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US army shows reporters pier project in Gaza as it takes another stab at aid delivery

With U.S. soldiers within shouting distance of Gaza's bombed-out coast, the American military is taking another stab at delivering aid to hungry Palestinians by sea.

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Kenya starts clearing debris after protests in which at least 6 died

Kenyans woke up to the acrid smell of tear gas still lingering in the capital on Wednesday, a day after protesters stormed parliament amid violent demonstrations over a controversial tax plan during which at least six people have been killed.

As the day began, there were no reports of violence. Police and soldiers patrolled the streets as city workers began cleaning up debris. Parliament, the city hall and the supreme court were cordoned off with tape reading "Crime Scene Do Not Enter."

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Erdogan accuses West of backing Israeli 'plans to spread war' to Lebanon

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday accused Western powers of backing what he said were Israeli plans to attack Lebanon and "spread war" throughout the region.

"Israel is now setting its sights on Lebanon and we see that Western powers behind the scenes are patting Israel on the back and even supporting them," he told lawmakers from his ruling AKP party.

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Three UN contractors wounded by gunfire in south Lebanon

A spokesperson for the United Nations peacekeeping force deployed in south Lebanon along the border with Israel said three of their contractors were wounded when gunfire hit their vehicle.

“Fortunately, there were no serious injuries,” deputy spokesperson for UNIFIL Kandice Ardiel said Tuesday.

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Palestinian who posed no threat was shot, beaten and tied to an Israeli army jeep

When Mujahid Abadi stepped outside to see if Israeli forces had entered his uncle's neighborhood, he was shot in the arm and the foot. That was only the start of his ordeal. Hours later, beaten and bloodied, he found himself strapped to the searing hood of an Israeli military jeep driving down a road.

The army initially said Abadi was a suspected militant, but later acknowledged he had not posed a threat to Israeli forces and was caught in crossfire with militants.

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As Iran's presidential vote looms, tensions boil over renewed headscarf crackdown

Seemingly every afternoon in Iran's capital, police vans rush to major Tehran squares and intersections to search for women with loose headscarves and those who dare not to wear them at all.

The renewed crackdown comes not quite two years since mass protests over the death Mahsa Amini after she was detained for not wearing a scarf to the authorities' liking. A United Nations panel has found that the 22-year-old died as a result of "physical violence" wrought upon her by the state.

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Suspected Houthi attack targets ship in Aden Gulf, Iraqi militants attack Eilat

Suspected attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels early Wednesday targeted a ship in the Gulf of Aden, while a separate attack claimed by Iraqi militants allied with the rebels targeted the southern Israeli port city of Eilat, authorities said.

The attacks follow the departure of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower after an eight-month deployment in which the aircraft carrier led the American response to the Houthi assaults. Those attacks have reduced shipping drastically through the route crucial to Asian, Middle East and European markets in a campaign the Houthis say will continue as long as the Israel-Hamas war rages in the Gaza Strip.

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Israelis' lawsuit says UN agency helps Hamas by paying Gaza staff in dollars

Israelis who were taken hostage or lost loved ones during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack are suing the United Nations agency that aids Palestinians, claiming it has helped finance the militants by paying agency staffers in U.S. dollars and thereby funneling them to money-changers in Gaza who allegedly give a cut to Hamas.

But the agency, known as UNWRA, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the staffers were paid in dollars by their own choice. Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank don't have their own national currency, and primarily use Israeli shekels.

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UN agency for Palestinian refugees says funding crisis has eased

The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Tuesday that most of its donors have resumed funding and new ones have emerged, so it has enough cash through the end of August but faces a shortfall of up to $140 million by year-end.

Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of UNRWA, said an independent review of its operations has helped rebuild trust in the agency, which has broadened its donor base by adding contributor countries such as Algeria, Iraq, Jordan and Oman as well as individual giving from Singapore.

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Taylor Swift brings out Travis Kelce at London Eras Tour date

Taylor Swift had a surprise for fans attending her Eras Tour at London's Wembley Stadium on Sunday: her boyfriend and tight end for the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs, Travis Kelce.

Dressed in a tuxedo with a tailcoat and top hat, Kelce joined Swift on stage for a transitional sketch that leads into the song "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart." In fan videos, he's seen carrying Swift, urging her into a costume change. He fanned and powdered her face as part of the act.

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