Middle East

Ghana Defense and Environment Ministers Killed in Helicopter Crash
Ghana Defense and Environment Ministers Killed in Helicopter Crash

Ghana's defense and environment ministers were killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday, the presidency said, hours after the armed forces reported a chopper carrying three crew and five passengers dropped off the radar. Television station Joy News broadcast cell phone footage from the crash scene showing smoldering wreckage in a heavily ...

Active Shooter Sparks Lockdown at US Military Base
Active Shooter Sparks Lockdown at US Military Base

A shooter opened fire at a US military base in the southern state of Georgia on Wednesday, wounding five soldiers before being apprehended. Fort Stewart, a large army base that is home to thousands of soldiers and families, went into lockdown as emergency teams raced to respond to the "active shooter" situation. A statement on the ...

Zelensky Says Spoke with Trump after US Envoy's Moscow Visit
Zelensky Says Spoke with Trump after US Envoy's Moscow Visit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that he had spoken by phone with US President Donald Trump after Washington's envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow for talks earlier in the day. "I spoke with President Trump. This conversation happened after President Trump's representative, Steve Witkoff, visited Moscow," Zelensky posted on ...

Israel Bars Jerusalem's Top Muslim Cleric from Al-Aqsa
Israel Bars Jerusalem's Top Muslim Cleric from Al-Aqsa

Israeli authorities have banned Jerusalem's top Muslim cleric from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for six months over a recent sermon, his attorney told AFP on Wednesday. Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, the grand mufti of Jerusalem, will be prevented from entering the holy site in the Israeli-annexed Old City until January 2026, according to lawyer ...

Syria Inks Infrastructure, Real Estate Deals Worth $14 Billion
Syria Inks Infrastructure, Real Estate Deals Worth $14 Billion

Syria held a signing ceremony on Wednesday for agreements worth more than $14 billion, including investments in Damascus airport and other transport and real estate projects, state media reported. Since the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Syria's new authorities have worked to attract investment for the ...

Apple to Invest Additional $100 Billion in US
Apple to Invest Additional $100 Billion in US

Apple will invest an additional $100 billion in the United States, taking its total pledge to $600 billion over the next four years, a senior White House official said Wednesday. The announcement, which was first reported by US media, will be officially made later Wednesday at 4:30 pm (2030 GMT) at a White House event with President Donald ...

Putin Holds 'Constructive' Talks with US Envoy Witkoff ahead of Sanctions Deadline
Putin Holds 'Constructive' Talks with US Envoy Witkoff ahead of Sanctions Deadline

Russian President Vladimir Putin held "constructive" talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, two days ahead of a US deadline for Russia to halt its Ukraine offensive or face fresh sanctions. US President Donald Trump, who had boasted he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office, has ...

Fires Are Devastating the Aude Region in Southern France
VideosFires Are Devastating the Aude Region in Southern France

The largest fire of the summer is ravaging the Aude Region, in southern France. Over 12,000 hectares have burned, with 15 municipalities affected in the Corbieres massif.    

Brazil: Why Lightning (Almost) Always Spares Christ the Redeemer
SpotlightBrazil: Why Lightning (Almost) Always Spares Christ the Redeemer

Standing 38 meters tall, arms outstretched atop Mount Corcovado, Christ the Redeemer watches over Rio de Janeiro. But this stone guardian, national symbol of Brazil, is also a prime target for lightning strikes. At nearly 710 meters above sea level and perched in isolation, the statue is struck an average of four to six times per year. During ...

The Art of Redistricting: How Gerrymandering Influences US Elections
ExplainerThe Art of Redistricting: How Gerrymandering Influences US Elections

Five additional seats in Texas, two in Ohio and one in Missouri – across the United States, Donald Trump is encouraging his allies to embrace gerrymandering, a political tactic designed to tilt congressional representation in favor of Republicans. “I won Texas,” he declared in a CNBC interview, insisting that Republicans “deserve five ...