Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn conceded defeat on Sunday after what he called a painful election result, ending 16 years in power for a powerful figure in the far-right movement allied with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Partial official results show opposition leader Peter Magyar's party dominating the vote, in a bombshell election result with repercussions around Europe and beyond. Thank you, Hungary!'' Magyar posted on X, as thousands of his supporters thronged the banks of the Danube in Budapest.

Across town, Orban told his followers that I congratulated the victorious party.''

We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition as well,'' he said.

With 60% of the vote counted, Magyars Tisza party had more than 52% support to 38% for Orbn's governing Fidesz party. That proportion will change as more votes are counted.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Vance in Hungary to back Trump ally Viktor Orban ahead of Sunday's election

It's a major blow for Orbn, the European Unions longest-serving leader and one of its biggest antagonists, who has traveled a long road from his early days as a liberal, anti-Soviet firebrand to the Russia-friendly nationalist admired today by the global far-right.

The parties of both Orbn and Magyar said they had received reports of electoral violations, suggesting some results could be disputed by both sides.

Voters showed up in droves

Turnout by 6:30 p.m. was over 77%, according to the National Election Office, a record number in any election in Hungarys post-Communist history.

Im asking our supporters and all Hungarians: Lets stay peaceful, cheerful, and if the results confirm our expectations, lets throw a big, Hungarian carnival, Magyar said.

Orbns chief of staff, Gergely Gulys, said the record high turnout showed that Hungarian democracy is extremely strong.

Choice between East or West

Orbn has repeatedly frustrated EU efforts to support Ukraine in its war against Russias full-scale invasion, while cultivating close ties to President Vladimir Putin and refusing to end Hungarys dependence on Russian fossil fuel imports.

Recent revelations have shown a top member of his government frequently shared the contents of EU discussions with Moscow, raising accusations that Hungary was acting on Russias behalf within the bloc.

The election was closely watched in countries around Europe and beyond, which is a testament to the outsize role Orbn occupies in far-right populist politics worldwide.

Members of Trump's Make America Great Again movement are among those who see Orbn's government and his Fidesz political party as shining examples of conservative, anti-globalist politics in action, while he is reviled by advocates of liberal democracy and the rule of law.

After casting his vote, Magyar told reporters that the election was a choice between East or West, propaganda or honest public discourse, corruption or clean public life.

Casting his ballot in Budapest, Marcell Mehringer, 21, said he was voting primarily so that Hungary will finally be a so-called European country, and so that young people, and really everyone, will do their fundamental civic duty to unite this nation a bit and to break down these boundaries borne of hatred.

Strained relationship with the EU

During his 16 years as prime minister, Orbn has launched harsh crackdowns on minority rights and media freedoms, subverted many of Hungary's institutions and been accused of siphoning large sums of money into the coffers of his allied business elite, an allegation he denies.

He also has heavily strained Hungary's relationship with the EU. Although Hungary is one of the smaller EU countries, with a population of 9.5 million, Orbn has repeatedly used his veto to block decisions that require unanimity.

Most recently, he blocked a 90-billion euro ($104 billion) EU loan to Ukraine, prompting his partners to accuse him of hijacking the critical aid.

Serious challenger on the rise

Magyar rapidly rose to become Orbn's most serious challenger. The 45-year-old leader of the center-right Tisza party, which led in independent polls, campaigned on issues affecting ordinary voters including Hungarys faltering public health care and transportation sectors and what he describes as rampant government corruption.

A former insider within Orbn's Fidesz, Magyar broke with the party in 2024 and quickly formed Tisza. Since then, he has toured Hungary relentlessly, holding rallies in settlements big and small in a campaign blitz that recently had him visiting up to six towns daily.

In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month, Magyar said the election will be a referendum on whether Hungary continues on its drift toward Russia under Orbn, or can retake its place among the democratic societies of Europe.

Tisza won 30% of the vote in European Parliament elections in 2024, and Magyar took a seat as an EU lawmaker. Tisza is a member of the European People's Party, the mainstream, center-right political family with leaders governing 12 of the EU's 27 nations.

Uphill election battle

Magyar and Tisza face a tough fight. Orbn's control of Hungary's public media, which he has transformed into a mouthpiece for his party, and vast swaths of the private media market give him an advantage in spreading his message.

The unilateral transformation of Hungary's electoral system and gerrymandering of its 106 voting districts by Fidesz also will require Tisza to gain an estimated 5% more votes than Orbns party to achieve a simple majority.

Additionally, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries had the right to vote in Hungarian elections and traditionally have voted overwhelmingly for Orbn's party.

Fidesz and Tisza both have launched platforms for reporting irregularities, accusing their opponents of planning to commit election abuses.

Russian secret services have plotted to interfere and tip the election in Orbn's favor, according to numerous media reports including by The Washington Post. The prime minister, however, has accused neighboring Ukraine, as well as Hungary's allies in the EU, of seeking to interfere in the vote to install a pro-Ukraine government.

Such accusations are part of why many in the EU see Orbn as a danger to the bloc's future.

But across the Atlantic, Trump and his MAGA movement are all-in for another Orbn term. Trump has repeatedly endorsed the Hungarian leader and U.S. Vice President JD Vance made a two-day visit to Hungary last week meant to help push Orbn over the finish line.

President Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would immediately begin a blockade to stop ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after U.S.-Iran peace talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement.

Trump sought to exert strategic control over the waterway responsible for the transportation of 20% of global oil supplies before the war, hoping to take away Irans key source of economic leverage in the fighting.

The president added that he has instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.

RELATED STORY | Vance says talks with Iran have ended without an agreement to end war

Trump also said the U.S. was ready to finish up Iran at the appropriate moment," stressing that Tehran's nuclear ambitions were at the core of the failure to end the war.

Face-to-face talks ended earlier Sunday after 21 hours, leaving a fragile two-week ceasefire in doubt.

U.S. officials said the negotiations collapsed over what they described as Irans refusal to commit to abandoning a path to a nuclear weapon, while Iranian officials blamed the U.S. for the breakdown of the talks without specifying the sticking points.

Neither side indicated what will happen after the 14-day ceasefire expires on April 22. Pakistani mediators urged all parties to maintain it. Both said their positions were clear and put the onus on the other side, underscoring how little the gap had narrowed throughout the talks.

We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon, Vice President JD Vance said after the talks.

Irans parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led Iran in the negotiations, said it was time for the United States to decide whether it can gain our trust or not.

He did not mention the core disputes in a series of social media posts, though Iranian officials earlier said the talks fell apart over two or three key issues, blaming what they called U.S. overreach.

Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons but has insisted on its right to a civilian nuclear program. It has offered affirmative commitments in the past in writing, including in the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. Experts say its stockpile of enriched uranium, though not weapons-grade, is only a short technical step away.

Since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, it has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,020 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, and caused lasting damage to infrastructure in half a dozen Middle Eastern countries. Irans grip on the Strait of Hormuz has largely cut off the Persian Gulf and its oil and gas exports from the global economy, sending energy prices soaring.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Pope Leo XIV steps up criticism of US-Iran conflict, urges end to war

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country will try to facilitate a new dialogue between Iran and the U.S. in the coming days.

It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to cease fire, Dar said.

The deadlock and Vances take-it-or-leave-it proposal that Iran end its nuclear program mirrored Februarys nuclear talks in Switzerland. Though Trump has said the subsequent war was meant to compel Irans leaders to abandon nuclear ambitions, each side's positions appeared unchanged in negotiations following six weeks of fighting.

An Iranian diplomatic official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the closed-door talks, denied that negotiations had failed over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Iran is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, but it has the right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, they said, reiterating Iran's longstanding negotiating position.

There was no word on whether they would resume, though Iran said it was open to continuing the dialogue, Irans state-run IRNA news agency reported.

We have never sought war. But if they try to win what they failed to win on the battlefield through talks, thats absolutely unacceptable, 60-year-old Mohammad Bagher Karami said in downtown Tehran.

US moves to shift status quo in Strait of Hormuz

The United States and Iran entered talks with sharply different proposals and contrasting assumptions about their leverage to end the war. Before negotiations began, the ceasefire was already threatened by deep disagreements and Israels continued attacks against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Irans 10-point proposal ahead of the talks called for a guaranteed end to the war and sought control over the Strait of Hormuz. It included ending fighting against Irans regional allies, explicitly calling for a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.

Pakistani officials told The Associated Press in March that the U.S. 15-point proposal included monitoring mechanisms and a rollback of Irans nuclear program. Speaking on condition of anonymity as they werent authorized to discuss details, they said it also covered reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Indeed, Irans closure of the strait has proved its biggest strategic advantage in the war.

During the talks, the U.S. military said two destroyers transited the critical waterway ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Irans state media, however, reported the country's joint military command denied that.

Were sweeping the strait. Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me, Trump said as talks extended into early Sunday morning.

Still marveling over their moon mission, the Artemis II astronauts received a thunderous welcome home Saturday from hundreds who took part in NASA's lunar comeback that set a record for deep space travel.

The crew of four arrived at Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center and Mission Control, flying in from San Diego, where they splashed down just offshore the evening before.

After a quick reunion with their spouses and children, commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada's Jeremy Hansen took the hangar stage, surrounded by space center workers and other invited guests. They were introduced by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, among the first to greet them aboard the recovery ship Friday.

Ladies and gentlemen, your Artemis II crew, Isaacman said to a standing ovation.

RELATED STORY | New reentry strategy guides Artemis IIs historic return to Earth

The jubilant crowd included flight directors and the launch director, Orion capsule and exploration system managers, high-ranking military officers, members of Congress, the space agencys entire blue-suited astronaut corps and even retired ones, and more.

Their homecoming was poignant: They returned to NASA's Houston base on the 56th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 13, whose Houston, weve had a problem refrain turned a near-disaster into triumph.

This was not easy. an emotional Wiseman said. Before you launch, it feels like its the greatest dream on Earth. And when youre out there, you just want to get back to your families and your friends. Its a special thing to be a human, and its a special thing to be on planet Earth.

Added Glover: I have not processed what we just did and Im afraid to start even trying."

Hansen said the four of them embodied love and extracting joy out of that as the four joined together to stand in a row, embracing one another. When you look up here, youre not looking at us. We are a mirror reflecting you. And if you like what you see, then just look a little deeper. This is you.

During Artemis II's nearly 10-day mission, the astronauts voyaged deeper into space than the moon explorers of decades past and captured views of the lunar far side never witnessed before by human eyes. A total solar eclipse added to the cosmic wonder.

On their record-breaking flyby, the astronauts reached a maximum 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) from Earth before hanging a U-turn behind the moon, eclipsing Apollo's 13 distance record.

The mission also revealed a new side of our planet with an Earthset photo, showing our Blue Marble setting behind the gray, pockmarked moon. The image echoed the famous Earthrise shot from 1968 taken by the worlds first lunar visitors, Apollo 8.

Honestly, what struck me wasnt necessarily just Earth, it was all the blackness around it. Earth was just this lifeboat hanging undisturbedly in the universe, Koch said. Planet Earth you are a crew.

RELATED STORY | Heat shield data from Artemis II could define timeline of future lunar missions

Despite the accomplishments, Artemis II astronauts had to contend with a more mundane problem a malfunctioning space toilet. NASA promised a design fix before longer moon-landing missions.

Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen were the first humans to fly to the moon since Apollo 17 closed out NASA's first exploration era in 1972. Twenty-four astronauts flew to the moon during Apollo, including 12 moonwalkers.

Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell who also flew on Apollo 8 cheered the Artemis II crew on in a wake-up message recorded before he died last summer.

It was crucial for NASA that Artemis II go well. The space agency is already preparing for next year's Artemis III, which will see a new crew practice docking its capsule with a lunar lander in orbit around Earth. That will set the stage for the all-important Artemis IV moon landing in 2028, when two astronauts attempt a touchdown near the lunar south pole.

The long wait is over. After a brief 53-year intermission, the show goes on, Isaacman said.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said negotiations ended early Sunday between the United States and Iran without a peace deal after the Iranians refused to accept American terms to not develop a nuclear weapon.

The high-stakes talks ended after 21 hours, Vance said, with the vice president in constant communication with U.S. President Donald Trump and others in the administration.

But the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon, Vance told reporters. That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And thats what weve tried to achieve through these negotiations.

RELATED STORY | Pope Leo XIV steps up criticism of US-Iran conflict, urges end to war

The vice president said he spoke with Trump a half dozen times, a dozen times, over the past 21 hours and also spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Adm. Brad Cooper, head of the United States Central Command.

We were constantly in communication with the team because we were negotiating in good faith, Vance said, speaking at a podium in front of a pair of American flags with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to his side. And we leave here, and we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. Well see if the Iranians accept it.

Trump had said he would suspend attacks against Iran for two weeks. Vances comments did not indicate what will happen after that time period expires or if the ceasefire will remain in place.

War enters seventh week

The historic talks ended days after a fragile, two-week ceasefire was announced, as the war that has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets entered its seventh week. Two Pakistani officials said discussions between the heads of the delegations will resume after a break.

Some technical personnel from both teams are still meeting, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military said two destroyers transited the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Irans state media, however, said the joint military command denied that.

Were sweeping the strait. Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me, Trump told journalists as talks continued and the time approached 2 a.m. in Islamabad. He called negotiations very deep. Iranian state TV noted what it called serious differences.

The U.S. delegation led by Vance and the Iranian one led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf discussed with Pakistan how to advance the ceasefire already threatened by deep disagreements and Israel's continued attacks against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, whose health ministry said the death toll has surpassed 2,000.

Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, the most direct U.S. contact had been in 2013 when President Barack Obama called newly elected President Hassan Rouhani to discuss Irans nuclear program. Obama's secretary of state, John Kerry, and counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif later met during negotiations toward the 2015 Iran nuclear deal a process that lasted well over a year.

Now the far broader talks feature Vance, a reluctant defender of the war who has little diplomatic experience and warned Iran not to try and play us, and Qalibaf, a former commander with Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard who has issued some of Iran's most fiery statements since fighting began.

Iran sets red lines including compensation for strikes

Irans state-run news agency said the three-party talks began after Iranian preconditions, including a reduction in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, were met.

Iran's delegation told state television it had presented red lines in meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, including compensation for damage caused by U.S.-Israeli strikes that launched the war on Feb. 28 and releasing Irans frozen assets.

The war has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,020 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, and caused lasting damage to infrastructure in half a dozen Middle Eastern countries. Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz has largely cut off the Persian Gulf and its oil and gas exports from the global economy, sending energy prices soaring.

Reflecting the high stakes, officials from the region said Chinese, Egyptian, Saudi and Qatari officials were in Islamabad to indirectly facilitate talks. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

In Tehran, residents told The Associated Press they were skeptical yet hopeful after weeks of airstrikes left destruction across their country of some 93 million people.

Peace alone is not enough for our country because weve been hit very hard, there have been huge costs, 62-year-old Amir Razzai Far said.

In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo XIV denounced the delusion of omnipotence fueling the war.

US sending forces to help mine-clearing on the strait

Irans closure of the Strait of Hormuz has proved its biggest strategic advantage in the war. Around a fifth of the worlds traded oil had typically passed through on over 100 ships a day. Only 12 have been recorded transiting since the ceasefire.

On Saturday, Trump said on social media that the U.S. had begun clearing out the strait.

RELATED STORY | Democrats grow bolder on talk about removing Trump from office after his Iran threats

Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon, U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper later said. The U.S. statement about the destroyers added: "Additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said Tehran was entering negotiations with deep distrust after strikes on Iran during previous talks. Araghchi, part of Irans delegation in Pakistan, said Saturday that his country was prepared to retaliate if attacked again.

Irans 10-point proposal ahead of the talks called for a guaranteed end to the war and sought control over the Strait of Hormuz. It included ending fighting against Irans regional allies," explicitly calling for a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.

The United States 15-point proposal includes restricting Irans nuclear program and reopening the strait.

Israel and Lebanon will have direct negotiations

Israel pressed ahead with strikes in Lebanon after saying there is no ceasefire there. Iran and Pakistan have disagreed.

Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday in Washington, Lebanese President Joseph Aouns office has said, after Israel's surprise announcement authorizing talks despite the countries lack of official relations.

But as thousands in Lebanon protested the planned negotiations on Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he had postponed a planned trip to Washington in light of the current internal circumstances. His absence should not affect talks as the first round is expected to be at the ambassadorial level.

Israel wants Lebanon's government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, much like was envisaged in a November 2024 ceasefire. But the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades.

Hezbollah joined the war in support of Iran in the opening days. Israel followed with airstrikes and a ground invasion.

The day the Iran ceasefire deal was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people in the deadliest day in Lebanon since the war began, according to the country's Health Ministry.

With baby Arthur too young for the measles vaccine and a sibling due in June, the Otwells grew nervous when the threat of the highly contagious virus started factoring into their grocery run.

We go to the Costco that was kind of a hotbed, said John Otwell, who knew about the state health department's warnings of public exposures at the store. A lot of people just dont get it; they think its just a cold. Its not.

By Arthurs 9-month checkup, the South Carolina outbreak had exploded into the nation's worst in more than 35 years, surpassing last year's in Texas. That meant that under state guidance, Arthur could get his first dose of the MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella earlier than the usual 12 to 15 months old. Their new baby wont be able to get the shot until at least 6 months a prospect that worries parents of infants wherever measles spreads.

RELATED STORY | Measles outbreak reported at ICE facility on Texas military base

Babies too young to be vaccinated are among the most vulnerable in a measles outbreak. The disease can wreak havoc on their fragile bodies, making them so sick they stop eating and drinking. They can develop pneumonia or brain swelling, and sometimes die.

Babies depend entirely on herd immunity at least 95% of a community must be vaccinated to prevent measles outbreaks. But dropping vaccination rates have eroded protection in South Carolina and across the nation. In Spartanburg County, the outbreak's epicenter, less than 90% of students have gotten required vaccines.

Babies become sitting ducks, said Dr. Deborah Greenhouse, a Columbia pediatrician. The burden is on all of us to protect all of us.

But increasingly, some policymakers and officials push a view of vaccination as an issue of individual freedom and parents' rights, rather than one of public health to safeguard the population as a whole.

At the federal level, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine crusader, has sought to remake vaccine policy and oversaw billions in public health cuts. And though a temporary ruling from a federal judge has slowed his momentum, a raft of bills has been introduced in states, including South Carolina, that threaten to further reduce vaccination rates.

South Carolinas measles outbreak, totaling about 1,000 cases, has slowed. But measles is spreading in many states, with 17 outbreaks this year and 48 last year, and the U.S. on the verge of losing its status as a country that has eliminated measles.

Doctors work to protect the youngest against measles

Dr. Jessica Early never thought shed have to deal with measles, but the pediatrician feared for her patients and her own baby when it popped up in her Greer community. She and other doctors began offering an approved infant MMR dose as early as 6 months old. Her practice also started giving the second MMR dose usually for ages 4 to 6 years old early.

To the chagrin of many doctors, no one knows how many South Carolina infants have gotten measles or been hospitalized by it.

State officials will disclose only that 253 of the 997 cases were among children 4 and younger; they say they wont break cases down further for confidentiality reasons. Its not uncommon to group statistics this way.

Officials also dont know exactly how many infants were hospitalized with the virus because, as in some other states, hospitals aren't required to report measles-related admissions.

Across the state, doctors said they got many questions about whether it was safe to bring infants to waiting rooms or day care.

Thomas Compton regional director of Miss Tammys Little Learning Center, a child care network operating across the outbreak region said 18 parents pulled children out of his facilities, though they had no confirmed cases. Some abandoned deposits days before their kids were scheduled to start, forcing the company to lay off a teacher.

Although licensed day cares must require vaccines under state law, families can easily get religious exemptions. About a fifth of Miss Tammy's 300 children have vaccine waivers.

When measles surged, Compton said state officials gave little guidance. His staff scrubbed down surfaces, as they did when COVID-19 was raging; tracked local measles cases on Facebook; and relied on Google for information about the disease.

A lot of parents were really stressed out, Compton said. Anytime that we had a little sickness going on or something, they were like, Do you think its the measles?

State legislation would prohibit vaccines for children under 2

Last year, an Associated Press investigation found that Trump administration officials were directing activists to push anti-science legislation in statehouses. Nationally, around 350 anti-vaccine bills were introduced as of late October, AP found, including at least eight in South Carolina.

This year, a state bill would prohibit requiring vaccines for children under 2.

In other words, it would get rid of those requirements in the day cares, pediatrician Greenhouse said. And for people like me, that is a gut punch that is terrifying.

In a subcommittee discussion, Republican State Sen. Carlisle Kennedy said his bill aims to protect parents rights. His baby was born in August without working kidneys and got vaccines on a personalized schedule, in coordination with doctors.

We didnt want to put vaccines in his body before his body was able to survive them, he said.

Opponents countered that herd immunity protects children in these situations.

The Senate subcommittee advanced the legislation. Greenhouse fears it has momentum.

RELATED STORY | South Carolina measles outbreak shows little sign of slowing, surpasses Texas' 2025 total

"In the climate that we are currently living in, I think any bill potentially could have legs," she said. It is our job to do our absolute best to make sure that those legs dont go anywhere.

Whether the bill becomes law, doctors say this sort of legislation fuels vaccine skepticism and confusion. While the American Academy of Pediatrics advises giving babies all the vaccines theyve gotten for years, some parents tell Greenhouse they know the government has called for fewer.

They dont actually know who they can trust, she said.

South Carolina, like other states, has made nonmedical vaccine exemptions easier to get, noted Dr. Martha Edwards, president of the state's American Academy of Pediatrics chapter. In the outbreak's epicenter, religious exemptions have more than doubled since 2020. Statewide, 4% of school-age students have such exemptions in 2025-26.

Parental choice is a big buzzword in a lot of the Southern states, Edwards said. But the choice not to vaccinate, she said, impacts other parents rights to keep their children safe.

Nationwide, protection fades as measles spreads

Doctors expect things will only get worse.

In the first three months of 2026, the U.S. logged 1,671 measles cases. Thats 73% of the total from 2025, the worst year for the virus in more than three decades. In November, international health officials will determine whether measles is still considered eliminated in the U.S.

National MMR vaccination rates which dropped to 92.5% among kindergartners in the 2024-25 school year, from 95.2% in 2019-20 obscure much lower rates in certain communities. At one Spartanburg County school, 21% of kids received all required vaccines.

Doctors worry its just a matter of time before all sorts of vaccine-preventable diseases threaten lives like they did a century ago.

The whole concept of immunization is one of the best things that has ever happened to medicine, Greenhouse said. To see that we are actually going backwards is just confounding.

Helen Kaiser, who lives in the outbreak area, vaccinated her twin 2-year-old boys early to protect them and the community.

I would never forgive myself, she said, if I knew that my son had gotten another baby very sick and it was something I could have prevented.

In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced the delusion of omnipotence that is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.

Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peters Basilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held.

Historys first U.S.-born pope didnt mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. But Leos tone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

RELATED STORY | US, Iran agree to two-week ceasefire that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Leo said. Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!

In the basilica pews was the archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu. The U.S. was represented in the diplomatic corps by its deputy chief of mission, Laura Hochla, the U.S. Embassy said.

In the first weeks of the war, the Chicago-born Leo was initially reluctant to publicly condemn the violence and limited his comments to muted appeals for peace and dialogue. But Leo stepped up his criticism starting on Palm Sunday. And this week, he said Trumps threat to annihilate Iranian civilization was truly unacceptable and called for dialogue to prevail.

On Saturday, Leo called for all people of good will to pray for peace and demand an end to war from their political leaders. The evening vigil in Rome, which featured Scripture readings and meditative recitation of the Rosary prayers, was taking place as simultaneous local prayer services were being held in the U.S. and beyond.

Praying for peace, Leo said, was a way to break the demonic cycle of evil to build instead the Kingdom of God where there are no swords, drones or unjust profit.

RELATED STORY | Trump says Iran has 'no cards' as Vance heads to Pakistan for peace talks

It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive, he said. Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.

Leaders have used religion to justify their actions in the war. U.S. officials and especially Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have invoked their Christian faith to cast the U.S. as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes.

Leo has said God doesnt bless any war, and certainly not those who drop bombs.

Leo presided over the service sitting off to the side of the altar on a white throne, wearing his formal red cape and liturgical stole and praying with a Rosary in his hands. Many of the priests and nuns in the pews fingered Rosary beads as the Our Father and Hail Mary prayers were recited.

The Vatican is particularly concerned about the spillover of Israels war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, given the plight of Christian communities in the south.

After a few years of sharing a 2019 Chevrolet Trax, Dana Eble and Tyler Marcus are finally looking for a second car. But as they jump into the market, the young married couple isn't sure what they can afford.

I just keep seeing a lot of different aspects of life getting more expensive, and its harder, said Eble, an account manager for a public relations agency.

Car ownership has long been integral to the American dream. But as automakers slash the production of inexpensive models to cater to customers who can afford oversized pickups and sport utility vehicles, buyers find themselves facing sticker shock at the same time they are already frustrated by the lingering effects of high inflation.

Consumer prices rose 3.3% in March, the biggest yearly increase since May 2024, while new car prices were up 12.6% from a year ago, the Labor Department reported Friday.

New vehicles now sell for an average of nearly $50,000, up 30% in six years, and average monthly payments based on 10% down and a 6-year note recently hit $775. Looking for something on the cheap end? The share of vehicles listing for less than $30,000 is about 13% down from 40% five years ago, per the car review site CarGurus.

RELATED STORY | New car prices hit historic high as average cost surpasses $50,000 for first time

To cope, buyers are spreading their payments out longer. Consumers choosing 7-year loans make up more than 12% of all sales, up from nearly 8% a year ago, according to auto buying resource J.D. Power. Such contracts wind up costing more in the long run because of interest payments.

The ability to buy transportation is still out there. The question is just, what do you get for your money? Charlie Chesbrough, a senior economist at Cox Automotive, said.

The rising cost of cars is contributing to increased concerns about affordability throughout American life. Consumers, especially young people, say they feel like everyday needs like housing, food, utilities and child care are getting costlier and wages aren't keeping up.

It is a vulnerable position for Republicans ahead of this years midterm elections, especially as the Iran war has pumped up gas prices that makes getting behind the wheel even more expensive.

Size, technology and must-have features add to costs

Sticker prices have been rising since automakers discovered Americans are willing to pay more for bigger, more expensive SUVs and pickup trucks that bring the companies more profit from each sale. They have largely phased out smaller, cheaper sedans.

That is especially true for domestic carmakers; the average selling prices for many vehicles from Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Jeep-maker Stellantis have generally trended higher than those for Asian companies Honda, Hyundai, Mazda and Subaru.

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Car companies are also savvy about placing desired options in more expensive trim levels that can lure consumers into a vehicle that costs more than they planned, said David Undercoffler, the head of consumer insights at CarGurus.

Advanced safety technology lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, collision warnings and more all add to the cost of a vehicle. Automakers are required by federal industry rules to add some features, such as rear-view cameras.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed up auto prices because production fell, affecting both the new and used markets. Though production recovered, other supply chain disruptions and tariffs have affected prices. Meanwhile, government data shows that car insurance prices have soared 55% compared with six years ago, or just before the pandemic, driving up the number of Americans going without. Car repairs, on average, are 48% more expensive.

The share of new car buyers earning below $100,000 fell to 37% last year, down from 50% in 2020, according to Cox Automotive.

Some carmakers have acknowledged affordability concerns. In February, Ford said it would have several vehicles prices under $40,000 by the end of the decade. GM has pointed to vehicles from Buick and Chevrolet, including the Trax, as cheaper options.

Looking to used market for relief

Chesbrough thinks consumers are sometimes unrealistic in their wants.

There are vehicles out there for less than $30,000. What everybody wants is the mid-sized SUV with leather seats and the sunroof for $25,000, and thats not available, Chesbrough said.

Those buyers, he said, are being pushed into the used market.

But as those buyers shift to used, they are finding fewer affordable options there, too. The share of used vehicles priced less than $30,000 fell from 78% in 2021 to 69% in February, according to CarGurus. The average used vehicle sold for about $25,000 in February, and the average used monthly payments hit $560.

The inventory of used cars is being hit by a couple of trends. One is that consumers keen to avoid a big expense are hanging on to their cars longer nearly 13 years on average now, 18 months longer than a decade ago, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. And a downturn in the popularity of leasing means fewer two- and three-year-old cars hitting the market after leases expire.

J.D. Power estimates that consumers might spend up to $140 less on a lease payment than the average finance commitment, a good option especially for drivers whose annual mileage is predictable. But experts say there is still an affordability challenge.

What buyers can do

Sam Dykhuis, 27, of Chicago, needed to buy her first car recently when she started a new job as a scheduler for United Airlines. She searched for something used under $20,000, and eventually paid a little more than that for a 2021 Mazda CX-5. To hold down the cost, she tapped savings to buy the car outright. She pays insurance six months at a time to save a few bucks, too.

Still, My paycheck went down and my expenses went up, Dykhuis said. Certainly, I have to be more just on top of it than I was previously."

Eble, 30, and Marcus, 31, say they appreciate cool vehicles but don't consider themselves car people" and are hoping their search is easier as a result. Still, finding something in their $20,000 to $30,000 budget might not be as easy as it once was.

They are considering cars such as a newer Trax, a Mazda or maybe an electric vehicle. New EVs generally cost more upfront, but consumers can save in the long run. The used EV market will also soon be flooded with two- or three-year-old EVs that were leased at the time federal credits were generous.

Like Dykhuis, they say they also might buy their new ride outright to avoid a new monthly payment.

It feels like if anything happens out of our control it just seems so much more difficult to figure out how to orient our finances," Eble said.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office will launch an investigation into Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell after a woman who worked for him accused him of sexually assaulting her. CNN and the New York Times were among the first to report on the investigation.

In a stunning political reversal, prominent supporters of Swalwells campaign for California governor withdrew their support after the allegations surfaced.

Swalwell did not immediately heed those calls, saying on social media that he would spend the weekend with family and friends and share an update very soon.

These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They're absolutely false. They did not happen, they have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have, he said.

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Swalwell was among the leading Democrats in the race to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom. But in just hours, he saw his most prominent supporters including U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and powerful labor unions drop their endorsements and call for his exit from the race.

Newsom, a likely 2028 presidential candidate who has avoided engaging in the contest to replace him, said in a statement: As we continue to learn more, these allegations from multiple sources are deeply troubling and must be taken seriously.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who hasnt endorsed in the race, said the serious allegations must be investigated and that she spoke to Swalwell and suggested that be done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.

The allegations surfaced at a critical stage of the wide-open campaign to lead the nations most populous state. Voters will receive mail ballots next month in advance of the June 2 election.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that a woman said Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019 and 2024. The newspaper reviewed text messages about the alleged 2024 assault and spoke to people whom she had told about it. She told the newspaper she did not go to police because she was afraid she would not be believed.

The woman worked for Swalwell in 2019, when the first alleged assault occurred, and the 2024 assault allegedly occurred after a charity gala, the newspaper reported. She said in both cases she was too intoxicated to consent to sex.

The paper didnt name the woman, and The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify her account and identity. Her lawyer declined to comment.

Swift backlash from prominent Democrats

Schiff said in a social media post he's deeply distressed by the allegations, calling for Swalwell to end his gubernatorial bid.

Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who helped run Swalwells campaign, said hes immediately ending his role.

The congressman should leave the race now so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction, or delay, Gomez said on social media.

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Powerful labor unions, including the California Service Employees International Union and the California Teachers Association, said they're suspending their support. The California Federation of Labor Unions said its acting urgently on next steps.

A spokesperson for House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said the allegations require a serious and thorough investigation.

Growing calls for Swalwell to drop out

Swalwell is among a handful of prominent candidates in the crowded race to succeed Newsom, and he immediately came under pressure from all other Democratic rivals to withdraw from the race. The party has been mired in a messy primary season with some leaders fearing the crowded field could cost them spot in the November general election. The state's top-two primary system sends the two highest vote getters onto the general election regardless of party.

Swalwell on Tuesday kicked off a planned series of campaign events in Sacramento, where he told reporters hes never had a sexual relationship with a staff member or intern. He canceled the next scheduled event in Palm Springs on Thursday.

Uncorroborated and nonspecific rumors that Swalwell behaved inappropriately with female staffers have circulated on social media for weeks, but the Chronicle's story is the first reported account of someone making a direct accusation. CNN also reported that several women accused Swalwell of sending them inappropriate sexual messages.

He's suggested the allegations were part of an attack due to his campaigns momentum.

Swalwell was elected in 2012 and represents a House district east of San Francisco. He launched a presidential run in April 2019 but shuttered it a few months later after failing to catch on with voters. Swalwell, who is married and has three children, is perhaps best known nationally as a House manager in President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial during his first term in early 2021.

Top American and Iranian officials arrived in Pakistan on Saturday for the first round of talks on how to convert their two-week ceasefire into lasting peace, as officials publicly outlined preconditions and claimed leverage in negotiations.

As the U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance and the Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf arrived in Islamabad, the ceasefire appeared fragile. Vance and Qalibaf both met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to Sharifs office and Iranian media, though no direct U.S.-Iran talks had been announced as of mid-afternoon.

The Lebanese state-run news agency reported Israel was pressing ahead with strikes in southern Lebanon, killing at least three people. Iran said discussions would only take place if there is a ceasefire in Lebanon and blocked Iranian assets are released.

RELATED STORY | Trump says Iran has 'no cards' as Vance heads to Pakistan for peace talks

The war has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 1,953 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. It has largely cut off the Persian Gulf from the global economy, sending energy prices soaring and damaging infrastructure in half a dozen countries in the region.

In Tehran, residents told The Associated Press they were skeptical yet hopeful about the talks after weeks of airstrikes carved a path of destruction across their country. Shahab Banitaba questioned whether the United States could be trusted to uphold any agreement.

If we get concrete and final results, there is still a chance that the deal falls through, he said.

Officials posture over key issues ahead of talks

U.S. President Donald Trump posted repeatedly on social media leading up to Saturday, saying Iranian officials have no cards to negotiate with. He accused them of using the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy supplies, for extortion.

The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate! he wrote.

Islamabad was deserted Saturday as security forces sealed roads ahead of the talks. Pakistani authorities urged residents to stay inside, leading the normally bustling city to look like it was under curfew.

Vance said on Friday the U.S. was optimistic about the talks, but warned: If theyre going to try and play us, then theyre going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was entering negotiations with deep distrust stemming from prior strikes on Iran during previous rounds of talks. Araghchi, who is part of Iran's delegation in Pakistan, said on Saturday that his country was prepared to retaliate if it was attacked again.

Israel and Lebanon will have direct negotiations

Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday in Washington, Lebanese President Joseph Aouns office said Friday.

RELATED STORY | US, Iran agree to two-week ceasefire that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Israel wants the Lebanese government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, much like was envisaged in a November 2024 ceasefire. But it is unclear whether Lebanon's army can establish a monopoly on arms or confiscate weapons from the militant group, which has resisted efforts to curb its strength for decades.

Israels insistence that the ceasefire in Iran does not include a pause in its fighting with Hezbollah has threatened to sink the deal. The militant group joined the war in support of its backer, Iran, in the opening days of the war.

The day the truce was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people in the deadliest day in the country since the war began Feb. 28, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Trump said Thursday he had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to dial back the strikes.

Strait of Hormuz remains a sticking point

Irans closure of the Strait of Hormuz has proved its biggest strategic advantage in the war. Commercial vessels have avoided the strait, effectively blocking the passage of oil, natural gas and fertilizer.

The spot price of Brent crude, the international standard for oil prices, was around $97 Friday, up more than 30% since the war started.

Before the conflict, around a fifth of the worlds traded oil typically passed through the strait on more than 100 ships a day, many carrying oil to Asia. With the ceasefire in place, only 12 have been recorded passing through.

Iran has floated charging ships passing through the strait as part of a peace deal, though the idea has been widely rejected by countries including the United States and Iran's neighbor Oman.

After chants of run again! filled the room, former Vice President Kamala Harris told African American activists on Friday that she's actively considering another presidential bid.

I might. I am thinking about it, Harris told Rev. Al Sharpton after he asked directly whether she was going to run for president in 2028.

Harris comments came during the National Action Networks annual convention, where more than a half-dozen potential candidates appeared this week , hoping to make inroads among Black voters who comprise one of Democrats most powerful blocs.

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The Democrats' next presidential primary season wont begin in earnest until after Novembers midterm elections, but this weeks conference showcased a collection of Democrats already jockeying for position in what promises to be a crowded competition.

For now, at least, there is no clear early favorite. But there did appear to be a favorite at Sharpton's conference.

Harris, the nation's first Black female vice president and the Democrats' presidential nominee in 2024, earned the only standing ovation and the largest crowd of any other 2028 prospect this week. Some in the audience interrupted her remarks with chants of, Run again!

Sharpton noted that Harris earned more votes in her losing 2024 campaign than even former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

Whatever she decides to do, she made a point in history, Sharpton said.

Harris has raised the possibility of another presidential bid before in the 15 months since she left office. She also recently launched a political action committee and began to travel across the United States to support Democrats, especially across the South.

RELATED STORY | Not done: Kamala Harris teases possible 2028 presidential campaign

Still, some in the party have shifted their focus to a new generation of Democratic leaders given Harris' struggle in the last presidential contest.

The convention lineup this week featured Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Rep. Ro Khanna of California, and Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.

Buttigieg, speaking shortly after Harris left the stage, received soft applause from a room that was about half-empty. Some cheered when he mentioned supporting federal workers and minority businesses, but many attendees had streamed out of the packed auditorium after Harris speech in a bid to grab a selfie with the former vice president.

Buttigieg, like many other 2028 prospects this week, laughed off a question about whether he would seek the presidency again.

Harris was more explicit.

Three times she repeated, I'm thinking about it, when Sharpton asked her about a 2028 White House run.

I served for four years being a heartbeat away from the presidency of the United States. I spent countless hours in my West Wing office footsteps away from the Oval Office. I spent countless hours in the Oval Office and the situation room. I know what the job is, and I know what it requires, Harris said.

She continued: I am thinking about it in the context of who and where and how can the best job be done for the American people. Thats how Im thinking about it. Ill keep you posted."

A charity co-founded by Prince Harry in Africa to honor his late mother, Princess Diana, has sued him for defamation after he stepped down as a patron last year.

Sentebale, which supports young people living with HIV in Botswana and Lesotho, filed suit last month in London's High Court, according to court records reviewed Friday.

Online filings show Harry and his friend, Mark Dyer, a trustee at the charity, are being sued for either libel or slander. No documents were available.

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Disagreements at the charity surfaced in 2023 over a new fundraising strategy. Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, co-founders of the charity, stepped down as patrons in March 2025.

At the time, they said the relationship between the board and its chair, Sophie Chandauka, was beyond repair. Chandauka later accused Harry of orchestrating a campaign of bullying and harassment to try to force her out.

The Charity Commission for England and Wales investigated and criticized both sides for allowing the issue to be played out in public and damaging the organization's reputation, but found no evidence of widespread bullying or misogyny at Sentebale.

"Sentebale's problems played out in the public eye, enabling a damaging dispute to harm the charity's reputation, risk overshadowing its many achievements, and jeopardizing the charity's ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve," commission CEO David Holdsworth said in a statement in August 2025.

Harry's spokesman had criticized the commission's report while Chandauka welcomed it.

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A Frontier Airlines jet nearly collided with two trucks that crossed in front of it earlier this week at Los Angeles International Airport, but unlike last month's deadly crash in New York while a plane was landing, this incident happened on a taxiway while the plane was moving slowly.

The Frontier pilot was alarmed and used an expletive as he told the tower he had to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision late Wednesday. It was real close. The closest I have ever seen, he said in audio posted by ATC.com.

No one was hurt in the incident that is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency said several vehicles on a service road crossed in front of the plane around 11:25 p.m. Wednesday.

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We thank our crew for their vigilance and professionalism, Frontier Airlines said in a statement.

On March 22, an Air Canada jet carrying 76 people collided with a fire truck while landing at New Yorks LaGuardia Airport, killing both pilots and injuring dozens of people.

In that crash, an air traffic controller cleared the fire truck to cross the runway less than 20 seconds beforehand. Then seconds later the controller frantically called for the fire truck to stop.

RELATED STORY | Stop, truck 1, stop: Audio captures moments before deadly plane crash

The incident in Los Angeles appears to have happened in an area of the airport where the planes are communicating with air traffic controllers about their movements, but ground vehicles are simply supposed to yield to any planes, which are typically moving only about 15 mph (24 kph). Airport officials didn't respond immediately to questions about what happened and what procedures are in place to prevent collisions.

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo, who was a longtime United Airlines pilot, said these kind of incidents happen daily on taxiways across the country, but don't normally get any attention because the collision is avoided. The issue will undoubtedly get more attention now.

Multiple incidents, accidents happening, just in March alone, I think its time to put some serious eyes on whats going on on the ramp, Arroyo said.

A bag-snatcher who stole a designer handbag without knowing it contained a Faberg egg and watch worth up to $3 million was sentenced Thursday to more than two years in prison.

Enzo Conticello lifted the Givenchy bag from its owner outside a pub in Londons Soho nightlife district in November 2024.

The pricey bag cost about 1,600 pounds, but its contents were worth considerably more: Alongside a laptop, keys, bank card and makeup were a Faberg egg and watch. They belonged to the victims employer, the Craft Irish Whiskey Company, and had been used for a work event earlier that day.

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Prosecutor Julian Winship said Conticello, 29, was looking for easy cash and handed over the bag, with the egg inside, to buy drugs. He was linked to the theft after trying to use the victim's stolen bank card in a shop.

Conticello, also known as Hakin Boudjenoune, pleaded guilty in February to theft and fraud. His lawyer, Katie Porter-Windley, said it was a moment of opportunity which he took, and he is genuinely remorseful for his behavior.

At Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Kate Livesay sentenced Conticello to 27 months in prison.

The Metropolitan Police force said it is still hunting the egg, described as green and gold and about 4 inches high, and the accompanying watch, rose gold with a brown leather strap.

They are part of a Faberg set, also containing whiskey, cigars and a humidor, other examples of which have been sold for between $2 and $3 million.

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Winship said prosecutors accepted that it would be fruitless to try to recover the value of the stolen items from Conticello, who is not a person of means.

Founded in Russia in the 19th century, luxury brand Faberg is famed for its ornate bejeweled eggs, which have sold at auction for as much as $30 million.

In a potential boost to Middle East ceasefire efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he authorized direct negotiations as soon as possible with Lebanon aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbors.

There was no immediate response from Lebanese authorities, but the announcement appeared to bolster the tentative ceasefire in the Iran war that had staggered under the weight of Israels bombardment of Beirut, Tehrans continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and uncertainty over whether planned peace talks can find common ground.

Netanyahu's announcement came amid disagreement over whether the ceasefire deal included a pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, and a day after Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes that resulted in the deadliest day in Lebanon since the war began on Feb. 28.

Iran and the U.S. which both declared victory after the ceasefire announcement appeared to apply pressure. Semiofficial news agencies in Iran suggested forces have mined the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil that Tehran has closed. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, warned that U.S. forces would hit Iran harder than before if it did not fulfill the agreement.

Questions also remained over what will happen to Irans stockpile of enriched uranium at the heart of tensions, how and when normal traffic will resume through the strait, and what happens to Irans ability to launch future missile attacks and support armed proxies in the region.

Despite the fragile and disputed nature of the ceasefire, it appeared to have halted weeks of missile and drone attacks by Iran on its Gulf Arab neighbors and Israel, with no new launches reported Thursday. There were no reports of strikes by the U.S. or Israel targeting Iran.

Israeli had vowed to continue striking Hezbollah in Lebanon

Irans parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, warned Thursday that continued Israeli attacks on the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon would bring explicit costs and STRONG responses in a social media post.

Qalibaf has been discussed as a possible negotiator who could meet U.S. Vice President JD Vance this weekend in Islamabad. The White House has said Vance would lead the delegation for talks starting Saturday.

Iran had said Israel's ongoing attacks on Hezbollah were violating the ceasefire agreement. Netanyahu and Trump have said it was not.

Hours before opening the way for talks with Lebanon, Netanyahu said Israel would continue striking Hezbollah with force, precision and determination.

Lebanons health ministry said at least 203 people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded Wednesday in Israeli strikes in central Beirut and other areas of Lebanon that Israel said targeted Hezbollah, which joined the war in support of Tehran.

Israel said Thursday it killed an aide to Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem, Ali Yusuf Harshi. Hezbollah did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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A New York-based think tank warned that the ceasefire hovers on the verge of collapse following Israel's strikes Wednesday.

Lebanons state-run National News Agency reported that an Israeli strike overnight killed at least seven people in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military did not immediately acknowledge the strike.

Oil prices remain high amid uncertainty over the strait

Semiofficial news agencies in Iran published a chart Thursday suggesting the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guard put sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz during the war a message that may be intended to pressure the United States.

The chart, released by the ISNA news agency and Tasnim, showed a large circle marked danger zone in Farsi over the route ships take through the strait, through which 20% of all traded oil and natural gas once passed.

Only a trickle of ships have transited since the war began after several were attacked, and Iran threatened to hit any that it deemed connected to the U.S. or Israel. Ships appeared to continue to avoid the strait even after the ceasefire.

The chart suggested that ships travel through waters closer to Irans mainland near Larak Island, a route that some ships were observed taking during the war. It was dated from Feb. 28 until April 9, and it was unclear if the Guard had cleared any mines since then.

Irans deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, told the BBC that his country will allow ships to pass through the strait in accordance with international norms and international law once the United States ends its aggression in the Middle East and Israel stops attacking Lebanon.

The head of the United Arab Emirates major oil company, Sultan al-Jaber, said some 230 ships loaded with oil were waiting to get through the strait and must be allowed "to navigate this corridor without condition.

The straits de facto closure has caused oil prices to skyrocket affecting the cost of gasoline, food and other basics far beyond the Middle East. Oil prices fell Wednesday on news of the ceasefire but climbed again as uncertainty over the deal grew.

The spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, was around $98 Thursday, up about 35% since the war began.

Points to address in talks include whether Iran will be allowed to formalize a system of charging ships to use the strait. That would upend decades of free transit through what has been treated as an international waterway.

The fate of Irans enriched uranium remains a question

The fate of Irans missile and nuclear programs which the U.S. and Israel sought to eliminate in going to war also remained unclear. The U.S. insists Iran must never be able to build nuclear weapons and wants to remove Tehrans stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which could be used to build them. Iran insists its program is peaceful.

Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. would work with Iran to remove the uranium, buried in last year's U.S. and Israeli strikes, though Iran did not confirm that. In one version of the ceasefire deal that Iran published, it said it would be allowed to continue enrichment.

The chief of Irans nuclear agency, Mohammad Eslami, said Thursday that protecting Tehrans right to enrich uranium is necessary for any ceasefire talks.

Trump warned that U.S. warships and troops will remain around Iran until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with.

The Masters got started beneath whispy white clouds and a bright blue spring sky Thursday when Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson once again struck the ceremonial tee shots down the first fairway at Augusta National.

Well, mostly down the first fairway.

After the 90-year-old Player hit his shot down the middle, and celebrated with a big leg kick, the 86-year-old Nicklaus stepped up. His son, Jackie, placed his ball on the tee, and the Golden Bear offered a tongue-in-cheek warning to the patrons lining the tee box Oh, boy, watch out, Nicklaus said, and I don't mean that facetiously and proceeded to hit a low hook right at them.

I said, Spread out on both sides because I dont want to kill anybody,' he relayed afterward. If it'd been a little closer I might have.

The ball cleared the heads of the patrons down the left side by a couple of feet.

Last up was the 76-year-old Watson, who used the tee Nicklaus had left stuck in the ground. May I use your tee, Watson asked? It's why I left it, the six-time Masters champion replied, and Watson proceeded to strike his drive right down the middle.

With that, the 90th edition of the Masters was underway.

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The honorary starter has been a tradition at Augusta National since 1963, when Jock Hutchinson and Fred McLeod hit their opening shots of the tournament. The idea had come to club founder Bobby Jones years earlier, and over time, it has become a treasured part of the Masters mystique, with 11 dignitaries and past champions having served in the role.

Byron Nelson, Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead were the longest-serving, performing the duty throughout most of the 1980s and '90s, while Arnold Palmer was joined by Nicklaus and Player for many years. When the King died in 2016, it left just Nicklaus and Player in a twosome, so Watson was asked to join them, and the trio continues to this day.

When I first played the Masters as an amateur in 1970, I teed off early in the morning, playing with Doug Ford. I went to the honorary starters, and it was very special, Watson said. I remember seeing Gene Sarazen tee off. Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack and Gary. It's something very special. I thought it was just part of the aura of the tournament, and I wanted to witness it.

How much longer Player, Nicklaus and Watson take part is a big question surrounding the Masters these days.

So is who might take on the role next.

I was a little worried. I had carpal tunnel surgery about five, six weeks ago, and I was worried about being able to hold onto the golf club and hurt somebody," Nicklaus said. Im fortunate that I got it over somebodys head. I didnt hit it very well, but I got it over their heads and didnt hurt anybody. As long as I can still hit the golf ball.

Nicklaus said he doesn't really play anymore. He did once all of last year, and once more this past February.

But its such a nice ceremony, and its a real honor to be invited, he said. I hope to be able to do it as long as I can not kill anybody.

A key measure of inflation stayed high in February, before the war in Iran spiked gas prices, a sign that everyday costs were elevated even before the conflict began.

An inflation gauge monitored by the Federal Reserve rose 0.4% in February from January, up slightly from the previous month. Compared with a year ago, prices rose 2.8%, the same as January. Thursday's data was delayed by a backlog of economic reports created by the six-week government shutdown last fall.

Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core inflation also rose 0.4% in February from January, and it was 3% higher than a year earlier. The annual figure is slightly below January's reading of 3.1%.

RELATED STORY | How high could gas prices go? Record not out of the question

Still, the monthly increases are at a pace that if continued for a whole year, would easily top the Fed's 2% inflation target.

Consumer inflation was firming even prior to the outbreak of war in the Middle East, and it is primed to jump sharply higher in March, Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide, wrote in a client note. Even if a long-lasting deal to end the war is reached and the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened, it would take months for oil, gasoline, diesel and other commodity supplies to snap back to prewar levels and thus for prices to settle back to preconflict levels.

Thursday's report is largely a warm-up for the more important inflation data to be released Friday, when the government will publish the higher-profile consumer price index for March. The Friday report will be the first to reflect the impact of the gas price spike from the Iran war. Economists forecast it will show a big increase of 0.9% just in March from February, and a 3.4% gain from a year earlier. The annual figure would be a big increase from 2.4% in February.

The large jump in inflation in March will heighten concerns at the Fed that prices are moving further away from their inflation target and make it much less likely the central bank will cut rates anytime soon. At their most recent meeting last month, some Fed officials supported opening the door to the potential for rate hikes if inflation didn't show signs of improving.

RELATED STORY | Beyond gas: Price hikes American consumers are experiencing from the Iran war

Thursday's report from the Commerce Department also showed that Americans' incomes slipped 0.1% in February, the first decline since October, while spending after adjusting for inflation barely increased.

Higher inflation is sapping Americans' purchasing power. Spending rose a solid 0.5% in February from the previous month before adjusting for higher prices. Bostjancic expects consumer spending, adjusted for inflation, will rise a modest 1.2% at an annual rate in the first three months of this year, below the 1.9% reached in last year's fourth quarter.

The economy may still grow a decent 2% in the first quarter, Bostjancic said, driven by investments in artificial intelligence and a bounceback in government spending after last year's shutdown. The government said Thursday growth was just 0.5% at the end of last year.

An American who was arrested in the Bahamas after his wife vanished while the couple was traveling in a motorboat near the archipelago denies any wrongdoing, his attorney said Thursday.

Brian Hooker "categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing" and has been cooperating with authorities, lawyer Terrel Butler said in the statement. Butler said Hooker could not provide further comments while investigations are continuing.

Authorities said the husband, a 59-year-old man whom they did not identify, was arrested in Abaco on Wednesday and is being questioned. Police and Butler did not provide further details, including whether or not he was charged.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson told The Associated Press that they have opened a criminal investigation into the case.

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Officials have said Lynette Hooker, 55, was traveling in an 8-foot motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay on Saturday night, and that her husband, Brian Hooker, told authorities she fell overboard with the boat keys, causing the engine to turn off.

Authorities said Brian Hooker then paddled to shore and alerted someone about her disappearance early Sunday.

"Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her," police said in a statement issued Saturday.

Lynette Hooker's mother, Darlene Hamlett, told The Associated Press late Wednesday that she was "glad to hear" about the arrest, but declined further comment, saying she was seeking more information.

Earlier on Wednesday, she said she wanted to hear more from her son-in-law about how her daughter disappeared. The couple had been married for more than two decades and lived in Onsted, Michigan. Online records gave Brian Hooker's age as 58, and the reason for the discrepancy wasn't immediately clear.

"I'm going to be interested in what he says, because I haven't heard from him in almost two days," Hamlett said while on a six-hour drive back home from the Bahamian Consulate in Miami, where she secured a passport so she can fly to the Caribbean nation soon.

"Our family grew up on water and so Lynette her whole life has been near lakes, on boats, sailing and swimming," Hamlett said. "It would be a miracle if (she's rescued), but I'm still counting on one."

Lynette Hooker's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told NBC News that it is unlikely her mother would "just fall" off the boat, saying she was an experienced sailor. The couple had been sailing for years and documented their voyages on social media under the moniker, "The Sailing Hookers."

Aylesworth also told NBC that the couple's relationship was volatile, and that they have a "history of not getting along, especially when they drink."

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She told WXYZ-TV she doubted her mother survived and was able to tread water that long, but hoped to find her to get closure.

Butler's statement said that Brian Hooker's denial of wrongdoing includes in particular "the allegations recently made by Karli Aylesworth."

On Wednesday morning, Brian Hooker wrote on Facebook that he is "heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas."

"Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart," he wrote. "We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus."

The U.S. Coast Guard has also joined the investigation and interviewed Aylesworth on Wednesday, according to her attorney, Ron Marienfeld.

"We are pleased to see it is being investigated, and hopefully more answers will come to give the family some closure," Marienfeld said via email.

Bahamian police said search operations and investigative efforts remain active.

President Donald Trump repeated his complaint about NATO after a closed-door meeting with the alliance's Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday for discussions that had been expected to be aimed at soothing Trumps anger with the military alliance over the Iran war.

Ahead of the private meeting, Trump had suggested the U.S. may consider leaving the trans-Atlantic alliance after NATO member countries ignored his call to help as Iran effectively shut the the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping waterway, and sent gas prices soaring.

Afterward, he issued an all-caps comment on social media suggesting he remained aggrieved. NATO WASNT THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WONT BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN, Trump said in his post. The White House did not immediately offer any further updates.

The Republican president has had a warm relationship with Rutte in the past, and the meeting came after the U.S. and Iran late Tuesday agreed to a two-week ceasefire that includes the reopening of the strait. The nascent ceasefire was struck after Trump said he would strike Iran's power plants and bridges, threatening that a whole civilization will die tonight."

Earlier Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged that Trump had discussed leaving NATO. I think its something the president will be discussing in a couple of hours with Secretary-General Rutte, Leavitt said.

Congress in 2023 passed a law that prevents any U.S. president from pulling out of NATO without its approval. Trump has been a longtime critic of NATO and in his first term had suggested he had the authority on his own to leave the alliance, which was founded in 1949 to counter the Cold War threat posed to European security by the Soviet Union.

RELATED STORY | NATOs future at stake in TrumpRutte meeting amid oil shortage

The crux of the commitment its 32 member countries make is a mutual defense agreement in which an attack on one is considered an attack on them all. The only time it has been activated was in 2001, to support the United States in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

Despite that, Trump has complained during his war of choice with Iran that NATO has shown it will not be there for the U.S. On Wednesday, he also seemed to be angry about NATO's stance on Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark. Trump had pressed for U.S. control over Greenland earlier this year before backing off after talks with Rutte.

REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!! Trump posted Wednesday.

There is a law barring a president from pulling out of NATO

It's unclear if the Trump administration would challenge the law barring a president from pulling out of NATO. When the law passed, it was championed by Trump's current secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who at the time was a senator from Florida.

Rubio met separately with Rutte on Wednesday morning at the State Department ahead of the White House talks. In a statement, the State Department said Rubio and Rutte had discussed the war with Iran, along with U.S. efforts to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war and increasing coordination and burden shifting with NATO allies.

Ahead of Trump's meeting, Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, issued a statement Tuesday night in support of the alliance, noting, Following the September 11th attacks, NATO allies sent their young servicemembers to fight and die alongside Americas own in Afghanistan and Iraq. McConnell, who sits on a committee overseeing defense spending, urged Trump to be clear and consistent and said its not in Americas interest to spend more time nursing grudges with allies who share our interests than deterring adversaries who threaten us.

The alliance was already rattled over the past year as Trump returned to power and reduced U.S. military support for Ukraine in the war against Russia and threatened to seize Greenland from ally Denmark.

But Trump's badgering of NATO intensified after the Iran war began at the end of February, with the president insisting that securing the Strait of Hormuz was not America's job but the responsibility of countries that depend on the flow of oil through it.

Go to the strait and just take it, Trump said last week.

Trump was also angered as NATO allies Spain and France forbade or restricted use of their airspace or joint military facilities for the U.S. in the Iran war. They and other nations, however, agreed to help with an international coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz when the conflict ends.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has been a particular source of Trump's frustration, was set to travel Wednesday to the Gulf to support the ceasefire. The U.K. has been working on developing a post-conflict security plan for the strait, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the worlds oil passes.

Trump has previously threatened to leave NATO and often said that he would abandon allies who dont spend enough on their military budgets. Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, in his recent memoir, said he feared that Trump might walk away from the alliance in 2018, during his first term as president.

Oil prices plunged below $95 per barrel, and stock markets surged worldwide Wednesday after President Donald Trump pulled back from his threat to destroy Iran.

The S&P 500 leaped 2.5% after Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, less than 90 minutes before a deadline Trump had set for it to open the Strait of Hormuz and allow oil tankers to exit the Persian Gulf. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 1,325 points, or 2.8%, and the Nasdaq composite soared 2.8% following even bigger gains in European and Asian stock markets.

To be sure, stock prices are still below where they were before the war. And oil prices are still higher because of the threat of a resumption to the war. The ceasefire already looks precarious, and dueling reports from Iran state media and the White House disagreed Wednesday on whether Iran had closed the Strait of Hormuz again.

RELATED STORY | Iran reportedly closes Strait of Hormuz as ceasefire agreement remains in peril

Such uncertainty caused some of the euphoria that fueled financial markets in the morning to fade as Wednesdays trading progressed, and financial markets have been prone to sharp and sudden reversals since the war began.

There is a reason to be optimistic, but it is still too early to tell, because, as you know, after all, it is Trump, said Takashi Hiroki, chief strategist at MONEX.

So far in the war, Trump has set several deadlines for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, a main thoroughfare for oil to reach customers worldwide from the Persian Gulf, and has threatened big repercussions if Iran doesnt, only to delay them.

Its similar to a year ago, when Trump threatened stiff tariffs on imports from other countries on Liberation Day. After a couple delays, his administration eventually negotiated lower tariffs with many countries, though still higher than from before his second term. That led some investors to allege Trump always chickens out, or TACO, if financial markets show enough pain.

Is it just kicking of the can down the road, moving the goalposts, TACO Tuesday, or whatever metaphor wed like, to only to have tempers flare and bombs drop again? Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management, asked about the two-week ceasefire with Iran. Who knows? But its good enough for now to elicit a positive response from the markets.

The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude oil plunged 16.4% to settle at $94.41 after almost dropping to $91 earlier in the morning.

Brent crude, the international standard, tumbled 13.3% to $94.75 per barrel. It had briefly topped $119 when worries about the war with Iran were at their highest, but its still above its roughly $70 price from before the war.

RELATED STORY | Beyond gas: Price hikes American consumers are experiencing from the Iran war

The next moves for oil prices will depend on how many oil tankers can start exiting the Strait of Hormuz and how easy their passage is. Despite claims from the White House on Wednesday about an uptick in ships transiting the strait, independent analysts say they have seen no change in traffic through it.

Windward, a maritime intelligence firm that tracks international shipping, said all ships transiting the strait must still coordinate safe passage with Iranian authorities, who are requiring hefty tolls of up to $1 a barrel for outbound oil, paid in cryptocurrency. The largest supertankers carry up to 3 million barrels of crude.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed reports from Iranian state media that the strait remained closed in response to continued bombing in Lebanon by the Israeli military. She said those reports are contrary to information being provided to Trump.

In Asia, where countries are more reliant on oil from the Middle East, South Koreas Kospi stock index surged 6.9%. Japans Nikkei 225 leaped 5.4%, and Hong Kongs Hang Seng jumped 3.1%.

European stock indexes rose nearly as much. Germanys DAX returned 5.1%, and Frances CAC 40 rallied 4.5%.

On Wall Street, companies with big fuel bills rallied to trim some of the sharp losses taken on worries about oil prices staying high.

United Airlines soared 7.9% and cut into its loss for the year, which came into the day at 20.1%. Cruise ship operator Carnival climbed 11.2%.

Delta Air Lines rose 3.7% after it reported stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Ed Bastian said demand for flights remains strong, and its making moves to make up for higher fuel bills. Delta on Tuesday became the latest airline to raise its fees for checking bags.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 165.96 points to 6,782.81. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1,325.46 to 47,909.92, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 617.15 to 22,635.00.

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In the bond market, Treasury yields dropped as hopes built that easing oil prices could let the Federal Reserve resume its cuts to interest rates later this year.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.29% from 4.33% late Tuesday. Lower Treasury yields give a boost to prices for stocks, bonds and all kinds of other investments. They should also ease some of the recent rise in rates for mortgages and other loans taken out by U.S. households and businesses.

When oil prices were screaming higher because of the war, some traders were betting on the possibility that the Fed would have to raise interest rates to keep a lid on inflation. Now, theyre seeing a nearly 25% chance that the Fed could resume its cuts to rates in 2026, according to data from CME Group.