World News

In a win for Ukraine on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, the U.N. General Assembly has adopted two resolutions calling for an end to the war, while rejecting a U.S. draft that never mentioned Moscow’s aggression. Instead, both resolutions adopted Monday make clear Russia is the aggressor. The U.S. joined Russia in voting against a Europe-backed Ukrainian resolution, and abstained from voting on its own resolution after Europeans succeeded in amending it. It is a setback for the Trump administration in the 193-member world body, whose resolutions are not legally binding but are seen as a barometer of world opinion.

Ukraine is marking the bleakest anniversary yet of its war against the Russia invasion. The country’s forces are under severe pressure on the battlefield, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration apparently embracing the Kremlin in a reversal of U.S. policy. The three-year milestone drew more than a dozen Western leaders to Kyiv for commemorative events in a conspicuous show of support. Hours after the anniversary observances, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of a potential deal to end the war. Separately, Putin suggested that European countries could be part of a settlement, but he also said that he has not discussed resolving the conflict in detail with Trump.

The Vatican says Pope Francis remains in critical condition but has shown slight improvement in laboratory tests. He has resumed some work activities, including calling a parish in Gaza City that he has kept in touch with since the war there began. The Vatican’s evening bulletin was more upbeat than in recent days. It said the 88-year-old Francis. suffering from pneumonia in both lungs, hadn’t had any more respiratory crises. The slight kidney insufficiency detected on Sunday was of no concern. He is continuing to receive supplemental oxygen and doctors say his prognosis remains guarded. He received the Eucharist in the morning and resumed working in the afternoon.

President Donald Trump says he's hopeful Russia's war in Ukraine is nearing an endgame as he meets with French President Emmanuel Macron on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion. Trump in broad-ranging comments Monday on the state of the conflict said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine to keep the peace. Trump also expresses hope the conflict can end within weeks and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will soon come to the U.S. to sign a deal to give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical minerals to help repay some of the $180 billion in American aid that’s been sent to Kyiv since the start of the war..

A dozen leaders from Europe and Canada are in Ukraine to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion and discuss support with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. U.S. policies on Russia and Ukraine are shifting dramatically under President Donald Trump. Questions about possible peace talks and Ukraine’s interest in European Union and NATO membership loom large.

The first phase of the ceasefire that paused 15 months of brutal warfare between Israel and Hamas militants is set to end on Saturday. It’s unclear what comes next. The two sides were supposed to start negotiating a second phase weeks ago in which Hamas would release all the remaining hostages from its Oct. 7, 2023, attack in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. But those talks have hardly begun, and the first phase has been jolted by one dispute after another.

A former surgeon is standing trial in France for the alleged rape or sexual abuse of 299 victims. Most of them were children who were his patients. Investigators and his notebooks describe a pattern of violence spanning over three decades. Joël Le Scouarnec will face hundreds of victims during his four-month trial and could be sentenced up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He does not deny the facts but claims he does not remember everything. Some survivors have no memory of the assaults because they were unconscious at the time.

Haitian police officers are demanding better protection and treatment a day after gunmen killed a Kenyan policeman who was part of a U.N.-backed mission tasked with fighting gangs in the troubled Caribbean country. Garry Jean Baptiste is the leader of one of two powerful police unions in Haiti. On Monday, he called on government officials to provide more equipment and backup as gangs that control 85% of the capital keep attacking neighborhoods to seize more territory. About two dozen civilian protesters cheered the union leader on, with some holding signs that said, “We deserve security.”

The U.S. on Monday imposed sanctions on dozens of people and oil tankers across China, the United Arab Emirates, India and other jurisdictions for allegedly helping to finance Iran and its support for militant groups that launch attacks against the U.S. and its allies. This is the second round of sanctions imposed on Iranian oil sales since President Donald Trump issued the National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which calls for the U.S. to “drive Iran’s export of oil to zero.” It also states that Iran “can never be allowed to acquire or develop nuclear weapons.”

Congo says over 7,000 people have died this year as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured unprecedented amounts of territory in its mineral-rich eastern region. And the European Union says it will review an agreement with Rwanda on critical raw materials. Congo’s prime minister told the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday that the region's security and humanitarian situation “has reached alarming levels.” The rebels have taken the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu. M23 is the most potent of armed groups vying for a foothold in Congo’s east, which has trillions of dollars of mostly untapped mineral wealth crucial to the world’s technology.

Germany has long been considered to have relatively ambitious climate goals and it’s likely that combatting climate change will remain a priority. Currently, Germany aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030 and reach climate neutrality by 2045. The country is planning to phase out carbon-polluting coal-fired power generation entirely by 2038 and over 54% of its electricity from clean power sources like wind, solar and nuclear power. Climate policy analysts are nevertheless hopeful that Germany will continue on a path toward slashing fossil fuels, but question is by how much -- and how quickly.

Provisional results confirm that mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won Germany's national election, while a far-right party surged to become the nation’s second-largest. Merz at the helm will ensure that Ukraine has an even stronger supporter in the European Union’s largest country and creates hopes for renewal in an economic powerhouse that has been badly battered. The campaign was dominated by worries about the yearslong stagnation of Europe’s biggest economy and pressure to curb migration. It took place against a background of growing uncertainty over the future of Ukraine and Europe’s alliance with the United States.