US special envoy for Iraq Mark Savaya no longer in the post, sources say
Mark Savaya, named by U.S. President Donald Trump as special envoy for Iraq in October, is no longer in that role, sources familiar with the move said, Reuters reported.
The move comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Baghdad over Washington's push to curb Iranian influence in Iraqi politics.
Savaya, a Christian Iraqi-American entrepreneur, was among a handful of Arab Americans named to senior posts by Trump, who campaigned heavily during the 2024 presidential election to win the Arab and Muslim vote in Detroit and around the country, according to Reuters.
Five killed in gas explosions in Iran, officials say
Five people have been killed in two separate explosions in Iran which local officials and state media say were caused by gas leaks, BBC reported.
One person was killed and 14 injured in a blast at a residential building in the southern city of Bandar Abbas on the Gulf coast, a local official told Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency.
Another explosion killed four people in the south-western city of Ahvaz, the state-run Tehran Times reported, according BBC.
More than 200 killed in mine collapse in DR Congo
More than 200 people have been killed in a mine collapse in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, rebel authorities have said, BBC reported.
The mine, in the town of Rubaya, gave way on Wednesday due to heavy rains, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesman for the North Kivu region's rebel governor, told reporters. At the time, the death toll remained unclear.
Women and children were among those mining coltan - a mineral used to manufacture electronics such as smartphones and computers - at the time, according to BBC.
Israeli air strikes kill at least 32 Palestinians in Gaza, rescue officials say
At least 32 people have been killed in a wave of Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to local authorities, BBC reported.
The civil defence agency, which is operated by Hamas, says children and women were among those killed. It added that in one attack, helicopter gunships hit a tent sheltering displaced people in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Palestinians have described these strikes as the heaviest since the second phase of the ceasefire, brokered by President Trump in October, came into effect earlier this month, according to BBC.
