News Wire | August 2022 Archive

U.S. Drone Strike Kills Ayman al-Zawahri, Top Al-Qaida Leader

By Peter Baker, Helene Cooper, Julian E. Barnes & Eric Schmitt | The New York Times

An American drone strike killed Ayman al-Zawahri, a key plotter of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks who took over as the leader of Al-Qaida after Osama bin Laden’s death, at an urban safe house in Afghanistan, President Biden announced Monday night.

Pelosi Is Expected to Go to Taiwan, Biden Administration Officials Say

By David E. Sanger & Vivian Wang | The New York Times (free)

Speaker Nancy Pelosi began a fraught tour of Asia on Sunday that administration officials say they now expect will include a stop in Taiwan, despite China’s increasingly sharp warnings in recent days that a visit to the self-governing island would provoke a response, perhaps a military one.

More from WPR: Biden’s Taiwan ‘Gaffe’ Just Said the Quiet Part Out Loud

Senegal’s Ruling Coalition Claims Win but Opposition Rejects

By Babacar Dione | Associated Press (free)

Senegal’s ruling coalition says it has won 30 of 46 departments in Sunday’s legislative election, giving it a majority over the opposition.

More from WPR: The ‘Senegalese Exception’ Loses Its Luster

Threat of Protests, Violent Escalation Stirs Fears in Iraq

By Samya Kullab & Qassim Abdul-Zahra | Associated Press (free)

Thousands gathered in Baghdad on Monday for a counter-rally called by Iran-backed groups against their rival, an influential cleric whose followers are staging a sit-in inside the Iraqi parliament—only to withdraw hours later.

More from WPR: A New Pick for Iraqi Prime Minister Could Spark Conflict