Trump envoy confirms that Hamas has agreed to release the last living US hostage in Gaza

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas says the last living American hostage in Gaza will be released as part of efforts to establish a ceasefire, reopen crossings into the Israeli-blockaded territory and resume aid delivery. Two Hamas officials tell The Associated Press they expect the release of Edan Alexander in the next 48 hours. U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is confirming in a message to the AP that Hamas has agreed to release Alexander as a good will gesture toward Trump. The announcement of the first hostage release since Israel shattered a ceasefire in March comes shortly before Trump visits the Middle East this week. Alexander is an Israeli-American soldier who grew up in the United States.

Zelenskyy hopes for ceasefire with Russia and challenges Putin to meet him in Turkey 'personally'

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has challenged Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to meet him personally in Turkey on Thursday. It's the latest move in a weekend-long exchange of proposals from both sides on the next steps in the U.S.-led peace effort. Zelenskyy said that he still hopes for a ceasefire with Russia starting Monday, and that he will “be waiting for Putin” in Turkey “personally” after U.S. President Donald Trump insisted Ukraine accept Russia’s latest offer — to hold direct talks in Turkey on Thursday. Ukraine, along with European allies, had demanded Russia accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday before holding talks, but Moscow effectively rejected the proposal and called for direct negotiations.

US touts 'substantial progress' in tariff talks with China, but details are still scarce

GENEVA (AP) — The lead U.S. negotiator in trade talks with China cheered “a great deal of productivity” in resolving differences between the world’s two leading economic powers, after officials wrapped two days of bargaining in Switzerland following President Donald Trump imposing steep tariffs and Beijing retaliating. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there was “substantial progress” in the weekend sessions, but offered scant information. He said more details would come at a briefing Monday. The Chinese delegation held a subsequent news conference where it described what occurred as “candid, in-depth and constructive dialogue.” Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said both sides had agreed to “establishing a consultation mechanism” for further discussions on trade and economic issues.

India claims its strikes inside Pakistan territory last week killed over 100 militants

ISLAMABAD (AP) — India says its strikes into Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan on Wednesday killed more than 100 militants. Residents and officials in the disputed Kashmir region say there was overnight fighting between Pakistani and Indian troops, despite a ceasefire, but the clashes subsided by Sunday morning. As part of the ceasefire announced a day earlier, the nuclear-armed neighbors agreed to immediately stop all military action on land, in the air and at sea. They accused each other of repeatedly violating the deal hours later. The recent escalation in violence followed a gun massacre of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir and is the most serious military confrontation between them in decades.

Trump defends the prospect of Qatar gifting him a plane to use as Air Force One

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar during his trip to the Middle East this coming week, and U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft. The Qatari government denied that a final decision had been made. Still, Trump defended the idea as a fiscally smart move for the country, while Democrats and others said it raised serious ethics concerns. ABC News reported that Trump will use the aircraft as his presidential plane until shortly before he leaves office in January 2029, when ownership will be transferred to the foundation overseeing his presidential library.

Trump promises to order that the US pay only the price other nations do for some drugs

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’ll sign an executive order that, if implemented, could bring down the costs of some medications. He's reviving a failed effort from his first term on an issue he’s talked up since even before he became president. The order Trump is promising to sign Monday will direct the Department of Health and Human Services to tie what Medicare pays for medications administrated in a doctor’s office to the lowest price paid by other countries. In his post Sunday on his social media site, Trump said: “I will be instituting a MOST FAVORED NATION’S POLICY whereby the United States will pay the same price as the Nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the World."

Zepbound beats Wegovy for weight loss in first head-to-head trial of blockbuster drugs

A new study shows that people Zepbound lost about 50% more weight than those using Wegovy. It was the first head-to-head trial of the blockbuster weight-loss medications. Participants who took tirzepatide — which is sold as Zepbound by Eli Lilly — lost an average of 50 pounds over 72 weeks. Those who took semaglutide — known as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, lost about 33 pounds. The study was published Sunday and presented at an obesity conference in Spain. Zepbound targets two hormones that regulate appetite and feelings of fullness. Wegovy targets one of those hormones.

Detained ex-President Duterte is among the candidates in Philippines midterms

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Even though he is detained in The Hague, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is among the candidates vying for some 18,000 national and local seats in Monday’s midterm elections. Analysts say the polls will decide if he and his family continue to hold political power in the Philippines. Duterte is widely expected to win as Davao mayor, a position he held for over two decades before becoming president in 2016. Duterte has been in custody of the International Criminal Court since March, awaiting trial for crimes against humanity over his war on illegal drugs that left thousands of suspects dead. Criminal suspects are not banned from seeking office in the Philippines until their convictions are final.

First group of 49 white South Africans leaves for the US after Trump offered them refugee status

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A group of 49 white South Africans has departed their homeland for the United States on a private charter plane having been offered refugee status by the Trump administration. The group, which included families and small children, left Johannesburg on Sunday and was due to arrive at Dulles International Airport outside Washington on Monday morning local time. That's according to Collen Mbisi, a spokesperson for South Africa’s transport ministry. They are the first Afrikaners — a white minority group in South Africa — to be relocated after the Trump administration accused South Africa’s Black-led government of racial persecution against them. South Africa said those claims are “completely false.”

Another Newark airport disruption as Trump's transportation secretary talks of reducing flights

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy plans to reduce the number of flights in and out of the Newark Liberty International Airport for the “next several weeks.” New Jersey’s largest airport has struggled with radar outages and numerous flight delays and cancellations due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. The latest problem was Sunday when a telecommunications issue briefly slowed traffic. Duffy said on NBC's “Meet the Press” that he will convene a meeting with airlines flying out of Newark to determine the reduction in traffic. He said there will be a larger reduction in the afternoons when international arrivals make the airport busier.