US can deport the leader of Wisconsin's largest mosque on foreign policy grounds, judge rules

An immigration judge ruled Wednesday that the U.S. can deport Salah Sarsour, the leader of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, citing foreign policy threats. The judge rejected claims that Sarsour lied on his green card application. Sarsour, who has lived in the U.S. since 1993, says deportation means the end of his life.

Morocco's first female prime minister launches coalition talks

Morocco’s first female prime minister, Fatima Ezzahra El-Mansouri, started coalition talks after King Mohammed VI appointed her on Tuesday. Her party, PAM, won 97 out of 395 seats in recent elections. She now faces the tough task of fixing high youth unemployment and rising prices while managing World Cup preparations.

Garvaghy Road standoff brings Northern Ireland's old wounds back to surface

Residents on Garvaghy Road in Northern Ireland are blocking a Protestant Orange Order parade from marching through their area. The group has not marched there for 28 years, but a High Court order recently overturned the ban. "The chief constable must comply with the law," said Nigel Dawson, district master.

Democrat Troy Jackson apologizes for Holocaust reference

Democrat Troy Jackson apologized for his Holocaust reference after a Tuesday television interview. Jackson, who is challenging Senator Susan Collins, said it was unfortunate that Jewish Mainers avoid the term genocide. He later wrote, "I misspoke and made a generalization about Jewish Mainers' views that doesn't reflect my intent."

US removes Syria from arms export ban as Trump administration draws closer to new Syrian government

The Trump administration removed Syria from the U.S. arms export ban on Wednesday. This change means officials will now consider weapon sales requests on a case-by-case basis. The move follows the removal of Syria’s state sponsor of terrorism designation in August, as the U.S. draws closer to the new government.

Texas US Senate candidate Paxton said Trump hurt Republicans, New York Times says

U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton told donors that President Donald Trump’s midterm convention hurt Republicans. In an audio recording from last Thursday, Paxton said, "When we did that convention -- it dropped our numbers." While Paxton’s team called the report nonsense, polls show a tight race for the November election.

Pentagon says it has formally completed withdrawal of US troops from Iraq

The Pentagon said on Wednesday that it has formally completed the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. This ended a mission that started 12 years ago to fight the Islamic State. Officials said the departure “marks the successful conclusion of the military mission that defeated ISIS in Iraq” for now.

African leaders herald $16B Dangote oil refinery in Kenya

African leaders on Wednesday broke ground on a new $16 billion oil refinery in Lamu, Kenya. The project will process 700,000 barrels of oil per day. President William Ruto said the refinery "will strengthen regional energy security." Aliko Dangote will oversee the complex, though residents have started a legal challenge.

Russia extends diesel export ban

Russia extended its diesel export ban for a month on Wednesday. The cabinet said, "The decision has been taken to support stability on the domestic fuel market." This move follows Ukrainian strikes on refineries, which caused a severe fuel crisis. Russia now faces pressure as global energy prices continue to rise.

US withdraws remaining troops from Iraq

The US withdrew its remaining troops from Iraq on Wednesday, ending its military presence in the country. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the departure marked "the successful conclusion of the military mission that defeated Isis in Iraq." This move follows a 2024 agreement to shift toward a normal bilateral security relationship.

Russia threatens nuclear strikes on Nato countries over Kaliningrad

Russia threatened to use nuclear weapons against Nato countries if the alliance hinders access to Kaliningrad. Moscow sent a document to Nato this week warning of direct conflict. Nato responded by calling the move irresponsible nuclear rhetoric. The alliance said it remains ready to defend every inch of its territory.

Russian attacks on Kyiv region kill four people, target power grid

Russian attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region killed four people, including a child, on Wednesday. The strikes targeted energy facilities, damaging the power grid and disrupting electricity for many. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said critical infrastructure was also struck in the Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad and Rivne regions during the night.