Ahead of Trump’s return to office, Ukraine and Russia battle for Kursk

Biden administration sanctions Russia’s oil giants and tanker fleet

The White House, now unconcerned about the effect on gas prices and inflation, blacklisted two of Russia’s biggest oil producers and nearly 200 tanker ships....

Putin is open to meet with Trump after inauguration, Kremlin says

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed what he said was Donald Trump’s “readiness to solve problems through dialogue.” The last U.S.-Russian summit was in 2021....

Zelensky turns to alternative media to reach U.S. audiences

With Trump and the Republican Party set to control all levers of government, Ukraine is engaging with the podcasters and YouTube channels favored by their supporters....

At inflection point, Pentagon chief holds final forum for Ukraine aid

Ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to office, Ukraine’s future course is shrouded in uncertainty as it loses ground to Russia’s far larger military....

As Russia seeks influence in Africa, former students play central role

Going back to the days of the Cold War, many Africans studied in the Soviet Union and later Russia. They’re now among Russia’s biggest boosters....

Russian strike on southeastern Ukrainian city kills at least 13

Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump have said they hope to end the war in 2025, nearly three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion....

U.S. declares genocide in Sudan, sanctions paramilitary leader

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces has used systematic murder and sexual violence in its war in Sudan, the U.S. government says as it sanctions RSF’s chief, Hemedti....

Israel signs deals to produce its own heavy bombs

Israel’s Defense Ministry described the need to produce its own heavy munitions as a key lesson of the war in Gaza....

Jean-Marie Le Pen, father of far-right party in France, dies at 96

The frequent presidential contender was twice convicted of dismissing the Nazi gas chambers as a “minor point” in World War II....

Louis Schittly, who helped start Doctors Without Borders, dies at 86

An aid mission during Nigeria’s civil war in the late 1960s led to the creation of Médecins Sans Frontières, which received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1999....

David Lodge, British novelist who satirized campus life, dies at 89

Despite tackling weighty themes like death and faith, his novels were often warm and playful. Twice shortlisted for the Booker, he was also a formidable critic....

Carter took pride in warming U.S.-China ties — in a very different D.C.

Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, a move that remains a point of tension, though it moved China away from the Soviet Union....

A different and more dangerous world awaits President-elect Trump

The war in Ukraine presents immediate challenges for the incoming president, with other problems looming in the Middle East and China....

As another Trump presidency nears, Ukraine’s army is on the defensive

Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines are increasingly willing to support President-elect Donald Trump’s call to begin negotiations to end the war....

Russia’s gas supply to Europe halted after Ukraine transit deal expires

Ukraine, which had allowed Russian oil and gas to cross its territory to serve Europe while fighting Moscow’s invasion since 2022, refused to renew the deal....

Australia, wary of China, prepares workforce to build nuclear subs

Australia is investing in education to support the AUKUS nuclear submarine program amid jitters that incoming President Donald Trump could scrutinize the deal....

Russian metal shredded their faces. Doctors try to give them a new life.

The scale of facial wounds is on the level of last century’s world wars, but treatment has dramatically improved. Ukrainian and foreign doctors are bringing back soldiers’ faces....

Putin says he saved Russia, but a year of challenges suggests Moscow’s position is precarious

Marking 25 years in office, Vladimir Putin says he has remade Russia as a sovereign power and will prevail in Ukraine, but economic and strategic setbacks complicate the picture....

In India’s shadow war with Pakistan, a campaign of covert killings

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cast himself as more willing to take on India’s enemies beyond its borders than any other leader since independence....

Ukraine’s top diplomat expresses support for Syria on trip to Damascus

Azerbaijan demands Russia admit guilt for downing plane, pay compensation

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev blasted Russia for putting forward “absurd” theories initially and said Moscow must compensate victims’ families....

Plane crash at South Korean airport kills 179 with two survivors

The control tower at Muan International Airport warned the Jeju Air plane of a potential bird strike minutes before the crash. Two people were rescued....

Putin apologizes for airline crash, does not take responsibility 

Putin apologized for the “tragic incident” in Russian airspace, but the Kremlin did not take responsibility for downing the Azerbaijan Airlines flight....

Five infamous incidents of commercial airplanes that were shot down

The downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight in Kazakhstan echoes tragic past instances in which civilian flights have been shot down....

White House sees ‘indications’ airliner was downed by Russia

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the evidence in the Azerbaijan Airlines crash goes beyond widely circulated images of the wreckage....

Finland seizes ship in probe of undersea cable damage

Damage to the power cable in the Baltic Sea is the latest in a spate of murky disruptions to undersea cables that have put European authorities on high alert....

As Ukraine marks Christmas, exhausted soldiers wonder if Trump can end the war

Asked for their thoughts about a potential ceasefire in 2025, Ukrainian soldiers said they’d welcome a reprieve but were skeptical one was coming soon...

Authorities investigate cause of Azerbaijan Airlines crash that killed 38

The flight was en route from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to Grozny, in Russia’s south, when it diverted and attempted an emergency landing in Kazakhstan....

For Syria’s Christians, Christmas is a time to grapple with hope and fear

Although members of the Christian community said they are happy to see the Assad regime go, many are wary of their new Islamist leaders....

Once a war zone, southern Philippines rebrands as tourist destination

New visitors are flocking to the Philippines’ Sulu Archipelago. But the specter of violence — both real and imagined — persists....