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Battles Rage Inside Russia, With Waves of Tanks, Drones and North Koreans

Ukrainian soldiers are describing fierce clashes as Russian forces try to retake territory in the Kursk region that could be key in eventual cease-fire talks.

The Mafia’s Grip on a Brazilian Lottery Seemed Invincible. Until the Apps Came.

Digital gambling could spell the end for a lottery run by criminal gangs that has been a fixture of Brazilian life for decades.

Gaza Cease-Fire Deal Gains Momentum Ahead of Trump Inauguration

Cease-fire talks appeared to be gaining momentum on Monday as Arab and American mediators pressed for an agreement to halt the fighting in Gaza and release hostages held by Hamas before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office on Jan. 20.

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Ukraine Launches ‘Massive’ Drone Attacks Inside Russia, Officials Say

Ukraine carried out “massive” drone strikes on several regions of Russia overnight, local officials said there said on Tuesday, in what appeared to be one of the largest recent assaults in Kyiv’s campaign to cripple Russia’s war machine on its home turf.

Britain’s Anticorruption Minister Resigns

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer suffered a new blow on Tuesday when his anticorruption minister and niece of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, Tulip Siddiq, quit her post weeks after being named in an embezzlement investigation.

The Mexican Official Accused of Hiding the Severity the Border Crisis

When border crossings grew out of control in 2023, the U.S. pressured Mexico to do something. Officials rebuked the immigration chief and stripped him of a key power, a Times investigation shows.

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What We Know About the Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire Agreement

Negotiators from Israel and Hamas have agreed to a 42-day cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, President Biden and other officials announced on Wednesday, raising hopes that there could soon be an end to more than a year of war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave.

South Korea Detains Its President, but Crisis Is Far From Over

Yoon Suk Yeol became the first South Korean leader to be held by criminal investigators on Wednesday, ending a long standoff after he imposed martial law on Dec. 3.

‘Burn Mozambique’: New President Takes Power in a Nation on Edge

Daniel Chapo was sworn in as president of Mozambique at a time of widespread anger directed at his party, Frelimo, which has led the country for 50 years and was accused of rigging the election.

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Sudan’s Military Has Used Chemical Weapons Twice, U.S. Officials Say

Sudan’s military has used chemical weapons on at least two occasions against the paramilitary group it is battling for control of the country, four senior United States officials said on Thursday. The determination came as the U.S. announced sanctions against the Sudanese military chief.

Azerbaijan’s Leader, Emboldened, Picks a Rare Fight With Putin

Russia’s president is said to have blamed birds or a Ukrainian drone for a Dec. 25 crash of an Azerbaijani plane. Azerbaijan says Russian air defenses were at fault.

Patients Are Dying in Hospital Corridors, British Nurses Say

A damning report on overcrowded hospitals added fuel to a painful debate over the crises at the British National Health Service.

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Russia and Iran Sign Cooperation Treaty in the Kremlin

President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, signed a major cooperation treaty on Friday in the Kremlin, solidifying an alliance between two countries driven by mutual desire to challenge the West.

What We Know About the Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire Agreement

Israel’s security cabinet approved a cease-fire deal for Gaza on Friday, bringing a pause in fighting one step closer after Israeli and Hamas negotiators worked out their remaining differences. It will now go before the full cabinet, which is expected to green-light it.

3 Lawyers for Navalny Sentenced for Passing Along His Correspondence

A Russian court said on Friday that the lawyers for Aleksei Navalny, the country’s top opposition figure before his death in a penal colony last year, were guilty of involvement in an extremist group.

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Ukraine Braces for Trump’s Return, Eager for Peace, but Wary of the Terms

As President Trump prepares to return to the White House on Monday, he is promising peace in Ukraine, but publicly offering no strategy for how to achieve it — so Ukrainians can only guess at what the coming months will bring.

Fighting Has Halted in Gaza, but the War Is Not Over

Sunday’s delayed start to the truce was a minor problem compared with the difficult choices and American leverage needed to get both parties to the second phase, which could end the war.

The Last Migrant Caravans Before Trump’s Inauguration

In the weeks before Donald Trump was to take office as president, promising a crackdown on illegal immigrants, groups of migrants were still setting out on foot from Mexico, hoping to somehow reach the northern border by inauguration day.

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Facing Setbacks and Desertions at the Front, Ukraine Detains Commanders

Facing growing public pressure to address concerns over military leadership on the front as its forces lose ground to Russian attacks, Ukraine said it had detained three former commanders that it blamed for the loss of territory last spring.

At Least 76 Are Killed in Fire at Ski Resort in Turkey

A fire blazed through a 12-story hotel at a ski resort in Turkey on Tuesday, killing at least 76 people and injuring 51 others, the authorities said, turning an idyllic vacation spot into a smoke-filled nightmare.

‘I Feel Rage, I Feel Sadness.’ With Border Closed, Migrants Face Few Options.

On Monday, people waiting to enter the U.S. learned that President Trump had canceled all asylum appointments moments after taking office and planned to sign several executive orders sealing the border. Many migrants expressed despair, and some moved to cross the border anyway.

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Fighting Alongside Russia, North Koreans Wage Their Own War

North Koreans fighting for Russia are a new enemy with distinct tactics on their own patches of land, Ukrainian troops say.

Partial Victory for Prince Harry as Murdoch’s U.K. Tabloids Admit Unlawful Activities

Prince Harry cast himself as the “last person” who could hold Britain’s tabloids to account for years of predatory conduct during the phone hacking scandal. On Wednesday, he settled for a partial victory in his lonely campaign.

‘Living Through Hell’: How North Africa Keeps Migrants From Europe

Libya deported more than 600 men from Niger last month as North African countries — financed by the European Union to tackle migration — have ramped up expulsions of sub-Saharan Africans.

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Ukraine Is Losing Fewer Soldiers Than Russia — but It’s Still Losing the War

Russia has lost about twice as many men to death and serious injury as Ukraine. But the trends favor the Kremlin.

Rebels Backed by Rwanda Close In on Major City in Congo

Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surrounded the eastern city of Goma, in one of the sharpest escalations in years of a conflict that has pitted the Central African country against its neighbor Rwanda.

U.S. Security Contractors Going to Gaza to Oversee Truce, Officials Say

American security contractors have been enlisted to help handle the return of displaced Palestinians to the Gaza Strip’s devastated north, the next step in the cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, according to four officials familiar with the matter.

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Did Ukraine Kill Its Own by Downing a Russian Plane? A Year Later, It Hasn’t Said.

One year since Moscow accused Kyiv of shooting down a Russian military plane carrying dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war, Ukraine has not confirmed its role, identified the bodies it received, or said how it happened.

Israel Appears Poised to Keep Its Troops in Lebanon Beyond Deadline

Israel implied its troops will remain in parts of southern Lebanon after a deadline for its full military withdrawal lapses on Sunday, amid Israeli concerns that Lebanon’s military cannot yet contain Hezbollah.

MeToo Outrage Leaves Japanese Broadcaster Without a Single Advertiser

A popular TV host in Japan admitted trying to conceal a sexual assault complaint. This time, the reaction was swift and harsh, and aimed not only at him but also his employers.

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Rebels Backed by Rwanda Announce Capture of Key City in Eastern Congo

The M23 militia, funded and directed by Rwanda, said that it had seized the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, terrifying its people, many of whom sought shelter there after fleeing the rebel advance.

Israeli Forces Again Open Fire as Lebanese Try to Return Home, Lebanese Officials Say

Israeli forces opened fire toward residents of southern Lebanon for a second day on Monday as people pressed on with attempts to return to their homes along the border, a day after at least two dozen people were killed in Israeli attacks, Lebanese officials said.

Standoff at Ukrainian Procurement Agency Threatens to Disrupt Weapons Supply

Ukraine’s defense minister fired the head of a state agency that procured over $7 billion in armaments last year, citing “unsatisfactory” results. She says the move is illegal and vows to stay in her post.

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Chastened by Past Wars, Kremlin Tries to Elevate Its Veterans

Russians who fought in Chechnya and Afghanistan came home to silence and stigma. There’s a very public push to make things different this time.

‘A Good Chance People Are Going to Die’, as U.S. Halts Funding for Mine Clearing

For decades, people in Southeast Asia have been working to clear out unexploded bombs dropped by American forces during the Vietnam War. The United States is a big part of the effort and has given out more than $750 million to clear out the unexploded ammunition. But that funding has come to a grinding halt.

Inside Colombia’s Crisis Over Trump’s Deportations

When Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, refused military planes carrying deportees, infuriating President Trump, he revealed how heated the question of deportations has become.

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Rebel Leader Who Overthrew al-Assad is Declared Syria’s President

The rebel coalition that seized control of Syria last month appointed its leader, Ahmed al-Shara, as president of the country to preside over a transitional period, Syrian state media reported on Wednesday.

At Least 30 Dead and Many More Hurt in Stampede at Huge Hindu Festival in India

At least 30 people were killed and dozens more were injured early Wednesday after millions of Hindu pilgrims at the Maha Kumbh Mela, a huge festival in the Indian city of Prayagraj, rushed to bathe in holy river waters on what is considered one of the most auspicious dates in the Hindu calendar.

Russia Seizes Another Ukrainian Town in Push to Take All of Donetsk

Building on their momentum in eastern Ukraine, Russian forces have seized control of yet another small town, military experts say, taking another step in their grinding push to conquer the entire Donetsk region.

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Kyiv Mayor Feuds With Zelensky in Schism Over Martial Law

Internal political tensions in Ukraine have been rising in anticipation of a cease-fire that might lead to elections. This week, they burst into the open with a striking public rebuke of President Volodymyr Zelensky by the mayor of Kyiv.

Trump’s Foreign Aid Freeze Causes Fear of H.I.V. Resurgence in Africa

Patients and health care advocates across Africa said the abrupt decision to halt U.S. funding for a lifesaving H.I.V. program led to widespread confusion. The backtracking didn’t help.

In India, Concerns of Cover-Up After Stampede at Massive Hindu Festival

The late release of casualty figures at the gathering of millions of people for a Hindu festival in northern India was seen as shielding the political fortunes of a local leader with national aspirations.

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Kremlin Chokes YouTube Service, but Russians Find Ways Around It

The Kremlin is trying to cripple YouTube in Russia, internet experts say, pushing some people to state-controlled domestic alternatives. But many Russians have found workarounds.

How the World Is Reeling From Trump’s Aid Freeze

In a matter of days, President Trump's halt on foreign aid has intensified humanitarian crises and raised questions about the United States’ reliability as a global leader.

Father Slays New York Girl, 14, in TikTok ‘Honor Killing’

After being lured to Pakistan, Hira Anwar was fatally shot by her father and an uncle over online posts that her parents believed were immodest, the police said.

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Pro-Russia Ukrainian Is Killed in Moscow Blast, Russian Media Says

A prominent pro-Russia separatist figure from Ukraine was killed after a bomb exploded on Monday inside a gated residence in Moscow, Russian news media said, in what appears to be another attack targeting opponents of Kyiv.

For China, Trump’s Moves Bring Pain, but Also Potential Gains

President Trump’s tariffs hurt China, but his other actions have alienated U.S. allies, giving Beijing an opening to strengthen its global standing.

Who Will Govern Postwar Gaza? Four Competing Models Are Emerging.

As Israel and Hamas prepare for negotiations to extend their truce, four models for Gaza’s future have begun to take shape.

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At Least 10 Are Killed at School Shooting in Sweden

At least 10 people were killed and an unidentified number of others injured at a shooting at a center for adult education in central Sweden on Tuesday, the authorities said.

China Swiftly Counters Trump’s Tariffs With a Flurry of Trade Curbs

After a 10 percent tariff on Chinese products took effect on Tuesday, China announced retaliatory measures against the U.S., including tariffs and an investigation of Google.

Where a Strongman Failed, Women Are Now Fueling a Democratic Revival

A leftist movement in Sri Lanka that took power after an economic collapse is seizing a rare opportunity to rally more women into politics.

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Trump officials walk back plan to take over Gaza.

Top Trump administration officials directly contradicted the president after he proposed that the United States “take over” Gaza and drive out the Palestinian population, insisting that he had not committed to using American troops and that any relocation of Palestinians would be temporary.

The Next Aga Khan Is Named

Prince Rahim al-Hussaini, a son of the Aga Khan IV, was named as his successor on Wednesday, inheriting the role of the spiritual leader of millions of Ismaili Muslims around the world.

Philippines’ Vice President Is Impeached, Deepening Political Turmoil

Vice President Sara Duterte of the Philippines was impeached by lawmakers on Wednesday, further escalating political tensions in a strategically important American ally in Asia.

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To Keep Aid Coming, Ukraine Appeals to Trump Allies: Conservative Christians

A Ukrainian delegation to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington was to make the case that Russia threatens the religious freedom of Christians who don’t follow the Russian Orthodox Church.

‘Days of Mass Burials Ahead’ as Congo Mourns Its Dead in Goma

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in Goma last week, according to early estimates provided by the U.N. peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as rebels captured a key city in one of the deadliest battles in the country in decades.

Grenfell Tower, Where Fire Killed 72, Will Be Demolished, Families Say

Almost eight years after 72 people died when a devastating fire ripped through a tower block in central London, the government is set to announce that the building will be demolished, according to former residents and survivors’ groups.

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At a Draft Site in Ukraine, an Anguished Wait for a Chance to Say Goodbye

The Ukrainian authorities are rounding up recruits. Relatives huddle at a center on the edge of Kyiv for a chance to see loved ones before they’re shipped to war.

Fighting Intensifies in Sudan, Leaving Hundreds Dead

Hundreds of people, including dozens of children, have been killed in Sudan in recent days, according to civilian witnesses, medical workers and the United Nations, as fierce clashes have escalated in an internal conflict that is approaching its third year.

Sweden Moves to Tighten Gun Laws After Mass Shooting

Sweden will tighten its already strict gun laws, the government said on Friday, days after a lone gunman killed at least 10 people in an attack the prime minister has called the worst mass shooting in the country’s history.

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