World News

Military planning for a potential U.S. intervention in Cuba is quietly accelerating, according to a USA TODAY exclusive, as the Pentagon prepares contingency options should President Donald Trump authorize action against the communist-led island.

At least six people were killed after a gunman opened fire in a district of Kyiv before barricading himself inside a supermarket, where he later died in a confrontation with police, officials said.

The administration of U.S. President Donald J. Trump has renewed a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil at sea for about a month, despite critics fearing it could help Moscow finance its war against Ukraine.

Bulgarians were heading for elections that a pro-Russia former president was expected to win.

Iran has announced the reopening of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz following a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, prompting a strong response from global markets and cautious optimism from world leaders.

The United States and Iran are considering a two-week extension of their ceasefire to allow more time for negotiations on a broader peace deal, easing immediate fears of renewed fighting despite an intensifying standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, officials said, prompting a global stock rally.

Turkey plunged into mourning Thursday as funerals were held for nine people killed when a 14-year-old opened fire at a school, one of the deadliest such shootings in the nation’s recent history.

Hungary’s election winner Péter Magyar pushed for a rapid transfer of power after his landslide victory, urging President Tamás Sulyok to step down following talks at the presidential palace.

The U.S. military is prepared to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure if it does not agree to a peace deal, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday.

Syria announced it has taken full control of all former U.S. military bases following the complete withdrawal of United States Central Command forces, marking a significant shift in the region’s strategic landscape.

Iran’s government has sentenced four additional protesters—including a woman—to death following mass demonstrations earlier this year, signaling a continued and intensifying crackdown on dissent in the Islamic Republic.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a historic battlefield milestone this week, declaring that Ukrainian forces successfully captured a Russian position using only unmanned robotic systems—marking what he described as a first in modern warfare.

Iran secretly deployed a Chinese-built surveillance satellite to monitor U.S. military bases across the Middle East during the recent conflict, significantly enhancing its targeting capabilities, according to a new investigation by the Financial Times.

U.S. President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that the United States will not agree to any peace deal with Iran unless Tehran fully abandons its nuclear ambitions, reinforcing a hardline stance as diplomatic efforts continue amid rising regional tensions.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has downgraded its global growth outlook, warning that the ongoing Iran conflict could push the world economy toward recession if energy disruptions intensify and inflation pressures worsen.

The U.S. may return to the negotiating table with Iran soon, as thousands of American service members assist in the blockade of Iranian ports.

The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian shipping showed early signs of effectiveness in its first 24 hours, according to U.S. Central Command, as no vessels departing Iranian ports successfully passed through the restricted zone.

European nations are preparing a post-war naval coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz, potentially excluding the United States, according to a The Wall Street Journal exclusive.

Hungary’s election winner, Péter Magyar, said Monday his government could be formed within weeks and re-establish relations with the European Union, including introducing the euro currency in 2031, after he ousted longtime pro-Russia strongman Viktor Orbán in the largest victory since the collapse of communism in 1989.

Iran executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, marking the highest number of executions since 1989, according to a joint report by the Norway-based organization Iran Human Rights and the Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty.