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Explosion heard in Damascus during French president's visit

Two explosions were heard in central Damascus on Tuesday as French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Syrian capital, AFP journalists said, with witnesses reporting smoke rising near a high-end hotel where the leader spent the night.

At least one blast was heard before ambulances rushed to the scene, while Macron, the first Western European leader to visit Syria since the 2024 fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, held talks with Syrian counterpart Ahmad al-Sharaa at the presidential palace.

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Landslide in northwest China kills 5, 12 missing

A landslide in China's northwestern Gansu province killed five people on Tuesday, with rescuers working to locate 12 others still missing, state media reported.

At least 33 people were initially reported missing after the landslide in a village near Gansu's Longnan city, state news agency Xinhua said.

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Crowds bid farewell to Khamenei in Iranian holy city of Qom

Iranian state television early Tuesday aired live images from a helicopter of hundreds of thousands of people walking toward Jamkaran Mosque, just south of Qom, for a funeral service for Khamenei. The mosque is believed by Shiites to have once hosted the Muhammad al-Mahdi, the 12th and last Shiite imam, who disappeared in the 9th century and will one day reappear to bring justice to the world.

Images of Khamenei and his son, Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, were displayed on banners and posters held by mourners. Mojtaba Khamenei has yet to make an appearance in the funeral ceremonies, which are unfolding over several days. He is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father.

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US eliminated by Belgium and Spain ends World Cup career of Ronaldo

The United States had Folarin Balogun in the lineup but had its defensive shortcomings exposed by Belgium in a 4-1 loss in the World Cup round of 16 on Monday. Balogun started the match in Seattle after FIFA lifted his one-game suspension for a red card in the round of 32 against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Earlier Monday in Arlington, Texas, Spain beat Portugal 1-0 in the last World Cup appearance for 41-year-old Portugal great Cristiano Ronaldo, soccer's career leader in international goals. Spain and Belgium will meet in the quarterfinals.

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Oil tanker hit by 'unknown projectile' in Strait of Hormuz region

A tanker traveling off the coast of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz caught on fire early Tuesday morning after being struck by a projectile, the British military said.

The attack was the latest targeting a vessel moving through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded once passed in peacetime. Iranian state television said the liquefied natural gas tanker came under attack after ignoring warnings but did not directly claim the assault.

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Raging wildfire in southern France forces Tour de France to bar fans from stage 3 finish

A large wildfire in the south of France prompted Tour de France organizers to ban fans from attending the finale of the third stage of cycling's showpiece race on Monday.

After a couple of days in Spain, the race enters France with a stage to the Pyrenees town of Les Angles, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from a fire that has burned large swathes of land.

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Syria expecting Macron in first post-Assad visit by Western head of state

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Syria soon, Syrian state media said Sunday, making him the first Western leader to arrive in the country since the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in 2024.

Macron hosted Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former Islamist leader who seized power in Damascus, in Paris in May 2025, and promised that he would push the European Union and the United States to lift crippling sanctions on Syria, most of which have been removed.

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Egypt's coach waved Palestinian flag after winning World Cup game

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan waved a Palestinian flag on the pitch after his team's victory over Australia in the World Cup, saying he was dedicating it to both Egyptians and Palestinians.

"My heart and soul are with them," he said in an emotional postgame interview.

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Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine's capital kills at least 10

Russia launched waves of missiles and drones targeting Kyiv early Monday that killed at least 10 people, authorities said, hours after Ukraine's president warned that another large-scale attack was imminent.

Another 46 were injured, according to local officials, as emergency workers combed through rubble looking for survivors at residential high-rise buildings in two locations that suffered direct hits.

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Khamenei funeral procession begins in Tehran as huge crowds expected

Iran began a procession Monday through its capital, Tehran, for the funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei's flag-draped coffin, and those of his family killed Feb. 28 in an airstrike at the start of the war launched by Israel and the United States, sat on board a truck. Authorities decorated the truck's side to resemble the ornamental grating that surrounds the shrine of an imam.

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