Ahead of New Year holiday, Russia sentences more people to prison

Zelensky says he’s ready to meet Putin; Europe prepares sanctions

Russia has called for direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, but Ukraine’s European allies say Putin needs to agree to a ceasefire first....

China and U.S. agree to slash tariffs for 90 days while they negotiate

The agreement lowers tensions in the trade war but does little to change the overall direction of deteriorating ties between Beijing and Washington, analysts say....

Trump backs Putin’s proposal for Ukraine talks, undermining allies

Trump’s endorsement came the day after he backed European leaders’ demand for a ceasefire first....

Ukraine and allies demand 30-day ceasefire; Putin wants talks first

Ukraine’s Western allies said they would strengthen sanctions if Russia refused an unconditional 30-day ceasefire....

India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire. But what caused the latest tensions?

The two nuclear-armed countries appeared to be getting closer to war after weeks of tensions and attacks that killed dozens....

India and Pakistan edge closer to war as nuclear-armed rivals trade strikes

Pakistan’s armed forces said they targeted military sites inside India in response to an Indian missile attack at air bases in Pakistan on Saturday....

Fog of war thickens as India and Pakistan trade blame and accusations

Each country has accused the other of fresh attacks, while a stream of misinformation on social media has deepened public unease on either side of the border....

Pope warns of ‘practical atheism’ as Catholicism declines in some parts of world

Ukraine accuses Hungary of spying on it; Budapest expels diplomats

Ukrainian security services claimed to have uncovered a Hungarian spy ring gathering information about military activities in Ukraine’s western Transcarpathia region....

Russia exudes confidence at parade marking 80 years since Nazi defeat

While Putin hosted several world leaders, European ministers gathered in Ukraine to announce the formation of a war crimes tribunal targeting Russian officials....

Trump’s deportation plan has echoes of Britain’s costly Rwanda failure

The Trump administration’s efforts to deport unwanted immigrants to countries including Libya, Ukraine and Rwanda has similarities to a failed British plan....

China’s Xi stands with Putin against international ‘bullying’

The Trump administration has said it wants to pull apart Russia and China, but the two countries need each other too much....

Ukraine ratifies U.S. minerals deal as fighting continues despite ceasefire

Fighting continued despite Moscow’s declared three-day ceasefire, with seven people killed in Ukraine by Russian strikes....

Pakistan says it shot down Indian drones amid fears of escalation

With both sides claiming victory after India’s strikes and Pakistan’s claims to have shot down warplanes, where do the nuclear-armed rivals go from here?...

In wartime Russia, schools prepare the next generation of fighters

Since the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian education system has cranked the patriotic themes into overdrive, seeking to mold the soldiers of tomorrow....

Judge warns Trump administration against Libya deportations

The stern order followed reports indicating the U.S. was poised to send a planeload of immigrants to the troubled African nation....

U.S. and China to hold high-level trade talks in Switzerland this weekend

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet Chinese officials, but expectations for a breakthrough in their trade war are low....

Pakistan claims to have downed Indian warplanes, vows response to strikes

India’s military said the strikes were in retaliation for a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. Analysts warned that the risk of escalation is rising....

Ukraine, Russia trade air attacks ahead of World War II anniversary

A third night of drone attacks near Moscow has snarled airports as foreign leaders start arriving for Russia’s Victory Day celebrations....

India strikes Pakistan after Kashmir attack, raising fears of war

The Indian military said early Wednesday it had launched strikes against Pakistan in retaliation for last month’s militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir....

Trump team urged Ukraine to take U.S. deportees amid war, documents show

The extraordinary request illustrates the administration’s aggressive bid to identify willing partners who will accept people expelled by the U.S....

Despite fears, Ukrainians say attack on Russia’s Victory Day parade unlikely

Twice in the past two days, Ukrainian drones have threatened Moscow, but it is unlikely they will disrupt the Kremlin’s showcase Victory Day celebration....

Drone strikes pummel Port Sudan in dramatic escalation of civil war

The strikes hit Port Sudan’s airport, the main gateway for humanitarians and civilians entering or leaving Sudan, two years into the brutal civil war....

Why Brazil’s soy farmers love Trump and his tariffs on China

Brazil accounted for more than 70 percent of soy exports to China last year and Trump’s trade war could allow it to solidify its market dominance....

Merz to be sworn in as German chancellor, as Europe looks for a leader

The new German chancellor has taken a hard line on immigration, as well as against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine....

Israel approves plan to expand Gaza war, including ‘occupation’ of territory

Israel plans to mobilize tens of thousands of reservists. Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a missile that disrupted air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport....

These cardinals work in conflict zones. One could be the next pope.

Of the small handful of papal contenders, an even smaller subset tends flocks in countries at war. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, is among them....

Criminals go to fight for Russia and then return home to kill again

In a country with little provision for those suffering from PTSD caused by the horrors of the front, some traumatized veterans return to commit crimes....

Before a new pope, a tug of war for the soul of the Catholic Church

As cardinals prepare for the largest papal conclave in history, battle lines are being drawn over the direction of the church....

Russia worries about a U.S. tilt toward Ukraine after minerals deal

Since the beginning of the new administration, it seemed Russia’s needs and views of the war were being promoted by Trump officials, but the tone appears to be changing....