WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is poised to admit Israel this week into an exclusive club that will allow its citizens to travel to the United States without a U.S. visa despite Washington’s ongoing concerns about the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinian Americans.

U.S. officials say an announcement of Israel’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program is planned for late in the week, just before the end of the federal budget year on Saturday, which is the deadline for Israel’s admission without having to requalify for eligibility next year.

22 September 2023; AA: The Turkish-Russian Joint Observation Center detected 258 cease-fire violations by Armenia in Karabakh since January 2021.

Established to monitor and observe the cease-fire in Karabakh, the Turkish-Russian Joint Observation Center has continued its activities since Jan. 30, 2021.

The center has been operating with the regulation signed between Türkiye and Russia after the second Karabakh War, which resulted in the victory of Azerbaijan.

23 September 2023; MEMO: A Muslim student, who had been turned away from school for wearing a kimono, a Japanese garment, in France, has filed a complaint with the UN over being “discriminated against” due to her religious affiliation, Anadolu Agency reports.

The controversy over the French government’s stance against hijab in schools continues, with many students being turned away for wearing loose over-garments.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to establish diplomatic relations Monday with two South Pacific nations, the Cook Islands and Niue, as his administration aims to show to Pacific Island leaders that it is committed to increasing American presence in the region.

The announcement comes as Biden prepares to welcome leaders to Washington for a two-day U.S.-Pacific Island Forum Summit expected to focus heavily on the impact of climate change.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Staring down a fast-approaching government shutdown that threatens to disrupt life for millions of Americans, Speaker Kevin McCarthy has turned to a strategy that so far has preserved his tenuous hold on House leadership but also marked it by chaos: giving hard-right lawmakers what they want.

23 September 2023; MEMO: Lebanon’s army said it fired tear gas at Israeli forces over the border on Saturday in response to smoke bombs fired at its troops, though Israel said Lebanon started the confrontation, Reuters reports.

Tensions have flared along the frontier this summer, with rockets fired at Israel during flare-ups of Israeli-Palestinian violence, and members of the heavily armed Lebanese group Hezbollah or its supporters facing off with Israeli forces.

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s hard to imagine a less contentious or more innocent word than “and.”

But how to interpret that simple conjunction has prompted a complicated legal fight that lands in the Supreme Court on Oct. 2, the first day of its new term. What the justices decide could affect thousands of prison sentences each year.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey announced on Saturday that he will run against Sen. Robert Menendez in the state’s Democratic primary for Senate next year, saying he feels compelled to run against the three-term senator after he and his wife were indicted on sweeping corruption charges.

TEHRAN, Sept 24 (NNN-TASNIM) – Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said that, an agreement on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), will be “within reach,” if the U.S. stops its “contradictory behaviours.”

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks to reporters in New York, while elaborating on his meetings on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

NEW YORK (AP) — Early next month, the Vatican will open an unprecedented gathering of Catholic clergy and laypeople from around the world. The synod is intended to be a collegial, collaborative event, though the agenda includes divisive issues such as the role of women in the church and the inclusion of LGBTQ Catholics.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Three people were shot dead in a targeted attack in Atlanta, the southeastern U.S. state of Georgia, on Saturday afternoon, said local police.

Officers responded to a call reporting that someone had been shot in the city's West End neighborhood around 1:30 p.m. (1730 GMT), the Associated Press quoted police as saying.

The shooting occurred near a mall, police said in a news release, adding that a preliminary probe showed a man opened fire at two people, one of whom fired back. All three were shot and died.

23 September 2023; MEMO: Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler stressed the need for the Bashar Al-Assad regime to meet several requirements before Turkish forces withdraw from northern Syria.

The requirements include the establishment of a new constitution and the holding of democratic elections, in addition to the formation of a government that represents all Syrian sects.