UKRAINE

Japanese writer Haruki Murakami says walls are increasingly built and dividing people and countries as fear and skepticism flourish following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Russian and Chinese foreign ministers are set to meet with their counterparts from the BRICS economic bloc of developing nations in South Africa on Thursday.

Final preparations for a major summit of European leaders are being made in Moldova, a sign of the Eastern European country’s ambitions to draw closer to the West.

The first Ukrainian school opens in San Antonio at Our Lady of the Lake University.

Russia and Belarus signed a deal formalizing the deployment of Moscow’s tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its ally, although control of the weapons remains in the Kremlin.

The Czech government has approved a Defense Ministry plan to acquire 246 CV90 armoured combat vehicles as part of a massive modernisation of the military amid the Russian war in Ukraine.

Switzerland’s executive branch has thrown its weight behind a proposal to decommission 25 out-of-service Leopard 2 battle tanks that Germany’s government wants returned to the German manufacturer to help Berlin plug gaps in its arsenal after it shipped weapons to Ukraine.

Official figures show that inflation in the U.K. has fallen to its lowest level since the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which caused energy and food costs to surge.

Russia on Monday declared the global environmental group Greenpeace to be an undesirable organization, effectively banning it from operating in the country.

A U.S. Navy commander says there is “no significant change” in the conduct of Russian aircraft and warships toward Western naval and air assets in the eastern Mediterranean as Moscow’s war in Ukraine grinds on.

Poland has received its first shipment of U.S.-made HIMARS rocket launchers as part of a defense upgrade amid security concerns due to the war in neighboring Ukraine.

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.

President Joe Biden and Spain's Pedro Sánchez are set to hold talks as their countries are collaborating along with Canada to establish migration hubs in Latin America where asylum seekers fleeing poverty and violence in their home countries can go to apply for protection.

The Biden administration has approved an $8.5 billion sale of Chinook helicopters to NATO ally Germany.

Norway has taken over the Arctic Council’s rotating presidency from Russia.

A new report says the war in Ukraine helped push the number of people left internally displaced across the world last year to a record high of 71.1 million.

The Pulitzer Prize for fiction was awarded Monday to two class-conscious novels: “Demon Copperhead,” Barbara Kingsolver’s modern recasting of the Dickens classic “David Copperfield,” and Hernan Diaz’s “Trust,” an innovative narrative of wealth and deceit set in 1920s New York.

The Pulitzer Prizes recognizing the best of journalism and the arts in 2022 were announced Monday.

The world’s divided nations agree on one thing: There is a lack of trust in a world beset by conflicts and crises.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has declared that Britain and Italy are “very aligned” in values as he welcomed far-right Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni.

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.

European lawmakers have urged the International Olympic Committee to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Paris Games because of the war in Ukraine.

A court in Russia has convicted a former police officer of publicly spreading false information about the country’s military for criticizing the war in Ukraine to his friends.

The Chinese government says it respects the sovereignty of former Soviet Union republics after Beijing’s ambassador to France caused an uproar in Europe by saying they aren’t sovereign nations.

Group of Seven foreign ministers vowed to intensify sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine as they wrapped up their meeting hosted by Japan on Tuesday.

China’s defense minister has toured the top Russian military academy on a visit to the Russian capital that underscores the increasingly close ties between Moscow and Beijing amid the fighting in Ukraine.

The 25-year treason sentence imposed on prominent Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza on Monday was a particularly severe show of authorities’ intensifying intolerance of criticism of the war in Ukraine and other dissenting opinions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed the military’s performance during massive naval drills that involve the entire Russian Pacific Fleet in a show of force amid the tensions with the West over the fighting in Ukraine.

A Russian court has convicted top opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza, Jr. of treason for publicly denouncing Moscow’s war in Ukraine and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.

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.

Belarusian air force crews have completed their training in the use of tactical nuclear weapons as part of Russia’s plan to deploy the weapons to its ally Belarus amid the fighting in neighboring Ukraine.

The entire Russian Pacific Fleet has been put on high alert for snap drills that will involve practice missile launches.

Russian threats to nuke Ukraine.

Neighbors Romania, Ukraine, and Moldova have signed joint agreements in Romania’s capital after a trilateral security meeting focused on ways to strengthen security in their Black Sea region to counter threats posed by Russian aggression.

Official figures show that Germany's imports from Russia fell by more than 90% in the first year of Moscow’s war in Ukraine, largely as a result of the collapse of Russian energy deliveries to Europe’s biggest economy.

A leaked document suggests U_S_ spies caught Russian intelligence officers boasting that they had convinced the oil-rich United Arab Emirates “to work together against US and UK intelligence agencies."

Russia has lost elections to three United Nations bodies, a sign that opposition to its invasion of Ukraine over a year ago remains strong.

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

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has called for peace talks over Ukraine after French President Emmanuel Macron appealed to him to “bring Russia to its senses."

The Kremlin's children's rights commissioner says a Russian girl sent to an orphanage after drawing an antiwar sketch at school has been picked up by her mother.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief has lashed out at China for its support of Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine and called it “a blatant violation” of Beijing’s United Nations commitments.

Russia's ambassador to Belarus says that Moscow will deploy tactical nuclear weapons close to Belarus’ border with NATO neighbors.

The president of Belarus says Russian strategic nuclear weapons might be deployed in his country along with part of Russia’s tactical nuclear arsenal.

Social media platforms often rely on labels to let users know an account is operated by a Russian state propaganda agency.

The top U.S. military officer says the Pentagon “has a long ways to go” to beef up its munitions stockpiles and ensure the country is ready for any large-scale war.

A Russian diplomat says Moscow has suspended sharing any information about its nuclear forces with the U.S., including notifications about missile tests as envisioned by a U.S.-Russian treaty that the Kremlin has suspended.

European Council President Charles Michel has pledged to continue supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression “for as long as necessary,” adding that EU leaders will “massively ramp up” ammunition production to send to the war-torn country.

England and Portugal have made it two wins out of two at the start of European Championship qualifying as their star players continued their record-breaking streaks.

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on seven Belarusian elections officials, two state-owned automotive manufacturers and President Alexander Lukashenko’s aircraft.

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are celebrating the close, “inseparable” U.S.-Canada relationship and vowing that the two nations remain committed to defending Ukraine as it tries to repel a Russian invasion that has no end in sight.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilda to the capital Pretoria, lauded the European country for its assistance to Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pentagon leaders have told Congress that the U.S. military must be ready for possible confrontation with China.

Russia has issued a full-throated warning that the West risks further escalation in Ukraine after the British government announced it's providing depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine.

It is the first Ukrainian restaurant in San Antonio, opened with pride and hope. One of the owners is from Ukraine and still has many family and friends there. They've given back to their Ukrainian community, and now San Antonio is giving back to them.

The European Union's top diplomat says the 27-nation bloc and Norway have endorsed a fast-track procedure to supply badly-needed artillery shells to Ukraine.

Russia's Defense Ministry says fighter pilots involved in an incident with a U.S. drone that resulted in its crash will be given state awards.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley have spoken to their Russian counterparts about the destruction of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea after an encounter with Russian fighter jets.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to increase U.K. military funding by 5 billion pounds ($6 billion) over the next two years in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the challenge posed by China.

The White House says that U.S. intelligence officials have determined that people with ties to the Russian intelligence community are planning to stage protests in Moldova in hopes of toppling the Moldovan government.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency is set for another four-year term at the helm of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog as it grapples with monitoring Iran’s nuclear activities and tries to shore up the safety of power plants in Ukraine.

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to step up efforts to tackle Channel migrant crossings.

A group of 42 retired Canadian Olympians are urging their country’s Olympic leaders to take a stand against Russians participating in next year’s Paris Games.

A new United Nations report says acute malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding mothers has increased by 25% in the past two years in 12 countries hard hit by rising food prices fueled by the fighting in Ukraine.

In his first news conference since taking office, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang lashed out at the United States over deteriorating bilateral relations and Washington's support for Taiwan.

Estonians have cast ballots in a parliamentary election where initial results suggested the center-right Reform Party of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

Scientists are studying hundreds of dogs at the Chernobyl disaster site that have managed to survive in extremely harsh conditions.

The Swiss government says Germany wants to buy mothballed Leopard 2 battle tanks from Switzerland to replace tanks that Berlin and its Western allies are sending to Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke briefly in New Delhi at a meeting of top diplomats from the Group of 20 nations.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called on China to refrain from sending weapons to Russia and instead use its influence to press Moscow for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

Top diplomats from the Group of 20 industrialized and developing nations have ended a contentious meeting in New Delhi with no consensus on the Ukraine war, as discussions of the war and China’s widening global influence dominated much of the talks.

Fractured East-West relations over Russia’s war in Ukraine and increasing concerns about China’s global aspirations are set to dominate what is expected to be a highly contentious meeting of foreign ministers from the world’s largest industrialized and developing nations this week in India.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is wrapping up a brief tour of Central Asia in Uzbekistan before heading to India for what is expected to be a contentious Ukraine-dominated meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, is due in Beijing to begin a three-day state visit.

China has accused the U.S. of “outright bullying and double standards" in leveling what it called “illegal" sanctions on Chinese companies as part of U.S. actions against Russia’s Wagner Group and related companies and individuals.

The CIA director says U.S. intelligence shows that China’s President Xi Jinping has instructed his country’s military to “be ready by 2027” to invade Taiwan.

CIA Director William Burns says Russian President Vladimir Putin is being “too confident” in his military’s ability to grind Ukraine into submission.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that after Russia suspended its participation in the New START treaty, it would “take into account” the nuclear weapons capabilities not only of the United States but of other NATO countries such as France and Britain.

Ireland's prime minister says the U.K. and the European Union are “inching” closer to agreeing on a deal to resolve a thorny post-Brexit dispute in Northern Ireland.

A meeting of finance chiefs of the Group of 20 leading economies has ended without a consensus, with Russia and China objecting to the description of the war in Ukraine in a final document.

Thousands of people have protested in Berlin to condemn Germany’s supply of arms to Ukraine and call for peace talks to end the war.

A “people’s court” without legal powers has confirmed an indictment against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the crime of aggression in Ukraine and called for his arrest.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Central and South Asia next week for international talks that will put him in the same room as his Chinese and Russian counterparts.

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

Tensions over Russia's war on Ukraine have flared at meetings of finance ministers and central bank chiefs in India.

In New York, far from her home in northern Ukraine, Valeriya Roshkovan has tried to do what she can to bring an end to Russia’s invasion of her country.

Germany's natural gas reserves are abundant, and prices are down.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says the U.S. will push for tougher, better enforced sanctions against Russia and is hoping for a “fully funded" package of financial support for Ukraine.

NATO’s chief says the military alliance has seen “some signs” that China may be planning to support Russia in its war in Ukraine, and strongly urged Beijing to desist from what would be a violation of international law.

Slovenia’s iconic band Laibach will hold a concert in Ukraine’s capital next month, saying this will make them the first foreign band to perform a full show in Kyiv since the beginning of Russia's invasion last February.

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

Russia and China are showcasing their deepening ties in Moscow meetings others are watching for signs that Beijing might offer the Kremlin stronger support for its war in Ukraine.

Nearly a year after Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “turning point” that would trigger a massive increase in Germany’s military spending, the turnaround for his country’s armed forces still has a long way to go.

Russia has clashed with the United States and other Western nations over the Kremlin’s call for a U.N. investigation of the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines from Russia to Western Europe.

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

The Biden administration has averted a potential diplomatic crisis over Israeli settlements at the United Nations that had threatened to overshadow U.S. efforts to focus the world body on Russia’s war with Ukraine ahead of this week’s one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says U.S. intelligence suggests China is considering providing arms and ammunition to Russia.

In the year since Russia invaded Ukraine, there has been a broad government crackdown that has silenced opposition to the war.

The Biden administration is scrambling to avert a diplomatic crisis this week at the United Nations over Israeli settlement activity.

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.