Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russian forces have taken control of the eastern Ukrainian cities of Pokrovsk and Vovchansk, where intense fighting has persisted for weeks. The announcement came the night before US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was set to meet Putin in Moscow to discuss a potential peace deal. However, Ukraine’s military

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Russia on Monday announced that its forces have captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a strategic hub in the Donetsk region. While Moscow hailed the operation as a significant military achievement, Ukraine dismissed the claim, calling it a “loud statement” intended to influence ongoing diplomatic negotiations. Russian Claim and Military Context The Kremlin’s announcement

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Around 150,000 people gathered at the Beirut waterfront on Tuesday morning to attend a historic mass led by Pope Leo XIV, marking a highlight of his first international visit as pope. The pontiff delivered a message of hope, unity, and peace, particularly resonating with Lebanon’s youth, who have grown disillusioned amid years of economic and

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Hong Kong is grappling with the aftermath of a devastating apartment fire that claimed the lives of at least 156 people and left 30 missing at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Tai Po. Authorities are investigating unsafe construction practices, including the use of substandard mesh netting on scaffolding, which contributed to the rapid

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Governments and humanitarian organizations are racing to deliver aid to survivors of catastrophic floods in Asia as the death toll across Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka approaches 1,200. Torrential monsoon rains, compounded by two tropical cyclones last week, have devastated communities, destroyed infrastructure, and displaced millions. Indonesia: Aceh Faces Severe Crisis Indonesia’s Aceh province

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A series of cyclones and intense monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across Asia, causing catastrophic flooding and landslides from Indonesia to Sri Lanka. According to national disaster agencies compiled by CNN, at least 1,250 people have died, hundreds remain missing, and over one million people have been displaced from their homes. The extreme weather events

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The Hague, Netherlands – Germany has transferred Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, a Libyan man accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, to the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking a significant step in international efforts to hold perpetrators of atrocities in Libya accountable. El Hishri is alleged to have been a senior commander at

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United States envoys, including Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, are scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss the latest version of a proposed US peace plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The White House expressed optimism ahead of the talks, emphasizing a “very optimistic” outlook

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The United States has recorded the lowest number of mass killings in two decades in 2025, according to a comprehensive database maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University. Despite the decline, experts warn that gun violence continues to pose a serious threat nationwide. A recent tragedy in Stockton, California, where a family

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The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has officially rejected claims by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that it has taken control of the strategically significant West Kordofan town of Babnusa, a city that serves as a gateway to the western region of Sudan, including Darfur. The military government released a statement on Tuesday asserting that

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