UR MAG

BERLIN (AP) — An injured seabird sought help by pecking at the door of an emergency room at a hospital in Germany until medical staff noticed it and called firefighters to help with its rescue.

The cormorant, a shiny black waterbird, had a triple fishing hook stuck in its beak when it made its presence known at the glass door of the Klinikum Links der Weser hospital in the northern city of Bremen on Sunday.

In a joint effort, medical staff and firefighters removed the fishhook and treated the wound, the Bremen firefighter department said in a statement. The bird was later released back into nature on the grounds of the hospital park.

"When an injured cormorant does approach humans, it is usually an animal in extreme distress that has lost its natural shyness," the statement said.

A cormorant is a large bird with a long neck, wedge-shaped head and a distinctive sharp beak with a hooked tip. A fishhook in the bird's beak would be extremely dangerous for the animal. Infections, pain and even starvation are possible, the firefighter department said.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A team of doctors treating Imran Khan has reported "improvement" in his eyesight, his personal physician said Monday, but added he could neither confirm nor deny the assessment as Pakistan's authorities have not granted him access to the imprisoned former premier.

Dr. Aasim Yusuf made the remarks in a video message posted on X a day after a panel ofeye specialists examined Khan at Adiala prison, in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, following an order from Pakistan's Supreme Court.

Yusuf said prison doctors briefed him by phone Sunday about an "improvement" in Khan's eye condition and the treatment he has received since late January whenKhan underwent a procedure at a hospitalin Islamabad after complaining of partial vision loss.

Yusuf said he would have been "extremely happy" if he could verify the reported improvement.

"Unfortunately, because I have not seen him myself and have not been able to participate in his care or speak with him, I am unable to either confirm or deny the veracity of what we have been told," he said.

He also called for any further treatment to be carried out at a hospital in Islamabad.

Cabinet minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry wrote on X on Monday that a detailed medical examination of Khan was conducted inside the Adiala prison and the doctors found that the eyesight of Khan had improved and "no major complications have emerged."

Concern about Khan's eyesight surfaced when the government said he had undergone a brief eye procedure. It prompted the Supreme Court to direct Khan's lawyer, Salman Safdar, to meet him in prison.

Safdar later told the court that Khan had lost about 85% of vision in his right eye, alarming supporters in his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, who have staged protests in Islamabad and other cities demanding Khan's transfer to a hospital. Some PTI lawmakers and allies have also held a sit-in outside parliament since last week.

Khan, 73, has been held at prison since 2023following a conviction in a graft case.He was removed from office in April 2022through a parliamentary no-confidence vote.

Khan alleges his ouster resulted from a U.S.-backed conspiracy involving political rivals and the military — claims denied by Washington, Pakistan's military and political opponents, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan.

Despite his legal challenges, Khan remains a central political figure with a strong support base.

GENEVA (AP) — Iran's top diplomat met with the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency on Monday, ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States over Tehran's nuclear program.

EU Iran Talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and said he would also meet with Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi of Oman, which is hosting the U.S.-Iran talks in Geneva on Tuesday.

"I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal," Araghchi wrote on X. "What is not on the table: submission before threats."

As U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an additional aircraft carrier to the region, Iran on Monday launched a second naval drill in weeks, state TV reported. It said the drill would test Iran's intelligence and operational capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Iran's drills take place against the US military buildup

Just before the talks, Iran announced its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard started the drill early Monday morning in the waterways that arecrucial international trade routesthrough which20% of the world's oil passes.

Separately, EOS Risk Group said sailors passing through the region received by radio a warning that the northern lane of the Strait of Hormuz, in Iranian territorial waters, likely would see a live-fire drill Tuesday. Iranian state TV did not mention the live fire drill.

This is the second time in recent weeks sailors have received warning about an Iranian live fire drill. During the previous exercise, announced at the end of January, the U.S. military's Central Command issued a strongly worded warning to Iran and the Revolutionary Guard. While acknowledging Iran's "right to operate professionally in international airspace and waters," it warned against interfering or threatening American warships or passing commercial vessels.

On Feb. 4,tensions between the Iranian and U.S. naviesrose further after a U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approachingthe aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincolnin the Arabian Sea. Iran also harassed a U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed merchant vessel that was sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military reported.

Iran open to compromise in exchange for sanctions relief

On Sunday, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi signaled that Tehran could be open to compromise on the nuclear issue, but is looking for an easing of international sanctions led by the United States.

"The ball is in America's court. They have to prove they want to have a deal with us," Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC. "If we see a sincerity on their part, I am sure that we will be on a road to have an agreement."

"We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program provided that they are also ready to talk about the sanctions," he added.

Oman hosted a first round ofindirect talksbetween the U.S. and Iran on Feb. 6.

Similar talks last year between the U.S. and Iran about Iran's nuclear program broke down after Israel launched what became a12-day war on Iran, that included theU.S. bombing Iranian nuclear sites.

TheU.S. is also hosting talksbetween envoys from Russia and Ukrainein Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday, days ahead of the fourth anniversary of theall-out Russian invasion of its neighbor.

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US keeps military pressure high

Trump initially threatened to take military action overIran's bloody crackdown on nationwide protestslast month, but then shifted to a pressure campaign in recent weeks to try to get Tehran to makea deal over its nuclear program.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Budapest, reiterated on Monday that the U.S. hopes to achieve a deal with Iran, despite the difficulties. "I'm not going to prejudge these talks," Rubio said. "The president always prefers peaceful outcomes and negotiated outcomes to things."

Trump said Friday the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, was being sent from the Caribbean to the Mideast to joinother military assetsthe U.S. has built up in the region. He also said a change in power in Iran "would be the best thing that could happen."

Iran has said if the U.S. attacks, it will respond with an attack of its own.

The Trump administration has maintained that Iran can have no uranium enrichment under any deal. Tehran says it won't agree to that.

Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, its officialsincreasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon. Before the June war, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels.

The direct meeting with Grossi is a significant step after Iransuspended all cooperation with the IAEAfollowing the June war with Israel. The two also met briefly on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. The IAEA saidit has been unable to verify the statusof Iran's near weapons-grade uranium stockpile since the war. Iran has allowed IAEA some access to sites that were not damaged, but has not allowed inspectors to visit other sites.

Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% could allow Iran to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program,Grossi previously told The Associated Press.He added that it doesn't mean that Iran has such a weapon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed to Washington last week to urge Trump to ensure that any deal to include steps to neutralizeIran's ballistic missile programand end its funding for proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

Liechtenstein reported from Vienna. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Matthew Lee in Budapest, Hungary contributed to this report.

The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage fromthe Carnegie Corporation of New YorkandOutrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape:https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Chase Elliott climbed from his car and sat on the outside wall of the track in stunned disbelief that theDaytona 500victory that was his — his first one, only a few feet from the finish line — was wiped out in a wreck.

NASCAR's most popular driver,Elliottneeded a moment to collect his thoughts outside the No. 9 Chevrolet. Fireworks exploded behind Elliott for race winner Tyler Reddick. Elliott could only think of how close that celebration — and the victorious pool hall siren in Dawsonville, Georgia, being sounded— was to being for him.

"We were leading the Daytona 500 off (turn) four coming to the checkered flag," Elliott said, "and didn't win."

About the only Daytona 500 victory that could have beenmore popular than an Elliottwinning the race would have been a checkered flag for team owner Michael Jordan. Jordan co-owns 23XI Racing and certainly his team's victory infused NASCAR with splashy headlines and needed buzz coming out of the sport's version of the Super Bowl when Reddick emerged from the wreck Sunday to top Elliott.

"He had a great shot at it coming off four," Hendrick Motorsports teammateWilliam Byronsaid. "It's a bummer for sure."

The Daytona 500 feels like one big bummer for Elliott.

Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR champion, won a qualifying race for the third time in his career leading into the race. He has started from the pole twice in his career.

Again, early Daytona success meant nothing on race day: Elliott finished fourth and fell to 0 for 11 at the Daytona 500.

"I'm not the type of person that ever lets myself get there in the first place," Elliott said. "I knew it wasn't over. That's part of this style of racing."

Elliott joins a long list of hard-luck losers at Daytona, including Fireball Roberts (1961), Donnie Allison (1979) and Mark Martin (2007). In 1990, Dale Earnhardt cut a tire less than mile from the finish line, allowing Derrike Cope to steal one.

Elliott had control on the final lap after leader Carson Hocevar was spun off the track and it appeared he would finally win his first Daytona 500. Elliott instead was clipped by Riley Herbst, and the nose of the Chevy tagged the wall. Elliott, who finished as runner-up in 2021, crashed and Reddick sailed past to take Jordan to the Daytona International Speedway victory lane.

"I just felt like Tyler was coming so quick," Elliott said. "I kind of blocked one direction. He went the other way."

Jeff Gordon, the three-time Daytona 500 champion who now serves as an executive at Hendrick, stood atop the pit box and seemingly tried to push Elliott to victory lane. He rocked back in his seat and threw his hands on his headset once the crash erupted and marred Elliott's race.

Elliott, the 30-year-oldson of Hall of Fame driverand two-time Daytona 500 champion Bill Elliott, found little consolation in having a great shot at the end at winning.

"You can run it through your mind 1,000 times, do you do something different," Elliott said. "I feel like if I had thrown a double block on (Reddick), probably would have just crashed us at that point in time. I felt like you had to pick your battles. I thought maybe if somebody would pick me up on the top, you might have one more run to the line but unfortunately ended up getting turned around."

Elliott, who has 21 career Cup wins, has yet to win NASCAR's biggest prize. Even though Elliott doesn't have a win in the Daytona 500, he has shown promise. He has finished inside the top 20 seven of the last eight years, including a second place showing in 2021.

The losing streak goes on — even as confidence remains high he'll join his dad one day in the select group of Daytona 500 champions.

"I think you have to trust in that a little bit; keep your head down, stay working, and if there's a day and a time for us, then there is," Elliott said. "We'll enjoy that moment if it ever comes."

AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Jerome Tang's time at Kansas State is over.

KSU fired Tang on Sunday following the Wildcats' latest loss. KSU fell to 1-11 in the Big 12 with a 78-64 loss to Houston. It was the sixth straight defeat for Kansas State and came a game afterTang said he was "embarrassed for the university"when criticizing his team following a 91-62 home loss to Cincinnati.

Kansas State went 71-57 in Tang's time with the school. His buyout for a firing without cause is over $18 million, but Kansas State is attempting to fire Tang for cause, according toThe Manhattan Mercuryand other reports.

The cause? Those comments after the loss to the Bearcats for allegedly disparaging the university. By firing Tang for cause, Kansas State can say it isn't obligated to pay him his buyout. Tang would have the ability to challenge Kansas State's basis in court if he so chooses.

And it appears he will do so. He told ESPN that he plans to contest Kansas State's reasoning.

"I am deeply disappointed with the university's decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination,"Tang told ESPN. "I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach."

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Tang's best season at Kansas State came in his first year with the school. The Wildcats went 26-10 in 2022-23 and made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament before losing to Florida Atlantic. It was the only time KSU would make the tournament in Tang's tenure; KSU went 19-15 the next season and then fell to 16-17 in 2024-25.

This season, the Wildcats are just 10-15 despite signing PJ Haggerty from Memphis out of the transfer portal. Haggerty is averaging 23.3 points per game and shooting 48% from the field. But Kansas State's defense has been abysmal.

K-State is averaging 80.2 points per game but giving up 80.7 points per game. Just 28 teams are allowing more points per game than the Wildcats this season.

That Cincinnati game appeared to be the tipping point for many Kansas State fans as students wore paper bags over their heads during the game. In his postgame news conference, Tang said the game was "embarrassing" and that "these dudes did not deserve to wear this uniform. There will be very few in it next year."

Tang will also not be wearing Kansas State colors next season. He then went on to say the team had practice at 6 a.m. the next day and he had "no answers and no words."

Tang came to Kansas State from Baylor. He was the Bears' associate head coach under Scott Drew from 2017-22 and was on the staff when the Bears won the 2021 national title. Before he was the team's associate head coach, Tang was an assistant with the team since 2003 after coaching high school basketball in Texas.