PresidentVladimir Putinon Thursday hailed Russian national unity amid the fighting in Ukraine in a state-of-the-nation address ahead of next month’selectionhe’s all but certain to win. Speaking to an audience of lawmakers and top officials televised live nationwide, Putin said that Russia was “defending its sovereignty and security and protecting our compatriots” in Ukraine. He hailed Russian soldiers and honored those who were killed in fighting with a moment of silence.

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and head of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Nawaz Sharif has once again clarified that his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif will be the next Wazir-e-Azam i.e. Prime Minister of the country. Nawaz Sharif said that only Shahbaz Sharif can take care of Pakistan in the current situation. Shahbaz Sharif was the Prime Minister in the previous government as well and held the post for 16 months. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has formed an alliance with Asif Ali Zardari's Pakistan People's Party for the new government. Talking to the media on Wednesday, Nawaz said that Sh

Pope Francis, who has beensuffering from the flu, was brought to a hospital in central Rome after the papal audience on Wednesday, arriving at the Gemelli Hospital on Tiber Island in a small white Fiat 500 and leaving again under escort in the same car after a short period. The Vatican had no immediate comment. The 86-year-old pope was pushed in a wheelchair into the audience hall at the Vatican earlier in the day, appearing weary as he dropped heavily into his seat. In recent weeks he has walked the short distance to his chair, but he has been struggling with mild flu symptoms the past week.

The funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died earlier this month in a remote Arctic penal colony, will take place on Friday in Moscow, his spokesperson said. His funeral will be held at a church in Moscow’s southeast Maryino district on Friday afternoon, Kira Yarmysh said Tuesday. The burial is to be at a nearby cemetery. Navalny died in mid-February in one of Russia’s harshest penal facilities. Russian authorities said the cause of his death at age 47 is still unknown, and the results of any investigation are likely to be questioned abroad. Many Western leaders have al

Kensington Palace says Britain's Prince William has pulled out of attending a memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine of Greece, because of a personal matter. The palace declined to elaborate on Tuesday but said the Princess of Wales, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, continues to do well. It said William called the Greek royal family, which is attending the memorial service in St. George’s Chapel, to let them know he was unable to attend.

A Moscow court on Tuesday sentenced a veteran human rights advocate who spoke out against the war in Ukraine to two years and six months in prison. He was taken directly into custody from the courtroom. Oleg Orlov, 70, was convicted of “repeatedly discrediting” the Russian army in an article he wrote denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. He has rejected the case against him as politically motivated. The prosecution on Monday demanded that he be sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison. The verdict concluded a retrial after Orlov was earlier ordered to pay a fine. Underscoring how littl

Hungary’s parliament voted Monday to ratify Sweden's bid to join NATO, bringing an end to more than 18 months of delays that have frustrated the alliance as it seeks to expand in response to Russia'swar in Ukraine. The vote, which passed with 188 votes for and six against, came as a culmination of months of wrangling by Hungary's allies to convince its nationalist government to lift its block on Sweden's membership. The government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán submitted the protocols for approving Sweden's entry into NATO in July 2022, but the matter had stalled in parliament over oppositi

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in action in the two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. 31,000 Ukrainian military personnel have been killed in this war. Not 300,000, not 150,000, not whatever Putin and his deceitful circle have been lying about. But nevertheless, each of these losses is a great sacrifice for us," Zelenskyy said at the “Ukraine. Year 2024” forum in Kyiv. The Ukrainian leader said that he wouldn't disclose the number of troops that were wounded or missing. It is the first time that Kyiv ha

Donald Trumphas appealed his$454 million New York civil fraud judgment,challenging ajudge’s findingthatTrump lied about his wealthas he grew the real estate empire that launched him to stardom and the presidency. The former president’s lawyers filed a notice of appeal Monday asking the state’s mid-level appeals court to overturn Judge Arthur Engoron’s Feb. 16 verdict in Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit. Trump’s lawyers wrote in court papers that they're asking the appeals court to decide whether Engoron “committed errors of law and/or fact” and whether he abused his disc