As Israel marked its 77th Independence Day amid war and grief, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir issued a stern warning to Hamas and emphasized the military’s readiness to escalate operations in Gaza if hostages are not released.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday delivered a stern warning to Iran over its ongoing support for Yemen’s Houthi rebels, amid rising tensions in the region and the collapse of planned nuclear negotiations.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin admitted Wednesday that Ukrainian soldiers were still fighting in Kursk, just days after Moscow claimed it “regained full control” over that Russian region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignited a firestorm of criticism during Israel’s Independence Day celebrations after declaring that winning the war against Hamas is a “superior objective” to retrieving the remaining hostages held in Gaza.
The U.S. economy contracted by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025, marking its first decline in three years, according to preliminary data released Wednesday by the Commerce Department.
Ukraine’s president has urged the world to pressure Russia to stop continuing attacks on his war-torn nation after authorities said at least two people were killed and 15 injured in a Russian drone strike on the Black Sea port city of Odesa.
The United States imposed a sweeping set of sanctions Wednesday targeting an international network of companies and vessels accused of facilitating the illicit trade of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products. The move, announced just days ahead of renewed U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it has removed more than 65,000 illegal immigrants from the United States during the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term in office. The agency reported a total of 66,463 arrests, with 65,682 individuals removed from the country between January 20 and April 29.
Russia and North Korea have begun constructing a road bridge to strengthen their “strategic partnership” despite reports that hundreds of North Korean soldiers have died fighting for Russia.
At least nearly two dozen Christian refugees from Afghanistan have been ordered to leave the United States despite facing death in their home country for their faith in Christ, their church and other groups say.