The director of a factory supplying drones to the Russian military was badly wounded when his car exploded, news reports said Wednesday.

The state Tass and RIA Novosti agencies said that Vladimir Tkachuk was hospitalized in grave condition following the explosion late Tuesday in Bolshoy Istok just outside Yekaterinburg, 1,400 kilometers (about 870 miles) east of Moscow. It didn't immediately give details of the explosion or say who could be responsible. There was no immediate comment from the authorities.

Millions of Shiite Muslims observed the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage Tuesday in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala, under the shadow of ongoing regional tensions and fears of another round of escalation in the U.S.-Iran war.

Arbaeen is held 40 days after Ashoura, which commemorates the killing of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and members of his family, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 A.D.

A drone with an explosive device was found at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport, a major freight hub, and a detonator was removed from the object, authorities said Wednesday.

Both the airport's runways were closed and several flights, including one passenger plane, were diverted to other airports after a flying object was sighted near the airport shortly before midnight, police said, and an anti-explosives robot was deployed to check an object near the south runway.

Pope Leo XIV will make his first trip to Latin America as pontiff in November, returning to a region where he spent much of his ministry, with visits to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, the Vatican announced Wednesday.

The Nov. 6-17 trip will include stops in Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida in Uruguay; Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján in Argentina; and Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa in Peru.

Airline passengers know to expect possible flight delays when weather forecasts call for thunderstorms, heavy snow or strong wind. The omens are less obvious on a hot summer day with clear skies.

Yet extreme heat also disrupts flights and travel plans. On the hottest days, thinner air can make it harder for aircraft to get off the ground safely. Airlines may have to lighten the load by removing passengers or cargo, or carrying less fuel.

Fans fainting at a baseball park. Lions dying at a zoo. A woman taking shelter in a car found dead. A doctor advising people to eat dog meat to promote stamina.

The scenes caused by a record heat wave in Northeast Asia illustrate how extreme temperatures have gripped South Korea, North Korea and Japan.

Robert Saleh sees being in the NFL as a blessing no matter if it's the first, second or even third time around with yet another team.

"We're the luckiest people in the world," Saleh said.

Mohamed Salah was seen wearing the Trabzonspor shirt Wednesday as he closed in on a move to the Turkish club.

Trabzonspor said it had opened negotiations with the Liverpool icon, who flew to Istanbul to complete the deal.

Shares advanced in Europe and Asia on Wednesday after the U.S. stock market rallied to records, helped by strong corporate earnings reports and hopes for a deal setting the stage for talks that might eventually lead to an end to the war in Iran.

Oil prices resumed their ascent, with Brent crude gaining more than 1%.

Firefighters raced to exploit a break in high winds to strengthen containment lines on fires west of the Greek capital Tuesday ahead of stronger gusts and hotter temperatures in the coming days.

Several fires that burned through mountain communities and coastal areas west of Athens were brought under control overnight. Planes and helicopters dumped water inside the contained perimeters through the morning, dousing hot spots while the winds stayed calm.