AP Top News at 5:04 a.m. EDT

Biden has been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his office said Sunday. The finding came after the 82-year-old reported urinary symptoms, which led doctors to discover a nodule on his prostate. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday, with the cancer cells having spread to the bone. “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” his office said. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.” Prostate cancers are graded for aggressiveness using what’s known as a Gleason score.

Israel’s Netanyahu acknowledges pressure from allies in decision to resume Gaza aid

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that his decision to resume aid to Gaza after a weekslong blockade came after pressure from allies. In a video statement posted to social media, Netanyahu said that Israel’s allies had voiced concern about “images of hunger” Israel’s “greatest friends in the world,” he said without mentioning specific nationalities, had said there is “one thing we cannot stand. We cannot accept images of hunger, mass hunger. We cannot stand that. We will not be able to support you.” “Therefore to achieve victory, we need to somehow solve the problem,” Netanyahu said.

Pope Leo XIV and JD Vance meet ahead of US-led diplomatic flurry to reach ceasefire in Ukraine

ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV and U.S. Vice President JD Vance met at the Vatican on Monday ahead of a flurry of U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to make progress on a ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Vance, a Catholic convert, had led the U.S. delegation to the formal Mass opening the pontificate of the first American pope. Joining him at the meeting on Monday was Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic, Vance spokesperson Luke Schroeder said. “There was an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved,” according to a Vatican statement after their meeting.

Aid workers feel helpless as Israel’s blockade pushes Gaza towards famine

BEIRUT (AP) — Two cases pushed nutritionist Rana Soboh to wits’ end. First, a woman was rushed to a Gaza emergency room after fainting while she breastfed her newborn. She told Soboh she hadn’t eaten in days. The next day at another medical facility, Soboh found a severely malnourished 1-year-old boy weighing 5 kilograms (11 pounds), less than half what’s normal. He hadn’t grown any teeth. He was too weak to cry. The mother was also malnourished, “a skeleton, covered in skin.” When the mother asked for food, Soboh started crying uncontrollably. A feeling of powerlessness has overwhelmed her. Soboh said sometimes she gives a little money or a bit of her own food.

Trump hopes for ceasefire progress in Russia-Ukraine war in Monday calls with Putin and Zelenskyy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is hoping separate phone calls Monday with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make progress toward a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine. Trump expressed his hopes for a “productive day” Monday — and a ceasefire — in a social media post over the weekend. His effort will also include calls to NATO leaders. Trump has struggled to end a war that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and that makes these conversations a serious test of his reputation as a dealmaker after having claimed he would quickly settle the conflict once he was back in the White House, if not even before he took office.

Trump’s big bill advances in rare weekend vote, but conservatives demand more changes

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans narrowly advanced President Donald Trump’s big tax cuts package out of a key committee during a rare Sunday night vote, but just barely, as conservative holdouts are demanding quicker cuts to Medicaid and green energy programs before giving their full support. Speaker Mike Johnson met with Republican lawmakers shortly before the meeting and acknowledged to reporters that there are still details to “iron out.” He said some changes were being made, but declined to provide details. It’s all setting up a difficult week ahead for the GOP leadership racing toward a Memorial Day deadline, a week away, to pass the package from the House.

The UK and the EU are to seal new deals and renew ties 5 years after Brexit

LONDON (AP) — The United Kingdom and the European Union are expected to seal new deals on fishing rights and defense as officials meet in London on Monday to discuss closer ties in their first official summit since Brexit. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is to hold talks with EU officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. British media reported Monday that officials were set to announce an agreement on fishing access for EU boats in U.K. waters, as well as details on a defense and security partnership. There is hope that the agreements could improve the British economy, which has been hit by a drop in EU trade caused by increased costs and red tape after the United Kingdom left the bloc in 2020.

Israel says it will allow ‘basic’ aid into Gaza after nearly 3 months of blockade

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel announced Sunday it will allow a limited amount of humanitarian aid into Gaza after a nearly three-month blockade, days after global experts on food security warned of famine. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a “starvation crisis” would jeopardize Israel’s new military offensive in Gaza, and his Cabinet approved a decision to allow a “basic” amount of food into the territory of over 2 million people. It was not immediately clear when aid would enter Gaza, or how. The Israeli military body in charge of overseeing aid did not comment. Israel has been trying to impose a new aid system, despite objections by aid workers.

Reward increased for capture of escaped New Orleans inmates as 7 remain on the lam

NEW ORLEANS, La. (AP) — Officials increased the reward for the capture of seven inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail by fleeing through a hole behind a toilet as at least a dozen law enforcement agencies pressed their expansive search for the men for a third day on Sunday. FBI Special Agent Jonathan Trapp said at a news conference that seven of the 10 men who originally escaped on Friday are still at large and that the FBI is offering $10,000 per inmate instead of the $5,000 previously announced. He said he believes members of the public may be aiding the men, and authorities will arrest those found aiding or abetting them.

More storms take aim at central US, where many are digging out from tornado damage

LONDON, Ky. (AP) — More severe storms were expected to roll across the central U.S. this week following the weather-related deaths of more than two dozen people and a devastating Kentucky tornado. The National Weather Service said a “multitude of hazardous weather” would impact the U.S. over the next several days — from thunderstorms and potentially baseball-sized hail on the Plains, to heavy mountain snow in the West and dangerous heat in the South. Areas at risk of thunderstorms include communities in Kentucky and Missouri that were hit by Friday’s tornadoes. In London, Kentucky, people whose houses were destroyed scrambled Sunday to put tarps over salvageable items or haul them away for safe storage, said Zach Wilson.