World

US Lets Staff Return to Iraq Weeks After Iran Strike
US Lets Staff Return to Iraq Weeks After Iran Strike

The United States said Thursday it would allow its diplomats to return to Iraq, nearly a month after they were ordered out as a precaution following US strikes on neighboring Iran. While the State Department did not explain its reasons, such shifts in staffing generally indicate Washington sees a lower risk of conflict. "Personnel who are ...

Trump Diagnosed With Vein Issue After Leg Swelling, Hand Bruising
Trump Diagnosed With Vein Issue After Leg Swelling, Hand Bruising

US President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a long-term but benign vein condition, the White House said Thursday following speculation about his heavily bruised hand and swollen legs. The 79-year-old was found to have "chronic venous insufficiency" after he "noted mild swelling in his lower legs" in recent weeks, White House Press Secretary ...

Giant Cloud of Forest Fire Smoke Smothers Madrid
Giant Cloud of Forest Fire Smoke Smothers Madrid

A giant cloud of acrid smoke caused by a forest fire enveloped Madrid on Thursday in a summer expected to spark increasingly fierce blazes in Spain. The uncontrolled fire in the municipality of Mentrida, around 50 kilometres (31 miles) southwest of the capital, prompted local authorities to urge nearby residents to stay at home and shut their ...

Erdogan Accuses Israel of Using Druze as Pretext to Expand Into Syria
Erdogan Accuses Israel of Using Druze as Pretext to Expand Into Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday accused Israel of using the Druze minority in Syria as a pretext for expanding into the war-torn country. "Israel, using the Druze as an excuse, has been expanding its banditry into neighboring Syria over the past two days," Erdogan said in a televised speech after the weekly cabinet meeting. "I ...

Syria Troops Quit Druze Heartland After Violence Leaves Over 500 Dead
Syria Troops Quit Druze Heartland After Violence Leaves Over 500 Dead

Syrian troops pulled out of the Druze heartland province of Sweida on orders from the Islamist-led government, following days of deadly clashes that killed more than 500 people, according to a war monitor. The southern province has been gripped by deadly sectarian bloodshed since Sunday, with hundreds reportedly killed in clashes pitting Druze ...

Kurdish Official Urges Damascus to 'Review' Minorities Approach
Kurdish Official Urges Damascus to 'Review' Minorities Approach

A Kurdish official on Thursday urged Syria's new authorities to rethink their approach to the country's minorities following deadly clashes with Druze fighters in the south. Syrian government forces withdrew from the Sweida province overnight on Wednesday following deadly clashes with Druze militants. Since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in ...

Pope Leo Says Hopes to Visit Turkey in Months Ahead
Pope Leo Says Hopes to Visit Turkey in Months Ahead

Pope Leo XIV confirmed Thursday he hoped to visit Turkey in the coming months for a Christian religious commemoration, in what could be his first overseas trip as pontiff. "I hope to be able to meet you again in a few months to take part in the ecumenical commemoration of the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea," Leo said at a meeting with ...

Grand Canyon: North Rim Closed After Major Wildfire
VideosGrand Canyon: North Rim Closed After Major Wildfire

The Grand Canyon National Park has closed its North Rim for the 2025 season after a wildfire ignited by lightning on July 4th. Fueled by strong winds over the weekend, the fire destroyed numerous buildings and forced the evacuation of more than 500 visitors and staff. Arizona’s governor has called for an investigation into the fire’s ...

Iraq Shopping Mall Fire Kills at Least 60
Iraq Shopping Mall Fire Kills at Least 60

A fire tore through a newly opened shopping mall in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut overnight, killing at least 61 people, authorities said Thursday as grief-stricken families searched for missing relatives. Officials said many people suffocated in bathrooms, while one person told AFP his five relatives died in an elevator. The blaze -- the latest ...

UK to Lower Voting Age to 16 in General Elections
UK to Lower Voting Age to 16 in General Elections

The British government said Thursday it plans to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in general elections, a landmark change giving the UK one of the lowest voting ages worldwide. It follows a pledge from the ruling Labour Party to make the shift ahead of winning power last year, and is among several planned changes to the democratic system, which ...