Syria’s insurgency leader tours seized city of Aleppo

BEIRUT (AP) — The leader of Syria’s most powerful insurgent group has toured the seized city of Aleppo in a surprise visit, the first since the insurgents captured large parts of the city over the weekend as fierce fighting intensifies in the government-led counter-offensive in northern Hama. Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who heads jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, greeted crowds of supporters near the city’s iconic citadel on Wednesday as he smiled and waved in dark green military garb. The latest flareup in Syria’s long civil war comes after forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad ousted his troops from Aleppo, the country’s largest city.

French lawmakers vote to oust prime minister

PARIS (AP) — France’s far-right and left-wing lawmakers joined together to vote a no-confidence motion prompted by budget disputes that forces Prime Minister Michel Barnier to resign. The National Assembly approved the motion by 331 votes. A minimum of 288 were needed. President Emmanuel Macron insisted he will serve the rest of his term until 2027. However, he will need to appoint a new prime minister for the second time after July’s legislative elections led to a deeply divided parliament. Barnier on Monday invoked a rarely used constitutional mechanism to push through the contentious 2025 budget without parliamentary approval, arguing it was essential to maintain “stability” amid deep political divisions.

Israeli strikes on a Gaza tent camp kill at least 21 people, hospital says

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A Palestinian health official said Wednesday that at least 21 people were killed in Israeli strikes on a camp housing displaced people in Gaza. The Israeli military said it struck senior Hamas militants. The strikes hit in the Muwasi area, a sprawling coastal camp housing hundreds of thousands of displaced people. It came after Israeli forces struck targets in other areas of Gaza. According to Palestinian medics, strikes in central Gaza killed eight people, including four children. The war in Gaza is nearly 14 months old and showing no end in sight, despite international efforts to revive negotiations toward a ceasefire.

South Korea’s opposition parties move to impeach president

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s opposition parties moved to impeach the president over the shocking and short-lived declaration of martial law that drew heavily armed troops to encircle parliament. Lawmakers climbed walls early Wednesday to reenter the building and unanimously voted to lift his order. Impeaching Yoon Suk Yeol would require the support of two-thirds of parliament, and at least six justices of the nine-member Constitutional Court would have to endorse it to remove him. The motion to impeach was submitted jointly by the main liberal opposition Democratic Party and five smaller opposition parties. It could be put to a vote as early as Friday.