WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate on Wednesday failed to advance a war powers resolution aimed at curbing U.S. President Donald Trump's military operations against Iran, as Democrats and Republicans remain sharply divided over the issue.
By a 53-47 vote, the Republican-led upper chamber blocked the resolution, which is intended to prevent Trump from ordering further military strikes on Iran without congressional approval. (US-Iran-Senate)
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ANKARA -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday warned against the repetition of the incident of a ballistic missile fired from Iran toward Turkish airspace.
Erdogan said in the capital Ankara that his country has issued warnings "in the clearest possible terms to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again."
He also said Türkiye is taking "all the necessary precautions" in consultation with its NATO allies and "will immediately intervene when necessary." (Türkiye-Iran-Erdogan)
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WASHINGTON -- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that U.S. forces will have "complete and total dominance" over Iranian airspace in the next few hours.
"We expect to have complete and total dominance over Iranian airspace in the coming hours," Leavitt said at the White House daily press briefing.
She added that deploying U.S. ground troops to Iran is not currently planned, though U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier he is open to the option in the future. (U.S.-Iran-Airspace)
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BAGHDAD -- A sudden drop in gas supplies at a major power plant in southern Iraq triggered a total collapse of the national electricity grid across the country on Wednesday evening, according to the Iraqi Electricity Ministry.
A statement by the ministry attributed the blackout to a technical malfunction caused by a sudden fuel shortage at the Rumaila gas power plant in Basra province.
The ministry stated that the disruption led to a rapid loss of 3,000 megawatts, causing a "voltage collapse" at the station and causing several generating units to disconnect. (Iraq-Iran-Blackout)
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KINSHASA -- More than 200 people were killed on Tuesday in a mine collapse in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the DRC government said Wednesday.
The incident occurred at the Rubaya mining sites, known for the coltan resources, in North Kivu province following "exceptionally heavy rains," according to a statement issued by the DRC Ministry of Mines.
According to the provisional toll, more than 200 people lost their lives, including around 70 minors. (DRC-Mine-Collapse)
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MADRID -- Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Wednesday denied claims by the White House that Spain had agreed to "cooperate" with the U.S. military, calling the statement "categorically false," according to Spanish newspaper El Confidencial.
"The spokeswoman may speak for the White House, but I am the foreign minister of Spain," Albares said when asked about remarks made earlier by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. "I categorically deny it." (Spain-U.S.-Denial) ■
