Russia TV celebrates as it reports the capture of Bakhmut
TALLINN, Estonia — Russian TV went into a full frenzy of celebration as it reported Moscow’s capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. There were comparisons to the Red Army liberating Berlin in 1945, congratulations relayed from President Vladimir Putin and announcers emphasizing the victory by using the city’s nearly century-old Soviet name of Artyomovsk.
U.N. urges Sudan’s warring parties to honor 7-day cease-fire
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. envoy for Sudan urged the country’s warring generals to honor a seven-day cease-fire that began Monday night, warning the growing ethnic dimension to the fighting risks engulfing Sudan in a prolonged conflict.
Mexicans near Popocatepetl stay vigilant as volcano’s activity increases
SANTIAGO XALITZINTLA, Mexico — At the edge of this town near the Popocatepetl volcano, away from the din of traffic, there was an occasional low rumble Monday, like an idling engine.
U.S. bomb designed to hit Iran underground nuclear sites reappears
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — As tensions with Iran have escalated over its nuclear program, the U.S. military this month posted pictures of a powerful bomb designed to penetrate deep into the earth and destroy underground facilities that could be used to enrich uranium.
Pope sends official to Bolivia as abuse allegations escalate
LA PAZ, Bolivia — Pope Francis has sent one of his top sex crimes investigators to Bolivia at a time when the Andean nation is being shaken by an escalating pedophilia scandal involving priests.
World leaders warn China and North Korea on nukes
HIROSHIMA, Japan — Leaders of the world’s most powerful democracies warned China and North Korea against building up their nuclear arsenals, pivoting to major northeast Asian crises ahead of the arrival later Saturday of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
U.N. envoy reportedly meeting official accused of deporting Ukrainian children
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. envoy charged with trying to protect children caught in conflicts is in Moscow, where she is reported to be meeting Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, who is charged with war crimes for deporting children from Ukraine.
Cars ditched for bikes during the pandemic, cities want the habit to stick
MONTREAL — In the agonies of the virus that upended most of the world, millions of people from Bogota to Berlin saw what life could be like on two wheels instead of four.
Man who rushed Vatican City gate sent for psychiatric care at nearby hospital
VATICAN CITY — The man who drove through a Vatican City gate and kept going even after guards fired at his car was taken Friday to a nearby hospital for psychiatric care after a preliminary interrogation, the Vatican said.
Mexico moving migrants away from borders to relieve pressure
MEXICO CITY — Mexico is flying migrants south away from the U.S. border and busing new arrivals away from its boundary with Guatemala to relieve pressure on its border cities.
Debt ceiling negotiators pushing for weekend deal, but work remains
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Negotiators from the White House labored Thursday over the U.S. debt limit with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s emissaries at the Capitol, grinding through head-to-head talks trying to strike a budget deal to avert a looming economic crisis.
TikTok content creators file lawsuit against Montana over law banning app
HELENA, Mont. — Five TikTok content creators have filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn Montana’s first-in-the-nation ban on the video sharing app, arguing the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights.
$3 billion accounting error means more weapons to Ukraine
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pentagon has overestimated the value of the weapons it has sent to Ukraine by at least $3 billion — an accounting error that could be a boon for the war effort because it will allow the Defense Department to send more weapons now without asking Congress for more money.
FBI employees testify on GOP politicization claims
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former FBI employees accused the bureau of politicization in congressional testimony Thursday, a day after the agency disclosed that two of the men had seen their security clearances revoked over concerns about how their views of the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, affected their work.
White House vows more federal aid to reduce homelessness in 5 cities, California
LOS ANGELES — Five major U.S. cities and the state of California will receive federal help to get unsheltered residents into permanent housing under a new plan launched Thursday as part of the Biden administration’s larger goal to reduce homelessness 25% by 2025.
Russia fires 30 cruise missiles at Ukrainian targets; Ukraine says 29 were shot down
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia fired 30 cruise missiles against different parts of Ukraine early Thursday in the latest nighttime test of Ukrainian air defenses, which shot down 29 of them, officials said.
G7 leaders gather, ready to pile sanctions on Russia over Ukraine war
HIROSHIMA, Japan — Leaders of the world’s most powerful democracies planned to devote much of the first full day of the Group of Seven summit to finding new ways to punish Russia for its 15-month invasion of Ukraine.
Crews work to reach Italian towns isolated by floods as toll rises to 13
FAENZA, Italy — Rescue crews worked Thursday to reach towns and villages in northern Italy still isolated by heavy rains and flooding, as the death toll rose to 13 and authorities began mapping out cleanup and reconstruction plans.
Prince Harry, Meghan’s run another episode in paparazzi battle
LONDON — The latest chapter in the drama surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan’s treatment by the tabloid media was much ado about something.
Car rushes Vatican gate, is fired on by gendarmes; driver apprehended
ROME — A car driven by someone with apparent psychiatric problems rushed through a Vatican gate Thursday evening and sped past Swiss Guards into a palace courtyard before the driver was apprehended by police, the Holy See said.