World News

ROME (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo XIV near Rome on Tuesday as part of continued efforts to strengthen European backing for Ukraine while resisting calls from the U.S. to accept a difficult compromise with Russia. Responding to media questions via a WhatsApp message, Zelenskyy firmly restated his unwillingness to surrender any land, saying, “We absolutely do not wish to give up anything,” even though “the Americans are currently pushing for a compromise, I’ll

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian and European leaders on Wednesday challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin's sincerity regarding peace negotiations, following a five-hour meeting in Moscow with U.S. representatives that ended without notable progress, although further discussions are still expected. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticized Putin, saying he is merely stalling and urged him to stop "wasting the world's time." British Foreign Secretary

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, bringing with him a preliminary peace proposal that Washington hopes could help end the nearly four-year-long conflict in Ukraine. As Witkoff traveled to Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued his European diplomatic tour, arriving in Ireland to thank and engage with nations that have supported Ukraine throughout the war with Russia. After months of struggling to make

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned world leaders on Wednesday that humanity is in the midst of “the most dangerous arms race ever seen” and pressed the international community to take swift action against Russia, asserting that Vladimir Putin seeks to further expand the conflict in Europe. Delivering a sobering message to the gathered delegates at the U.N. General Assembly’s annual high-level debate, Zelenskyy criticized the inability of global institutions,

UN Faces Major Trials Amid Global Conflict and Change UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Starting Monday, global leaders are assembling at the United Nations during one of the most unstable periods in its 80-year history, facing ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, changing dynamics in U.S. foreign policy, widespread poverty, and rapidly advancing technologies raising regulatory concerns. The United Nations, born from the ruins of World War II to unite countries in resolving global challenges, is itself

At least two people lost their lives overnight into Saturday as Russia persisted with a large-scale drone assault on Ukraine, part of an intensified bombing strategy that has dealt another blow to hopes of resolving the enduring conflict that has lasted over three years. According to regional Governor Ruslan Zaparaniuk, two fatalities and 14 injuries occurred when Russian forces launched an attack on the Bukovina area in Ukraine’s southwestern Chernivtsi region, using four drones and a

LONDON (AP) — Ukraine reported on Saturday that it targeted a Russian airfield, while Russia continued its intensified strikes across Ukraine with a large-scale drone assault overnight, undermining renewed hopes for progress toward resolving the war that has persisted for over three years. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the country’s military forces carried out an attack on the Russian Borisoglebsk airfield, located in the Voronezh region. The site is identified as a base for Russian

WASHINGTON (AP) — As Japan’s chief trade negotiator headed to Washington for another round of tariff negotiations last week, a bipartisan Japanese group promoting “Japan-China Friendship” completed its visit to Beijing. Just a week before, the leader of the junior partner in Japan’s ruling coalition visited Beijing, carrying a personal message from newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Chinese President Xi Jinping. While the contents of the letter remain private, discussions

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Trump administration’s decision to suspend USAID funds has disrupted hundreds of millions of dollars in aid contracts, forcing humanitarian organizations to front their own resources to maintain a delicate ceasefire, according to U.S. aid officials. The funding freeze puts at risk the incremental progress made by relief groups in easing Gaza’s humanitarian emergency during the ongoing Israel-Hamas truce. It may also jeopardize the ceasefire itself, which was brokered with

BERLIN (AP) — German citizens are casting their votes on Sunday in a pivotal election shaped by concerns over prolonged economic stagnation, immigration pressures, and an increasingly uncertain outlook for Ukraine and Europe’s partnership with the United States. The center-right opposition is currently leading in the polls, while a far-right party is poised to achieve its highest results since the end of World War II. As the European Union’s most populous member and a key NATO ally, Germany

VALENCIA, Spain (AP) — Several months after powerful flash floods tore through Valencia, a determined effort continues to reclaim remnants of the past. Last October, eastern Spain was devastated by sudden torrents of water that claimed more than 220 lives. Entire towns were buried in mud and debris, homes were inundated, and buildings suffered severe damage. In the aftermath, volunteers from across Spain arrived in Valencia’s worst-affected neighborhoods to aid recovery efforts. Among them were

BEIRUT (AP) — On Thursday, Lebanon’s parliament gathered once more to attempt solving the prolonged presidential vacancy, which has gone unresolved for over two years. Despite 12 previous unsuccessful attempts to elect a successor for former President Michel Aoun, whose term ended in October 2022, there is cautious optimism that this latest vote may finally produce a leader. The frontrunner this time is Lebanese army chief Joseph Aoun, unrelated to the former president. Joseph Aoun is widely

BEIRUT (AP) — In the wake of a U.S.-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the dawn in Lebanon brought the echo of celebratory gunfire replacing the once-familiar noise of Israeli airstrikes and drones overhead. The ceasefire offered Lebanon a fleeting break from violence after a year of devastating war. Thousands of displaced families eagerly began their return to ravaged towns and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon, embracing the opportunity to go home. Yet, the enormity of

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Health Ministry in Lebanon has confirmed the death of at least 20 individuals after an Israeli airstrike. The ministry reported that the strike happened on Sunday in the village of Aalmat, located north of Beirut, far away from the southern and eastern areas where the Hezbollah militant group normally operates. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Below is AP’s earlier report. Early Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit a house sheltering displaced residents in the