Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call for direct peace talks Friday, even as rare public criticism emerged from members of Russia’s political and business elite over the direction of the country’s wartime economy.

A Tunisian court has sentenced opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi to life imprisonment plus 30 years on terrorism-related charges, in a case critics say reflects a broader crackdown on political opponents under President Kais Saied.

Ukrainian drones struck energy and military facilities in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, just hours before international guests gathered for Russia’s flagship economic forum, in what appeared to be retaliation for deadly Russian attacks on Ukraine.

The police chief of England’s coastal Hampshire county apologized Wednesday to the family of Henry Nowak after the student was handcuffed and arrested as he lay dying, in a case that has shocked the nation and underscored racial and religious tensions across the UK.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China on Tuesday to help restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz while saying Washington had seen no evidence that Beijing provided military assistance to Iran during the recent conflict.

U.S. and allied forces intercepted multiple Iranian missile and drone attacks across the Gulf region this week, as Tehran escalated its pressure campaign despite what U.S. Central Command described as an ongoing ceasefire.

Hungary suggested Wednesday it is prepared to lift its veto over Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union after an agreement was reached on the rights of ethnic Hungarians living in the war-torn nation.

At least 21 people, including numerous foreign nationals who had traveled to India for medical treatment, were killed Wednesday after a devastating fire swept through a multi-storybuilding in India’s capital, New Delhi, authorities said.

Kuwait International Airport was temporarily shut down Wednesday after Iran launched a major ballistic missile and drone attack that struck civilian infrastructure, damaged airport facilities and diplomatic missions, and left one person dead and dozens injured, Kuwaiti authorities said.

The United States carried out fresh self-defense strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Tuesday after American forces intercepted Iranian drones and missiles aimed at regional waters, Kuwait, and Bahrain, U.S. Central Command said.

Israeli forces have dismantled eight Hamas tunnel routes and killed dozens of terrorists in the Gaza Strip, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The operation concluded a two-month deployment by reservists from the 205th Brigade in northern Gaza.

Israel is moving decisively to strengthen its air dominance in the Middle East, approving the purchase of two additional squadrons of advanced fighter jets from the United States following lessons learned during the recent war with Iran.

Israel received a massive influx of military supplies this week as the United States have accelerated efforts to bolster the Jewish nation’s defense amid growing expectations that fighting with Iran could reignite within days.

Tensions along Israel’s northern border surged Thursday after a deadly series of drone attacks by Hezbollah left one Israeli soldier dead and at least 15 others wounded, marking a sharp escalation despite a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

Tensions along Israel’s northern border intensified Wednesday as Israeli forces and Hezbollah exchanged fire, underscoring the fragility of a supposed ceasefire. Israeli military leadership made clear that, on the ground, active combat operations are still underway.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) destroyed what it described as the largest Hezbollah tunnel discovered in southern Lebanon on Tuesday evening, carrying out a controlled detonation shortly after issuing an unusual public warning to northern Israeli communities.

The fragile US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is showing severe cracks, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a fresh wave of airstrikes Monday against Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon — responding to relentless ceasefire violations by the Iran-backed terror organization.

President Donald Trump scored another major victory in his effort to reshape the Republican Party Tuesday night as Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie lost his primary to Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein in the state’s 4th Congressional District.

Despite the White House publicly urging the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to approve the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan housing bill, House lawmakers have put forth their own version of the bill that strips provisions reining in private equity.

TrumpRx is expanding to about seven times its current size, adding more than 600 generic prescription drugs to the months-old direct-to-consumer government website, the president said Monday.

After the Fifth Circuit last month allowed Texas’ border security law, SB 4, to go into effect, another federal court has now blocked four of its provisions.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would be “the first person” to support Vice President JD Vance if Vance seeks the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, even as early polling continues to place both men among the leading names in the GOP’s post-Trump future.

The Trump administration is widening its campaign against waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government after investigators reportedly uncovered sweeping schemes involving Medicaid-funded home health businesses, food benefit theft, student visa exploitation, and immigration fraud across the United States.

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed continued access to the abortion pill mifepristone by telehealth and mail, temporarily blocking a lower court ruling that would have restored in-person dispensing requirements and limited the drug’s reach into states with abortion restrictions.

A pastor was killed and several worshippers seriously wounded after a church in Ukraine was struck during an Easter gathering, highlighting the growing toll on Christian communities amid the ongoing war.

Christian workers in India fear proposed legislation will accelerate a government crackdown on foreign-funded mission groups, especially those supporting Dalits, viewed as “outcasts” in the country’s ancient Hindu social hierarchy.

Two Christian YouTubers in Germany are reportedly under criminal investigation after publishing a video addressing antisemitism and Islamic extremism, raising renewed concerns over religious freedom and free speech in Europe.

A new anti-conversion law in India’s Chhattisgarh state is drawing sharp criticism from Christian leaders and human rights advocates, who warn it could intensify persecution against religious minorities.

A Christian family’s home was reportedly set on fire following a local dispute in eastern Pakistan, highlighting ongoing concerns about the safety of minority communities in the Muslim-majority nation.

Two church leaders are recovering after they were reportedly nearly killed by Hindus while evangelizing in southwest India’s Karnataka state, underscoring growing hostility toward Christians in the world’s largest Hindu nation.

Suspected Islamic “Fulani terrorists” killed at least eight Christians in Nigeria’s central Plateau state, Christian sources said Monday, days after scores of people were killed in a separate attack.