World News

Iran is set to reopen its embassy in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, after seven years of severed diplomatic ties between the two Middle Eastern powers, i24 News reports. Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016, after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad were attacked by demonstrators protesting Riyadh’s execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.

Serbia has begun soul searching after two shootings killed 18 people, half of them children, prompting massive protests over the weekend.

Hungary and  Poland have condemned the European Parliament for adopting a resolution questioning Hungary’s ability to hold the European Union presidency next year due to concerns about its perceived crackdown on democratic values.

Ukraine says a toddler has been killed and 22 injured after a Russian air strike in a residential area of the Ukrainian central city of Dnipro. But there were growing indications Sunday that the war in Ukraine was further escalating beyond its borders, with Russian authorities accusing Kyiv of attacking targets inside Russian territory.

At least 233 people were killed and about 900 injured Friday in a multiple train collision in India’s eastern state of Odisha, officials said. 

Russia accused neighboring Ukraine on Friday of attacking Russia’s Belgorod region, killing at least two people and injuring two others.

The Biden administration is retaliating for Russia’s suspension of the New START nuclear treaty, announcing Thursday it is revoking the visas of Russian nuclear inspectors, denying pending applications for new monitors and canceling standard clearances for Russian aircraft to enter U.S. airspace.

The European Union and the United States said Wednesday that they would soon release a voluntary code of conduct on artificial intelligence, hoping to develop common standards among democracies as China makes rapid gains.

A Chinese warship came within 150 yards of hitting the USS Chung-Hoon on Saturday before crossing its bow a second time at closer to 2,000 yards while the U.S. destroyer was conducting joint exercises with Canada in the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) confirmed.

Saudi Arabia will reportedly be cutting back on the amount of oil it exports to the world economy, in an effort to support the sagging price of crude after two earlier supply cuts by major oil-producing nations in the OPEC+ alliance failed to do so.

Chinese scientists have begun drilling a 10,000-meter (32,808 feet) hole into the Earth’s crust, as the world’s second largest economy explores new frontiers above and below the planet’s surface.

The U.S. dollar’s domination in world trade was further challenged Thursday as BRICS nations asked the bloc’s bank to investigate how a gold-backed shared currency might work.

Preparations continued Friday for “the largest military exercise” over European skies in the 74-year history of the Western NATO military alliance, U.S. sources said, after indications that the war in Ukraine may escalate into a broader armed conflict.

Newly revealed leaked documents reveal Iran could be readying for new attacks against U.S. troops in Syria, according to a new Washington Post report.

Foreign ministers from the five-country BRICS group called for a “rebalancing” of the world order in Thursday talks in South Africa.

Southeast Asian legislators have expressed concern about growing “restrictions” on Indonesia’s freedom of speech and expression on the internet ahead of historic upcoming elections next year.

Iran plans to ramp up its exportation of weapons and other military equipment in the coming months, one of the country’s top generals said Wednesday.

The US is expected to announce this week that it will be sending Ukraine a new military aid package totaling up to $300 million and including additional munitions for drones, the Associated Press reports.

Brazil’s president has proposed creating a regional trade currency for South America as part of broader efforts to ditch the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency.

Russia’s president accused Ukraine of terrorism after drones hit Moscow, the capital, and at least one of his allies suggested using nuclear weapons in response.