Russia holds nuclear drills on land, sea and air, joined by its ally Belarus

MOSCOW (AP) – Trucks carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles rumbled over forest roads, atomic-powered submarines set sail from Arctic and Pacific ports, and crews scrambled into warplanes as Russia and neighboring Belarus held the final stage of their joint nuclear drills Thursday.

Global shares gain and oil prices fall after talks on war

TOKYO (AP) – Global shares mostly rose Monday and oil prices sank more than $4 after U.S. President Donald Trump said talks on ending the war with Iran are progressing.

Ukraine says its drones hit another refinery deep inside Russia

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukrainian drones smashed into another Russian refinery overnight, starting a fire that produced huge clouds of black smoke, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday, in what appeared to be the latest long-range attack on Moscow’s vital oil industry.

Top Asia Pacific Breaking News: Latest Updates

ANGELES, Philippines (AP) – Rescuers pulled out three people Monday from an immense pile of rubble that was all that remained of a nine-story hotel which collapsed while under construction in a northern Philippine city, bringing the death toll to four with 17 others still missing, officials said.

Putin and Xi hail their friendship and growing energy trade at their meeting in Beijing

BEIJING (AP) – Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed their strategic ties and growing energy trade as they met in Beijing Wednesday only days after a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to China. Putin and Xi oversaw the signing of more than 40 cooperation agreements in areas such as trade, technology and media exchanges.

Pope Leo XIV makes historic apology for Vatican's role in legitimizing slavery

VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Leo XIV made a historic apology on Monday for the role the Holy See played in legitimizing slavery and for having failed to condemn it for centuries, calling the Vatican’s record a “wound in Christian memory.” Past popes have apologized for Christians’ involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Britain eases new sanctions on Russian oil as fuel prices surge

LONDON (AP) – The U.K. government has delayed some new sanctions on Russian oil in an effort to shelter Britons from the cost-of-living squeeze triggered by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Iran war. A trade license that came into effect Wednesday permits the import of Russian oil that has been refined into jet fuel and diesel in third countries such as India and Turkey.

Editorials from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Russia holds massive drills of its nuclear forces

MOSCOW (AP) – Russia on Tuesday began massive maneuvers of its nuclear forces featuring practice launches of nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles in drills that come amid surge in Ukrainian drone strikes. The three-day exercise will involve 64,000 troops, over 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface warships and 13 submarines.