Israel's military must enlist the ultra-Orthodox. What will that mean for Netanyahu and the war?

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's Supreme Court unanimously ordered the government to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into the army — a landmark ruling seeking to end a system that has allowed them to avoid enlistment into compulsory military service. Roughly 1.3 million...

Expanding extremist groups in Africa fuel worries that they could attack the US or Western allies

GABORONE, Botswana (AP) — Violent extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group are growing in size and influence across Africa, fueling worries that as they improve their tactics, they could attack the U.S. or Western allies. U.S. defense and military officials...

Israel's high court orders the army to draft ultra-Orthodox men, rattling Netanyahu's government

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for compulsory service, a landmark decision that could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition as Israel continues to wage war...

Israel’s Supreme Court rules military must draft ultra-Orthodox, a ruling that could split Netanyahu’s coalition

Jihadis from Africa’s Sahel have crossed into Nigeria’s north, a new report says. A lot is at stake

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Jihadi fighters who had long operated in Africa’s volatile Sahel region have settled in northwestern Nigeria after crossing from neighboring Benin, a report said Wednesday, the latest trend in the militants' movements to wealthier West African coastal nations. ...

A report says women were abused in Nigerian military cells after fleeing Boko Haram captivity

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Dozens of women and young girls have been unlawfully detained and abused in Nigerian military detention facilities after escaping captivity by Boko Haram extremists in the country’s northeast, Amnesty International said in a new report on Monday. Some of the...

What to know about Russia's growing footprint in Africa

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Russia's top diplomat pledged help and military assistance while on a whirlwind tour of several countries in Africa's sub-Saharan region of Sahel this week, as Moscow seeks to grow its influence in the restive, mineral-rich section of the continent. Russia is...

German authorities see Islamic extremist motive in Mannheim knife attack

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities say they have uncovered evidence of an Islamic extremist motive in last week's knife attack in the southwestern city of Mannheim in which a police officer was fatally injured. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann wrote on the social media platform X...

Ultra-Orthodox protesters block Jerusalem roads ahead of Israeli court decision on draft exemptions

Dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked roads in Jerusalem on Sunday as Israel's Supreme Court heard arguments in a landmark case challenging a controversial system of exemptions from military service granted to the religious community. The court is looking at the legality of the...

UN votes to end Iraq political mission established after 2003 US-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously Friday to end the U.N. political mission in Iraq established in 2003 following the United States-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein to coordinate post-conflict humanitarian and reconstruction efforts, and to help...