Sea urchins in Israel's Gulf of Eilat have been dying off at an alarming rate, researchers announced Wednesday — a development that threatens the Red Sea's prized coral reef ecosystems.

According to Tel Aviv University scientists, an unknown pathogen is killing off the black sea urchin, Diadema setosum. The massive die-off first began in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, from where it has spread to the neighboring Red Sea, the scientists said.

A hard-line, anti-migrant party on Wednesday threw its weight behind the opposition candidate who is running against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in this weekend's runoff presidential race.

Umit Ozdag, the leader of the far-right Victory Party, announced his support for main opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who will be facing off against Erdogan on Sunday. He said he decided to back Kilicdaroglu after the two reached a consensus on the need to repatriate millions of migrants within a year.

The head of Iran's nuclear program insisted Wednesday that his government would cooperate with international inspectors on any "new activities." His statement followed an exclusive Associated Press report about Tehran's new underground tunnel system near a nuclear enrichment facility.

The AP outlined this week how deep inside a mountain, the new tunnels near the Natanz facility are likely beyond the range of a last-ditch U.S. weapon designed to destroy such sites.

Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh arrived Wednesday at the Justice Palace to appear before Attorney General Judge Imad Qabalan over an Interpol red notice issued against him in France over corruption charges.

The Lebanese Judiciary also received an arrest warrant from Germany, and cabinet on Friday will decide whether or not to dismiss Salameh from his post.

A New Jersey software developer who prosecutors say once photographed landmarks in New York, Boston and Washington, D.C., for possible terrorist attacks has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a federal judge who said it seemed he no longer was a danger.

In fact, Judge Paul G. Gardephe noted, Alexei Saab, 46, has become a model prisoner since his 2019 arrest, helping others incarcerated at New York City's federal jails to get high school equivalency certificates, learn English and find relief from psychological problems.

In Todd Haynes' tonally shape-shifting "May December," the first announcement of the movie's playful intentions comes with a theatrical zoom in, a few lushly melodramatic piano notes and the frightful announcement that there no more hot dogs in the fridge.

That moment — which Haynes says signals "that there's something coy happening in the language of the film" — is just a taste of what's to come in "May December," a delicious and disquieting drama laced with comedy and camp that Haynes premiered over the weekend at the Cannes Film Festival.

Music superstars Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish and H.E.R. will team with advocacy nonprofit Global Citizen for a free concert in front of the Eiffel Tower designed to convince world leaders to take further action against climate change.

"Power Our Planet: Live in Paris" is set for June 22 to coincide with the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, a gathering of the world's political and business leaders to help developing nations finance sustainability projects.

The British economy will avoid falling into recession this year, according to upgraded growth forecasts Tuesday from the International Monetary Fund.

In its latest assessment of the U.K. economy, the Washington-based fund said domestic demand had proven more resilient than anticipated in the face of the surge in energy costs.

Climate change protesters were dragged away by security guards at oil company Shell's annual shareholder meeting in London on Tuesday after activists tried to storm the stage and caused major disruption at the event.

Shell chairman Andrew Mackenzie was unable to start the meeting for more than an hour as dozens of protesters stood up, chanting and singing "Shut down Shell" and "Go to hell, Shell." Several attempted to run onto the stage, but they were stopped by security guards who carried them out of the room at London's ExCel conference center.

FIFA has extended a rule that lets players and coaches continue to suspend their contracts with clubs in Ukraine and Russia for another season, even while it faces a legal challenge from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk.

FIFA first passed the temporary measure less than two weeks after Russia's war in Ukraine started in February 2022, saying it was "to protect foreign players and coaches who have left the territory of Ukraine or Russia due to the conflict and who do not wish to currently return in view of the circumstances."