Iraq announces end of U.S.-led int'l coalition's anti-IS mission
Ali al-Zaidi, Iraqi prime minister and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, on Wednesday officially announced the conclusion of the U.S.-led international coalition's mission to combat the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq.
He made the announcement during an official ceremony in Baghdad marking Iraq's Sovereignty Day and the conclusion of the coalition's mission, according to a statement from al-Zaidi's media office.
"We announce the conclusion of the international coalition's mission to combat IS, demonstrating that cooperation among friendly forces and peoples has resulted in victory over one of the darkest chapters of extremism and brutality in history," al-Zaidi said.
U.S. defense secretary unveils new "Autonomous Warfare Command"
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that the department is creating the "Autonomous Warfare Command," a new four-star combatant command with service-like authorities built to "scale autonomous and robotic capabilities across the joint force."
Hegseth made the announcement in a speech at U.S. Marine Corps Base at Quantico, Virginia.
The new command is expected to overhaul the way the Pentagon buys, tests and deploys drones and other cutting-edge technologies, according to The Wall Street Journal, which also noted that the Pentagon has sought to triple spending on autonomous warfare, proposing 74 billion U.S. dollars for drone and counter-drone technology in its budget request.
Iran receives U.S. response to its 7-day plan: gov't spokeswoman
Iran's government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said Wednesday that the country has received the U.S. proposal in response to its proposed seven-day plan to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on social media platform X, Mohajerani said that Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced having received the U.S. proposal at a cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
Iran conveyed a proposed seven-day plan to cease hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to the United States through mediators last Tuesday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Israeli PM says pilot tried to crash Dubai-Tel Aviv flight after stabbing captain
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that a pilot aboard a Flydubai flight carrying mostly Israeli passengers stabbed the other pilot and apparently tried to crash the plane before passengers and crew subdued him.
The aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
In a video statement, Netanyahu said the suspected attacker had been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities. He said Israel was in continuous contact with "the relevant authorities."
Romanian parliament rejects PM-designate Siegfried Muresan's government
Romanian Prime Minister-designate Siegfried Muresan's proposed government failed to win parliamentary approval on Wednesday.
According to Romania's national news agency Agerpres, 321 of Parliament's 464 members attended Wednesday's session, with 197 valid votes cast. Of these, 182 lawmakers voted in favor of the government's investiture, while 15 voted against. The government needed the support of a majority of deputies and senators, or at least 233 votes, to be invested.
Muresan said that the parties that triggered the political crisis chose to prolong it after the Parliament rejected the investiture of his government.
2026 Global South Modernization Forum calls for effective use of AI
The 2026 Global South Modernization Forum was held in Cairo on Wednesday under the theme "The Rise of Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges for Modernization in the Global South."
More than 100 experts and scholars from nearly 30 countries and regions attended the forum.
Participants said innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) technology presents enormous opportunities while also posing governance challenges.■
