Israeli strikes kill at least 25 in Gaza

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes across Gaza have killed at least 25 people including children as the new U.S. ambassador to Israel made his first public appearance in Jerusalem. Gaza hospitals say among the dead early Friday were 10 people in the urban Jabaliya refugee camp, including eight from the same house. The strikes come a day after more than two dozen people died in Gaza as Israel ramps up attacks to pressure Hamas to return the hostages and disarm. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee appeared at the Western Wall, the holiest Jewish prayer site in Jerusalem’s Old City, where he inserted a prayer handwritten by President Donald Trump.

US airstrike on Yemeni oil port appears to escalate Trump’s campaign against the Houthis

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels say U.S. airstrikes targeting oil port killed at least 74 people and injured at least 171 others. The overnight strikes on the Ras Isa port sent massive fireballs billowing skyward and left mangled fuel trucks burning. It was the deadliest known American attack yet in U.S. President Donald Trump’s military campaign against the Houthis, which began March 15. The U.S. military’s Central Command declined to comment when asked about civilian casualties. Satellite images of the port provided by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed Friday by The Associated Press showed destroyed tanks and vehicles as oil leaked into the Red Sea.

Rubio says the US will drop Ukraine-Russia peace efforts if no progress within days

PARIS (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. may “move on” from efforts for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days. Rubio spoke in Paris after landmark talks among U.S., Ukrainian and European officials. He said the discussions had been constructive and produced an outline for steps toward peace. French officials said a new meeting in the same format is expected to take place in London in the coming days. The U.S. and Ukraine also signed a memorandum for a possible long-awaited minerals deal, while U.S. Vice President JD Vance said there had been “interesting” developments in Russia-Ukraine talks over the past day.

US lawmakers’ bipartisan Taiwan visit signals support

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Republican and Democratic lawmakers are making their first trip to Taiwan under the new Trump administration a bipartisan one. The three senators are pushing to message both Taiwan and China that U.S. support for Taiwan’s defense remains broad. That’s despite the harsh words and heightened tariffs President Donald Trump has leveled against the self-ruled island nation. Republicans Pete Ricketts and Ted Budd and Democrat Chris Coons are set to talk with Taiwan’s president and defense minister Friday. Taiwan and Many Asia-Pacific nations so far are eschewing the retaliatory criticism and tariffs of some of the U.S.’s European allies after President Donald Trump slapped broad tariffs on many countries. That includes a 32% tariff on Taiwan.