With flattery and frank talk, Starmer urges Trump not to abandon Ukraine in press to end Russian war
WASHINGTON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is using a visit to Washington to press President Donald Trump not to abandon Ukraine as he looks to find a quick endgame to Russia’s bloody invasion of its neighbor. With a mix of flattery and frank talk, the center-left Starmer made the case to the Republican president to remain cautious as he goes about ending the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. The British premier started the visit by delivering an invitation from King Charles III to come to Scotland for a “historic” state visit — noting it was an “unprecedented” honor since Trump already had been given the royal treatment by Queen Elizabeth II during his first term.
Judge finds mass firings of federal probationary workers were likely unlawful
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge in San Francisco finds the mass firings of probationary employees were likely unlawful. Thursday’s decision grants temporary relief to a coalition of labor unions and organizations that has sued to stop the Trump administration’s dismantling of the federal workforce. U.S. District Judge William Alsup ordered the Office of Personnel Management to inform certain federal agencies that it had no authority to order the firings of probationary employees, including the Department of Defense. Lawyers for the personnel office say individual agencies made the decision to fire employees and that it had no role in ordering the firings.
Israel and Hamas have begun negotiating next phase of Gaza ceasefire, Egypt says
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Egypt says negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire have begun in Cairo. Egypt’s state information service said officials from Israel, Qatar and the U.S. started “intensive discussions” Thursday. Earlier in the day, an Israeli official said its military will not withdraw from a strategic corridor in the Gaza Strip. The pullout was part of the ceasefire and Israel’s refusal could spark a crisis with Hamas and key mediator Egypt at a sensitive moment. The Israeli official spoke hours after Hamas released the remains of four hostages in exchange for over 600 Palestinian prisoners, the last planned exchange of the ceasefire’s first phase, which ends this weekend.
Israel’s army admits failures on Oct. 7. Its probe of the attack could put pressure on Netanyahu
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An investigation by Israel’s military has determined that Hamas was able to carry out the deadliest attack in Israeli history on Oct. 7, 2023, because the much more powerful Israeli army misjudged the militant group’s intentions and underestimated its capabilities. The findings, released Thursday, could pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch a widely demanded broader inquiry to examine the political decision-making that preceded the attack, which triggered the war in Gaza. Many Israelis believe the failures of Oct. 7 extend beyond the military and blame Netanyahu for what they view as a failed strategy of deterrence and containment in the years leading up to the attack. The prime minister has not taken responsibility, saying he will answer tough questions only after the war.
Trump plans tariffs on Mexico and Canada for Tuesday, while doubling existing 10% tariffs on China
WASHINGTON (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says if the United States imposes tariffs, his country has billion of dollars’ worth of U.S. products that’ll be subject to tariffs as well. President Donald Trump says he plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting Tuesday and double the 10% universal tariff charged on imports from China. The Republican president says illicit drugs such as fentanyl are being smuggled into the United States at “unacceptable levels” and import taxes would force other countries to crack down on the trafficking. China’s commerce minister says differences on international trade should be resolved through negotiations. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says she hopes she and Trump can reach an agreement.
Gene Hackman was more than an everyman: An Appreciation
NEW YORK (AP) — One of the greatest American actors of the 20th century was voted “least likely to succeed” by his first theater school, wasn’t a star until he was 40 and possessed a face he once described as “your everyday mineworker.” Gene Hackman, a 6-foot-2 ex-Marine from Danville, Illinois, and a self-described “big lummox kind of person,” was as hard to define an actor as he was an unlikely star. “Everyman” was the most common label for Hackman, but even that seems to fall short for a performer capable of such volcanic intensity, such danger, writes AP Film Writer Jake Coyle in his appreciation of Hackman, who was found dead Thursday at his home in New Mexico.
What to know about the Tate brothers, social media influencers who face trafficking charges
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A travel ban was lifted on influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate. The dual U.S.-British citizens are charged with human trafficking in Romania, along with two Romanian women. The Tates, both avid supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump, left on a flight headed for the U.S. on Thursday. Thirty-eight-year-old Andrew Tate is a former kickboxer, as is his 36-year-old brother, Tristan. They have millions of followers on social media. They are accused in Romania of forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
Mexico sends drug lord Caro Quintero and 28 others to the US as officials meet with Trump team
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has sent infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero to the United States along with 28 other prisoners requested by the U.S. government. Caro Quintero was behind the killing of a U.S. DEA agent in 1985. Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office said in a statement that the 29 prisoners removed to the U.S. Thursday faced charges related to drug trafficking among other crimes. The unprecedented show of security cooperation comes as top Mexican officials are in Washington trying to head off the Trump administration’s threat of imposing 25% tariffs on all Mexican imports.
Iowa gives final approval to a bill removing gender identity protections despite protests
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A bill that would strip gender identity protections from Iowa’s civil rights code has received final legislative approval and now goes to the governor. Lawmakers in both the House and Senate approved the first-in-the-nation changes to the code Thursday. Hundreds of LGBTQ+ advocates who oppose the bill gathered at the Capitol to protest. They say the change would expose transgender people to discrimination in all areas of life. The bill now goes to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has been supportive of efforts to limit gender identity protections.
Vatican says Pope Francis continues to improve but his prognosis remains guarded
ROME (AP) — The Vatican says that Pope Francis continues to improve from double pneumonia Thursday, though doctors say he needs more days of “clinical stability” before they revise their guarded prognosis. The 88-year-old pope was able to begin alternating high-flow supplemental oxygen, delivered by a nasal tube, with a mask in a sign of his improved respiratory condition, the Vatican said in a late update. For the second day in a row, doctors did not say Francis was in critical condition. But they said that given the complexity of his lung infection, “further days of clinical stability are needed” before they declare he is out of danger. Francis has been in Rome’s Gemelli hospital since Feb. 14.