The delegations, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, convened in the French capital in the morning, China's official news agency Xinhua reported. The White House has said that Trump will travel to China from March 31 to April 2, though Beijing has not officially confirmed it.

Bessent said on Thursday that his team will continue to deliver results that put America's farmers, workers and businesses first. The U.S. Treasury Department said Bessent will meet He on Sunday and Monday.

China’s commerce ministry said Friday the two sides are set to discuss “trade and economic issues of mutual concern.”

Trump’s visit to China will be the first for a U.S. president since he went in his first term in 2017. It will come five months after the two leaders met in the South Korean city of Busan and agreed to a one-year truce in a trade war that temporarily saw tit-for-tat tariffs soar to triple digits before the two sides climbed down.

Still, trade remains a source of tensions. The commerce ministry on Friday hit back against the Trump administration’s new trade investigation into 16 trading partners, including China. The investigation — which came after a Supreme Court ruling struck down Trump’s sweeping global tariffs that were imposed last year — could pave the way for new tariffs.

Another issue that could be discussed is the Iran war, especially when global anxiety is soaring over oil prices and supplies. Trump said Saturday that he hopes China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and others will send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe.”

Before Sunday's talks, Gary Ng, a senior economist at French bank Natixis and a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies, said the Paris meeting is likely the most important bilateral one before the Xi-Trump summit.

The key issue is "whether China and the U.S. can agree on what is agreed and manage disagreement. Iran is a new factor, but Beijing is more concerned about the flip-flopping of U.S. policies,” he said.

Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it would be a “big year” for China-U.S. relations. While he did not confirm the state visit, Wang said that “the agenda of high-level exchange is already on the table.”

Bessent and He have led trade negotiations between the countries since last year, having met in Geneva, London, Stockholm, Madrid and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tehran accused the United States of using “ports, docks and hideouts” in the UAE to launch strikes on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran’s oil exports, without providing evidence, as the war showed no signs of ending.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped allies would send warships to secure the vital Strait of ​Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes have deepened Lebanon's humanitarian crisis, with more than 800 people killed and over 850,000 displaced.

Here is the latest:

Southern Beirut ravaged by overnight strikes

Collapsed concrete, exposed rebar and sheets of plastic spilled onto the streets of southern Beirut Sunday morning. Smoke rose into the air and small fires burned.

That was the scene in the city’s suburb of Haret Hreik, after a night of continued Israeli airstrikes.

In just 10 days, more than 800,000 people in Lebanon have been displaced by war, just over a year since the last conflict uprooted over a million Lebanese from their homes. Israeli strikes have killed 826 people, including 106 children and 65 women, since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel reignited on March 2, according to the Health Ministry.

Pope addresses leaders to demand a cease-fire in the Mideast

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday escalated his appeal for peace by directly addressing the leaders who launched the war.

“On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East and all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict,” Leo said. “Cease fire so that avenues for dialogue may be reopened. Violence can never lead to the justice, stability, and peace that the people are waiting for.”

While Leo didn’t mention the United States or Israel by name, he mentioned the bombings that targeted a school — an apparent reference to the missile strike on an elementary school in Iran in the opening days of the war that killed over 165 people, many of them children.

The Vatican has highlighted the carnage of the Minab strike, running a photo of the mass grave for the victims on the front page of its official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, under the headline “The Face of War.” U.S. officials have said outdated intelligence likely led to the United States launching the strike, and that an investigation is ongoing.

Norwegian leader worried about continuing escalation

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said it should be the responsibility of the countries involved to “find ways of ending the hostilities that now have great impact around the world.”

Speaking alongside the leaders of Canada and the other Nordic nations on Sunday, Støre said “it seems to us that the plan for how it will develop is pretty unclear.” He added: “That’s the danger with initiating wars, that they rarely follow a script.”

He said that “we are concerned to see that there is still an escalation.”

South Korea will coordinate with US over Trump’s hopes for warships in the Gulf

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it “takes note” of Trump’s comments. It said that South Korea and the U.S. “will closely coordinate and carefully review” the situation.

The ministry said South Korea closely monitors developments in the Middle East and explores various options to secure safe energy supply routes and protect South Korean nationals.

The Korea International Trade Association says it gets around 70% of its crude oil and 20% of its LNG from the Middle East.

Britain ‘intensively’ looking at how to help secure Strait of Hormuz

Asked whether Britain is considering sending minesweepers or mine-hunting drones to the strategic waterway to help shipping return to normal, U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told Sky News: “We are talking to our allies.”

“We are intensively looking with our allies at what can be done, because it’s so important that we get the strait reopened,” he said.

Miliband told the BBC on Sunday that “any options that can help to get the strait reopened are being looked at.” He added: “We don’t want a nuclear Iran but ending this conflict is the best and surest way to get the strait reopened.”

Japanese leader expected to discuss sending warships with Trump

Expectations are high that U.S. President Donald Trump could ask Japan to send warships to the Persian Gulf when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets him on Thursday at the White House.

Public opinion in Japan is divided about getting involved. Foreign Ministry sources told Japanese public broadcaster NHK that Japan makes its own decisions and won’t dispatch ships just because Trump asked. Defense Ministry sources told NHK that deploying Japan’s Self-Defense Forces would be difficult, involving the assessment of the legality of U.S. and Israeli actions. NHK did not identify the sources.

Iran says 56 cultural sites damaged in 2 weeks of strikes

The sites include museums and bazaars, historic government buildings and mosques, Iran’s Cultural Heritage Ministry said Sunday.

Among the damaged sites are the ornate Qajar-era Golestan Palace in Tehran and the Shah Abbas Mosque and the 17th-century Chehel Sotoun palace in Isfahan.

The damage isn’t limited to Tehran and Isfahan. The ministry said sites in Kurdistan, Lorestan and Kermanshah were also affected.

Missile attack on Israel leaves 2 lightly wounded

Israel’s rescue service Magen David Adom said two men were lightly wounded in central Israel from an Iranian missile attack.

Video released by the service showed a large hole in a city street and shrapnel damage to an apartment building.

The Israeli rescue service United Hatzalah said it was aware of 23 damaged sites.

Israeli police said authorities were inspecting the scenes. Magen David Adom, another rescue service, posted pictures of a car partially set on fire after the barrage.

Iranian foreign minister says Tehran will study any proposal to end war

Iran’s top diplomat says his country is ready to consider any proposal that includes “a complete end” to the U.S.-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic, according to an interview with an Arab daily.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was quoted as saying by the London-based Al-Araby al-Jadeed that mediations by Iran’s neighbors were underway to de-escalate and present “ideas to end the war.” He gave no indication on whether progress has been made.

Araghchi also insisted that Iran’s attacks on its Arab neighbors were limited to U.S. bases and assets. He said Tehran is ready to establish a joint committee with its neighbors to investigate such attacks.

Tankers continue to load oil on Iran’s Kharg Island

A tanker was seen loading oil Sunday on Iran’s Kharg Island, two days after the U.S. struck military facilities there.

The vessel-tracking platform TankerTrackers said seven more tankers are seen at the anchorage. Five had already loaded fuel oil, while two are waiting to load, according to satellite imagery. It wasn’t immediately clear who the tankers belong to.

Bahrain tallies hundreds of intercepted Iranian projectiles

Bahrain said Sunday its air defenses have intercepted 125 missiles and 211 drones since the Iran war began.

The small island nation — home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet — has been among the most affected by Iranian strikes, which have hit ports, a hotel, a refinery and a water desalination plant. Similar in size to Singapore and less than one-third the size of Rhode Island, it relies on U.S.-made air defense systems. At least one person has been killed in the attacks.

UN migration agency warns of mass displacement in Iran

The International Organization for Migration said Sunday that deteriorating conditions in Iranian cities were “driving increasingly complex mobility patterns.” It says the destruction of homes and facilities that provide basic services are pushing many Iranians to northern provinces, where they think they could be safer.

The U.N. agency said people have been displaced to more than 20 provinces and that shelters were facing strain throughout Iran. Iranians are also fleeing to neighboring states, the agency said, including nearly 32,000 to Afghanistan and nearly 4,000 to Pakistan, even though airports and most border crossings — especially to Iraq — are closed.

Iran says 425 women and children have been killed in airstrikes

Iran’s Health Ministry says U.S. and Israeli strikes have killed 223 women and 202 children since the start of the war on Feb. 28, according to Mizan, the official Iranian judiciary news agency.

The Iranian Red Crescent has said that more than 1,300 people have been killed.

An airstrike hit housing units in Shiraz, media in Iran say

A U.S.-Israeli attack early Sunday morning targeted an impoverished residential neighborhood in the southern city of Shiraz, Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA said.

The strike, which occurred southeast of the city, destroyed several housing units belonging to workers and people supported by the state welfare organization, the report said. It said a number of homes were destroyed and several people were injured. There were no reports of fatalities.

There was no immediate comment from Israel or the U.S. On Friday, Israel said it targeted a missile facility in Shiraz. It also has gone after what it says are checkpoints erected by Iran’s paramilitary Basij force.

Switzerland refused permission for 2 US military overflights

Neutral Switzerland says it refused permission for two overflights by U.S. reconnaissance planes “in the context of the war in Iran.”

The government said late Saturday that Switzerland’s neutrality law forbids overflights by parties to a conflict that have a military purpose in connection with that conflict. But it does allow humanitarian and medical transit, as well as flights unconnected with the conflict.

Switzerland said it did give clearance for two U.S. transport aircraft to fly over the country on Sunday and for a newly serviced plane to transit on Tuesday.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard vows to kill Netanyahu

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard vowed Sunday to hunt down Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

“If the criminal Zionist prime minister is still alive, we will continue to pursue and kill him with full force,” the IRGC said in a statement.

Israel says Iran has launched more missiles

The Israeli military says Iran has launched a new barrage of missiles toward Israel.

It says sirens are alerting residents in areas under attack and air defenses have been activated.

Emirati adviser slams Iran’s claim that Kharg strikes were launched from the UAE

“This reflects a confused policy that missed the point, lost its direction, and lacked wisdom,” Anwar Gargash, adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, wrote on social media late Saturday.

Gargash was referring to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s comments in which he accused the U.S. of using the UAE as a base for its attacks on Iran's Kharg Island.

Gulf countries report fresh attacks

Sirens sounded in Bahrain ahead of an assault on Sunday, while the United Arab Emirates reported a missile attack, urging residents to shelter in safe locations.

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said its systems intercepted and destroyed 10 drones over the capital, Riyadh, and the kingdom’s eastern region.

Iran accuses ‘the enemy’ of attacking neighboring countries to pin blame on Tehran

Iran’s joint military command accused in a statement Sunday "the enemy” of using copycat Iranian drones to attack neighboring countries and pin the blame on Tehran, state media reported.

Tehran usually uses “the enemy” as a reference to the United States and Israel.

The statement said copies of Iran's Shahed-136 drone, known as LUCAS, were used to hit “irrelevant targets in the regional states," including attacks on Turkey, Iraq and Kuwait. No evidence was provided.

The military command also said Iran openly shares its targets, which it describes as U.S. and Israeli interests, and urged trust and cooperation from regional countries.

UAE reports missile attack

The United Arab Emirates reported a missile attack Sunday morning.

Authorities urged residents to remain in safe locations.

US identifies 6 killed in military aircraft crash

The U.S. Department of Defense on Saturday identified six service members who died when the military refueling aircraft they were aboard crashed Thursday while supporting operations against Iran.

The service members were Maj. John A. Klinner, 33; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, according to U.S. officials.

The crash in western Iraq followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in “friendly airspace,” according to U.S. Central Command. The other plane landed safely.

Sirens sound in Tel Aviv

Israel’s military said early Sunday that Iran launched another round of missiles toward Israel.

Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and loud booms were heard.

The official Palestinian news agency said the family was shot late Saturday after going out to buy new clothes for Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan this week. Israel said it was investigating the shooting.

The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said that Ali and Waed Odeh, and two of their four children, were shot in the head. The Odehs’ two surviving children had shrapnel wounds that were examined by first responders once they were granted access, the group said, accusing Israel of delaying ambulances dispatched to the scene.

Israel’s military and police said in a joint statement Sunday that forces opened fire after a car accelerated toward them in Tammun. They said the forces were pursuing suspects accused of “terrorist activity” and that the shooting was under investigation.

The members of the Odeh family were the latest casualties in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli settlers and soldiers had previously shot and killed at least eight Palestinians since the start of the Iran war.

Since Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran on Feb. 28, Israeli authorities have restricted movement across the West Bank, intermittently closing hundreds of gates and checkpoints on roads used by residents, ambulances and commercial traffic. The barriers have tightened movement and made emergency response significantly more difficult, the Red Crescent told The Associated Press last week.

Israeli rights group Yesh Din said on Wednesday that it had documented 109 incidents of settler violence in the occupied West Bank in dozens of Palestinian communities since the start of the war.

The toll is lower than at this point in 2025 — a record year for violence that began with Israel invading northern West Bank cities that the military said were militant strongholds. Israeli forces still maintain a presence there.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has recorded 18 Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank since the start of 2026, including eight by Israeli settlers. — Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank.

It was 1963, and the nation was mourning President John F. Kennedy. Wrory Ficklin was sitting with his mother and brother, watching funeral coverage on TV in the family's Washington apartment, when she gasped.

His father, James Woodson Ficklin, was wearing a morning suit and standing beside Kennedy's casket with other White House ushers. He was a White House butler at the time, but Kennedy's widow, Jacqueline, asked that he join the ushers that day.

Woodson Ficklin worked a remarkable 44 years on the White House residence staff. His son, Wrory Ficklin, had a lengthy White House career, too — 40 years on the staff of the National Security Council.

Presidents come and go from the White House every four years or eight years, but the Ficklin family — Woodson Ficklin, his wife, some of his brothers and sisters, and son Wrory Ficklin — was a constant presence there for nearly eight decades, serving 13 presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama.

One family by the president’s side for one-third of America’s 250-year existence.

With his 2015 retirement, Wrory became the last Ficklin employed there full time, capping a record of family service documented in his book, “An Unusual Path: Three Generations from Slavery to the White House.”

“The book is my family’s history, it's African American history and it's our country’s history," he told The Associated Press in an interview. “My dad and I both stand on my grandfather's shoulders, and I like to think that we both contributed a lot to our country."

Family story starts with grandfather born enslaved

The first chapter in what Wrory Ficklin described as a “truly American story” opens with his grandfather, James Strother Ficklin, who was born a slave around 1854 in Rappahannock County, Virginia.

Strother was a water boy for the Confederate army during the Civil War. After emancipation, he did odd jobs for the family that used to own him.

He remarried in 1894 after his first wife died during childbirth, and moved to Youngstown, Ohio, to escape racism in Virginia and earn a living in the booming coal and steel industries. Records showed they returned to Rappahannock some years later, though it was unclear why.

Strother and his second wife, Helen, had saved enough money to buy 37 acres (0.15 square kilometers) of land in Amissville, Virginia, in 1901. He built a house and farmed the land to help feed the family. After Helen died while giving birth, Strother married his third wife, Vallie Lee Davenport, in 1907. They had 10 children — five girls and five boys.

One of those boys was John Woodson Ficklin.

The Ficklin brothers worked together at the White House

Woodson Ficklin was 15 when he moved to Washington in 1934 to live with an older sister and her husband. He worked odd jobs and went to high school at night, graduating in 1939 — the year an older brother, Charles, began work as a White House butler. Charles Ficklin helped him land a part-time position washing dishes and doing whatever the butlers did not have time to do themselves.

Military service during World War II briefly interrupted their White House careers, but they received promotions after they came home, with Charles Ficklin and Woodson Ficklin becoming head butler and butler, respectively. Woodson Ficklin met President Harry Truman and first lady Bess Truman on his second day as a butler when he served the couple breakfast.

New promotions followed under Dwight Eisenhower, with Charles Ficklin becoming maître d’ — the most senior butler — and Woodson Ficklin taking over as head butler, putting him in charge of six full-time butlers.

Woodson Ficklin succeeded his brother again in March 1967, when Charles Ficklin retired.

Woodson Ficklin worked closely with the first ladies

Woodson Ficklin was now responsible for the planning and execution of White House social events, ranging from luncheons and state dinners to birthday parties and South Lawn barbecues.

There were visits by British royals and the annual round of Christmas parties, the White House wedding of Richard Nixon's daughter Tricia in 1971, and Gerald Ford's daughter Susan's decision to host her senior class prom at the White House.

Along the way, Woodson Ficklin earned the trust and confidence of the presidents and first ladies who relied on his expertise. Some sent thank-you notes after flawlessly executed events.

First lady Patricia Nixon wrote in October 1969 about “the great number of complimentary remarks we receive following each White House social event,” according to a copy of the letter reprinted in the book. “Our family is most grateful to you for the time and interest you devote to make each occasion so enjoyable and memorable for our guests and for us.”

President Jimmy Carter expressed appreciation in a March 1979 letter for the work Woodson Ficklin and his team did surrounding the signing of an Egypt-Israel peace treaty.

“Everything was perfect and we are grateful,” Carter wrote.

Woodson Ficklin retired in May 1983. In perhaps the biggest show of appreciation for his 44-year career, the Reagans invited him and his wife, Nancy, to a state dinner that year for the emir of Bahrain.

He is believed to be the first member of the White House residence staff to be a guest at a state dinner, and he became the subject of a media blitz as a result. Woodson Ficklin sat at the first lady's table and told an interviewer that she "put me at ease and made me feel like a guest.” Asked about the service, he replied, “Those are my boys. I trained them.”

Woodson Ficklin died in December 1984 at 65.

Wrory Ficklin spent most of his career in national security

“Seeing my Dad on television was a big deal, and to see him participating in our president’s funeral service was beyond my youthful comprehension,” Wrory Ficklin wrote. He said years passed before he understood "the severity and the importance” of his father’s work.

Yet Wrory Ficklin ended up doing important work at the White House, too, after a summer job during high school delivering sealed envelopes between the White House and the special prosecutor on the Watergate investigation. He also worked for his father in the pantry during state dinners and other big events.

Wrory Ficklin joined the NSC staff in 1975, beginning a 40-year tenure that overlapped with his father and other family members. He started by working evenings as a clerk while attending college during the day and by 1987 was training new staff.

Under Obama, Wrory Ficklin was promoted to special assistant to the president for national security affairs. He retired in 2015 with a special request for his boss, national security adviser Susan Rice: Could he attend a state dinner, like his dad?

Wrory Ficklin and his wife, Patrice, were invited to the 2015 state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping. With some minor alterations, he wore the tuxedo jacket and cummerbund his father wore in 1983.

The dinner was the highlight of his career, he said.

“Just to experience firsthand the quality of the service, the precision of the butlers, the type of service that they provided, was a legacy to my dad, actually,” Wrory Ficklin said in the interview.

Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran on Feb. 28, saying they were striking nuclear and military sites and encouraging the Iranian people to rise against their leaders. Iran has responded with attacks against Israel and neighboring states in the Persian Gulf.

The war, which shows no signs of ending soon, has upended global air travel, disrupted oil exports from the region and sent fuel prices rising across the world.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates warned residents on Sunday that they were working to intercept incoming projectiles, a day after Iran called for the evacuations of three major UAE ports, threatening for the first time a neighboring country’s non-U.S. assets.

Iran had earlier accused the U.S. of using “ports, docks and hideouts” in the UAE to launch strikes on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran’s oil exports, without providing evidence for the claim. The UAE and other Gulf countries that host U.S. bases have denied allowing their land or airspace to be used for military operations against Iran.

Iranian strikes have killed at least a dozen civilians in the Gulf states, most of them migrant workers. In Iran, the International Committee for the Red Cross said more than 1,300 people have been killed so far. Iran's Health Ministry says 223 women and 202 children are among those killed, according to Mizan, the judiciary's official news agency.

In Israel, 12 people were killed by Iranian missile fire, the national rescue service Magen David Adom said. At least 13 members of the U.S. military have also been killed since the war began, including six who died in a plane crash in Iraq last week.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped allies would send warships to secure the Strait of ​Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s humanitarian crisis deepened, with over 820 people killed there, according to the Ministry of Health, and 850,000 displaced since Iran-backed Hezbollah started hitting Israel and Israel responded with strikes and sent additional troops into southern Lebanon.

Iran says the US attacked from the UAE

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the U.S. attacked Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island from two locations in the UAE — Ras Al Khaimah and a place “very close to Dubai" — calling the escalation dangerous and saying Iran “will try to be careful not to attack any populated area” there.

U.S. Central Command said it had no response to Iran’s claim.

Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, rejected Iranian claim that the U.S. used Emirati land or air space for its attacks on Kharg Island.

Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Gulf neighbors — Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman — during the war.

It says it targets U.S. assets, even as Iranian strikes are reported at civilian sites such as airports and oil fields. Though their air defenses have intercepted most, the war has caused significant damage and rattled their economies in Gulf states.

Meanwhile, Araghchi told the London-based Al-Araby al-Jadeed on Sunday that Iran is ready to consider any proposal that includes “a complete end” to the war and said mediation efforts were ongoing between Iran and its neighbors to de-escalate.

He gave no indication on whether progress has been made.

Trump urges allies to send warships to Strait of Hormuz

As global anxiety soars over oil prices and supplies, Trump said Saturday that he hopes China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and others send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe.” It was unclear if any planned to satisfy his request.

In Europe, which relies heavily on oil and gas imports from the Gulf, Britain responded by saying it was discussing with allies a “range of options” to secure shipping.

Araghchi, in a social media post, urged neighbors to “expel foreign aggressors” and described Trump’s call as “begging.”

Iran’s joint military command has reiterated its threat to attack U.S.-linked “oil, economic and energy infrastructures” in the region if the Islamic Republic’s oil infrastructure is hit.

War unleashes mass displacement in Iran

The U.N. migration agency said Sunday that deteriorating conditions in Iranian cities were pushing many Iranians to northern provinces for safety.

The International Organization for Migration said Iranians are also fleeing to neighboring countries, including nearly 32,000 to Afghanistan and nearly 4,000 to Pakistan, even though airports and most border crossings — especially with Iraq — are closed.

After earlier wars — including in Syria and Afghanistan — sparked refugee crises that stretched resources and polarized politics in Europe, Turkey and North Africa, neighboring states worry the Iran war could again force large numbers of people from their homes.

US identifies 6 killed in military aircraft crash

The U.S. Department of Defense on Saturday identified six service members who died when the military refueling aircraft they were aboard crashed Thursday while supporting operations against Iran.

The service members were Maj. John A. Klinner, 33; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, according to U.S. officials.

The crash in western Iraq followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in “friendly airspace,” according to U.S. Central Command. The other plane landed safely.

___

Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut and Tia Goldenberg in Washington contributed to this report.

Zelenskyy said the U.S. had proposed hosting the next meeting between American, Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams, which include U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, but Moscow had refused to send a delegation.

“We are waiting for a response from the Americans. Either they will change the country where we meet, or the Russians must confirm the U.S,” Zelenskyy said in a media briefing Saturday. “We are not blocking any of these initiatives. We want a trilateral meeting to take place."

The U.S. has postponed its sponsored talks between the two sides due to the war in the Middle East. The Iran war, which erupted on Feb. 28 following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and spread across the region, has drawn the international spotlight away from Ukraine’s plight as it strives to hold back Russia’s bigger army.

Speaking to journalists, Zelenskyy also warned of a “very high” risk that the Iran war could drain the air defense stockpiles Ukraine depends on to counter Russian missile strikes.

Zelenskyy said he lacked a clear picture of available stockpiles and had discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday whether SAMP/T systems could serve as an alternative to U.S.-made Patriot batteries for intercepting ballistic missiles. He said Ukraine would be “first in line” to test any viable alternative.

He also appeared to push back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent assertion that Washington has no need for Ukrainian drone technology.

“No, we don’t need their help on drone defense,” Trump said in a Fox News Radio interview that aired Friday.

Zelenskyy said Washington had reached out to Ukraine “several times” to request assistance for a particular country or for support for Americans, without giving specifics. He said the requests had come from various U.S. military institutions to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense and other military leaders.

“All our institutions received these requests, and we responded to them,” Zelenskyy said.

He said he had offered Washington a defense cooperation deal last year worth $35 billion–$50 billion that would have given the U.S. administration access to technology from roughly 200 Ukrainian drone, AI and electronic warfare firms, with half of all production earmarked for partners, primarily the U.S.

According to the Ukrainian leader, American military officials had expressed strong interest in the proposal, and Trump himself had indicated he was receptive.

“We received a message from them, and directly from the president as well, that they are interested,” Zelenskyy told reporters. “We did not sign the document with President Trump. I do not have an answer as to why. Perhaps it will happen later, but I am not sure.”

___

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

• SUNDAY: Hot. Mid-90s.
• • WATCHING FOR: Red Flag Warning. High fire danger through Monday evening
• 6PM to 6AM: Strong cold front. 40-50 mph wind gusts.
• • WATCHING FOR: Downed tree limbs, spotty power outages
• MONDAY: Near 40° at sunrise. Highs in the 50s. High fire danger
• TUESDAY MORNING: 30s. Above freezing for San Antonio. Light freeze in Hill Country

FORECAST

TODAY

After a brief round of morning clouds, temperatures will skyrocket on Sunday. Dry air will help to push temperatures to the mid-90s — breaking a record that’s stood since 1908.

Meanwhile, the fire danger will be very high through the evening. Please avoid any kind of outdoor burning and dispose of cigarettes properly. A RED FLAG WARNING is in effect from noon Sunday to 8 pm Monday.

DINNERTIME COLD FRONT

A strong cold front moves through Sunday between 5 and 7pm. As soon as it arrives, gusty north winds will kick in. Gusts of up to 40-50 mph are possible through the evening and overnight hours.

While we don’t expect widespread power outages, these kinds of winds can cause tree limbs to sway and potentially break, interacting with power lines. This *may* cause spotty power outages tonight.

MONDAY

As we head back to work and school, temps will plummet by Monday morning. We will be cold, but above freezing. San Antonio will dip to near 40°. Bundle up, because winds will make it feel like it’s in the 20s and 30s! After the chilly start, temperatures will struggle to get out of the 50s Monday afternoon.

NEAR FREEZING TUESDAY MORNING

Monday night will be cold, and by Tuesday morning, many of us will be in the 30s. While we expect temperatures to stay just above freezing in San Antonio, outlying areas may briefly touch freezing.

EXTENDED FORECAST

Despite the big temperature swings, no rain is expected for the next 7 to 10 days.

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The strike hit a house in Nuseirat, an urban refugee camp in central Gaza, killing a couple in their 30s and their 10-year son, according to the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

The fourth fatality, a 15-year-old neighbor, was taken to the Awda hospital in Nuseirat. The boy's young brother was wounded in the strike, the hospital said.

“We were sleeping and got up to the strike of a missile. The strike was strong,” said Mahmoud al-Muhtaseb, a neighbor. “There was no prior warning.”

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

The deaths were the latest fatalities among Palestinians in the coastal enclave since an October ceasefire deal attempted to halt a more than 2-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the ceasefire has still seen almost daily Israeli fire. Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, killing more than 650 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.

Israel says it has responded to violations of the ceasefire or targeted wanted militants. But about half of those killed have been women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

They were among more than 72,200 Palestinians killed in the war which was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The militant attack killed over 1,200 people and took over 250 others hostage.

The health ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. But it does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.

Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.

The departure leaves three of an initial seven squad members in Australia.

“Overnight, three members of the Iranian Women’s Football Team made the decision to join the rest of the team on their journey back to Iran,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.

“After telling Australian officials they had made this decision, the players were given repeated chances to talk about their options,” Burke added.

Iran's team arrived in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup last month, before the war in the Middle East began on Feb. 28.

Initially, six players and a support staff member from a squad list of 26 players accepted humanitarian visas to stay in Australia before the rest of the Iranian contingent flew from Sydney to Malaysia on March 9.

Another later changed her mind and left Australia. Three left Sydney for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Saturday night, a government official said. The rest of the team has remained in Kuala Lumpur since they left Australia.

Iran's Tasnim News Agency said the latest three to leave Australia were two players and the support staff member. The three were “returning to the warm embrace of their family and homeland,” the news outlet said in a statement.

Concerns about the team's safety in Iran heightened when the players didn't sing the Iranian national anthem before their first match.

The Australian government was urged to help the women by Iranian groups in Australia and by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Iranian news agency described the women's return to the team as the “disgraceful failure of the American-Australian project and another failure for Trump.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, one of the most senior members of the Australian government, said he was pleased that three of the Iranian women would remain in Australia.

“I am worried about them,” Chalmers told Seven Network television, referring to the women who had changed their minds about staying in Australia.

“I can only image the pressure that they feel and how difficult these sorts of decisions would be for them,” Chalmers added.

Burke said Australians should be proud that their country presented the Iranian team with choices and sought to help them.

“While the Australian government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions,” Burke said.

“The Australian government has done everything we could to make sure these women were provided with the chance for a safe future in Australia,” he added.

Acuña homered on the second pitch from World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Venezuela's 8-5 win on Saturday night, driving a fastball 401 feet to right-center for his second home run of the tournament.

Ohtani led off the bottom half against Ranger Suárez with a 427-foot drive to center on a 2-1 slider, a ball that was 113.6 mph off the bat. Ohtani watched the ball, flipped his bat and motioned with both hands to teammates in the third-base dugout. The home run, which tied the score 1-1 for the defending champions, was Ohtani's third of the WBC.

No regular or postseason game has included leadoff home runs by players who had won MVPs, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Ohtani, 31, is a four-time MVP who helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to the last two World Series titles.

Acuna, 28, won the 2023 NL MVP award and helped the 2021 Atlanta Braves win a championship.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb