Trump will open his Mideast trip by visiting the Saudi crown prince

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — President Donald Trump is opening his four-day Mideast trip by paying a visit to Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two leaders on Tuesday are expected to hold talks on U.S. efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, end the war in Gaza, hold down oil prices and more. The crown prince is also expected to fete Trump with a formal dinner and a gathering of members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It is made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Hamas releases Israeli-American hostage in goodwill gesture toward Trump administration

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas has freed an Israeli-American soldier who was held hostage in Gaza for more than 19 months. The release offered a goodwill gesture toward the Trump administration. The deal could lay the groundwork for a new ceasefire with Israel. Edan Alexander was released to the Red Cross, which transferred him to the Israeli military. His release was the first since Israel shattered an eight-week ceasefire with Hamas in March and unleashed fierce strikes on Gaza that have killed hundreds of Palestinians. Alexander was reunited with his mother before being flown to a hospital in Tel Aviv.

Trump’s mediation offer renews focus on Kashmir after India-Pakistan clash risked broader war

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — A series of military strikes last week by India and Pakistan brought the nuclear-armed rivals closer to a broader war. The possibility of a nuclear conflagration seemed real and the fighting only stopped when global powers intervened. Experts say the crisis deepened the neighbors’ rivalry as both crossed a threshold with each striking the other with high-speed missiles and drones. The tit-for-tat strikes also brought Kashmir again into global focus, as the U.S. President Donald Trump offered mediation over the simmering dispute that has long been described as the regional nuclear flashpoint.

What's next with Trump's trade war truce with China

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s agreement with China to temporarily slash tariffs for 90 days offered the world a bit of welcome relief. But what persists is a sense of uncertainty and the possibility that the damage from the trade war could already be done. Trump declared the de-escalation of the trade war a victory, saying he would soon chat with Chinese President Xi Jinping about how to preserve the financial relationship between the world’s two largest economies. Regardless, the tariffs are now elevated from when Trump took office and the scramble to respond to the White House’s mix of threats and olive branches might leave CEOs, investors and consumers unwilling to take risks.

World trade chief says global free trade is in a 'crisis' while on visit to Japan

TOKYO (AP) — The head of the global trade watchdog says global free trade is facing a “crisis” as U.S. President Donald Trump disrupts world commerce with his fast-changing tariffs and other policies. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization, told Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba that she has high expectations for Japan as a champion of open markets. She met with Ishiba on Tuesday, a day after the United States and China said they had agreed to slash recent sky-high tariffs for 90 days to allow time for negotiations. Japan is among many countries yet to reach a deal with the Trump administration on hikes to U.S. tariffs, including those on autos, steel and aluminum.

Judge refuses to block IRS from sharing tax data to identify and deport people illegally in U.S.

A federal judge is refusing to block the Internal Revenue Service from sharing immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S. In a win for the Trump administration, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich denied a preliminary injunction Monday in a lawsuit filed by nonprofit groups. They argued that undocumented immigrants who pay taxes are entitled to the same privacy protections as U.S. citizens and immigrants who are legally in the country. The decision comes after former acting IRS commissioner Melanie Krause resigned over the deal allowing ICE to submit names and addresses of immigrants inside the U.S. illegally to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records.

Trump's plan to accept free Air Force One replacement from Qatar raises ethical and security worries

WASHINGTON (AP) — For President Donald Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer. But Trump’s plan threatens to turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns. He tried to tamp down some of the opposition by saying he would donate the plane to a future presidential library after his term ends. Democrats are united in outrage over the plan, and even some of the Republican president’s allies have expressed concerns. Trump will likely face persistent questions about the plane in the coming days as he travels to the Middle East.

A Paris court is to rule in French actor Gérard Depardieu's sexual assault case

PARIS (AP) — A Paris court is set to deliver its verdict on accusations that French actor Gérard Depardieu sexually assaulted two women who were working on a film with him. The actor is accused of having groped a set dresser and an assistant on a film set in 2021. The case is widely seen as a post-MeToo test of how French society and its film industry address allegations of sexual misconduct involving prominent figures. During the trial in March, Depardieu rejected the accusations. He acknowledged that he used vulgar and sexualized language and that he grabbed the set dresser's hips during an argument, but denied that his behavior was sexual.

R&B singer Cassie set to testify in Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial

NEW YORK (AP) — The R&B singer Cassie is poised to testify in Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking trial. Testimony resumes Tuesday in New York. Combs is accused of forcing women including Cassie into drugged-up sex parties he described as “freak-offs.” Prosecutors say he used his status as a powerful executive to coerce women into abusive sexual encounters. Lawyers for three-time Grammy winner told the jury that while Combs could be violent, he never veered into sex trafficking or racketeering. Cassie has been at the center of Combs’ stunning downfall. She sued him in 2023 alleging years of abuse. A surveillance video made public last year showed Combs beating her at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.

Cannes set to open with a 3-film salute to Ukraine and De Niro getting an honorary Palme d'Or

CANNES, France (AP) — The 78th Cannes Film Festival is opening with expectations running high for what could be a banner edition. Over the next 12 days, Cannes will play host to megawatt premieres including those of “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest” and Ari Aster’s “Eddington.” Things get underway Tuesday with the unveiling of Juliette Binoche’s jury, a three-film tribute to Ukraine and the opening night film, the French romance “Leave One Day.” Robert De Niro will also receive an honorary Palme d’Or, 49 years after “Taxi Driver” won the top prize at Cannes.