World News at a Glance

U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Turkish Officials Over Detained American Pastor

The Treasury Department on Wednesday announced it had imposed sanctions on two top Turkish government officials whom the United States accused of playing a leading role in the detention of an American pastor being held on espionage charges. The move was an unusual use of financial sanctions against the government of a vital NATO ally, and is sure to inflame tensions that were already simmering over Washington’s refusal to extradite a cleric suspected of leading a failed 2016 coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. The sanctions were issued just days after President Donald Trump warned Turkey to immediately release the pastor, Andrew Brunson.

U.S. Prepares to Trim Its Presence in Africa

Hundreds of U.S. troops in Africa would be reassigned and the number of Special Operations missions on the continent would be wound down under plans submitted by a top military commander, a response to the Trump administration’s strategy to focus on threats from China and Russia. Defense Department officials said they expected most of the troop cuts and scaled-back missions to come from Central and West Africa, where Special Operations missions have focused on training African militaries to combat Islamist militant groups. The plan follows an ambush in Niger last fall that killed four U.S. soldiers and an attack in southwestern Somalia that killed another in June.

Possible Remains of U.S. Troops, Turned Over by North Korea, Are Sent for Analysis

Two Air Force cargo planes left South Korea for Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii on Wednesday carrying 55 flag-draped crates that are thought to contain the remains of U.S. troops lost during the Korean War. The bones, which were turned over by the North Korean government, are bound for a forensic laboratory run by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in Honolulu, for testing. But if past efforts to identify remains returned by the secretive dictatorship are any indication, experts say, it will be no simple task to put names to any of the latest batch, and the job may never be entirely completed.

Violence Erupts in Zimbabwe as Protesters Call Election a Sham

Protests in Zimbabwe’s capital turned violent on Wednesday as demonstrators called the country’s elections a sham and armed soldiers swept the streets. At least three people were reported dead. Monday’s elections — the first since the fall of the longtime president, Robert Mugabe — had been largely peaceful. But large crowds of protesters supporting the opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance gathered on Wednesday outside the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare, the capital, as early results revealed a parliamentary victory for the governing ZANU-PF party. The alliance has accused ZANU-PF of trying to rig the results.

Taliban Surge Routs ISIS in Afghanistan

More than 200 Islamic State fighters and their two top commanders surrendered to the Afghan government on Wednesday to avoid capture by Taliban insurgents, after a two-day battle that was a decisive victory for the Taliban, participants on all sides confirmed. The Taliban and the Islamic State are bitter enemies in Afghanistan. One of the Islamic State commanders, Mufti Nemat, was reached by cellphone after his surrender, and he confirmed that he and 200 to 250 of his fighters had turned themselves in to the government after the battle in northern Afghanistan, in which 40 of his insurgents had been killed by the Taliban.

Belgium Has a New Fee for Journalists

Before journalists are allowed to cover European Union summit meetings in Brussels, they have to undergo background checks conducted by the countries where they live. A new Belgian law requires journalists based in Belgium to reimburse the government for the cost of the checks — 50 euros, or about $58, for a credential that lasts for six months. "This is unprecedented and completely unacceptable,” said Tom Weingaertner, president of the International Press Association in Brussels. “The state is in charge of ensuring security and press freedom and we are not prepared to pay twice for this,” referring to reporters who already pay Belgian taxes as residents.

After Australian Senator’s Sexist Remark, Colleague Replies With Lawsuit

An Australian senator filed a defamation suit on Wednesday against a fellow lawmaker who she says made a sexist remark to her on the Senate floor during a debate about violence against women. Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, a Greens Party member, has said that Sen. David Leyonhjelm, a Liberal Democrat, told her to “stop shagging men” during a June debate on relaxing import restrictions for pepper spray, a change that advocates say would allow women to better protect themselves. Leyonhjelm has acknowledged making the remark. The suit contends that Leyonhjelm defamed Hanson-Young by doubling down on his comment in a series of news interviews.

Ebola Strikes Central Africa Once Again

The Ebola virus has struck again in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has killed at least 20 people, the country’s Health Ministry reported Wednesday, just a week after officials announced the end of an Ebola outbreak 1,550 miles away. The latest outbreak was the 10th time that Ebola, a contagious affliction that can quickly spread out of control, has menaced the Democratic Republic of Congo, a sprawling Central African country about twice the size of Texas. The health minister, Dr. Oly Ilunga Kalenga, said that authorities in North Kivu province had notified his ministry Saturday of 26 suspected cases of Ebola.

Royal Pieces in Sweden Spirited Off by Speedboat

Three national treasures of Sweden — two crowns and an orb made for the funerals of King Charles IX and his wife, Christina the Elder, in the 17th century — have been stolen in an audacious midday theft from a cathedral near Stockholm. The two thieves smashed a showcase at the cathedral in Strangnas, a town on Lake Malar, on Tuesday. However, the criminals might be disappointed with their haul, because the crowns and orb were meant for burial purposes and have a relatively low intrinsic value, despite being made of gold.