World

The U.S. launched more airstrikes on Iran on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump pledging to intensify the bombardment until Tehran stops attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz and agrees to open the waterway.

 More than 2,000 people have now been confirmed to have contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country's Information Ministry said on Wednesday.

With the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was widely viewed in Moscow as the toughest voice against Russia in U.S. politics, some pro-Kremlin officials and commentators are now hoping to gain new advantage in Washington and especially in the Trump White House.

SYDNEY – Australia will create an office at the heart of government to manage the development of AI standards, seeking to balance the ​need to attract investment with effective regulation of the disruptive technology. The "Office of AI" will be established within the ⁠Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and ensure a ‌whole-of-government approach across different ministries.

President Donald Trump stepped back from a proposal to charge a 20% transit fee to guard the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway as part of the conflict with Iran, saying on Tuesday he would instead seek investment deals with Gulf states.

The group behind the statues of President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein is back with a new installation aimed at the war in Iran. The Secret Handshake is an anonymous art protest group that creates public art along the National Mall for political commentary. A 10-foot-tall "Iran ​War Participation Trophy" appeared July 13 just south of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bookstore. The golden trophy has a "#1" on the cup and "participant" on the base.

A survivor of the fire at a Bangkok bar that killed at least 27 people on Sunday night described escaping the blaze by seconds after she stepped out for a smoke.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s surprise move to overhaul his government and potentially install an energy executive as prime minister is the latest sign of the Ukrainian president’s determination to spare his war-weary nation a repeat of last winter’s hardships. Zelenskyy said Sunday on social media that he planned to replace Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko as part of a broader change in “political ...

CARACAS, Venezuela – death ​toll from the two earthquakes that ⁠struck ‌Venezuela on June ​24 has risen to 4,490, National ⁠Assembly President ‌Jorge ‌Rodriguez said on Sunday ⁠on his Telegram ‌account. The ‌official count of injured ⁠remained unchanged ​at ⁠16,740, ​while 6,462 people have been ⁠rescued.

The U.S. struck Iran for a third time in a week, prompting retaliatory attacks on at least five Arab nations as Washington and Tehran issued conflicting declarations over whether the Strait of Hormuz remains open to shipping. The Islamic Republic responded early Sunday with drone and missile assaults on American allies across the Middle East, including Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar. So far, only ...

JERUSALEM – Israel is set to hold a national election on Oct. 27, according to Prime Minister ​Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, its first since Hamas' 2023 attack and the wars that ensued ⁠in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

South Africa said more than 53,000 foreign nationals had been processed for deportation or voluntary repatriation as authorities acted on pledges to speed up removals while warning vigilante groups to stop conducting illegal searches for undocumented foreigners. The figure is more than double the roughly 25,000 migrants police said had returned home or been deported ahead of nationwide ...

DAMASCUS, Syria – Syria's new parliament convened for the first time on Sunday, 19 months after rebels led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled Bashar al-Assad, a milestone in the country's political transition despite the chamber's current limited powers. Sharaa, in a speech at parliament in Damascus, told lawmakers ​to "make this council a model of responsibility and competence" and described it as "a platform for truth and justice."

BAGHDAD – Iraq's prime minister will visit Washington on Monday to deepen strategic ties with the United States, with oil and gas ​deals expected to be signed as part of a broader push for economic, trade and investment cooperation. Iraq has ⁠been seeking to balance its ties with neighboring Iran and ‌the U.S. as military escalation ​between the two rivals continues.

Myanmar’s ancient temples, luxury hotels and Buddhist pilgrimage sites are stirring back to life as the country’s military-backed government bets tourism will become one of the first visible signs of an economic recovery after this year’s election. Authorities want to almost double foreign visitor arrivals to 1.8 million this year by easing visa rules and targeting travelers from neighboring ...

LAGOS – At least 39 schoolchildren and six teachers kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria’s southwestern Oyo state nearly two months ago have been rescued by security forces, a presidential spokesperson said on Friday.

KYIV, Ukraine – Ukraine is setting up a "long-range impact" command within its armed forces, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as Kyiv's campaign against Russian energy and logistics has forced Moscow to ban diesel exports and restrict shipping near the Sea of Azov, which abuts the Black Sea.

Marine Le Pen extended her lead in a voter preference poll ahead of next April’s French presidential election after appeal judges cleared her to enter the race for a fourth time by shortening a previous ban on her standing. The far-right National Rally candidate would get between 34% and 35.5% of the vote in the first round if it were to take place this Sunday, according to the poll of 1,503 ...