Police have used water cannons on protesters in Northern Ireland after violence erupted a second night over a stabbing in Belfast. A Sudanese man, Hadi Alodid, appeared in court Wednesday charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing Stephen Ogilvie with a knife and leaving him partly blind. The incident has sparked anti-immigrant violence, with masked men setting fires and attacking police. Authorities have increased police presence and called for calm. Politicians condemned the violence, emphasizing the importance of unity. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and others have denounced the attacks, urging people not to let this incident fuel further division.

U.S. military's Central Command says new round of airstrikes against Iran 'completed.'

Bahrain sounds its missile alert sirens as Iran says it will retaliate for new US airstrikes.

After years of preparation, a supersized World Cup has finally arrived. This year’s tournament is hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. It was expanded to 48 teams that will play in 16 stadiums in a record 104 matches over the 39-day tournament. Mexico gets the World Cup started on Thursday and will be a heavy favorite when it hosts South Africa in Mexico City. The second game of the day will be between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, Mexico. All four teams are part of Group A. Canada and the United States will host their first games on Friday.

The U.S. has launched airstrikes against Iran, and President Donald Trump says more are coming, as Tehran fired back at countries in the region. The U.S. military says it fired on a tanker trying to transport oil from Iran in violation of its blockage on Iranian ports. It is the eighth merchant vessel disabled in the waters off Iran. Trump would not say if he planned to follow through on threats he made earlier in the war to attack bridges and utility plants. He urged Iran to sign a deal with the U.S. Also Wednesday, the president signed a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill that aims to ensure uninterrupted funding for the administration’s deportation agenda through the end of his term.

US military says it's striking 'multiple targets' in Iran in latest escalation of tensions.

Another sell-off for artificial-intelligence stocks dragged the U.S. market sharply lower. The S&P 500 dropped 1.6% Wednesday for its first back-to-back drop in three weeks and is back to where it was in early May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 953 points, and the Nasdaq composite led the market lower with a 2% slide. Wall Street has been shaky since last week, when AI stocks went from roaring to records to suddenly turning lower. Among the worries is that their prices have simply shot too high, too fast. Oil prices rose after President Donald Trump threatened more strikes on Iran.

Pope Leo XIV has celebrated the Sagrada Familia Basilica as a masterpiece of “stones, colors and light.” He is marking the centenary of the death of its architect, Antoni Gaudí, with a Mass. Leo called Gaudí’s unfinished temple, one of the world’s most visited monuments, a “sign of unity and harmony for all of Spain.” The service marked the highlight of Leo’s weeklong visit to Spain. It's the first by a pope in 15 years to the once staunchly Catholic European country that, like many others, has experienced secularizing trends. The trip, though, has shown the country still has plenty of faithful Catholics who have turned out in droves to welcome the American pope.

From front-page news to powerful moments you may have missed, this gallery showcases today’s top photos chosen by Associated Press photo editors.