Aid deliveries into Gaza are falling far short of the amount called for under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, according to an Associated Press analysis of the Israeli military's figures.

Under the October ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, Israel agreed to allow 600 trucks of aid into Gaza each day. But an average of only 459 trucks a day have entered Gaza between Oct. 12, when flow of the aid restarted, and Dec. 7, according to an AP analysis of figures by COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid entry.

Egypt and Iran, two Middle East nations which target gays and lesbians, have complained to FIFA over a World Cup soccer match in Seattle that is planned to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride.

Leaders in the nation's soccer federations publicly rebuked the idea of playing the match June 26 at Seattle Stadium, which local organizers say will include a "once-in-a-lifetime moment to showcase and celebrate LGBTQIA+ communities in Washington."

U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that consumer prices were falling "tremendously" as he addressed a campaign-style rally on Tuesday aimed at quelling voter anger about the cost of living.

"Prices are coming down tremendously from the highest prices in the history of our country," the Republican said in Pennsylvania, hitting out at Democrats over what he called a "hoax" on the issue.

Bolivia's new right-wing government said Tuesday that it restored diplomatic relations with Israel, the latest sign of the dramatic geopolitical realignment underway in the South American country that was once among the most vocal critics of Israeli policies toward Palestinians.

Bolivian Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo met his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar in Washington and signed a declaration agreeing to revive bilateral ties, which Bolivia's previous left-wing government severed two years ago over Israel's devastating campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

The woman, a member of Syria 's Alawite religious minority, was walking home on a sunny July day in her town on the Mediterranean coast when three gunmen stopped her and pulled her into their van. It was the start of a week of torment.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other top officials have gathered to discuss preparations for the ruling party's first full congress in five years, state media reported Wednesday. The top-level meeting will set new priorities as the U.S. and South Korea seek a resumption of talks with North Korea.

The Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim presided over a plenary meeting of the Workers Party's Central Committee on Tuesday. It said participants began discussing unspecified key issues related to the party congress and reviewing this year's state policies.

Rain fell for the first time in months in Iran's capital Wednesday, providing a brief respite for the parched Islamic Republic as it suffers through the driest autumn in over a half century.

The drought gripping Iran has seen its president warn the country it may need to move its government out of Tehran by the end of December if there's not significant rainfall to recharge dams around the capital. Meteorologists have described this fall as the driest in over 50 years across the country — from even before its 1979 Islamic Revolution — further straining a system that expends vast amounts of water inefficiently on agriculture.

The close relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has brought the countries closer to resolving issues that led to Turkey being kicked off the F-35 fighter jet program, the United States ambassador to Ankara said Wednesday.

"The positive relationship between President Trump and President Erdogan has created a new atmosphere of cooperation, which has led to the most fruitful conversations we have had on this topic in nearly a decade," Ambassador Tom Barrack wrote in a social media post.

Every evening as the sun drops behind Beirut's concrete skyline, Loubna Hamdan steps onto her rooftop and whistles. A flutter of wings follows. Dozens of pigeons — white, speckled, chestnut, black — circle above her, catching the day's last light. Here, the 36-year-old office worker has found an unexpected refuge.

Hamdan never imagined she would keep pigeons. The interest began a decade ago through her husband, Ibrahim Ammar, who has raised birds since childhood. She admired how calmly they settled on him and how he always sensed when one was missing.

By Ramazan Kılınç, Professor of Political Science, Kennesaw State University

On his visit to Turkey and Lebanon between Nov. 27 and Dec. 2, 2025, Pope Leo XIV met with political and religious leaders, celebrated Mass and visited historical sites.