Top congressional Democrats on Thursday protested the reported firing of Gen. Tim Haugh as director of the National Security Agency, with one lawmaker saying the decision "makes all of us less safe."

The Washington Post reported late Thursday that Haugh and his civilian deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble, had been dismissed from those roles. Haugh also headed U.S. Cyber Command, which coordinates the Pentagon's cybersecurity operations. The Post report cited two current U.S. officials and one former U.S. official who requested anonymity.

Israeli aircraft carried out two strikes on military targets near Damascus late Thursday, war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Humans Rights said.

"Israeli warplanes carried out air strikes on military positions and posts" in the vicinity of Al-Kiswah and Al-Muqaylibah outside Damascus, the Observatory said, adding that there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 100 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including 27 or more sheltering at a school, according to Palestinian medical authorities, in a stepped-up offensive that Israel's military said is intended to pressure Hamas and eventually expel the militant group.

The bodies of 14 children and five women were recovered from the school in the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City and the death toll could rise because some of the 70 wounded sustained critical injuries, said Health Ministry spokesman Zaher al-Wahidi. More than 30 other Gaza residents were killed in strikes on homes in the nearby neighborhood of Shijaiyah, he said, citing records at Ahli Hospital.

An obscure but consequential bookkeeping matter has become the latest flashpoint in Congress as Republicans labor to enact President Donald Trump's sprawling tax cut agenda.

Senate Republicans are looking to change how extending many of Trump's 2017 tax cuts would be scored when it comes to future federal deficits. The Congressional Budget Office has projected that extending the cuts would increase deficits by nearly $4 trillion over the coming decade.

Romelu Lukaku is rounding into form at just the right time for Napoli.

The Belgium striker scored a key goal against AC Milan in Serie A last weekend after producing three in two matches for Belgium during a Nations League playoff victory over Ukraine.

The one-sided Ligue 1 title race could end on Saturday, with Paris Saint-Germain needing only a draw at home against Angers to clinch a record-extending 13th crown.

PSG's massive 21-point lead means it would have to lose the next seven games and Monaco win them all to overtake the Parisians, who are unbeaten in 27 league games.

Barcelona has made it back to the Copa del Rey final. Atletico Madrid is left enduring yet another elimination to a rival.

Barcelona defeated Atletico 1-0 on Wednesday to reach its first Copa final in four seasons, setting up a "clasico" against Real Madrid.

Britain's charity regulator has opened an investigation into an African charity co-founded by Prince Harry, a week after the prince and other trustees resigned due to a dispute with the charity's chairwoman.

Sentebale, which provides support for young people in Botswana and Lesotho, has been wracked by controversy since Harry abruptly resigned on March 26, saying the relationship between the board and its chair was beyond repair. Chair Sophie Chandauka later accused the prince of orchestrating a bullying and harassment campaign to try to force her out.

When Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and director Jon M. Chu took the stage in Las Vegas last April to tease "Wicked" months before its theatrical release, there was a cautious optimism that the long-anticipated film would be a hit.

But when the pair hit the same stage at the annual CinemaCon convention Wednesday to promote "Wicked: For Good," it felt like a kind of victory lap following the first movie's critical acclaim and box office success.

Severe storms battered islands in Greece for a second day Tuesday, with Crete experiencing the heaviest rainfall. Authorities on Paros and Mykonos, meanwhile, worked to clear overturned cars and debris following hailstorms and torrential downpours.

On Monday, storms in Paros sent cars floating into the sea and flooded homes and businesses with water and mud. Authorities have requested emergency government assistance to address road and infrastructure damage. Nearby Mykonos also endured hailstorms and powerful winds.