E.U. countries near agreement on easing Syria sanctions, a big policy shift

In Davos, buoyed by Trump, hopes for peace in Ukraine grow

Before the Davos crowd, President Trump signaled a shift in tone, calling for an end to the war in Ukraine and placing the onus on Russia to come to the table....

Ahead of the expected Trump-Putin call, each side stakes out its position

Kremlin hard-liners are calling for the dismemberment of Ukraine, while Trump is threatening new sanctions if Putin doesn’t come to the negotiating table....

ICC prosecutor seeks warrants for Taliban leaders over women’s rights

The requested warrants target Haibatullah Akhundzada, the reclusive Kandahar-based leader of the Taliban, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the group’s chief justice....

Ukraine intel chief says North Korean weapons are flooding into Russia

Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov said North Korea has already provided Russia with 120 self-propelled artillery guns and 120 multiple-launch rocket systems, with more to come....

Amazon to close Quebec warehouses and lay off 1,700 workers

The online retail giant said the move was not linked to recent unionization efforts by workers in the Canadian province....

Accidents, not Russian sabotage, behind undersea cable damage, officials say

An emerging consensus among U.S. and European security services holds that accidents were the cause of damage to Baltic seabed energy and communications lines....

What the North Koreans took into battle against Ukraine

Weapons and notes left on dead North Korean troops in Russia give Ukraine a glimpse into their mindset — and show how they are quickly adapting to modern war....

Netanyahu warns Israel is ready to resume fight in Gaza ‘if necessary’

Russian ballistic missiles kill 3 and hit water main in Kyiv, officials say

Ukraine said the strikes hit Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia overnight. Russia called the Kyiv strikes a response to Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod....

Russia sentences lawyers of late opposition figure Navalny to prison

Arrested in 2023, the lawyers were charged with extremism for relaying messages from Alexei Navalny while he was in prison before his death....

Indians lured to Russia are dying on the front lines in Ukraine

The forced recruitment of Indians into the Russian army has been a point of tension between New Delhi and Moscow, even as the countries have expanded ties....

Russia’s gas pipeline politics risk alienating its European allies

Russia has long used its plentiful energy resources as a tool to exert control over the region, where independence from Russian energy is tied to political sovereignty....

U.S. puts sanctions on Sudan’s military chief, citing civilian suffering

The Biden administration takes action against Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, accusing Sudan’s leaders of “blatant disregard of civilian lives” amid the civil war....

U.K.’s Starmer visits Ukraine to pledge support amid Russian air raid

While air raid sirens during visits by foreign leaders have sounded before, it is rare for air defenses to actually have to fight off attacking drones....

Gazans eye ceasefire with mixed feelings: ‘What do we have left?’

Palestinians in Gaza reeling from war have modest hopes from a ceasefire: To return to ruined homes. To sleep a night without fear. To grieve....

Israel and Hamas agree to ceasefire deal, including hostage release, Biden says

The first phase of the agreement brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt will halt, for now, a 15-month war that changed the Middle East....

Israel and Hamas in ‘final stages’ of Gaza ceasefire talks, officials say

U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators shuttled between the Israeli and Hamas delegations in Doha on Tuesday, where officials said a deal to halt the war is near....

Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal and hostage release in ‘final stages,’ Qatar says

A deal to halt the 15-month war and release hostages is “on the brink” of being finalized, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said. President Joe Biden and Donald Trump also signaled optimism....

South Korean police launch huge predawn operation to detain impeached president

Police are gathering to execute a warrant to arrest Yoon, who was impeached last month after imposing martial law but has refused to cooperate with investigations....

Syria’s children, having known only war, adjust to a sudden peace

NATO launches new naval operation in Baltic Sea after severing of cables

The Baltic Sea operation in the region bordering Russia comes as European fears of sabotage mount after a string of disruptions to underwater cables....

Zelensky ready to hand North Korea back its captured troops

Zelensky’s announcement came after he posted photos on social media of two men he said were North Korean soldiers captured in Russia’s Kursk region....

Israel moves to make heavy bombs, but U.S. reliance hard to shake, experts say

Israel said last week it would move to produce heavy bombs and raw materials for defense domestically, after learning “a central lesson from the war” in Gaza....

Ukraine has captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia, Zelensky says

The wounded fighters were taken for questioning to Kyiv, authorities said, where they could reveal details of Pyongyang’s cooperation with Moscow....

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

Ukraine’s continued focus on Kursk shows how important Kyiv believes it is to hold on to Russian land, especially if Trump pushes both sides to the negotiating table....

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....