World

South Africans voted Wednesday at schools, community centers, and in large white tents set up in open fields in an election seen as their country’s most important since apartheid ended 30 years ago. It could put the young democracy into unknown territory. At stake is the three-decade dominance of the African National Congress party, which led South Africa out of …

The delivery of U.S. weapons to Ukraine is helping stabilize the frontline of the battlefield, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, adding that Washington was working hard to deliver more air defenses to Ukraine. Blinken, speaking at a press conference in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau, said support for Ukraine tells Russian President Vladimir Putin clearly that …

When Bronny James declared for the NBA Draft earlier this month, he simultaneously entered the transfer portal, keeping just about every option open. After the son of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer attended the NBA Scouting Combine, he didn’t get much love from scouts. However, ahead of Wednesday’s deadline to opt out of the draft, the duo’s agent, Rich Paul, …

North Korea’s rare swipe at China this week underscored how Beijing and Pyongyang do not entirely see eye-to-eye on the latter’s illicit nuclear weapons arsenal, despite warming ties in other areas, analysts and officials in South Korea said. The North condemned China, Japan and South Korea on Monday for discussing denuclearization of the peninsula, calling their joint declaration after a …

Germany has scrapped a requirement for its military servicepeople to be vaccinated against COVID-19, a mandate that had been in place since late 2021, the government said Wednesday. People serving with the German military, the Bundeswehr, are required to get vaccinations against a number of diseases — including measles, mumps and flu — so long as individuals have no specific …

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and leading officials from several Middle Eastern countries in Madrid on Wednesday after Spain, Ireland and Norway recognized a Palestinian state. The diplomatic move by the three western European nations on Tuesday was slammed by Israel and will have little immediate impact on its grinding war in Gaza, …

It appears something physical has been impacting New York Mets struggling closer Edwin Diaz lately, as the team placed him on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right shoulder impingement. Diaz has blown three saves in his last five appearances, and four over his nine outings in May, which is uncharacteristic for the two-time All-Star reliever. Diaz owned a …

The regime change for the New England Patriots isn’t entirely without the name Belichick. Bill Belichick, the legendary Patriots head coach, parted ways with the team after over two decades of success, while his son, Steve, shipped out west to become the defensive coordinator for the University of Washington. But there was one Belichick who stayed behind: Brian, who serves …

North Korea flew hundreds of balloons carrying trash and manure toward South Korea in one of its most bizarre provocations against its rival in years, prompting the South’s military to mobilize chemical and explosive response teams to recover objects and debris in different parts of the country. The balloon campaign came as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged his …

Voters in the 27 countries of the European Union will elect 720 lawmakers to the European Parliament for the next five years on June 6-9 and are expected to deliver a shift to the right. The parliament has for the past five years been governed by a three-group majority of the center-right European People’s Party, center-left Socialists and Democrats and …