Syria rejects watchdog investigation into 2018 gas attack

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria on Wednesday rejected as fabricated the results of an investigation by the global chemical weapons watchdog, which found “reasonable grounds to believe” that a Syrian air force helicopter dropped a chlorine cylinder on a Syrian town in 2018, ...

Turkey's Erdogan blasts Draghi for calling him a 'dictator'

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday accused Italian Premier Mario Draghi of “tactlessness” and “rudeness,” for referring to him as a “dictator.” Addressing a group of youths, the Turkish president, who has won several...

Iran's supreme leader: Vienna offers 'not worth looking at'

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's supreme leader on Wednesday dismissed initial offers at talks in Vienna to save Tehran's tattered nuclear deal as “not worth looking at,” attempting to pressure world powers after an attack on the country's main nuclear enrichment site. ...

Biden going ahead with big Trump fighter-jet sale to UAE

The Biden administration says it will go ahead with a big Trump administration sale of jet fighters and advanced armed drones to the United Arab Emirates, over objections from Democrats and some others that the Gulf country is fueling conflicts around the Middle East. The...

Iran's supreme leader says offers being made at Vienna talks over nuclear deal 'are not worth looking at'

On Memorial Day, Israel mourns, reflects on vets' trauma

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel marked its national Memorial Day for fallen soldiers on Wednesday, in a year when national attention has been focused on the plight of veterans suffering from psychological trauma. Memorial Day is the most solemn day on Israel’s national...

UAE sets new ambitious timeline for launch of moon rover

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates’ space center announced Wednesday a more ambitious timeline for sending its first rover to the moon. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center said it is partnering with Japan’s ispace company to send a rover to...

Greece, Libya to discuss delineating maritime boundaries

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece and Libya are to discuss delineating maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean, the Greek prime minister's office said Wednesday after a meeting between the prime minister and the head of Libya's Presidential Council. The talks in Athens with...

US urges Lebanese leaders to break political impasse

BEIRUT (AP) — A senior U.S. official on Wednesday berated Lebanese politicians for fighting over the formation of a new government for months while millions endure mounting economic hardship. David Hale, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, said America...

Trump-era spike of Israel settlement growth has only begun

EFRAT, West Bank (AP) — An aggressive Israeli settlement spree during the Trump era pushed deeper than ever into the occupied West Bank — territory the Palestinians seek for a state — with over 9,000 homes built and thousands more in the pipeline, an AP investigation showed. ...