World News

Russia will close German cultural institutions across the country, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced Thursday. The decision follows Berlin’s accusation that Moscow was behind an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, as well as Germany’s decision to shut the Russian Consulate in Bonn and the Russian House cultural center in Berlin. Western governments have repeatedly accused Moscow of carrying out sabotage and disruption operations intended to weaken support for Ukraine and create

KRAKOW, Poland (AP) — When Nastya Podorozhnya’s family members escaped the war in Ukraine and crossed into neighboring Poland, volunteers greeted them warmly. Podorozhnya, 29, was already based in Poland when the conflict erupted. Yet just days before Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, she hurried back to Ukraine to help her sister and nieces leave the country. Returning to Poland amid the first major wave of refugees, she saw extraordinary generosity from Polish

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s currency sank to an unprecedented low Monday as Washington prepared to unveil new sanctions described as an “economic D-Day,” intensifying pressure on an economy already damaged by earlier restrictions and a U.S. naval blockade. The rial fell to 2.02 million against the U.S. dollar when trading began on unofficial currency markets. Iran’s Central Bank maintained an official rate of roughly 1.5 million rials per dollar, although most Iranians rely on the

A Russian court on Monday found a leading opposition politician guilty of publicly criticizing the war in Ukraine and sentenced him to 11 years and one month in prison, as authorities intensified pressure ahead of next month’s parliamentary election. The conviction of Lev Shlosberg, a senior figure in the Yabloko party, represented another Kremlin effort to suppress dissent following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Yabloko is the only officially registered political party that

Ukrainian strikes on vast Russian warehouse complexes have generated dramatic scenes, with towering columns of black smoke rising above blazing storage centers belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer and a company often compared to Amazon. Kyiv’s drones initially targeted the facilities over the weekend in Elektrostal, east of Moscow, and in the Tambov region, leaving eight people dead and dozens injured. Early Wednesday, two additional Wildberries warehouses in the southern

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Powerful explosions shook the Syrian capital on Tuesday as France’s president held talks with his Syrian counterpart during a significant diplomatic visit, injuring at least 18 people, according to Syria’s Interior Ministry. Emmanuel Macron had just entered the presidential palace for discussions with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa when blasts struck near the Four Seasons Hotel. Authorities did not immediately provide detailed comments about the circumstances

Despite widespread fuel shortages across Russia, President Vladimir Putin has shown little public concern over Ukraine’s escalating strikes on Russian oil refineries. He has characterized the disruption to one of the world’s largest oil producers as “not critical,” brushed aside calls for a ceasefire and reaffirmed that military operations will continue until his objectives are achieved. Putin has framed the attacks on Russian energy infrastructure as an attempt by Kyiv to divert attention from

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union countries agreed on Friday to begin accession talks with Ukraine next week, formally starting the path for the war-affected nation to eventually become part of the world’s largest trading bloc. During a meeting in Brussels, ambassadors from the 27 member states decided that negotiations with Ukraine, as well as with Moldova — another country facing pressure from Moscow — will officially commence on Monday in Luxembourg. For Kyiv, joining the EU represents a vital

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide attacker drove an explosives-packed vehicle into the vicinity of a railway line just as a passenger train was passing through the southwestern city of Quetta on Sunday, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 70 others, authorities reported. The powerful blast caused two train carriages to derail and burst into flames, with thick black smoke rising above the scene, as seen in videos posted online. The bombing occurred in an area typically monitored by

LONDON (AP) — The British government has discreetly relaxed certain restrictions on Russian oil in a move aimed at shielding households from rising living expenses following the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. A new trade license that took effect on Wednesday allows the import of Russian crude that has been processed into jet fuel and diesel in other countries, including India and Turkey. The conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, along with Tehran’s decision to close the

WASHINGTON (AP) — American and Nigerian forces have killed a senior Islamic State leader in Nigeria during a joint operation conducted on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced. In a late-night social media statement, Trump disclosed the mission carried out in Africa’s most populous nation but provided limited operational details. He identified the militant as Abu Bakr al-Mainuki and described him as the Islamic State group’s global second-in-command, saying he had attempted to conceal