Russia has attempted to fully block WhatsApp as it tightens control of online communication and pushes people toward a state-backed alternative.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading a large U.S. delegation to the Munich Security Conference this week.

Attorney General Pam Bondi took heated questions from lawmakers in a combative congressional hearing over the Justice Department’s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein that have exposed sensitive private information about victims despite redaction efforts.

Russia's top diplomat says that Moscow will observe the limits of the last nuclear arms pact with the United States that expired last week as long as it sees that Washington does the same.

A senior European intelligence chief says Russia cannot launch an attack on NATO this year or next but is planning to increase its forces significantly along the alliance’s eastern flank, depending on the outcome of the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin says Russian and U.S. negotiators have discussed the expiration of their last remaining nuclear arms pact.

The Kremlin says it regrets the expiration of the last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States, while President Donald Trump declared he was against keeping its limits and wants a better deal.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance is in Milan leading U.S. President Donald Trump’s delegation to the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Envoys from Moscow and Kyiv have met in Abu Dhabi for U.S.-brokered talks to end the nearly four-year war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the burgeoning economic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing and their relations with the United States in a video call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States is set to expire this week, removing any caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century.

Emergency power cuts have hit several Ukrainian cities and neighboring Moldova.

Massive power outages in Cuba mean that many people are unaware that U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to the Caribbean island.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to U.S. President Donald Trump's request to pause attacks on Ukraine's power grid for a week.

President Donald Trump says he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to target the Ukrainian capital and other towns for one week as the region experiences frigid temperatures and Putin agreed, but Russia hasn't confirmed that.

Melania Trump is capping her first year after becoming first lady again with the global release of a documentary about the 20 days before she and President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

The TV drama "Heated Rivalry" has become a global sensation, captivating audiences with its portrayal of a secret gay relationship between Canadian and Russian hockey players.

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has arrived in Moscow for his second time in less than four months for talks, and Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized his readiness to help the country rebuild its war-battered economy.

A new report warns that the number of soldiers killed, injured or missing in Russia's war in Ukraine could reach 2 million by spring.

Officials in Ukraine say that a heavy Russian drone attack on Odesa has killed at least three people and wounded 23, including children and a pregnant woman.

Russian authorities use various strategies to recruit new troops to replenish its supply of soldiers for its nearly 4-year-old full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Negotiations to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine are showing signs of progress, but major challenges remain, according to a senior Kremlin official.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a security agreement with the United States is “100% ready.”.

The captain of an oil tanker intercepted by the French navy in the Mediterranean Sea is in custody for questioning.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says talks with Russian and American representatives have concluded with constructive discussions on ending the war.

The U.S.-led push to end Russia’s nearly 4-year-old war in Ukraine gained momentum late last year and is moving ahead in 2026, with leaders, diplomats and envoys working on trying to reach a deal.

Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. envoys are meeting in the United Arab Emirates, the first known instance that officials from the Trump administration have sat down with both countries as part of Washington’s push to end Moscow’s nearly 4-year-old invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the future of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region is a key focus as negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States meet in Abu Dhabi.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is criticizing European allies for their slow and fragmented response to Russia's invasion.

Desperate Palestinians at a garbage dump in a Gaza neighborhood are digging with their bare hands for plastic items to burn to keep warm in the cold and damp winter in the enclave, battered by two years of the Israel-Hamas war.

Officials say that France’s navy, working with intelligence provided by the United Kingdom, intercepted an oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea that traveled from Russia, in a mission targeting the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet.

U.S. President Donald Trump used the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to unveil a proposed "Board of Peace" for Gaza.

President Donald Trump launched his Board of Peace on Thursday to lead efforts to maintain a ceasefire in Gaza.

As tensions simmered between the United States and Europe over President Donald Trump’s push to acquire Greenland, Russian officials, state-backed media and pro-Kremlin bloggers watched with a mixture of glee, gloating and wariness.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says about 4,000 buildings in Kyiv remain without heating, and nearly 60% of the city is without power following days of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid.

U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to drop his threat of imposing tariffs on several European countries.

President Donald Trump closed out 2025 with his plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in fine fettle.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the bid by U.S. President Donald Trump to take over Greenland poses a “deep crisis” for NATO and raises questions about the alliance’s preservation as a single military-political bloc.

President Donald Trump has shared private messages from world leaders about Greenland, revealing softer tones behind public criticism.

European Union leaders are using strong language like "intimidation" and "blackmail" to describe U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of new tariffs over Greenland.

An Israeli official says the nation has been asked to join U.S. President Donald Trump’s new Board of Peace that will supervise the next phase of the Gaza peace plan.

Republican lawmakers are scrambling to contain President Donald Trump’s threats of taking possession of Greenland.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for supporting Iranian protesters.

Japan and the Philippines have signed a defense pact that will allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters.

Greenland biathlete Ukaleq Slettemark is used to the stress of competing on the world stage as she tries to qualify for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

A top Danish official says a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland remains with President Donald Trump after talks in Washington with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Britain is discussing with NATO allies how to enhance Arctic security against Russia and China.

Russia has used its latest missile against Ukraine for a second time in the nearly 4-year-old war, a forceful signal to Kyiv and its Western allies as peace talks are in a crucial stage.

Russia has launched a massive overnight attack on Ukraine, using hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles.

Russia has strongly condemned the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker.

The U.S. military operation in Venezuela can be seen as both a benefit and a burden for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces has sparked global controversy.

President Donald Trump said that U.S. national security officials have determined that Ukraine did not target a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack last week.

President Donald Trump declared Saturday’s military operation that led to the ouster of Nicolás Maduro a major success.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed the head of the country’s military intelligence as his new chief of staff.

In a story published Jan. 1, 2026, about Russia’s war in Ukraine, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Moscow accused Ukraine of launching a long-range drone attack against a residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin in northwestern Russia on Tuesday.

Russian drones have blasted apartment buildings and the power grid in Ukraine's city of Odesa, injuring six people including three children.

Leaders from Europe and Canada have held talks on U.S.-led peace efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service, Russia’s Ministry of Defense says, as negotiators continue to search for a breakthrough in peace talks to end Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The United States is offering Ukraine security guarantees for 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan.

President Donald Trump says Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to a peace deal, but he acknowledges that negotiations could still break down and leave the war dragging on for years.

The Kremlin is in talks with French authorities about French scholar Laurent Vinatier, who is serving a three-year sentence in Russia and reportedly faces new espionage charges.

Officials say Russia fired more than 650 drones and three dozen missiles at Ukraine in a large-scale attack that began during the night and stretched into daylight hours Tuesday.

U.S. proposals for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia meet many of Kyiv's demands, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A car bomb has killed a Russian general.

NATO-nation intelligence services believe Russia is developing a weapon to target Starlink satellites.

President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has been drawn back into the foreign policy fold like he was during Trump's first term.

A White House envoy says he held “productive and constructive” talks in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin fielded many questions at his annual news conference.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hopeful but clear about the challenges facing the Trump administration’s Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas peace efforts.

President Vladimir Putin has emphasized that Moscow’s troops are advancing across the battlefield in Ukraine and has voiced confidence that the Kremlin will achieve its goals militarily if Kyiv doesn't agree to Russia’s conditions in peace talks.

Belarus’ authoritarian president says that Russia had deployed its latest nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system to the country, a move that comes as talks to end the war in Ukraine have entered a crucial phase.

A U.S. official says a Kremlin envoy will travel to Florida to discuss a U.S.-proposed plan to end the war in Ukraine.

The British government says it has given Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich a final chance to hand over 2.5 billion pounds or $3.25 billion to the victims of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is warning that Moscow will extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin's demands in peace talks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says peace proposals for U.S. officials to present to Russia could be finalized within days.

The head of Britain’s MI6 spy agency says Russian President Vladimir Putin is stalling efforts to end Russia’s war on Ukraine, and is testing the West with tactics that fall “just below the threshold of war.”.

U.S. officials say Washington has agreed to provide unspecified security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a peace deal to end Russia’s nearly four-year war, and more talks are likely this weekend.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed willingness to drop Ukraine's NATO bid in exchange for Western security guarantees.

A senior Kremlin official says Russian police and the National Guard will stay on in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas even if a peace settlement ends the war.

The European Union has indefinitely frozen Russia’s assets in Europe to ensure that Hungary and Slovakia, both with Moscow-friendly governments, can’t prevent the billions of euros from being used to support Ukraine.

International Criminal Court judges and prosecutors are trying to live and work under the same financial and travel restrictions brought against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Osama bin Laden.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says negotiators are tackling territorial issues in U.S.-led peace talks with Russia.

U.S. President Donald Trump says he and European leaders have discussed proposals to end the war in Ukraine, adding that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “has to be realistic” about his country’s position on a peace plan.

Pope Leo XIV is insisting that Europe must have a role in any Ukraine peace deal.

European Union leaders have committed to funding Ukraine's economic and military needs for the next two years.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffirmed his refusal to cede territory, resisting U.S. pressure for compromise with Russia.

The gala crowd at Milan's Teatro alla Scala has cheered the season premiere of Dmitry Shostakovich's "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk" with a 12-minute standing ovation.

President Donald Trump has finally met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

President Donald Trump’s advisers and Ukrainian officials say they’ll meet for a third day of talks on Saturday after making progress on finding agreement on a security framework for postwar Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an annual summit, focusing on diversifying economic ties.

The World Cup draw takes place Friday, featuring four debuting teams: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.

The U.S. Treasury has imposed a $7 million fine on a New York property management firm for allegedly violating Russia-related sanctions.

Russian authorities say they have imposed restrictions on Apple's video calling service FaceTime, alleging it was being used for organizing what it called “terrorist activities.”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting India to strengthen economic and bilateral ties.

Britain has sanctioned Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency and summoned Moscow’s ambassador after an inquiry concluded that President Vladimir Putin was responsible for a nerve agent attack on British soil in 2018.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says some proposals in a U.S. plan to end the war in Ukraine are unacceptable to the Kremlin.

A record 64 nations will be in Friday's World Cup draw as FIFA expands the tournament from 32 to 48 teams.

Ukraine and its European allies have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of feigning interest in peace efforts after five hours of talks with U.S. envoys at the Kremlin produced no breakthrough.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday over a peace plan to end the war with Ukraine.