In a dramatic escalation of East-West tensions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian nuclear forces put on high alert Sunday in response to what he called “aggressive statements” by leading NATO powers. The directive to put Russia’s nuclear...

As the Syrian war has driven poverty and hunger to levels higher than at any previous point, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen told the Security Council on Friday that he would continue to focus on engaging the parties to bring an end to the protracted conflict.  “We will convene a...

Civilians in war-torn Syria have been watching the Russian invasion of Ukraine with mixed feelings. For many, the war recalls their own plight. Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad since 2011, when a revolution against Assad turned into a...

Ukraine’s military says it has shot down a Russian military transport plane with paratroopers on board. According to a statement from the military’s General Staff, the Il-76 heavy transport plane was shot down near Vasylkiv, a city 40 kilometers south of Kyiv. The Russian military...