She has also been at her father's side for previous missile tests and other ruling-party events, fueling speculation that she will be the fourth-generation successor to the Kim family dynasty that has ruled North Korea since before the Korean War started in 1950. In February South Korea's spy agency said it believes the dictator has “entered the stage of nominating her as successor.” There has been no official confirmation from North Korea on the daughter's role, but the image of her purportedly firing the sniper rifle on Friday brought even more attention to her. “By emphasizing that Kim Ju Ae knows how to fire a rifle, North Korea is hinting that she is undergoing succession training,” Yang Mu-jin, a distinguished professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told the Chosun Daily newspaper. Other images appeared to show Kim Ju Ae, wearing a leather jacket, observing through binoculars as her father took a shot, and helping present the rifles to others at the event.

Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi issued his first appeal to the Iranian people after the joint U.S.-Israeli strike against Iran, echoing President Donald Trump's appeal that the hour of destiny was at hand. Within hours of the first U.S. and Israeli munitions hitting Tehran and other cities across Iran, Pahlavi delivered an address of a similar tone to those since January, but under much different circumstances. This is a humanitarian intervention; and its target is the Islamic Republic, its repressive apparatus, and its machinery of slaughter—not the country and great nation of Iran,” Pahlavi continued. “But, even with the arrival of this aid, the final victory will still be forged by our hands. He declared that the Islamic Republic's government was “collapsing,” then shifted his focus to the police and military, urging them to defect and join civilian protesters. Otherwise, you will go down with Khamenei's sinking ship and his regime,” Pahlavi said. This is a humanitarian intervention, and its target is the Islamic Republic, its apparatus of repression, and… https://t.co/YAq3rJLzdd pic.twitter.com/VVQ17mvhJ9 Pahlavi told listeners not to take to the streets as the U.S. and Israeli attacks were ongoing. “I ask you to remain in your homes for now and preserve your safety and security. “We are very close to final victory. I want to be by your side as soon as possible so that together we can take back and rebuild Iran,” Pahlavi added. The crown prince's message was similar to that of Trump, and was released on X just three minutes after the president's Truth Social address. Trump focused on his domestic audience in his address, saying the strikes were intended to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” which he described as “a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.” However, he also devoted a significant amount of time to addressing the Iranian people directly, and members of the military and security services. You will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death,” Trump declared. “Finally, to the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand,” he said. This will be probably your only chance for generations. “America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach.” Do not let it pass,” he concluded. The most recent round of protests was notable for prominently featuring direct appeals to the crown prince from large crowds. Pahlavi has been in direct contact with the Trump administration and has been complimented by the president.

Weapons that Cuban authorities say were recovered from a speedboat in Cuban waters following a confrontation that left four people dead are displayed during a media presentation in Havana, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. Weapons that Cuban authorities say were recovered from a speedboat in Cuban waters following a confrontation that left four people dead are displayed during a media presentation in Havana, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. Weapons that Cuban authorities say were recovered from a speedboat in Cuban waters following a confrontation that left four people dead are displayed during a media presentation in Havana, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. Weapons that Cuban authorities say were recovered from a speedboat in Cuban waters following a confrontation that left four people dead are displayed during a media presentation in Havana, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. Weapons that Cuban authorities say were recovered from a speedboat in Cuban waters following a confrontation that left four people dead are displayed during a media presentation in Havana, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. HAVANA (AP) — Top officials with Cuba's Ministry of the Interior unveiled for the first time late Friday the items they said were aboard a Florida-flagged speedboat that opened fire against troops in waters off the island's north coast this week, with soldiers responding and killing four suspects. Among the items Cuban officials said were aboard the boat: a dozen high-powered weapons, including one with a scope; a big cooler filled with more than 12,800 pieces of ammunition; 11 pistols; heavy-duty boots, helmets with cameras; and camouflage backpacks. “We were clearly able to assess that we were facing a terrorist action from a boat coming from the United States,” 1st Col. Ivey Daniel Carballo of the Cuban Border Guard Troops told the AP. According to Carballo, the 30-foot (nine meter) border patrol boat detected an intruder on Wednesday morning and approached to within about 600 feet (185 meters) to investigate, but it was met with high-caliber gunfire. He said that three of the attackers were immediately killed and that a fourth was wounded and later died. Caraballo said the speedboat was located about one mile (1.6 kilometers) northeast of Cayo Falcones off the island's north coast. The border guard commander was injured, he added. “We didn't expect it, especially with that many people and weapons,” he said. They also revealed who financed it,” Álvarez added. He noted that officials detected 13 bullet holes on the border guard boat and 21 others on the suspect's vessel, “meaning that there was combat.” The Cuban government had reported Wednesday that a person had been captured on land, but Álvarez said that so far, there is no information that the suspects had any support network on the island. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said it was not a U.S. government operation and that the American government was gathering its own information.

President Donald Trump was in his element as he made a stop at Whataburger after a speech in Corpus Cristi, Texas. Trump gave a speech focused on energy, during which he was joined by the three Republicans vying for a Senate seat this November — incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX). The trio will face off in a 2026 midterm primary this upcoming Tuesday, and the top two are most likely headed for a runoff later this year. But Trump took time to unwind on his way back to Air Force One and indulge in one of his favorite pastimes — fast food. “So, are these the best hamburgers?” he said after walking into the restaurant to cheers, prompting further applause. “How are the burgers, pretty good?” he asked, then added, “You're all very famous people tonight.” President @realDonaldTrump orders hamburgers for everyone in Whataburger! They're crazy!” he said, drawing agreement from the crowd. The president then ordered hamburgers for everyone, quipping that he'd buy them drinks, but he doesn't drink. “I'm gonna get some stuff for Air Force One, then I'm gonna get the Hell out of here,” Trump said. Several other high-ranking Republicans were present at the visit, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). He famously took on the brief role of a McDonald's fry cook during his 2024 campaign, a move reflecting his love of the fast food chain and mocking former Vice President Kamala Harris's unclear claim to have worked there previously. In January, he told Katie Miller that Trump has the “most unhinged eating habits.”

President Donald Trump remained noncommittal about endorsing a candidate in the closely watched Senate GOP primary during his visit to Corpus Christi, Texas, following his fourth State of the Union address this week. Trump's visit to Corpus Christi comes during a grueling and bitter Senate GOP primary between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), and state attorney general Ken Paxton. Trump teased before his speech on Friday that he had “pretty much” decided who he would endorse, but declined to tell reporters which candidate had his support. “No,” Trump said when reporters asked him who he was backing. He did, however, greet all three candidates while speaking, signaling his friendliness but refusal to truly wade into the primary. “We have a great attorney general, Ken Paxton. “And another friend of mine who's doing very well, Wesley Hunt. Wesley Hunt, doing a good job,” Trump also said. Cornyn, who flew to Corpus Christi with Trump aboard Air Force One, is in the fight of his political career despite being backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and his more than 20 years in the Senate. With three candidates in the field, it is not expected that any single lawmaker will win the primary. But Republicans are worried that the popular but scandal-plagued Paxton could eventually win the primary, boosting Democrats' chances of finally flipping the seat blue after decades of false hope. Vice President Kamala Harris threw her support behind Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) on Friday and has recorded a robocall for the Congressional Democrat's primary battle against Texas State Rep. James Talarico. Trump also publicly acknowledged the embattled Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), who sent explicit late-night texts to former aide Regina Santos-Aviles before she set herself on fire last year. Gonzales has refused to step down from office after the texts were made public this week, and at least six Republicans have called for his resignation, upending another Texas race with primaries looming. Trump was in Corpus Christi to underscore his economy and energy policy agendas before November's midterm elections, though he veered off script during his address to tell the crowd an anecdote intended to emphasize how well the stock market is performing at the moment. “This wonderful, tough policeman from New York, he's taking good care of us, and he said, ‘Sir, it's so good. My married life has gotten so much better. Financially, I couldn't make any money because my 401(K) was dying for years, and now she thinks I'm the smartest financial genius ever. “We're going to keep something for ourselves,” he said. In addition to Cornyn, Actor Dennis Quaid accompanied Trump to Corpus Christi on his presidential plane and, at one point during his speech, came on stage to say, “I love Corpus Christi — and I love Donald Trump!” Trump, donning a “Gulf of America” red baseball cap, similarly used the platform to quip about considering nominating Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) to the Supreme Court, criticize Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) for heckling him during his State of the Union, and claim he is “entitled” to a third term as president. “Maybe we do one more term?” he asked. Well, we're entitled to it because they cheated like hell in the second.” Trump now heads to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, for a weekend of political meetings and fundraisers, stopping at a Whataburger fast-food chain en route to the airport. “Hamburgers for all!” he shouted to those in the restaurant.

Los Angeles School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho is being put on paid leave while he is part of a federal investigation. He previously led the public schools in Miami. Carvalho has not responded to a request for comment. The FBI on Wednesday also searched a third location near Miami. The Miami Herald reported the Florida property belonged to Debra Kerr, who previously worked with AllHere, an education technology company that had a contract with Los Angeles schools before it collapsed and its leader was indicted for fraud. She could not be reached for comment Thursday. In 2024, Carvalho heavily touted a deal with AllHere for an AI chatbot named “Ed” designed to help students. The school district said in a statement Wednesday that it “is cooperating with the investigation and we do not have further information at this time.” After Smith-Griffin was indicted, Carvalho said he would appoint a task force to examine what went wrong with the LA school district's project, but there have been no public announcements about it since. Kerr, an education technology salesperson who connects companies with schools, said she was never paid her $630,000 commission for her work in closing the AllHere deal with the LA district, according to a news organization, The 74, that covered the company's bankruptcy hearings in 2024. The 74 reported that Kerr had longstanding ties with Carvalho from when he oversaw the Florida district and that her son who worked for AllHere pitched the technology to LA school leaders after he took over the helm there. The Associated Press was unable to reach Kerr for comment. Over the past five years in Los Angeles, Carvalho has been lauded for the district's improvements to academic performance. He won similar praise while overseeing Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida's largest school district, where the national superintendents association named him Superintendent of the Year in 2014. Spain knighted the Portugal-born administrator in 2021 for his work in expanding Spanish-language programs for Miami-Dade County schools. Months later, Carvalho took the job in California and became a harsh critic of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown, especially following raids in Los Angeles last year. Carvalho arrived in Los Angeles at a critical moment, as the district found itself flush with funding from state and federal COVID-19 relief money but still struggling with the impacts of the pandemic, including learning losses and declining enrollment. He previously sparred with Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis over his order that schools not require masks during the pandemic. The Miami-Dade school system said in a statement that it was aware of the investigation involving Carvalho but did not have any comment at this time.

In just one year, President Trump's effective immigration and border security policies have led to an all-time-low in illegal crossings at the southern border. The message is clear: America's borders are closed to lawbreakers. The DHS secretary stated during an August 2025 press conference that “we have had — for three months in a row — zero illegal aliens entering the United States.” Sources did not deny that the Border Patrol, a part of DHS's agency Customs and Border Protection, responsible for initially arresting people, had released anyone. However, sources said it was DHS's Immigration and Customs Enforcement that has and continues to release an unspecified number of people from the border who are turned over to them from Border Patrol. The number of ICE releases under Trump is unclear. “Dirty little secret that the [Trump administration] does not want getting out for obvious reasons,” the first source wrote in a text message. Border Patrol may handle some removals of Mexican nationals, but ICE is responsible for the detention and removal of illegal immigrants. A second source said immigrants who came over the southern border illegally are being released into the U.S. on a “case-by-case basis.” They continue to be placed into ICE's Alternatives to Detention program, which may require wearing an ankle monitor to track their location while not in custody. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Trump's record on the border had netted results but did not comment on his “zero” releases remark earlier this week. “President Trump is right – thanks to his leadership the border has been totally secured in a short period of time,” Jackson wrote in an email Friday. The American people are safer because of President Trump.” We ended the Biden administration's disastrous catch and release policies,” Scott said. Our reporting is grounded in operational data, vetted through established channels, aligned with DHS policy and federal law, and available publicly on CBP's webpage.” Scott, the former national chief of the Border Patrol, added that illegal immigrants in Border Patrol custody may be turned over to another agency or local law enforcement, to ICE, or the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement if the person is a child without a parent. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council in Washington, said ICE's quiet releases over the past nine months were a good sign, because it indicated that federal employees recognize there are cases where detention is not appropriate or possible. “Every administration releases some migrants either because of logistical, diplomatic, or humanitarian reasons, and releases are not failures,” Reichlin-Melnick said in a phone call Friday. “Some people just shouldn't be held in detention. There's no good reason to do so, especially those with serious humanitarian or medical issues. Trump imposed a dozen executive actions related to immigration upon taking office in January 2025. House Republicans estimated that 5.3 million illegal immigrants, including possible asylum-seekers, were let into the U.S. under Biden.