Washington

NATIONAL AFFAIRS: A sympathetic White House, a punishing courtroom schedule, and a looming coalition crisis over haredi conscription explain the prime minister’s sudden pardon request.

A US appeals court paused a ruling ordering National Guard troops out of Washington, allowing President Trump to continue a deployment at the center of a legal fight over policing powers.

Trump's administration also opposed the theme of South Africa's G20 presidency, which was "solidarity, equality, and sustainability."

A suspect accused of planting pipe bombs near the Democratic National Committee building before the January 6 Capitol riot has been taken into custody.

The move will likely be welcomed by Washington, which has long sought to reduce Iran's influence in Iraq and other countries in the Middle East where Tehran has allies.

Iraq is the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which Trump has regularly criticized for trying to keep oil prices high.

The talks come one year after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which Israeli officials say is eroding.

A Tehran court ordered the US to pay $22b. in damages for allegedly supporting Iran’s 2022 protests after Mahsa Amini’s death, issuing another political ruling amid strained ties.

National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, 24, who was shot on Wednesday, remains in serious condition despite giving medical personnel a thumbs up.