US fights to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as UAE comes under attack in test of Iran truce

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military says it battled Iranian forces and sank six small boats as it moved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates, a key American ally, said it had come under attack from Iran on Monday for the first time since a fragile ceasefire took hold in early April. The attacks appeared to be in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest efforts to reopen the strait, a critical waterway for global energy. The U.S. military said two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the strait on Monday.

What to know as the US tries to open the Strait of Hormuz and a ceasefire wavers

The ceasefire in the Iran war faces its most critical moment yet as the United States begins efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, the U.S. launched “Project Freedom” to guide ships through the strait, calling it a humanitarian effort. Iran views this as a violation of the ceasefire. The U.S. says two U.S.-flagged ships have safely transited, but Iran warns that any foreign military force in the strait will be targeted. Already, the United Arab Emirates says it has come under attack for the first time since the early April ceasefire, and a British military monitor says two cargo vessels are ablaze.

Supreme Court restores access to abortion pill mifepristone through telehealth, mail and pharmacies

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has restored broad access to the abortion pill mifepristone, blocking a ruling that had threatened to upend one of the main ways abortion is provided across the nation. The order issued Monday allows women seeking abortions to obtain the pill at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor. Those rules had been in effect for several years until a federal appeals court imposed new restrictions last week. Most abortions are obtained with medication, normally mifepristone and a second drug, misoprostol. The availability of those drugs has made abortion accessible to women in states with bans. Louisiana sued, saying mifepristone’s availability undermined the ban there.

Police search for suspects in Oklahoma shooting that sent at least 18 people to hospitals

EDMOND, Okla. (AP) — Authorities in Oklahoma are looking for suspects Monday in a mass shooting at a weekend party. Police say at least 23 people suffered injuries although it’s not clear how many were shot. Hospitals in the Oklahoma City area say they treated at least 18 people after the shooting Sunday night at the lakeside party. Police say no arrests have been made. One hospital reports that three people were in critical condition. Police say the shooting broke out at an unsanctioned party filled with young people near Arcadia Lake. The lake is just north of Oklahoma City in Edmond and is a popular spot for picnicking, camping and boating.

A cruise ship is waiting for help after 3 people died in a suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A cruise ship with nearly 150 people aboard is waiting for help off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean after three passengers died and three others were left seriously ill in a suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus. The World Health Organization and the ship’s operator reported the deaths and illnesses. The MV Hondius was on a polar cruise from Argentina to Antarctica and several South Atlantic islands. A 70-year-old Dutch man was the first victim. His wife also died after being transferred to South Africa. The ship’s operator says the body of a third passenger who died is onboard. A British man tested positive and is critically ill in a South African hospital. The ship was seeking assistance on Monday from Cape Verde, but officials say no one has been allowed to disembark.

A driver plows into people in a shopping area in Germany, killing 2

BERLIN (AP) — Authorities say a driver has plowed into people in a busy shopping area in the center of the German city of Leipzig, leaving two people dead. The mayor said another three people were seriously injured on Monday afternoon in what officials believe was a deliberate rampage. An unspecified number of people sustained less serious injuries. The driver, a 33-year-old German citizen, was detained in the car. Police said he was a German-born resident of the Leipzig area. Prosecutors said he is under investigation on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

Rudy Giuliani is breathing on his own while hospitalized with pneumonia, spokesperson says

NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is breathing on his own after being hospitalized with pneumonia and placed on a ventilator. Giuliani’s spokesperson said Monday that the 81-year-old remains in critical but stable condition at a Florida hospital and is being monitored as a precautionary measure. Spokesperson Ted Goodman said Giuliani’s condition was exacerbated by restrictive airway disease attributed to his exposure to dust and toxins from the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center. Giuliani’s hospitalization, near Palm Beach, Florida, came after he was heard coughing Friday on his nightly online talk show and hoarsely told viewers that his voice was “a little under the weather.”

Wall Street drops from its records and oil prices jump as uncertainty rises about the Iran war

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are falling from their record heights, while oil prices jump following escalations in the Middle East that may be undermining the ceasefire in the war with Iran. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% Monday, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 528 points, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%. Stocks turned lower after the United Arab Emirates said an Iranian drone sparked a fire at an oil facility and issued its first missile alerts since a ceasefire reached in early April. The price for Brent oil jumped more than 5% to more than $114 per barrel.

Britney Spears pleads guilty to lesser ‘wet reckless’ charge in DUI case, avoids further jail time

VENTURA, Calif. (AP) — Britney Spears has avoided jail time in a California driving under the influence case by pleading guilty to a lesser charge through her lawyer. Spears was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs following her March 4 arrest in Ventura County, where she lives. She didn’t appear in court Monday, but her lawyer, Michael A. Goldstein, agreed on her behalf to what’s commonly known as a “wet reckless” guilty plea. This allowed her to be sentenced to a day in jail that the judge said she served when being booked, a year of probation, a required DUI class, and fines. The plea is standard for first-time offenders with low blood-alcohol levels. Spears recently completed a rehab stint.

Astronomers believe they’ve detected an atmosphere around a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A new study suggests that a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto harbors a thin, delicate atmosphere. It’s believed to be the smallest object yet with a clearly detected global atmosphere. Japanese astronomers reported Monday that this minor planet — a mini Pluto just 300 miles across — appears to have an atmosphere that’s 5 million to 10 million times thinner than Earth’s. They say it could have been created by volcanic eruptions or possibly a comet strike. The scientists used telescopes in Japan to observe the object two years ago in the solar system’s Kuiper Belt.