Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday rejected a proposal for direct peace talks outlined in an open letter from the Ukrainian President. Responding to a question from India Today’s Geeta Mohan at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Putin said he was not opposed to meeting Zelenskyy in principle, but stressed that any summit should produce … Read more
KYIV, Ukraine — KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday called for face-to-face negotiations in a public letter addressed directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The letter, the first public message Zelenskyy has written directly to Putin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, was a sweeping critique of the Russian … Read more
VIENNA — The U.N. nuclear watchdog has been unable to inspect nuclear facilities in Iran affected by the war last June according to a confidential report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog circulated to member states and seen Thursday by The Associated Press. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that it “cannot provide any information on … Read more
BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Tough-on-crime outsider Aberaldo de la Espriella took the lead in Colombia’s presidential race in the first round of voting Sunday night, setting up a runoff with Iván Cepeda, an ally of Colombia’s outgoing President Gustavo Petro who questioned the results of the election. With no candidate taking an outright majority of the … Read more
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli forces are making their deepest incursion inside Lebanon since they withdrew from the country over a quarter-century ago, despite a nominal U.S.-brokered ceasefire and the first direct talks between the countries in decades. The Israeli advance also presents a challenge in the emerging deal to extend the Iran war ceasefire … Read more
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Dozens of previously undeclared chemical bombs and rockets left over from when then-President Bashar Assad ruled Syria have been found in the country in the past few weeks, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said in a report Wednesday. The OPCW, the global chemical weapons watchdog based in The … Read more
MECCA, Saudi Arabia — The annual Hajj pilgrimage, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, officially began Monday. More than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the country, Saleh bin Saad Al-Murabba, commander of the Hajj passport forces, said Friday. The faithful have been pouring into the country for the Hajj … Read more
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The United States and Iran are close to agreeing on a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war, two regional officials and a diplomat said Saturday, as the United States has weighed a new round of attacks on the Islamic Republic. Iran signaled “narrowing differences” in negotiations with the U.S. after … Read more
BEIJING — President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for his highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a restless moment for a world worried about war, trade and artificial intelligence. “We’re the two superpowers,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House on Tuesday. “We’re the strongest … Read more
BOGOTA, Colombia — The impact of armed conflict on civilians in Colombia over the past year has been the worst in a decade as the country’s security situation deteriorates, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Tuesday in an annual report. The humanitarian group said the number of people displaced as criminal gangs and … Read more