RUSSIA

The United States and its allies clashed with Russia and China over North Korea’s failed launch of a military spy satellite this week in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, which Moscow and Beijing refused to condemn.

The U_N_ nuclear chief says the world is fortunate a nuclear accident hasn’t happened in Ukraine and is asking Moscow and Kyiv to commit to preventing an attack on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and make other pledges “to avoid the danger of a catastrophic incident.”.

Local officials in Ukraine's capital say Kyiv has been subjected to the largest drone attack since the start of Russia’s war as the city prepared to mark the anniversary of its founding.

Former special counsel John Durham is scheduled to testify before a House committee next month about his recently completed report on the FBI’s investigation of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Britain’s Treasury chief says he would be prepared to see the British economy slip back into recession if further interest rate hikes are necessary to bring down inflation.

The Group of Seven wealthy democracies have urged China to push Russia to end its war on Ukraine.

The symbolism will be palpable when leaders of the world’s rich democracies sit down in Hiroshima later this week.

A special prosecutor has ended his four-year investigation into possible FBI misconduct in its probe of ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

The White House says Russia is looking to buy additional advanced attack drones from Iran for use in its war in Ukraine after using up most of the 400 drones it had previously purchased from Iran.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says the world is facing a “historic turning point” as the country prepares to host the annual summit of the Group of Seven advanced economies next week in Hiroshima.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is urging EU member nations to take trade measures against countries that help the Kremlin circumvent the bloc’s sanctions against Russia.

Wildfires have raged in Russia’s Ural mountains and in Siberia this week, with authorities promising to swiftly contain them.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Armenia and Azerbaijan have made “tangible progress” in four days of U.S.-hosted peace talks between the two former Soviet republics that have repeatedly clashed over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Brittney Griner balanced the start of the Phoenix Mercury's training camp with consecutive trips to the East Coast.

A report says more than a quarter-billion people in 58 countries faced acute food insecurity last year.

British energy giant BP has posted strong quarterly profit numbers even as energy prices that soared after Russia’s war in Ukraine last year have eased off.

Exxon Mobil’s profit more than doubled in the first quarter as the oil and natural gas company overcame declining prices by producing more oil.

Initially, Senate Bill 147 would have prevented legal Texas residents from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from buying land. Pushback from immigrant groups persuaded senators to soften the proposal.

The European economy has scraped out meager growth in the first three months of the year.

The Biden administration is sanctioning Russia’s Federal Security Service and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence organization for wrongfully detaining Americans.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call that his government will send an envoy to Ukraine and other nations to discuss a possible “political settlement” to Russia’s war with the country.

President Joe Biden will visit Japan and Australia next month to huddle with allies on their continued response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as well as ways to confront China’s assertive economic and military moves in the Indo-Pacific region.

Russia says that the United States has denied visas to journalists who wanted to cover Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s trip to New York.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has struck a conciliatory tone while talking about strained U_S_-China relations, saying the nations “need to find a way to live together.”.

Top diplomats from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies are vowing a tough stance on China’s increasing threats to Taiwan and on North Korea’s unchecked tests of long-range missiles.

Beijing is protesting U.S. sanctions against additional Chinese companies over their alleged attempts to evade U.S. export controls on Russia, calling it an illegal move that endangers global supply chains.

China's foreign minister says the country won’t sell weapons to either side in the war in Ukraine.

Italy is pledging Tunsia a host of investments and help with negotiating an International Monetary Fund bailout.

A massive volcanic eruption is spewing out ash for a second day on Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, throwing clouds of dust high into the sky and blanketing wide areas.

Saying she is ready to share the “unfathomable” experience of being arrested and incarcerated in Russia, basketball star Brittney Griner is working on a memoir that is scheduled for spring 2024.

A volcano has erupted on Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.

Eight Filipinos have been nailed to crosses to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a bloody Good Friday tradition.

Finland has joined NATO, abandoning a history of military nonalignment for protection from Russia under the organization's security umbrella.

NATO’s blue and white flags are fluttering against the backdrop of Helsinki deep blue sky as Finland is on the cusp of its historic entry into NATO.

Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the clay-court Monte Carlo Masters.

The blue-and-white Finnish flag rises outside NATO headquarters Tuesday afternoon, doubling Russia’s border with the world’s biggest security alliance.

Montenegro’s pro-Western president has criticized the European Union for allegedly allowing Russia to spread its influence in the western Balkans.

The IMF and Ukraine have agreed on a new loan package aimed at shoring up government finances severely strained by Russia’s invasion.

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has invited his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to the Group of Seven summit and announced a new action plan for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The Biden administration has released video of a Russian fighter jet dumping fuel on a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone, as the U.S. sought to hold Russia responsible for the collision that led to the drone’s crash into the Black Sea without escalating already fraught tensions with the Kremlin.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says there would be “consequences” if China sends weapons to Russia for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, but he’s fairly optimistic that Beijing will refrain from doing so.

U.S. intelligence agencies say they cannot link a foreign adversary to any of the incidents associated with so-called “Havana syndrome,” the hundreds of cases of brain injuries and other symptoms reported by American personnel around the world.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sought assurances Saturday from India that it would support, or at least not block, Western efforts to isolate Russia for waging a devastating war against Ukraine.

The Pentagon is announcing a new package of long-term security assistance for Ukraine.

Laika Cheesecakes on San Antonio’s north side will donate its profits from this weekend to Ukrainian forces a year after the Russian invasion.

A closely watched survey shows that German business confidence has strengthened for a fourth consecutive month as managers look past current problems to take a more optimistic view of the months ahead.

China has sharply criticized a visit to Taiwan by a senior Pentagon official and reaffirmed sanctions against Lockheed Martin and a unit of Raytheon for supplying military equipment to the self-governing island.

The program helps Ukrainians in their new homes enroll in employment programs, and connect with housing, medical and other resources.

Just hours before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago, actor Sean Penn had his first on-camera meeting with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearing the one-year mark, Estonia’s military leaders are warning that if Vladimir Putin is not stopped now, he could entangle the region in a much larger conflict, perhaps one with even larger security implications for the U.S. Kristjan Mäe is the head of the Estonian Ministry of Defense’s NATO and EU department.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked artists and filmmakers to unequivocally declare their support for his country during a live video address at the opening of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival.

The U.N.’s humanitarian aid and refugee agencies say they are seeking $5.6 billion to help millions of people in Ukraine and 10 countries that have taken in fleeing Ukrainians in the wake of Russia’s invasion of their country nearly a year ago.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Ukraine is using up ammunition far faster than its allies can provide it just as Russia ramps up its military offensive.

A closely watched study by an anti-graft organization has found that most of the world continues to fail to fight corruption, with 95% of countries having made little to no progress since 2017.

Samsung Electronics says its profit for the last quarter plummeted nearly 70% as a weak global economy depressed demand for its consumer electronics products and computer memory chips.

The outlook for the global economy is growing slightly brighter as China eases its zero-COVID policies and the world shows surprising resilience in the face of high inflation, elevated interest rates and Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

The Biden administration is expanding sanctions against Russia's Wagner Group and related companies and individuals for their role in the war in Ukraine and mercenary activities, including human rights abuses, in Africa.

The Biden administration says Iran’s sale of lethal drones to Russia for use in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine means the country may be “contributing to widespread war crimes.”.

Orthodox Christians packed churches on Friday evening for Christmas Eve services, a holiday darkened for many by the conflict raging between Orthodox neighbors Russia and Ukraine.

The State Department says it’s adopted Turkey’s preferred spelling for the name of the country — T-U-R-K-I-Y-E.

Shareholders of German energy company Uniper have approved a rescue package for the gas supplier, clearing the way for its nationalization.

Ukraine's capital came under one of the biggest attacks of the war as Russia’s invading forces fired dozens of missiles across the country.

The European Central Bank has slowed its record pace of interest rate increases.

Russia’s Federal Security Service release footage Thursday showing WNBA star Brittney Griner during her time in a Russian prison.

A new report says the war in Ukraine, chaos in Haiti and criminal groups in Mexico contributed to a sharp spike in the number of journalists killed in 2022 over the previous year.

WNBA star Brittney Griner has arrived in San Antonio after being released in the U.S.-Russia prisoner swap.

San Antonio health care experts anticipate Brittney Griner could undergo an immediate acute medical response.

A video released by the Russian state media showed WNBA star Brittney Griner before she was handed over to U.S. authorities.

Griner, who was released by Russia on Thursday in exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, will be taken to a medical center in San Antonio for a routine evaluation, according to reports from NBC and Politico.

Finland’s leader says it must give more weapons and support to Ukraine to ensure it wins its war against Russia.

The United States is sending an additional $400 million in ammunition and generators to Ukraine.

Towering clouds of ash and glowing lava are spewing from two volcanoes on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and scientists say major eruptions could be on the way.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has downplayed Qatar’s last minute ban on the sale of beer at World Cup stadiums as nothing more than a brief inconvenience to spectators.

The Australian government confirmed that Novak Djokovic has been granted a visa to compete in the Australian Open in January a year after he was deported over his stance against COVID-19 vaccination.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has announced that 100 Canadians have been added to the list of people banned from entering the country in response to sanctions against Russia by Canada.

A showdown between Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin isn’t happening, but the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and growing tensions between China and the West will be at the fore when leaders of the world’s biggest economies gather in tropical Bali this week.

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has paid an official visit to Moldova and announced a 250 million-euro (-dollar) support package to help the small nation overcome an acute winter energy crisis amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The German government’s panel of independent economic advisers is forecasting that Europe’s biggest economy will shrink by 0.2% next year after growing by 1.7% in 2022.

President Emmanuel Macron says France’s military strategy must strengthen the country as an independent, respected, nuclear-armed power through the end of the decade.

What happens when a prolific user of social media buys the platform.

Iran’s foreign minister has acknowledged for the first time that his country has supplied Russia with drones, insisting the transfer came before Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

BP’s earnings have more than doubled in the third quarter as the London-based energy giant benefited from high oil and natural gas prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The German economy grew in the third quarter, an unexpectedly positive performance powered largely by private spending.

The U.S. economy grew at a 2.6% annual rate from July through September, snapping two straight quarters of contraction and overcoming high inflation and interest rates just as voting begins in midterm elections in which the economy’s health has emerged as a paramount issue.

This week’s new entertainment releases include albums from Lainey Wilson and a Garbage anthology, the video on demand releases of horror films “Pearl” and “Barbarian” and the latest installment of the “Call of Duty” video game franchise.

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy warns that Republicans will not write a “blank check” for Ukraine if they win back the House majority.

The European Union has approved a military training mission in Europe for thousands of Ukrainian troops.

The European Union is set to announce next week that it is setting up a military training mission in Europe for thousands of Ukrainian troops.

Fox plans to avoid coverage of Qatar’s controversial treatment of migrant workers during World Cup broadcasts, much as it didn’t address criticism of Russia’s government during the 2018 tournament.

Saudi Arabia says that the U.S. had urged the kingdom to postpone a decision by OPEC and its allies — including Russia — to cut oil production.

The head of Britain’s cyber-intelligence agency is accusing China of using its economic and technological clout to clamp down at home and exert control abroad.

Debate over how to handle a North Korean ballistic missile launch over Japanese territory has again split an already deeply fractured U.N. Security Council.

Belarus’ opposition leader says she believes that Russian military setbacks in Ukraine could shake the hold on power of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

The heads of nine central and eastern European NATO members issued a joint statement backing a path to membership for Ukraine in the U.S.-led security alliance.

Venezuela’s government has freed seven Americans imprisoned in the South American country in exchange for the release of two nephews of President Nicolás Maduro’s wife who had been jailed for years by the United States on drug smuggling convictions.

A Danish official says the Nord Stream gas leaks in the Baltic Sea could emit the equivalent of one third of Denmark’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions.

The Biden administration should create an additional senior-level position at the White House National Security Council to focus on cases of Americans wrongfully detained in foreign countries.

Authorities say a gunman has killed 17 people and wounded 24 others in a school in central Russia.

The U.N. food chief is warning that the world is facing “a perfect storm on top of a perfect storm" when it comes to hunger.

Britain’s government has confirmed it is lifting a ban on fracking in England, arguing that the move will help boost the country’s energy security following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.