World

Syria: Israeli Strikes Hit Presidential Palace and Syrian Army HQ in Damascus
Syria: Israeli Strikes Hit Presidential Palace and Syrian Army HQ in Damascus

Israel bombed the Syrian army's headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday after warning the Islamist-led government to leave the country's Druze minority alone, as authorities announced a ceasefire in the community's southern heartland after deadly sectarian clashes. Syrian government forces entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida on ...

Sweida Caught Between Damascus and Israel
Sweida Caught Between Damascus and Israel

The majority-Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria has been thrust into an unprecedented spiral of violence since Sunday, as fierce clashes between the Syrian army, backed by Bedouin militias, and local Druze armed groups have escalated dramatically. The fighting has been marked by intense combat, summary executions, a deepening humanitarian ...

Astronomers Observe Birth of a Solar System for First Time
Astronomers Observe Birth of a Solar System for First Time

Astronomers said Wednesday they had observed the moment when planets start forming around a distant star for the first time, revealing a process that sheds light on the birth of our own solar system. The new planetary system is forming around the baby star HOPS-315, which resembles our own Sun in its youth, 1,300 light years from Earth in the ...

Erdogan Rival Gets Jail Term for 'Threatening' Prosecutor
Erdogan Rival Gets Jail Term for 'Threatening' Prosecutor

Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Turkey's leading opposition figure, got a 20-month prison sentence for insulting and threatening the city's public prosecutor Wednesday, according to a court document obtained by AFP. The case is one of a number lined up against Imamoglu, the main rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is already ...

Khamenei Says Israel War Meant to 'Overthrow System' in Iran
Khamenei Says Israel War Meant to 'Overthrow System' in Iran

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that Israel's attacks during last month's 12-day war were intended to weaken the Islamic republic's system and spark unrest to topple it. "The calculation and plan of the aggressors was to weaken the system by targeting certain figures and sensitive centres in ...

Syria Promises to Punish those who Committed Abuses in Sweida
Syria Promises to Punish those who Committed Abuses in Sweida

The Syrian presidency vowed to punish those who committed violations against Druze-majority Sweida's residents, as government forces were accused of summary executions and other abuses by right groups, witnesses and local factions. In a statement, the presidency said they "strongly condemn these heinous acts and affirm our full commitment to ...

Renewed Violence in Sweida Raises Concerns for Druze Civilians
VideosRenewed Violence in Sweida Raises Concerns for Druze Civilians

In southern Syria, the city of Sweida has descended into chaos. An NGO accuses government forces of executing Druze civilians following their deployment in the region. Fighting broke out after intercommunal violence that left over 200 people dead. Israel responded with airstrikes on Syrian forces, claiming to protect the Druze population. Despite ...

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Says 20 Dead at Aid Point
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Says 20 Dead at Aid Point

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said 20 people died at an aid point in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Palestinian territory on Wednesday, blaming armed "agitators" in the crowd. "Our current understanding is that 19 of the victims were trampled and one was stabbed amid a chaotic and dangerous surge," the US- and Israel-backed organisation said ...

Nvidia's Huang says 'Doing Our Best' to Serve Chinese Market
Nvidia's Huang says 'Doing Our Best' to Serve Chinese Market

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Wednesday his firm was "doing our best" to serve China's vast market for semiconductors after meeting Beijing officials. Huang is in the Chinese capital this week to attend the China International Supply Chain Expo, a forum for the country to boost its image as the global defender of free trade in contrast to the ...

Drone Attacks Hit Three North Iraq Oil Fields: Kurds
Drone Attacks Hit Three North Iraq Oil Fields: Kurds

Explosive-laden drones hit three oil fields in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on Wednesday, Kurdish authorities said, a day after a similar attack halted operations at a US-run field. Production in two fields operated by the Norwegian group DNO ASA has been temporarily suspended, the company said. In the past few weeks, Kurdistan has ...

Ethiopia Arrests 82 Suspected Members of Islamic State Group
Ethiopia Arrests 82 Suspected Members of Islamic State Group

More than 80 suspected members of the Islamic State group have been arrested across Ethiopia, state media said, claiming they intended to carry out a "terror mission". The 82 individuals were trained in neighbouring Somali Puntland region, according to state outlet Fana Media Corporation, which cited a statement from the National Intelligence and ...