World News

Diplomatic tensions were rising Thursday after the European Union “strongly” urged its 27 member states to insist on “negative COVID tests” from Chinese arrivals before they travel.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin faced more embarrassment Wednesday after one of his senior generals admitted that the unauthorized use of mobile phones caused one of Ukraine’s deadliest attacks against Russian troops.

Two rockets struck a U.S. military base in northeastern Syria Wednesday following the 3rd anniversary of the killing of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike in 2020.

The United States is looking at ways to target Iranian drone production through sanctions and export controls, and is talking to private companies whose parts have been used in production, the White House said on Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Wednesday the deployment of a frigate armed with hypersonic Zircon cruise missiles — a type of weaponry he says has “no analogues” — to the Atlantic Ocean.

Determined to thwart the ongoing efforts of the United States to simultaneously counter both of its top rivals, China and Russia have made a joint resolution to increase their cooperation on a variety of fronts in the New Year.

Russia is bolstering its strategic nuclear forces in 2023 with further deployment of multi-warhead nuclear missiles and further modernization of its long-range strategic bomber division, the Russian Defense Ministry announced this week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin faced embarrassment Tuesday after one of Ukraine’s deadliest attacks on Russian troops was reportedly caused by the unauthorized use of mobile phones.

The UK is set to follow the United States in designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, Jewish News UK reports. With Tehran continually threatening the annihilation of Israel, a designation of the 250,000-strong IRGC as a terror organization has long been sought by British Jewish and pro-Israel groups.

Overriding strong objections from press freedom organizations, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday signed controversial legislation granting the government increased regulatory power over Ukrainian journalism and media groups, the Hill reports. Zelensky has wanted to strengthen governmental control of the Ukrainian media since he came to office in 2019.

This year is going to be tougher on the global economy than 2022, the International Monetary Fund’s chief, Kristalina Georgieva, has warned.

Russia used Iranian-made drones in a wave of attacks targeting essential infrastructure in Ukraine over the New Year’s weekend, Ukrainian officials announced Monday.

Ukraine faced “terror on New Year’s Eve” as Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles at targets in Ukraine on Saturday, killing at least one person in the capital Kyiv and injuring more, authorities said.

Heavily Catholic Croatia rang in the New Year with the euro currency and by joining European Union’s border-free Schengen zone a decade after joining the EU.

Brazil’s controversial leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was sworn in as president shortly after his predecessor left for the United States amid rising tensions.

Former Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned as pontiff citing poor health, has died at his Vatican residence, aged 95, the Vatican said Saturday. He died almost a decade after he stood down.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was rushed to intensive care after suffering a stroke, according to reports from Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

The COVID-19 omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 is quickly becoming the dominant strain in the United States. In the past week, it has doubled its spread. Now 41% of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. consist of it.

Scientists have identified more than 100,000 RNA viruses that have never been seen before, a new study has revealed.

Iran said Friday it has kicked off annual military drills Friday in the critical Strait of Hormuz even as Tehran continues its crackdown on anti-government protests that have spread throughout the country.