AP News in Brief at 12:04 a.m. EDT

This year marks the first annual performance of a Mozart adaptation at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, featuring a unique twist - a boa constrictor named Princess takes center stage as the snake handler. Zoe Ziegfeld, a carnival performer turned opera actor, auditions and evaluates the snakes for their suitability in the role.

Ziegfeld ensures the snakes are comfortable with people and the performance setup before proceeding. Princess, the chosen boa constrictor, is a larger snake with a more prominent visual presence on stage. The performance takes place during a period of heightened tension between Russia and the United States regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, with the two nations engaging in a cycle of escalating aerial attacks.

In other news, the United States has struck three Iranian oil tankers after coming under fire from Iranian ballistic missiles. The military claims no personnel were harmed, but experts warn this move could further escalate tensions.