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As strikes continue across Iran, US President Trump has articulated shifting goals. But how likely are they?

The son of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will now leader Iran through the biggest crisis in the country's modern history.

In its lawsuit, Anthropic said the designation was unlawful and violated its US free speech and due process rights.

A poster of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the successor to his late father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as supreme leader is placed on an anti-riot police car as policemen stand on top of the car, during a rally to support him in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) 2026-03-09T18:25:04Z TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — How long will the Iran war last? What do all sides want to achieve? And how high will oil prices go? Big questions remain as fighting enters week two. Israel and the United States keep pounding Iran. And Iran keeps carrying out retaliatory attacks against Israel, U.S. military assets in the Middle East and its Arab neighbors. Here’s what we know about the war, and don’t. How long will the war last? The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and there is no sign of the fighting ending soon. Iran’s president has said mediation was underway, although he didn’t give details. Iran’s new supreme leader is the son of the previous one and seen as more hard-line, with close ties to the Revolutionary Guard, the nation’s most powerful armed force. Mojtaba Khamenei worked closely with his father, who was killed in the war’s opening strikes along with the younger Khamenei’s wife. He has not been seen or heard publicly in his new role, making it difficult to know whether he has interest in talks or in defiance. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Iran’s war strategy of causing regional chaos shows no change. Persian Gulf countries still report areas being attacked, including oil facilities and airports, that are well away from U.S. military assets. The war’s length depends in part on Iran’s stockpile of missiles and drones and countries’ capability to deflect them. Israel’s military on Monday said Iran was firing barrages with dozens of missiles in the early days, but now there are less than 10 or 20 at a time. Israeli army spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Iran still has “a significant amount” of missiles. Experts say Iran could be holding missiles in reserve, perhaps hoping that interceptors run low. Iran has not provided information about military losses. Israel says it is focused on destroying long-range missiles while the U.S. focuses on short-range ones threatening the Gulf. Israel estimates that 60% of both types of launchers have been destroyed. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Israel’s military is bulking up. It said about 50 cargo aircraft carrying over 1,000 tons of weaponry, military equipment and munitions have landed in the past 10 days, and cited the U.S. and Germany as partners in an effort that is “expected to scale up.” Ahead of the attacks, the U.S. military built up its largest force of warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades. The Central Command on Monday said “there is no shortage of American military will.” The Trump administration and Israel have said the war will go as long as needed, but public frustration over oil prices and other economic pain could intensify pressure to wind down the conflict. What do all sides want from the war? Iran has said it wants an end to the war, not a ceasefire. An official with knowledge of the war’s operations said Israel is not in charge of the postwar plan, but the goal is to remove the regime and let Iranians “grasp their fate.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Israel is also attacking Iranian-backed proxies like Hezbollah. U.S. President Donald Trump has made conflicting statements . The war has been about Iran’s nuclear program and concerns that it could take a short technical step to enrich uranium to weapons grade. But it also has been about eradicating the threat from the country’s ballistic missiles, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. is “well on our way” to achieving. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Trump has also said he doesn’t seek regime change, but prioritized taking out several layers of Iran’s top leadership and has encouraged Iranians to “take over” their government. There is no sign of that happening in Iran, with no strong organized opposition, evidence of high-level defections or street protests. Internet restrictions are complicating views of what’s happening. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Will other countries join the fight? Saudi Arabia has issued a sharp statement saying Tehran would be the “biggest loser” if it continues to attack Arab states. Azerbaijan threatened “retaliatory measures” after it said Iranian drones hit its territory. There is big risk in joining the U.S. and Israel’s attacks, and no country has announced taking that step. Already, they have been targeted by hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones. Iran has exposed the fragility of the global economy by targeting key energy and other infrastructure. A drone strike on a desalination plant in Bahrain underscored the vulnerability of Gulf nations, which rely heavily on such facilities for drinking water. Meanwhile, France is sending military vessels to the Middle East to help deter Iran’s attacks. Britain and Germany also have said they would help reduce Iran’s ability to launch them. And Ukraine is sending experts to help in countering drones. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); How will it end? This is especially complicated, as both Israel and the United States have threatened whoever Iran puts in charge. Trump called the younger Khamenei “unacceptable” even before his elevation to supreme leader. It is not clear who would be acceptable, and negotiating the war’s end seems out of reach for now. Trust will be difficult, since this war and last year’s were launched during indirect talks between Iran and the United States. How high will oil prices go? As Iran announced its new supreme leader, crude oil prices were soaring above $100 a barrel. They spiked near $120 before falling Monday. The Strait of Hormuz off Iran is a choke point, with about 20% of the world’s oil supply normally transiting daily. Cargo ships are now backed up there. Saudi Arabia has intercepted attacks aimed at its vast Shaybah oil field. Bahrain’s national oil company has declared force majeure for shipments, unable to meet obligations because of extraordinary circumstances after an attack on its refinery complex. Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have cut oil production as storage tanks fill. Iran’s oil facilities are also targets. Israel struck depots over the weekend. Countries are scrambling. France, currently leading the Group of Seven nations, says they could dip into emergency stockpiles. South Korea says it will cap oil prices. China says everyone has a responsibility “to ensure stable and smooth energy supplies.” Alex Kuptsikevich, chief market analyst at FxPro, said it “would not be surprising” if oil prices briefly push above $150 as early as next week. ___ Anna reported from Lowville, New York. Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York and Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed. CARA ANNA Anna is an editor on the AP’s Global Desk. She has reported from Africa, China, Ukraine, Afghanistan and the United Nations. mailto SAM MEDNICK Mednick is an AP correspondent for Israel and the Palestinian Territories. She focuses on conflict, humanitarian crises and human rights abuses. Mednick formerly covered West & Central Africa and South Sudan. twitter

2026-03-09T17:45:34Z One of the so-called fixers in a sprawling betting scheme to cash in on big bets on rigged NCAA basketball games pleaded guilty Monday, according to the federal prosecutors’ office in Philadelphia. Jalen Smith appeared in federal court in Philadelphia and pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bribery charges, becoming the first of 26 people charged in the scheme to formally do so. It came a week before the start of March Madness, in which bettors will wager billions legally — and illegally — on the 64 college basketball teams in the tournament. Smith, of Charlotte, North Carolina, trained and developed local basketball players for professional scouting combines and used those connections with players when he became part of the scheme, prosecutors say. Charges against Smith were unsealed in January along with 25 others. Besides the fixers who recruited players and placed bets, the charges targeted 17 former college basketball players and four other players who were active with their college teams this season. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); More than a dozen players tried to fix games as recently as last season and some helped recruit other players, federal prosecutors said. Smith was active in helping fix games in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, placing bets and recruiting players with the promise of a big payment in exchange for purposefully underperforming during a game, prosecutors said. The fixers would then bet against the players’ teams in those games, defrauding sportsbooks and other bettors, authorities said. Smith often traveled to meet players to deliver cash payments by hand, prosecutors said. In one case, Smith traveled to Louisiana to arrange the delivery of about $32,000 in cash to two of the players charged in the scheme, prosecutors say. Two the fixers started with two games in the Chinese Basketball Association in 2023, according to the indictment. Successful there, they recruited Smith and two other fixers and moved on to rigging NCAA games as recently as January 2025, it said. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Their scheme grew to involve more than 39 players on more than 17 different NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams, who then rigged and attempted to rig more than 29 games, prosecutors said. They wagered millions of dollars, raking in “substantial proceeds” for themselves, and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to players in bribes, prosecutors said. Payments to players typically ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per game, they said. Prosecutors named more than 40 schools where games were allegedly targeted by the scheme. Those included Tulane University and DePaul University. Rigged games included major conferences and some playoffs, including the first round of the Horizon League championship and the second round of the Southland Conference championship, prosecutors said. Players often recruited teammates to cooperate by playing badly, sitting out or keeping the ball away from players who weren’t in on the scheme to prevent them from scoring. Sometimes the attempted fix failed, meaning the fixers lost their bets, prosecutors say. ___ Follow Marc Levy at http://twitter.com/timelywriter MARC LEVY Levy covers politics and state government in Pennsylvania for The Associated Press. He is based in Harrisburg. twitter 获取更多RSS： https://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Rihanna arrives at the premiere of "Smurfs" on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File) 2026-03-09T17:26:55Z LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles police took a woman into custody after she fired gunshots near the home of Grammy-Award winning performer Rihanna , according to police and news reports. No one was injured, police said. It’s not immediately clear whether the pop star was at home when the shooting happened Sunday afternoon. Police received a call about shots fired near a home in the Beverly Hills area, spokesperson and Officer Charles Miller said Monday. A 35-year-old woman was later taken into custody “without further incident” and police recovered a weapon, according to a statement from law enforcement. The suspect has been booked on suspicion of attempted murder and is in jail on $10 million in bail. The district attorney had not yet announced charges. Miller did not say who lived in the home. Multiple local news outlets reported that it belongs to Rihanna. Public records show the property in the Beverly Hills area is owned by a trust run by Evan Jehle, who is a member of the advisory board for Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Emails seeking comment were left with Rihanna’s publicist and manager. KABC-TV showed video of what appeared to be five bullet holes in the front gate of the home. “Shooting just occurred. Ten gunshots fired from the vehicle,” a police dispatcher told responding officers on audio obtained by KABC. The gunfire came from across the street, police said. It was not known if the woman under arrest had any connection to Rihanna. In 2018, a man was accused of breaking into a different home of Rihanna’s in the Hollywood Hills and spending 12 hours there. The man pleaded no contest to felony counts of stalking and vandalism and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest in 2019. He was sentenced to probation. A nine-time Grammy Award winner, Rihanna has 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “We Found Love,” “Work,” “Umbrella” and “Disturbia.” She founded the makeup brand Fenty Beauty in 2017. She and A$AP Rocky announced the birth of their third child , a girl named Rocki Irish Mayers, in September.

Jason Hughes's family does not want the students prosecuted after the prank turned into a fatal car accident.

The Liberal government currently has 169 seats in parliament, just three shy of a majority in Canada's parliament.

Training will cover everything from traditional skills through to drone control and cyberwarfare techniques and countermeasures.

EXCLUSIVE: Iranian Kurdish opposition groups say they are prepared to challenge Tehran but are holding back for now as the war between the United States, Israel and the Islamic Republic continues to unfold. Khalid Azizi, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that Kurdish forces are closely watching developments but have no plans to launch a ground offensive at this stage. Reports in recent days have suggested that President Donald Trump spoke with Mustafa Hijri, the leader of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, as Washington explores possible Kurdish involvement in pressure on Iran. Azizi declined to confirm or deny whether such a conversation took place. 74 RETIRED US GENERALS, ADMIRALS BACK IRAN STRIKES, WARN TEHRAN SEEKS TO ‘SPILL AMERICAN BLOOD’ Azizi himself has firsthand experience with Iran’s military retaliation. In 2018, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at the KDPI headquarters in Koy Sanjaq in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region during a leadership meeting, killing at least 18 people and injuring dozens. "We have been targeted by the Islamic Republic," Azizi said. "The first Iranian missile was sent to my headquarters and I was personally injured in that attack," Azizi said. Despite the risks, Azizi said Kurdish resistance remains strong after decades of confrontation with Iran. "The Iranian Kurdish resistance movement is actually very strong because we have been on the ground since the Iranian revolution," he said. Azizi spoke from Washington, D.C., where he said Kurdish representatives were meeting with policymakers and institutions to discuss the situation in Iran and the role Kurdish groups could play if the conflict evolves. But for now, Kurdish groups say they are waiting to see how the broader war develops . "We are ready and our party is well organized," Azizi said. "But right now we do not have any intention to enter Iranian Kurdistan because the ground forces in this war have not been a topic." "It’s very easy to start a war ," he added. "But it will be more complicated how to end this war." KEANE WARNS IRAN STRIKE BECOMING ‘REGIONAL WAR,' SAYS THREE GULF STATES PREPARING FOR COMBAT The KDPI is one of the oldest Kurdish opposition movements fighting Iran’s Islamic Republic. The group is a member of the Socialist International and operates primarily from bases in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and has been in armed and political opposition to Tehran since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Azizi said Kurdish political movements have recently taken a significant step by forming a joint alliance aimed at coordinating their political strategy. "We have managed to create a unity among the Kurdish political parties," he said. "This has been welcomed by the Iranian Kurdish people and by different Iranian political parties." The alliance, known as the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, brings together several historically divided Kurdish factions that oppose the Islamic Republic. Azizi said the future of Iran will ultimately depend on whether Iranians themselves rise up against the regime. US SURGES FORCES TO MIDDLE EAST AS PENTAGON WARNS IRAN FIGHT ‘WILL TAKE SOME TIME' "If you look at the goal of the United States and Israel in this war, they have been targeting the Iranian military, security and political institutions. In this aspect Iran has been weakened," he said. "But the regime still remains in power because people are not on the streets and there is no alternative right now to replace this regime." Azizi urged Western governments to focus not only on the military campaign but also on helping Iranian opposition movements coordinate politically. Iran, he said, is a multi-ethnic country whose future stability will depend on building a democratic system that includes all of its communities. "The path and the roadmap for rebuilding Iran must be based on the participation of all ethnic groups," Azizi said. "Iran is a multi-ethnic society." For now, he said, Kurdish fighters remain in a holding pattern. "We have the ability and we have the capacity," Azizi said. "But it is not easy right now for us to make any decision regarding entering Iranian Kurdistan."

"Think of Mojtaba Khamenei as his father on steroids." That is how Kasra Aarabi, director of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps research at the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran, described Iran’s new supreme leader in comments to Fox News Digital following reports that the son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been selected to lead the Islamic Republic. "Mojtaba was already operating as a ‘mini supreme leader’ in the Bayt-e Rahbari — his father’s office and the core nucleus of power in the regime," Aarabi said. IF KHAMENEI FALLS, WHO TAKES IRAN? STRIKES WILL EXPOSE POWER VACUUM — AND THE IRGC’S GRIP "His father had created the Bayt’s extensive apparatus as a hidden power structure to ensure continuity should he be eliminated — and through Mojtaba’s appointment, this is exactly what we will get," Aarabi said. President Donald Trump also reacted to Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise. In an interview with the New York Post , Trump said he was "not happy with" the younger Khamenei replacing his father as leader of Iran’s theocratic system but declined to elaborate on how the United States might respond. "Not going to tell you," Trump said when asked about his plans regarding the new supreme leader. "Not going to tell you. I’m not happy with him." An Iranian source with knowledge of the leadership transition told Fox News Digital that earlier speculation Mojtaba might pursue reforms now appears unlikely given the circumstances surrounding his appointment. "Previously there were whispers suggesting that if Mojtaba were to become the leader, he might introduce reforms that would both open up the domestic political space and bring a more interactive approach to foreign policy," the source said. "However, now this possibility seems very weak." Mojtaba was chosen "amid disputes, controversies, and pressure from the IRGC," according to the source, meaning he "owes his appointment to their support and therefore cannot act against their wishes." TRUMP SAYS IRAN’S SUCCESSION BENCH WIPED OUT AS ISRAELI STRIKE HITS LEADERSHIP DELIBERATIONS Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, has spent decades building influence inside the power structures surrounding Iran’s supreme leader. Born in 1969 in Mashhad, he pursued clerical studies in Tehran, Iran, after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought his father to prominence. Over time, however, analysts say his influence developed less through traditional clerical authority and more through Iran’s security institutions . In 2019, the United States sanctioned Mojtaba under Executive Order 13867. The U.S. Treasury Department said he had been "representing the supreme leader in an official capacity despite never being elected or appointed to a government position aside from work in the office of his father." Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Iran Program, said Mojtaba’s background reflects a broader shift inside the Islamic Republic. "Despite donning a turban, Mojtaba is the product of the regime’s national security deep state ," Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. "Expect him to work with and through the IRGC to keep his hold on power." Aarabi said Mojtaba has spent years consolidating influence behind the scenes. "His past tells us he enjoys micromanaging every aspect of authority to satisfy his thirst for power," Aarabi said, describing how Mojtaba allegedly relocated IRGC command centers to his office during protests, engineered election outcomes and installed loyalists across state institutions. Since 2019, Aarabi added, Mojtaba has also been implementing what he described as his father’s effort to "purify" the regime by promoting ideological loyalists across the political system. "Mojtaba is a deeply antisemitic, anti-American, and anti-Western ideologue," Aarabi said. "He has personally been involved in repression in Iran and terror plots abroad." IRAN'S SENIOR CLERICS ‘EXPOSED’ AFTER BUILDING STRIKE IN QOM, SUCCESSION CHOICE LOOMS Analysts say Mojtaba’s rise may further strengthen the role of Iran’s security institutions. "The rise of the younger Khamenei expedites trendlines seen in Iranian politics and national security for years," Ben Taleblu said. "From one Khamenei to another, things in Iran can be expected to go from bad to worse if this regime survives." "And like the elder Khamenei, corruption runs in the family ," he added. Ben Taleblu warned that the regime may also escalate tensions externally as a survival strategy. "The regime knows it is weak, but believes it can extract a price and widen a crisis in order to survive," he said. For opposition groups inside Iran, the leadership transition signals continuity rather than reform. "He's the son of Khamenei and they have same ideology and they same strategy and they try to continue the same policy ," said Khalid Azizi, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran. "So far it's very difficult to say what he will be done and is he going to have a different policy? I don't expect this." The Iranian source who spoke with Fox News Digital said that while engagement with the United States and the West is theoretically possible in the future, the chances remain slim. "As I mentioned," the source said, "this possibility is very weak." "In short," Aarabi said, "Mojtaba is his father on steroids. He’s certainly no MBS ."

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned that more casualties are expected in the ongoing Operation Epic Fury in Iran, with seven U.S. soldiers having been killed so far in the fighting. Hegseth made the comment during an interview with CBS’ "60 Minutes" that aired on Sunday. "The president's been right to say there will be casualties ," Hegseth said. "Things like this don't happen without casualties." "There will be more casualties," he continued. "And no one is — I mean, especially our generation knows what it's like to see Americans come home in caskets, it's — but that doesn't weaken us one bit. It stiffens our spine and our resolve to say this is a fight we will finish." WATCH: CAPITOL HILL DEBATE ERUPTS OVER WHETHER TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES AMOUNT TO ‘WAR’ Six U.S. service members were killed in a March 1 Iranian drone attack in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, while supporting Operation Epic Fury . The U.S. military said a seventh service member died of injuries from an Iranian attack on troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1. The U.S. and Israel last week launched joint strikes against Iran. Iran has retaliated, launching strikes against Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab states, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi on Sunday told NBC News’ "Meet the Press" that if the U.S. deploys ground troops in Iran, "we have very brave soldiers who are waiting for any enemy who enters into our soil, to fight with them and to kill them and destroy them." HEGSETH BLASTS BRITS, SAYS IRAN'S CHAOTIC RETALIATION HAS DRIVEN ITS OWN ALLIES 'INTO THE AMERICAN ORBIT' "We never give up, we never surrender, and we continue to resist as long as it takes," he said. "We continue to defend ourselves, and we are defending our territory, our people and our dignity. And our dignity is not for sale." When reporters asked President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One on Saturday about potential ground troops being used in the Iran operation, the president said there would "have to be a very good reason." "And I would say if we ever did that, [Iran] would be so decimated they wouldn't be able to fight at the ground level," Trump told reporters. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Emmanuel Macron said the warships would help protect France’s allies and French citizens in the region, and could be part of a force to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Court papers submitted as part of the agreement with Halkbank, which was accused of doing business with Iranian entities, said Turkey’s assistance “was instrumental” in the Israel-Hamas cease-fire.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei could prove to be even more radical than his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by the U.S. and Israel at the start of the war.

Clifford Thomas and his family lost four relatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, including his beloved mother, Beverly. A middle school teacher, Beverly had struggled with chronic health problems all her life, and when they forced her to leave her job due to disability, she was unable to afford regular medical care. Her final request to her son was that he keep the family healthy. But in Albany, Georgia, achieving that promise is a battle. The city is served by a single, dominant hospital system, Phoebe Putney Memorial. Its control of the market and Georgia’s strict limits on Medicaid have left nearly one-third of people in Albany, one of the poorest cities in the state, uninsured. Poor access to quality, affordable care has contributed to deep distrust of the system. Residents like Thomas see Phoebe as more of a barrier to good health than a safety net. He gave up on trying to find medical insurance or a doctor who would care for him without it. Then, he began to get sick. There are millions like Thomas across the United States and dozens of places like Albany — places with populations suffering high rates of chronic but treatable conditions, where the dominant institution is a hospital. ProPublica examines the country’s health care crisis in a five-part series called “Sick in a Hospital Town.” Read or listen to the full series here . Watch this short documentary for a close-up of one man’s effort to overcome the obstacles to care. Read More Sick in a Hospital Town The post He Promised His Dying Mother He’d Protect the Family’s Health. In This Georgia Town, It Isn’t Easy. appeared first on ProPublica .

The New York State attorney general’s office has begun investigating how Columbia University let a predatory doctor continue to see patients despite decades of warnings. “The Office of the Attorney General is conducting a thorough investigation into the institutional response to Robert Hadden’s misconduct,” a spokesperson said in a statement to ProPublica. The agency did not give further details. A ProPublica investigation from the fall of 2023 revealed how Columbia ignored women and ultimately protected Robert Hadden , a longtime OB-GYN at the university. In 2012, Columbia allowed Hadden to continue seeing patients just days after one of them called 911 to report Hadden had sexually assaulted her. In early 2023, Hadden was convicted in federal court of sexually abusing patients. He is currently serving a 20-year sentence. Columbia has paid out more than $1 billion for over 1,000 claims of sexual abuse. After our investigation, Columbia committed to a variety of reforms, including improved patient safety , a $100 million fund for victims and an independent investigation. But advocates, students and survivors say Columbia needs to do far more to grapple with its role in Hadden’s conduct. Four hundred Columbia medical students recently wrote to university officials demanding disciplinary reviews for administrators who failed to heed warnings about Hadden.  Unlike at other universities that have dealt with serially abusive doctors, no higher-ups at Columbia appear to have lost their jobs or been disciplined. Dr. Mary D’Alton, who was cc’d on a letter that authorized Hadden’s return to work , remains the chair of the obstetrics and gynecology department. D’Alton did not respond to a request for comment. Columbia declined to comment for this story. The attorney general’s office has significant powers over New York’s nonprofits, including Columbia. A few years ago, it forced the Trump Foundation to shut down . More recently it sued the National Rife Association, which then had to enact a series of reforms .  Survivors told ProPublica they were heartened that New York is looking into Columbia.  “Accountability is overdue, particularly in light of the Epstein files,” said Evelyn Yang, pointing to recent revelations that several Columbia affiliates had ties to the financier. Read more How Columbia Ignored Women, Undermined Prosecutors and Protected a Predator for More Than 20 Years Yang was among at least 8 patients who were assaulted by Hadden after he returned to work. She was seven months pregnant at the time. Shortly after our story was published more than two years ago, Columbia promised to “thoroughly examine the circumstances that allowed Hadden’s abuse to continue.”  No report detailing those findings has yet been published.  Last week, Columbia acknowledged in an announcement that there “are many questions” about the timing of the investigation it commissioned. It said that the report is expected to be released “soon.” New York State Assemblymember Grace Lee blasted the university’s failure to issue the report, telling ProPublica the university has not taken responsibility for what happened. “To me, it’s just outrageous that we are here now in 2026 and we still have no report and no one has been held accountable,” she said. By comparison, the external investigation into the University of Michigan’s response to the crimes committed by its former physician Robert Anderson took about 15 months.  Another Hadden survivor, Marissa Hoechstetter, said the attorney general’s decision to examine Columbia provides some relief because the institution has repeatedly failed to do so itself. “I do believe institutional accountability is a missing part of making a bigger change in the fight of gender-based violence,” Hoechstetter said. “I don’t know what will come of this investigation” — referring to New York’s probe — “but it shows that institutions that protect and cover up abusers in order to protect their own people and reputation will be held accountable.” Hoechstetter and Yang both advocated for the passage of the Adult Survivors Act, a New York State law that in 2022 opened a one-year window in which survivors of sexual assault could file civil suits against their abusers or the institutions that protected them, even after the statute of limitations had passed. For years, the university had failed to notify Hadden’s former patients of his misconduct. Finally, in November 2023, just 10 days before the law’s extended window closed, Columbia announced it would send letters to almost 6,500 patients. A closed town hall meeting at the medical school this January gave a window into who was behind that lack of notification. “It actually is a Board of Trustee decision” because of the potential cost of litigation, Monica Lypson, the vice dean for medical education, told students in a recording that ProPublica obtained. Lypson did not respond to a request for comment. Separately, the deadline to submit a claim to Columbia’s survivors’ settlement fund, which was established for survivors who do not want to file lawsuits, has been extended to April 15 . The post New York Attorney General is Investigating Columbia for Allowing Predatory Doctor to See Patients Despite Warnings appeared first on ProPublica .

The Navy is no longer allowed to shroud its criminal trials in secrecy and must provide public access to hearings and records, a federal judge ruled last month. The order, the result of a yearslong lawsuit filed by ProPublica , forces the service for the first time to more closely mirror the transparency required in civilian courts. The judge agreed with ProPublica that the Navy was violating the First Amendment with its policies. “This is a landmark victory for transparency,” Sarah Matthews, ProPublica’s deputy general counsel, said. “It’s the first time a civilian court has held that the First Amendment right of public access applies to military courts and records. The Navy was allowed to prosecute our service members in secret for far too long, but that ends now.” ProPublica sued the Navy in 2022 after the service refused to release almost all court documents in a high-profile arson case, in which a sailor faced life imprisonment for a fire that destroyed a Navy assault ship. A ProPublica investigation found that the service decided to prosecute Ryan Mays despite little evidence connecting him to the fire — or that the fire was a result of arson in the first place — and a military judge’s recommendation to drop the charges. The Navy’s long-standing policy was to withhold all records from preliminary hearings, which consider whether there is probable cause to move forward with a case. In those that did go to trial, the Navy would only provide scant records long after the proceedings were over — and only if they ended in guilty findings. Records weren’t released if the charges were dropped or a defendant was acquitted. As a result, the public was unable to assess whether the court-martial system was fair or whether important issues, such as sexual assault, were being handled properly. Now the Navy must provide more timely access to all nonclassified records from trials regardless of outcome as well as from preliminary hearings. This includes the report from a crucial milestone in a criminal case, what the military calls an Article 32 hearing, in which a hearing officer, in a role much like a judge, recommends whether criminal charges should proceed. The Navy had argued to the court that it shouldn’t be required to release these reports because they are “non-binding, internal advisory documents.” The judge, Barry Ted Moskowitz of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, disagreed, saying earlier in the case that these hearings are “strikingly similar” to those in civilian courts that are open to the public. Access to the reports is a big win for the public, according to Frank Rosenblatt, president of the National Institute of Military Justice, a nonprofit advocacy group. “Congress intended for the military justice process to be a public window into what is happening with the military, and Article 32 reports in many cases end up being highly newsworthy,” he said. “These proceedings often reveal scapegoats, investigative flaws and command influence on matters of public concern not long after incidents happen.” The ruling imposed deadlines on the Navy for when records must be made public. Transcripts from hearings and trials must be turned over as soon as possible but no later than 30 days after a request, and other court records must be provided as soon as possible but no later than 60 days. The Navy is also required to give advanced notice of preliminary hearings, listing the full names of defendants and providing their charge sheets. After ProPublica sued, the Pentagon issued guidance early last year requiring the military to give at least three days’ notice of these hearings. But Moskwotiz said that wasn’t enough time and bumped up the requirement to 10 days. “While the judge did not require the Navy to provide contemporaneous access to records like in civilian courts, we’re thrilled that the Navy can no longer withhold more than 99% of the court records,” Matthews said. The Navy said in a brief to the judge that complying with the order “will require substantial amendments to multiple Navy policies, instructions and standards, including revisions to guidance for preliminary hearing officers, and the development and delivery of comprehensive training across the Navy.” Moskowitz stopped shy of ordering the secretary of defense to issue similar rules across the services, as requested by ProPublica and required by a federal law passed in 2016. (The Pentagon’s policy addressing the law , which wasn’t issued until 2023, fell far short of the “timely” release of documents “at all stages of the military justice system” that Congress called for.) Moskowitz said he could not make such a ruling because the secretary’s duties are “imprecise and subject to discretion.” The Navy did not respond to requests for comment about the judge’s order. During the last court hearing, the government lawyers told the court that “the Navy has an interest in complying with the law in general.” ProPublica is represented in the suit by Matthews and by pro bono attorneys at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (Ted Boutrous, Michael Dore, Marissa Mulligan and Mckenzie Robinson, plus former Gibson Dunn attorneys Eric Richardson, Dan Willey and Sasha Dudding when they were at the firm) and at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP (Tenaya Rodewald and Matthew Halgren). The post ProPublica Wins Lawsuit Over Access to Court Records in U.S. Navy Cases appeared first on ProPublica .

It was a prank that turned deadly, authorities said: a group of teenagers unspooled rolls of toilet paper outside the home of a beloved high school teacher who tripped in the street and was struck by a pickup truck as the pranksters started to drive away. The 40-year-old teacher, Jason Hughes, died after being brought to a hospital late Friday, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said. The 18-year-old driver of the pickup was arrested on a felony charge of vehicular homicide, and four other teens...

Ships anchored in the Gulf or transiting the Strait of Hormuz are changing their tracking data to boast links to China in an attempt to evade Iranian attacks, according to data from shipping tracker Marine Traffic analysed by Agence France-Presse. Iran has effectively closed the vital waterway since US-Israeli strikes on it began on February 28, and at least 10 vessels have been attacked since. But by claiming to have an “all-Chinese crew” aboard, or changing their destination to “Chinese...

The United States and China traded barbs at a ⁠UN drugs meeting on ⁠Monday, with Washington accusing Beijing of ⁠failing to stop sales of precursor chemicals for fentanyl and China dismissing the allegation as false while calling the US irresponsible. The exchange, delivered in separate statements at the UN’s annual Commission on Narcotic Drugs meeting in Vienna, underscored tensions ‌between the two countries over illicit drugs and tariffs, with their leaders due to meet in China at the end of...

Home affairs minister in Queensland after dramatic night in which five female players were granted asylum. Follow updates live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Surging oil prices have raised the risk of the Reserve Bank hiking interest rates in a week’s time, economists have warned. Traders bet heavily on interest rate rises on Monday after oil prices surged to US$115 a barrel. Markets expect rates will now stay higher for longer, with one indicator, Australian three-year bond yields, rising to a new record high for the decade. The data ... as well as now higher energy prices, means there is still a significant risk of an earlier hike. Her tone had shifted radically ... The oil price response [and] the risk that it opened up in their thinking was quite severe. Australia’s core national interest is decided in the Indo-Pacific ... This by the sound of it ... [is] a friendly nation to Australia, perhaps a Gulf state, that has been on the receiving end of some of the indiscriminate rocket fire from Iran ... has asked for our assistance. I think we should consider that request, although we have to carefully consider whether or not we have the capabilities available to contribute and that it would not in any way detract from our own national interests. Continue reading...

Request for records related to election audit appears latest part of Trump effort to spread false claims about voting A federal grand jury subpoenaed Arizona’s legislature for records related the state senate’s widely criticized review of the 2020 election, the state senate president said on Monday, in what appears to be the latest part of the Trump administration’s efforts to spread false claims about the 2020 election and voting in the United States. Warren Petersen, the president of the Arizona state senate, confirmed on X on Monday the legislature had received a subpoena related to records of its review of the election results in Maricopa county, the most populous in the state. He added that “the FBI has the records”. Continue reading...

Anglers describe harrowing phone calls to loved ones once ice detached from shores of Georgian Bay in Ontario Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Kevin Fox thought the spring-like temperatures that had temporarily pushed the cold away from south-eastern Ontario meant a good day on for ice fishing, a popular winter pastime in the region. After shifting location because the wind and ice “didn’t feel right” and the fish weren’t biting close to shore, he and a friend joined nearly two dozen others far out on a sheet of ice in Lake Huron. They followed the familiar routine of anyone who spends a day on the ice: they drilled holes, dropped their lines and waited. Continue reading...