Trump’s announcement Sunday had raised hopes of extending set to expire by Wednesday, but then U.S. Marines boarded the cargo ship that tried to circumvent a naval blockade near the . Iran’s joint military command said Tehran would respond soon to what it called an act of piracy, and Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday said Tehran did not have plans yet to attend any talks with the United States.

Israel said it would join another round of talks with Lebanon, in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile announced a criminal investigation amid waves of condemnation after an Israeli soldier defaced a statue of Jesus Christ in Lebanon.

The escalating standoff threatened to roiling the global economy and push the two countries toward renewed fighting that has killed at least 3,375 people in Iran, nearly 2,300 in Lebanon, 23 civilians and 15 soldiers in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.

Here is the latest:

US and allied forces kick off combat drills with Philippines as China objects

The United States and the kicked off their annual display of allied military might on Monday, aimed at deterring aggression in Asia, despite Washington’s preoccupation with the .

More than 17,000 American and Filipino military personnel will participate in the weeks-long exercise, which includes mock battles and live-fire maneuvers facing the and the .

Nearly 10,000 U.S. military personnel will participate. “Regardless of the challenges elsewhere in the world, the United States focus on the Indo-Pacific and our ironclad commitment to the Philippines remains unwavering,” Marine Lt. Gen. Christian Wortman said in the opening ceremony.

China has objected. “Unilateralism and military bullying have already brought profound disasters to the world,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun warned, without mentioning the United States.

Trump snaps at critique that Israel dragged him into Iran war

In the leadup and throughout the seven-week war, Trump has faced criticism from the left and from some of his own supporters that he followed Israel’s lead into launching the conflict.

But Trump on social media is blaming the media for pushing what he claims is a false narrative.

“Israel never talked me into the war with Iran, the results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump posted.

Still no commitment by Iran for Round 2 talks with US

The office of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said he spoke Monday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, urging sustained diplomacy to address pending issues.

The Pakistan Foreign Office statement did not mention whether they discussed Iran resuming talks with the US in Islamabad, but said officials agreed to remain closely engaged going forward.

Trump says Vance is en route to Pakistan, but it’s not clear where the VP actually is

The New York Post quoted Trump in an interview claiming that Vice President JD Vance is headed to Pakistan for negotiations on the Iran War, along with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law.

“They’re heading over now,” Trump said. “They’ll be there tonight.”

But it’s not quite clear if Trump was speaking more broadly or if the claims about Vance are accurate. Administration officials have in response to questions declined to confirm if Vance is, in fact, mid-air on the way to Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

Top Catholic leader in Israel condemns defacing of statue of Jesus in Lebanon

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on Monday expressed “profound indignation and unreserved condemnation” of the defacing of a statue of Jesus Christ by an Israeli soldier in Lebanon, saying the act “constitutes a grave affront to the Christian faith.”

The Israeli military confirmed on Sunday that images showing an Israeli soldier smashing the head of a toppled Christ statue with a sledgehammer were genuine, setting off a wave of condemnation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had launched a criminal investigation into the soldier’s actions. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described it as “shameful” and apologized “to every Christian whose feelings were hurt.”

In a statement from Jerusalem, The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, headed by Pizzaballa, called for “immediate and decisive disciplinary action, a credible process of accountability, and clear assurances that such conduct will neither be tolerated nor repeated.”

Germany warns wars are destabilizing ‘far beyond Middle East’

The country’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, called on both Iran and the United States to cease hostilities and reach a negotiated solution in the Middle East.

He told reporters Monday in Hannover that the uncertainties created by the continuation of the conflict “have massive repercussions not only on the Middle East, not only on the Asian region, but also on the European region.”

“And the repercussions will not stop at America’s doorstep,” Merz added.

“All of this is currently jeopardizing economic development around the world and could lead to further political destabilization,” the chancellor warned. “The most important prerequisite for stability in the energy markets is an end to hostilities.”

UAE arrests people over alleged ties to Iran

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates arrested members of a unit with alleged ties to Iran, the state’s media reported.

The UAE-run WAM news agency reported Monday that those arrested had extremist views and were part of a “terrorist” unit, holding secret meetings, threatening internal security, planning to share sensitive location information and trying to recruit people to join suspicious foreign groups.

Dubai has previously shut down the city-state’s Iranian Hospital and Iranian Club, institutions that date back to the time of the shah.

Oil prices climb as US stocks give back only a bit of their record-breaking rally

Monday’s opening trades in the U.S. are a sharp turnaround from Friday, when oil prices tumbled after Iran said it was reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Now oil prices are climbing and U.S. stock prices are slipping again as on Sunday cast doubt on before the ceasefire between expires on Wednesday. Airline stocks also tumbled again, as they tend to when oil prices jump.

“The problem for markets is not the absence of hope; it is the overpricing of it,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

What captaining an oil tanker in the Mideast is like right now

Captain Rahman Al-Jubouri helms the Palau-flagged Sea Moon in one of the world’s most volatile maritime corridors, where the U.S.-Israel war with Iran has disrupted global trade and left some crews stranded and exposed to attacks.

The hostilities are not new for al-Jubouri, an Iraqi who has worked these seas during decades of upheaval, including the Iran-Iraq War and the 1991 Gulf War. Once again, he finds himself operating in high-risk waters, as military strikes threaten vessels seeking to navigate through chokepoints like Bab el-Mandeb and the Persian Gulf.

“We’re sailing over a ball of fire,” he said, speaking to The Associated Press by phone as he guides the ship from the Gulf of Aden toward the Gulf of Oman to unload oil at Ras Isa port in Yemen.

Israel condemns a soldier defacing a statue of Jesus in Lebanon

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned an Israeli soldier filmed defacing a statue of Jesus Christ during operations in Lebanon, saying he was “stunned and saddened” by the soldier’s actions.

Photos surfaced on Sunday of a soldier smashing the head of a toppled statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer. The Israeli military overnight confirmed the images were genuine, setting off a wave of condemnation. Netanyahu said Israel had launched a criminal investigation into the soldier’s actions. The Israeli military also said it was assisting the community to restore the statue.

The military did not immediately confirm where or when the incident took place. The Israeli military controls a large swath of southern Lebanon, reaching some 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Israeli border, and has not allowed residents to return.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a staunch Christian, said Israel must take action against the “outrageous act.”

China’s Xi calls for Strait of Hormuz to reopen

It is the first time that Chinese President Xi Jinping has publicly called for the reopening of the waterway. He made the comments in a call Monday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Xi said that China supported an “immediate and comprehensive ceasefire” and backed any efforts at restoring peace in the Middle East, according to a readout of the call published by the official Xinhua News Agency.

Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia was committed to resolving the conflict through dialogue and hoped to avoid further escalation.

Iran willing to attend second round of talks with US, Pakistan officials say

Iranian authorities have expressed willingness to send a delegation for a second round of talks in Islamabad this week, two Pakistani officials said Monday.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media, said there is cautious optimism that delegations from both Iran and the United States could travel to Islamabad.

They added that Pakistan will not share details about either side’s travel plans due to security considerations.

They also urged media outlets to avoid speculation about the timing of the talks, saying the process remains fluid.

Lebanon’s president says his country will negotiate on its own

President Joseph Aoun’s comments hinted Beirut will not accept that Iran negotiates on its behalf as part of U.S.-Iran talks.

Aoun said a Lebanese delegation led by diplomat Simon Karam will lead the next round of talks with Israel, as a 10-day fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah remains in place. The date for the talks has not been confirmed yet.

“No one will participate with Lebanon in this mission or replace it,” Aoun said in a statement. He said the aim of the negotiations is to halt “hostile actions, end the Israeli occupation of southern areas, and deploy the army up to the internationally recognized southern borders.”

He said Lebanon faces two options: the continuation of the war, or negotiations to end it. Hezbollah has expressed opposition to direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel. Last week, the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington held the first direct talks in decades.

An Indian-flagged oil tanker crossed Strait of Hormuz over the weekend

India’s Shipping Ministry said on Monday that the vessel carrying crude oil and 31 seafarers safely crossed of Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the same day two other Indian vessels had to turn back after reports of Iranian gunfire.

The vessel is expected to arrive at Mumbai on Wednesday, the ministry said. It added that 10 Indian-flagged ships have so far safely crossed the strait.

Oil prices jump and stocks are mixed

Oil prices climbed more than 5% while world shares were mixed Monday as a standoff between Iran and the U.S. prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. benchmark crude gained 5.3% to $87.88 a barrel, while Brent crude, the international standard, was up 5.3% at $95.62 a barrel.

Brazil’s Lula condemns massive spending on wars

Brazil President Luiz InĂĄcio Lula da Silva said during a visit to Germany it is unacceptable that hunger, illiteracy and a lack of access to electricity remain unresolved for billions of people while trillions are spent on wars.

“We are experiencing a critical moment in global geopolitics, marked by great paradoxes: While astronauts fly to the moon, women and children are being killed indiscriminately in the bombings in the Middle East,” he said Sunday night at the Hannover trade fair, German news agency dpa reported.

Lula called for modern technologies to be used not for wars, but “for a more sustainable and secure world.”

China expresses concern over US seizure of Iranian ship

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern Monday over the U.S. seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship on Sunday.

“We hope all relevant parties will adopt a responsible attitude, abide by the ceasefire agreement, avoid escalating tensions or intensifying contradictions,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

“The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, and ensure its unimpeded passage serves the common interests of countries in the region and the international community,” Guo said.

China has called for the resumption of the normal operation of the waterway.

Iran’s military explains why Tehran didn’t resist ship raid

Iran’s military offered an explanation Monday for why it didn’t fight back against U.S. Marines who raided an Iranian vessel in the Gulf of Oman.

The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which oversees operations of Iran’s regular military and its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said it held back attacking the Marines because the ship’s crew had family members aboard the Touska.

“Due to the presence of some family members of the ship’s crew, they faced constraints in order to protect their lives and ensure their safety, as they were in danger at every moment,” it said.

However, Iran also has seen much of its navy and airborne assets destroyed in the war.

Khatam al-Anbiya vowed it will take “necessary action against the terrorist U.S. military” in the future, without elaborating.

Iran Foreign Ministry says no plans yet to attend talks

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday said Tehran did not have plans yet to attend any talks with the United States.

He did not rule out Iran attending talks.

Authorities in Islamabad had been making preparations for another round potentially happened there this week.

“So far, while I am here, we have no plans for the next round of negotiations and no decision has been made in this regard,” Baghaei said during a news conference.

Pakistan interior minister meets US chargĂ© d’affaires

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met U.S. ChargĂ© d’Affaires Natalie Baker at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad on Monday.

The meeting focused on strengthening Pakistan-U. S. relations and preparations for a second round of talks scheduled to take place in Islamabad this week, Naqvi’s office said.

The statement did not specify when the talks are expected to begin.

Naqvi briefed Baker on security arrangements, saying special measures had been taken to ensure the safety of visiting delegations.

“We have made comprehensive security arrangements for our distinguished guests,” Naqvi said in the statement.

Baker offered an appreciation for Pakistan’s role in easing regional tensions and efforts to facilitate dialogue.

Pakistan prepares to host second round of talks

Pakistani authorities on Monday prepared to host a second round of talks between Iran and the United States, despite questions about whether the negotiations will take place.

Pakistan has intensified diplomatic contacts since Sunday with Washington and Tehran to ensure the talks proceed as soon as Tuesday, officials said on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke by phone late Sunday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Sharif’s office said in a statement that did not mention the planned talks.

Authorities began closing key roads and stepping up security in the capital Islamabad over the weekend, particularly around a luxury hotel where the delegations are expected to meet.

Authorities deployed troops at checkpoints, closed tourist sites and instructed major hotels to limit bookings to ensure availability.

Iran’s forensic medicine leader says death toll now over 3,300

Iran on Monday offered a new death toll for the war with Israel and the United States, with its forensic chief saying at least 3,375 people had been killed in the conflict.

The figure came from Abbas Masjedi, who oversees Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization.

Masjedi, quoted by the judiciary’s Mizan news agency and other outlets Monday, said only four of the dead remain unidentified.

His comments did not breakdown casualties among civilians and security forces, instead just saying 2,875 were male and 496 were female.

Masjedi said 383 of the dead were children 18 years old and under.

Masjedi’s figures raised questions about whether or not they included security force members, particularly given the levels of intense bombings targeting military bases and arsenals in the country.

Iran says it hangs 2 convicts claimed by opposition group

Iran said Monday it hanged two men it accused of setting fire to buildings on behalf of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad.

An Iranian exiled opposition group earlier claimed the men as members and alleged their charges stemmed from events that happened after they already had been detained.

The Mizan news agency of Iran’s judiciary identified the men hanged as Mohammad Masoum Shahi and Hamed Validi.

The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq opposition group identified Shahi as Nima Shahi.

The MEK said the men had been “subjected to interrogation and torture.” This brings to eight the total number of MEK members executed since the start of the war.

Activists and rights groups say Iran routinely holds closed-door trials in which defendants are unable to challenge the accusations they face.

Hezbollah claims it destroyed Israeli tanks

Hezbollah said it detonated explosives Sunday afternoon in an attack against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

The group said in a statement Monday that bombs planted by Hezbollah fighters exploded and destroyed four tanks in a convoy of eight tanks that was passing the village of Deir Siryan.

It was the first claim of an attack by Hezbollah since a 10-day ceasefire went into effect at midnight Thursday.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

Tehran says restrictions on Iranian oil come with a price

Iran’s first vice president, Mohammad Reza Aref, says global fuel prices could stabilize only if economic and military pressures on Iranian oil exports end.

“One cannot restrict Iran’s oil exports while expecting free security for others,” Aref wrote on X. “The choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone.”

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More than 60 nations sent representatives to Brussels for talks with Palestinian representatives on stability, security and long-term peace.

The European Union has largely been on the sidelines in the Middle East despite being the and backing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A majority of EU member countries now recognize an independent Palestinian state after many expressed outrage over Israeli actions in Gaza. The 27-nation bloc is also Israel’s top trading partner and a major buyer of Israeli weapons.

But the EU had no role in negotiating the that took effect after two years of war. And European moves to condemn or sanction some Israeli actions frequently had been vetoed by OrbĂĄn.

Now Hungary’s next leader, PĂ©ter Magyar, is indicating he will act differently from OrbĂĄn on Israel. And some leaders critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, like Spanish Prime Minister Pedro SĂĄnchez, are pushing for decisive action.

Challenging Europe’s agreement with Israel

Magyar has said he would seek “pragmatic relations” with Israel but also rejoin the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over Gaza. Orbán defied that warrant while hosting , then started the process of and genocide.

Magyar also said he might not continue Orbán’s policy of vetoing actions on Israel — a stumbling block that EU leaders critical of Israel have failed to overcome over the past three years of conflict in the Middle East.

After the Brussels meeting, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that without OrbĂĄn’s veto action could be coming soon, such as imposing sanctions on violent Israeli settlers.

“We have 27 countries and 26 countries want to put violent settlers sanctions in place,” she said. “The one who doesn’t want the sanctions on violent settlers has gotten their upper hand. Now, this country had elections, and we’ll have a new government.”

The Spanish prime minister wants the EU to suspend its long-standing Association Agreement with Israel and has said Spain will make a formal proposal at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting on Tuesday.

However, a suspension seems unlikely because countries such as Austria and Germany tend to back Israel.

The agreement in force since 2000 sets out the legal and institutional framework within which the bloc and Israel conduct trade and cooperation. The EU has found in its military campaign in Gaza.

Other action, such as targeted sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank, could be approved if a “qualified majority” — 15 of the 27 nations representing at least 65% of the EU’s population — agree.

Ongoing attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and continued devastation in Gaza, have dimmed the prospect for a two-state solution, said Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime PrĂ©vot ahead of Monday’s meeting.

“The two-state solution is being made more difficult by the day,” PrĂ©vot said. “But Belgium and many European and Arab partners continue to believe that this remains the only realistic path to a lasting peace, for Israelis, for Palestinians and for the stability of the entire region.”

Palestinian prime minister calls for unity

Gaza requires “one state, one government, one law and one goal,” Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa said in Brussels.

“Our common objective of achieving one security structure under the legitimate authority should guide the effective coordination between the International Stabilization Force, the Palestinian Authority, security institutions and other international actors. Security must not be fragmented,” he said.

He also called for “the gradual and responsible collection of arms from all armed groups and also the full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.” The disarmament of Hamas is a major challenge in next steps for the ceasefire in Gaza.

In the West Bank, Palestinians say Israel has used the cover of the Iran war to , as settler attacks surge and the military imposes on movement, citing security.

The EU has avoided directly joining the Board of Peace created by the Trump administration to tackle Gaza, preferring the multilateralism of the United Nations and global legal norms. But the bloc is eager to not be sidelined in diplomacy in the Middle East, just across the Mediterranean.

During the Brussels meeting, Mustafa said he had met for the first time in the Bulgarian diplomat’s role as the Trump-appointed director of Board of Peace. He said he pressed Mladenov on ongoing Israeli military action in Gaza, increasing humanitarian assistance and security in the coastal enclave. “We see eye to eye on many things, and I think that we will be meeting again in the near future,” Mustafa said.

___

Associated Press writers Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal and Justin Spike in Budapest, Hungary contributed to this report.

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He was stretchered off the field in a neck brace following a collision with a Palermo player and taken to a hospital in the Sicilian capital.

The club said in a statement that initial tests revealed “a fracture to the first cervical vertebra” and a cut to the back of the head. He is set for further tests with a specialist neurosurgeon, the club added.

The 29-year-old Klinsmann to say his season was over and thanked Cesena and Palermo fans “for the warm wishes” as well as “friends and family who have supported me over the last few days.”

Born in Munich, when his father was playing for Bayern, Klinsmann played briefly for the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS and has represented the United States at youth level.

He joined Cesena, which is in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, two years ago and has made over 50 appearances. The Serie B club is currently coached by former Arsenal, Chelsea and England defender Ashley Cole. ___

AP soccer:

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April 26: Actor-comedian Carol Burnett is 93. Actor Giancarlo Esposito (“Better Call Saul,” ″Breaking Bad”) is 68. Drummer Roger Taylor of Duran Duran is 66. Actor Joan Chen (“Twin Peaks”) is 65. Drummer Chris Mars of The Replacements is 65. Actor-singer Michael Damian is 64. Actor Jet Li is 63. Guitarist Jimmy Stafford (Train) is 62. Actor-comedian Kevin James (“Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” ″The King of Queens”) is 61. Keyboardist Jeff Huskins of Little Texas is 60. Actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste (film’s “Secrets and Lies”) is 59. Fiddler Joe Caverlee of Yankee Grey is 58. Singer T-Boz of TLC is 56. Actor Shondrella Avery (“Napoleon Dynamite”) is 55. Bassist Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts is 55. Actor Simbi Khali (“3rd Rock From the Sun”) is 55. Bassist Michael Jeffers of Pinmonkey is 54. Drummer Jose Pasillas of Incubus is 50. Actor Jason Earles (“Hannah Montana”) is 49. Actor Leonard Earl Howze (“Barbershop”) is 49. Actor Amin Joseph (“Snowfall”) is 49. Actor Tom Welling (“Smallville”) is 49. Actor Pablo Schreiber (“Orange Is the New Black,” ″Weeds”) is 48. Actor Nyambi Nyambi (“The Good Fight,” “Mike & Molly”) is 47. Actor Jordana Brewster (“The Fast and the Furious”) is 46. Actor Stana Katic (“Castle”) is 46. Actor Marnette Patterson (“Something So Right”) is 46. Actor Channing Tatum (“Magic Mike,” “Step Up”) is 46. Actor Emily Wickersham (“NCIS”) is 42. Actor Aaron Meeks (”Soul Food”) is 40. Musician James Sunderland of Frenship is 39.

April 27: Singer Kate Pierson of The B-52â€Čs is 78. Singer Herbie Murrell of The Stylistics is 77. Singer Sheena Easton is 67. Actor James Le Gros (“Ally McBeal”) is 64. Bassist Rob Squires of Big Head Todd and the Monsters is 61. Singer Mica Paris is 57. Actor David Lascher (“Sabrina, The Teenage Witch”) is 54. Actor Maura West (“General Hospital”) is 54. Actor Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water”) is 50. Drummer Patrick Hallahan of My Morning Jacket is 48. Singer Jim James of My Morning Jacket is 48. Singer Travis Meeks (Days of the New) is 47. Bassist Joseph Pope III of Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats is 47. Guitarist John Osborne of Brothers Osborne is 44. Actor Francis Capra (“Veronica Mars”) is 43. Actor Ari Graynor (“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”) is 43. Singer-guitarist Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy is 42. Actor Sheila Vand (“24: Legacy”) is 41. Actor Jenna Coleman (“Victoria,” ″Doctor Who”) is 40. Singer Nick Noonan of Karmin is 40. Actor William Moseley (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) is 39. Singer Lizzo is 38. Actor Emily Rios (“Breaking Bad”) is 37.

April 28: Actor-singer Ann-Margret is 85. Actor Paul Guilfoyle (“CSI”) is 77. Former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno is 76. Actor Mary McDonnell is 74. Singer-bassist Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth is 73. Rapper Too Short is 60. Actor Bridget Moynahan (“Blue Bloods”) is 55. Actor Chris Young is 55. Rapper Big Gipp of Goodie Mob is 54. Actor Jorge Garcia (“Hawaii Five-0,” “Lost”) is 53. Actor Elisabeth Rohm (“Law & Order”) is 53. Actor Penelope Cruz is 52. Actor Nate Richert (“Sabrina the Teenage Witch”) is 48. TV personalities Drew and Jonathan Scott (“The Property Brothers”) are 48. Actor Jessica Alba is 44. Actor Harry Shum Jr. (“Glee”) is 44. Actor Jenna Ushkowitz (“Glee”) is 40. Actor Aleisha Allen (“School of Rock,” ″Are We There Yet?”) is 35.

April 29: Country singer Duane Allen of The Oak Ridge Boys is 83. Singer Tommy James is 79. Director Phillip Noyce (“Patriot Games,” “Clear and Present Danger”) is 76. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is 72. Actor Kate Mulgrew (“Orange Is the New Black,” ″Star Trek: Voyager”) is 71. Actor Daniel Day-Lewis is 69. Actor Michelle Pfeiffer is 68. Actor Eve Plumb (“The Brady Bunch”) is 68. Country singer Stephanie Bentley is 63. Actor Vincent Ventresca (TV’s “The Invisible Man,” “Boston Common”) is 60. Singer Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips is 58. Actor Paul Adelstein (“Private Practice”) is 57. Rapper Master P is 56. Actor Uma Thurman is 56. Actor Darby Stanchfield (“Scandal”) is 55. Country singer James Bonamy is 54. Singer Erica Campbell of Mary Mary is 54. Bassist Mike Hogan of The Cranberries is 53. Actor Tyler Labine (“New Amsterdam”) is 48. Actor Megan Boone (“The Blacklist”) is 43. Actor Zane Carney (“Dave’s World”) is 41. Singer Amy Heidemann of Karmin is 40. Singer Foxes is 37. Actor Grace Kaufman (“Man with a Plan”) is 24.

April 30: Singer Willie Nelson is 93. Actor Perry King (“Riptide”) is 78. Singer Merrill Osmond of The Osmonds is 73. Director Jane Campion is 72. Actor-director Paul Gross (“Due South”) is 67. Bassist Robert Reynolds of The Mavericks is 64. Actor Adrian Pasdar (“Heroes”) is 61. Singer J.R. Richards (Dishwalla) is 59. Rapper Turbo B of Snap is 59. Guitarist Clark Vogeler of The Toadies is 57. Singer Chris “Choc” Dalyrimple of Soul for Real is 55. Guitarist Chris Henderson of 3 Doors Down is 55. Country singer Carolyn Dawn Johnson is 55. Actor Lisa Dean Ryan (“Doogie Howser, M.D.”) is 54. Singer Akon is 53. Singer Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees is 53. Actor Johnny Galecki (“The Big Bang Theory,” ″Roseanne”) is 51. Actor Sam Heughan (“Outlander”) is 46. Actor Kunal Nayyar (“The Big Bang Theory”) is 45. Rapper Lloyd Banks is 44. Actor Kirsten Dunst is 44. Country singer Tyler Wilkinson of The Wilkinsons is 42. Actor Dianna Agron (“Glee”) is 40. Singer Brandon Lancaster of LANCO is 37. Rapper Travis Scott is 35.

May 1: Singer Judy Collins is 87. Actor Stephen Macht (“Suits,” ″General Hospital”) is 84. Singer Rita Coolidge is 81. Singer-bassist Nick Fortuna of The Buckinghams is 80. Actor Dann Florek (“Law & Order: SVU”) is 75. Singer-songwriter Ray Parker Jr. is 72. Actor Byron Stewart is 70. Actor Maia Morgenstern (“The Passion of the Christ”) is 64. Actor Scott Coffey (“Mulholland Drive,” ″The Outsiders”) is 62. Country singer Wayne Hancock is 61. Actor Charlie Schlatter (“Diagnosis Murder”) is 60. Country singer Tim McGraw is 59. Bassist D’Arcy Wretzky (Smashing Pumpkins) is 58. Director Wes Anderson is 57. Actor Julie Benz (“No Ordinary Family,” “Dexter”) is 54. Singer Tina Campbell of Mary Mary is 52. Actor Darius McCrary (“Family Matters”) is 50. Actor Jamie Dornan (“Fifty Shades of Grey”) is 44. Actor Kerry Bishe’ (“Argo”) is 42. TV personality Abby Huntsman (“The View”) is 40. Actor Lizzy Greene (“A Million Little Things”) is 22.

May 2: Singer Engelbert Humperdinck is 90. Country singer R.C. Bannon is 81. Actor David Suchet (TV’s “Poirot”) is 80. Country singer Larry Gatlin is 78. Singer Lou Gramm of Foreigner is 76. Actor Christine Baranski is 74. Actor Brian Tochi (“Revenge of the Nerds,” ″Police Academy”) is 67. Actor Elizabeth Berridge (“The John Larroquette Show”) is 64. Country singer Ty Herndon is 64. Actor Mitzi Kapture (“The Young and the Restless,” “Baywatch”) is 64. TV commentator Mika Brzezinski is 59. Wrestler-actor Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) is 54. Singer Jeff Gutt of Stone Temple Pilots is 50. Actor Jenna Von Oy (“Blossom”) is 49. Actor Kumail Nanjiani (TV’s “Silicon Valley,” film’s “The Big Sick”) is 48. Actor Ellie Kemper (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” ″The Office”) is 46. Actor Robert Buckley (“One Tree Hill”) is 45. Actor Gaius Charles (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 43. Singer Lily Allen is 41. Guitarist Jim Almgren of Carolina Liar is 40. Actor Kay Panabaker (“No Ordinary Family,” ″Summerland”) is 36.

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Two-time winner Daniel Romanchuk of Champaign, Illinois, was second behind Hug for the fourth straight time.

In the women’s wheelchair race, Eden Rainbow-Cooper won for the second time, finishing in an unofficial 1:30:51 to beat runner-up Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland by more than two minutes.

The fastest field in event history and ideal weather had runners in the 130th edition of the world’s oldest and most prestigious annual marathon.

The athletes arrived in Hopkinton with frost on the ground and temperatures in the 30s. It had warmed to 45 degrees (7 degrees Celsius) by the the time defending champions Sharon Lokedi and John Korir started the race, followed by more than 30,000 others.

It was the coldest starting temperature since 2018, when it was 38 degrees and raining. Last year, the thermostat was at 58 when runners set off.

Military marchers and 50 wheelchair athletes were first over the starting line, with the men’s and women’s fields following. Lokedi, who last year, is back, and Korir goes for another win in the men’s race a year after posting the third-fastest time in Boston history.

On the 50th anniversary of the “Run for the Hoses,” when Jack Fultz won in temperatures approaching 100 degrees (38 degrees Celsius), cool weather greeted the runners in Hopkinton and was expected to reach into the 40s during the day.

Fultz, who was serving as grand marshal, said as he waited to board his ride that the weather was the “polar opposite” from the day of his 1976 win.

“I am just trying to soak it all in, to remember it all,” he said. “There are almost are no words to fully describe the kind of experience. You have a dream of a lifetime and all of a sudden it comes true.”

A tailwind was expected to help the competitors as they make their way to Boston’s Back Bay.

Runners may notice some changes this year, with the race turning to a for help in spreading things out a little so they don’t face bottlenecks on the narrow streets of the eight cities and towns along the course. At the start is a new statue of and by — the first statue on the course honoring a woman.

Race Director Dave McGillivray sent the group of about 50 members of the Massachusetts National Guard members off at 6 a.m. McGillivray said it’s the coldest start he could remember in his nearly four decades working at the race.

Staff Sgt. Mackenzie Smith and Spec. Benjamin De Boer stepped back and forth to try to stay warm before they set off on the course, but the cold didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for participating in the Boston Marathon for the first time.

“It’s an honor and a blessing to be standing at the Boston Marathon start,” Smith said. “The history that goes with the marathon resonates with me, growing up in Massachusetts.”

McGillivray said the cold added another layer of complexity because runners were arriving in Hopkinton with many layers of extra clothing that would be discarded at the start line and need to be collected. But as the sun comes out, he said it will be ideal for running.

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Associated Press Writer Jennifer McDermott in Hopkinton, Mass., contributed to this report.

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Hug’s fourth consecutive win in Boston puts him into second place all-time in Boston men’s wheelchair history, behind only South African great Ernst van Dyk’s record 10 titles between 2001 and 2014. American racer Daniel Romanchuk was second in 1:22:44, followed by Jetze Plat of the Netherlands in 1:24:13.

Eden Rainbow-Cooper of Britain won the women’s wheelchair race.

Hug jumped in front of the field quickly, building a 13-second advantage over David Weir of Britain three miles into the race. That lead grew to 55 seconds by the halfway point.

Since winning the Berlin Marathon in 2022, Hug has lost only one of the seven world major titles, when he finished second at the New York Marathon in 2024.

The race came on a clear morning with starting temperatures in the low 40s.

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The court agreed on Monday to take up the appeal from St. Mary Catholic Parish, which is supported by the Republican Trump administration.

Joined by the Archdiocese of Denver, the facilities argue it’s unconstitutional to bar them from a taxpayer-funded universal preschool program because of their faith-based restrictions on admission of LGBTQ+ families and kids.

The state said that religious schools are welcome to participate but are required to follow nondiscrimination laws. The program was created by a 2020 ballot measure and provides public funding for free preschool at centers selected by parents.

It’s the latest religious rights case for the conservative-majority court, which has backed other claims of religious discrimination while taking a more skeptical view of LGBTQ+ rights.

As part of the case, the court will consider narrowing a landmark 1990 decision over the spiritual use of peyote, a cactus that contains a hallucinogen called mescaline. That opinion, written by conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalia, found religious practices don’t create exemptions from broadly applicable laws.

The justices declined a push from the schools, along with a Catholic family in Colorado, to overturn the ruling.

The case will be heard in the fall.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at .

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by local media, many fear the whale may soon die in the near the eastern German town of Wismar.

The animal faces long odds in finding its way back out into the North Sea, a journey of several hundred kilometers (miles), and then to

Here’s what to know:

Whale is far from its natural habitat

Timmy was first spotted swimming in the region on March 3. It is not clear why the whale swam into the , far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean. Some experts say the animal may have lost its way while swimming after a shoal of herring or during migration.

Since then, the mammal has become repeatedly stranded in shallow waters. It’s in clear distress, breathing irregularly and mostly barely moving for days.

Timmy is also suffering from a bad skin condition, related to the Baltic Sea’s low salt content, and rescuers have applied kilos (pounds) of zinc ointment.

On top of all that, the whale keeps swimming in the wrong direction when it does move.

Drama has captivated Germany

Local media have produced dayslong livestreams to feed the outsized public attention over the fate of the whale. Online newspapers have blasted push alerts with the smallest developments about Timmy’s health.

Activists have staged protests on the beach in Wismar calling for the animal’s liberation, while influencers have debated whether the best way to help the animal is to let it die in peace or keep trying to assist its return to the Atlantic Ocean.

Interest has been so strong that police had put up a 500-meter (1,640 foot) protection zone to keep curious bystanders from getting too close and stressing the stranded whale even more.

Despite these efforts, a 67-year-old woman jumped off a boat on the weekend trying to get close to the whale before she was stopped.

Experts are split on rescue attempts

to refloat the mammal with the help of police boats, and inflatable boats had temporarily freed it. But the whale, which measures 12 to 15 meters (39 to 49 feet) long and weighs 12 metric tons (nearly 26,500 pounds), never found its way back to the North Sea.

Experts then came up with a sophisticated plan to use air cushions to lift the animal onto a tarp, which would have been secured to two pontoons and attached to a tugboat. State officials approved the private initiative, but the whale started swimming again Monday as the tide rose. Boats attempted to guide the mammal toward the right path, though some have lost all hope.

Thilo Maack, a marine biologist at Greenpeace, told The Associated Press the efforts are actually causing the animal severe stress.

“I believe the whale will die very soon now. And I would also like to raise the question: What is actually so bad about that?” he said. “Yes, animals live, animals die. This animal is really, really very, very, very sick. And it has decided to seek rest.”

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Starmer told lawmakers on Monday that “I would not have gone ahead with the appointment” had he known.

He said the fact Mandelson had failed security vetting “could and should have been shared with me before he took up his post.”

Starmer earlier said he made the wrong judgment in appointing Mandelson.

Starmer is facing calls to resign after the revelation that Mandelson was given the job despite failing security checks. Mandelson was fired nine months into the job over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

LONDON (AP) — British will try on Monday to get a grip on a crisis that has left power slipping from his grasp.

Starmer will face a tough barrage of questions in Parliament when he stands up to explain why , a scandal-tarnished politician and friend of , became Britain’s ambassador to Washington despite — and seemingly without Starmer being told about the concerns.

The revelation has left furious opponents calling for Starmer to resign and uneasy allies wondering what else the nation’s leader didn’t know about.

Starmer repeatedly told lawmakers that “due process” was followed when Mandelson was appointed. He now says he’s “furious” that he wasn’t informed that an intensive vetting process had recommended Mandelson not be given security clearance. The Foreign Office, which oversees diplomatic appointments, cleared him anyway.

“The fact that I wasn’t told that Peter Mandelson had failed his security vetting when he was appointed is astonishing,” Starmer told the Daily Mirror. “The fact that I wasn’t told when I said to Parliament that due process had been followed is unforgivable.”

Starmer fired the top Foreign Office civil servant, Olly Robbins, within hours of the revelation by The Guardian last week. But allies of Robbins say he would never have been able to share sensitive vetting information with the prime minister.

Robbins is expected to give his own version of events to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

All the main opposition parties have called on Starmer to resign. Right-of-center Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said in the Mail on Sunday that he had “misled Parliament over Mandelson, misled the country and is taking the public for fools.”

Ed Davey, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, said Starmer had “showed catastrophic misjudgment.”

Senior government colleagues have defended the prime minister. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said that if Starmer had known about the failed security vetting, “he would never, ever have appointed him ambassador.”

But lawmakers in Starmer’s center-left Labour Party, already anxious about the party’s dire poll ratings, are restive. Starmer has already in February, when some Labour lawmakers urged him to resign over the Mandelson appointment.

He could face a new challenge is, as expected, Labour takes a hammering in local and regional elections on May 7, which give voters a chance to pass a midterm verdict on the government.

Critics say the Mandelson appointment is more evidence of a failure of judgment by a prime minister who has made since he led Labour to a in July 2024. Starmer has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair and ease the cost of living, and has been forced into repeated policy U-turns.

He picked Mandelson for one of Britain’s most important diplomatic jobs despite being warned by his staff that Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein, who , exposed the government to “reputational risk.”

Mandelson’s business links to Russia and China also set off alarm bells. But his expertise as a former European Union trade chief and contacts among global elites were considered assets in dealing with President Donald Trump’s administration.

He lasted less than nine months in the job. Starmer in September 2025 after evidence emerged that he had lied about the extent of his links to Epstein.

released by the U.S. Department of Justice in January included emails suggesting Mandelson had passed on sensitive, and potentially market-moving, government information to Epstein in 2009 after the global financial crisis.

British police launched a criminal probe and in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Mandelson has previously denied wrongdoing and . He does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.

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It took stumbling across an article about a female chemical engineer who became a master whiskey distiller for something to click: Ireland’s fellow students could go into plastics and pharmaceuticals, she was going into whiskey.

“It was kind of like a connection of, ‘hey, I can see someone who looks like me, who has the same exact kind of education and background doing this job,’ and kind of opened it up as an option,” said Ireland, now the chief blender behind Vermont-based whiskey brand WhistlePig.

Ireland is among a growing number of women who have become leaders inside a traditionally male-dominated industry that has not always welcomed outsiders. Increasingly, women are launching their own brands and finding new ways to innovate in distilling and blending at a time when more women are drinking whiskey.

Women are often asked: ‘Do you even like whiskey?’

There is a common, lingering doubt among some male colleagues and consumers that the women gaining expertise in the industry even like whiskey.

Becky Paskin, a journalist from the U.K. and founder of OurWhiskey Foundation, an organization that promotes and supports women in the whiskey business, said she was asked that question while serving as a judge at a whiskey tasting event.

“It is a drink that comes with certain expectations around which gender drinks it and which gender makes it,” Paskin said, adding: “Barely any other drink or food falls under such scrutiny,”

Paskin says part of her work is creating stock images of women consuming whiskey that don’t present women as sex objects and are not a public service warning.

“The only images of women drinking whiskey were depicting them as being pregnant, drunk, naked; or pregnant, drunk and naked,” she said.

There’s a long history of women preserving and advancing whiskey

Whiskey-making has long been considered a masculine profession in America, a drink exclusively enjoyed by men swirling golden liquid in dark, smoky rooms. But industry experts and historians are quick to point out that women have always been involved in the process and were likely key to its survival in the U.S.

The first distilling instrument was created by a woman, Maria Hebraea, an alchemist from around the 2nd century, according to Susan Reigler, a bourbon expert. From there, distilling was largely seen as women’s work as they were in charge of home brewing, making medicine and taking care of the home.

Women notably managed distilleries in the 1800s in Kentucky, where Catherine Carpenter recorded the first known recipe for sour mash, now the most common style of American whiskey. And while women led the temperance movement in the 19th and 20th centuries, some historians estimate there may have been more female bootleggers than men during Prohibition — in part because women were less likely to be searched by police, according to the book “Whiskey Women,” written by Fred Minnick.

Reigler says she often marvels at the U.S. whiskey industry’s transformation, which was in a serious downturn in the 1990s when she first began reporting on it from Louisville, Kentucky. As distillers worked to make whiskey appealing to American consumers, Reigler began documenting how women contributed to that effort, ranging from the wives who made key marketing decisions that boosted distillery tourism to the female bartenders who designed new whiskey cocktails.

Three women co-founded the Kentucky Bourbon Trail — a novel idea at the time that has since been copied across the country — including Peggy Noe Stevens, the world’s first female Master Bourbon Taster, who was working at Woodford Reserve, as well as Donna Nally with Maker’s Mark and Doris Calhoun with Jim Beam, Reigler said.

“There have always been women in bourbon,” she said. “But a lot of them have been behind the scenes.”

Women advance innovation and creativity in whiskey

In Vermont, Ireland has been in charge of keeping WhistlePig’s whiskey consistent since 2018, but she also oversees experimental batches. Her first whiskey innovation was the Boss Hog VII that quickly attracted praise and awards for her decision to finish it in Spanish oak and Brazilian teakwood barrels.

Ireland says more women becoming involved in the industry establishes whiskey as “a drink for everyone.”

“It can be enjoyed by everyone and it’s being made by females too,” she said.

Judy Hollis Jones spent years as a senior executive in the food industry before launching a whiskey company in Kentucky in 2019. The transition to the whiskey world mimicked the boardrooms she had been in for decades, where she was often the only woman present.

Hollis Jones is the president and CEO of Buzzard’s Roost, a whiskey brand she co-founded with Master Blender Jason Brauner. She describes the whiskey industry as a “tough business” that has ebbed and flowed over the years, but one thing that has steadily increased is the amount of women showing up to tastings and tours, eager to take partake in the whiskey experience.

“I’ve had people say to me, ‘Oh, well, you don’t wear jeans, boots and a cowboy hat,’” she said. “And I said: ‘No, I don’t. And every bourbon drinker female does not. We are very wide range of people that love bourbon.’”

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Associated Press reporter Dylan Lovan in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed.

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The large-scale drills will expand this year to include new full-time participants including Japan and Canada, which have signed visiting forces agreements with Manila, the Philippine military said.

More than 17,000 American and Filipino military personnel will participate in the — Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder — exercise. The event will last nearly three weeks and include mock battle scenarios and live-fire maneuvers in locations including Philippine provinces facing the and the .

China has objected to the U.S.-Philippine drills, saying they are aimed at containing its global rise. The Philippine military has insisted the exercise does not target any country and is needed to prepare allied forces to respond to natural disasters.

Nearly 10,000 U.S. military personnel will take part in the drills, a major deployment that U.S. military officials said underscores Washington’s commitment to Asia.

“Regardless of the challenges elsewhere in the world, the United States focus on the Indo-Pacific and our ironclad commitment to the Philippines remains unwavering,” Marine Lt. Gen. Christian Wortman said in the opening ceremony.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff said the multinational combat drills build deterrence and resilience against aggression in the region. He did not mention any country in his speech, but in the past he has strongly criticized China for its increasingly assertive actions against Philippine navy and coast guard forces in the South China Sea, which virtually in its entirety.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also lay claims to the waters, a key global trade route, but territorial confrontations have particularly spiked between Chinese and Filipino forces in recent years.

In Beijing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun warned, without mentioning the United States, that bringing foreign forces with a record of impunity to the region could spark confrontation.

“Unilateralism and military bullying have already brought profound disasters to the world,” he said. “What the Asia-Pacific region needs most is peace and stability, and what it least needs is the introduction of external forces to create division and confrontation.”

The U.S. has repeatedly that it is obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces come under armed attack in disputed waters.

“We remain guided by a shared commitment to uphold international law, to respect sovereignty and to contribute to a free and open Indo-Pacific where nations can thrive without coercion,” Brawner said.

During the drills, Japanese forces will fire missiles from a coastal area in the northwestern Philippine province of Ilocos Norte to help sink a mock enemy ship about 40 kilometers (25 miles) away in the peripheries of the South China Sea, Philippine marine. Col. Dennis Hernandez told The Associated Press.

U.S. forces will use a marine drone laden with explosives to further bombard the enemy ship, Hernandez said.

Japan is deploying a 1,400-member contingent to the Balikatan this year, its biggest since joining in the past as an observer nation, Japanese and Philippine military officials said.

Last year, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured Philippine officials while visiting Manila that the Trump administration would work with allies to ramp up deterrence against threats across the world, including China’s aggression in the South China Sea.

“Friends need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deter conflict, to ensure that there is free navigation whether you call it the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea,” Hegseth told Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

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AP journalists Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila in Manila, Philippines and Huizhong Wu in Bangkok contributed to this report.

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Firefighters responding to a report of an explosion and fire at a home in Lamar Township in Clinton County near Mill Hall on Sunday morning confirmed that seven people were trapped, but they could not search the building engulfed in flames, Pennsylvania State Police said in a statement. All seven died and police identified them as Sarah Stolzfus, 34, four sons, ages 11, 10, 5 and 3, and two daughters, ages 8 and 6.

The cause is under investigation. A propane leak inside the home may have caused the explosion and fire, police said, noting that exterior propane tanks did not explode and were not contributing factors for the explosion and fire.

Neighbor Christina Duck she was eating breakfast when it began.

“And I heard a boom and I could feel it and I got up and looked out the window and I could see the flames through the windows and I come running outside and within a minute the whole house was completely engulfed,” Duck said. The family moved in a couple of months ago, Duck said, noting that she often saw the children outside playing.

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