Ukraine claims drone strike on Russia’s major oil refinery

Ukraine claimed on Saturday to have hit one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in a drone strike, igniting a fire at the facility more than 700 miles inside Russian territory. The strike on the Taneco refinery in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan – one of Russia’s largest and most modern refineries – was the second time Ukrainian forces … Read more

Russia warns U.S. sanctions could trigger global energy instability

On Saturday, Moscow accused the U.S. of jeopardizing global energy stability with new extensive sanctions on Russia’s energy sector. On Friday, the U.S. and the U.K. imposed new sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, including oil giant Gazprom Neft, just days before President Joe Biden leaves office. Moscow’s foreign ministry stated that, ahead of Biden’s “inglorious … Read more

Egypt discovers blocks from Queen Hatshepsut’s 18th Dynasty temple

Archaeologists have uncovered well-preserved sections of the foundation wall of Queen Hatshepsut’s valley temple in Luxor, along with the nearby tomb of Queen Teti Sheri, the grandmother of Ahmose I, Egypt’s first pharaoh of the New Kingdom era. Zahi Hawass, an Egyptian archaeologist and former minister of antiquities, announced on Wednesday the discovery of over … Read more

Italian journalist freed from Iran detention and returns home

An Italian journalist who had been detained in Iran for three weeks was released on Wednesday and returned home, after her situation became linked to that of an Iranian engineer arrested in Italy and sought by the United States. A plane carrying Cecilia Sala, 29, arrived at Rome’s Ciampino airport, where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni … Read more

Russia stops gas exports to Europe through Ukraine

Russian natural gas exports via Soviet-era pipelines running through Ukraine to Europe were halted in the early hours of New Year’s Day as a transit deal expired and warring Moscow and Kyiv have failed to reach an agreement to continue the flows. The shutdown of Russia’s oldest gas route to Europe ends a decade of … Read more

Japan Airlines faces cyberattack, delays flights

Japan Airlines (JAL) announced on Thursday that its systems were restored, with same-day ticket sales resuming, after a cyberattack caused delays to some domestic and international flights. The attack, which began at 7:24 a.m., disrupted both internal and external systems, leading JAL to temporarily shut down a malfunctioning router and suspend ticket sales for Thursday’s … Read more

Biden slams Russia’s Christmas attack on Ukraine

President Biden condemned Russia’s recent attack on Ukraine on Wednesday, calling the missile and drone strikes “outrageous.” “The purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the Ukrainian people’s access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid,” Biden said in a statement.  “Let me be clear: the … Read more

Trump nominates Brian Burch as U.S. ambassador to the Vatican

President-elect Donald Trump has named Brian Burch, president and co-founder of CatholicVote, as his nominee for U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. Trump shared the announcement on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating, “I am pleased to announce that Brian Burch will serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Holy See. Brian is … Read more

Eyewitness recounts German Christmas market attack

A woman who was with her boyfriend at the Magdeburg Christmas market told local media that she was holding him in her arms when the car used in the attack sped towards them. “He was hit and pulled away from my side. It was terrible,” said 32-year-old Nadine to Bild newspaper. German media footage showed … Read more

Boy damages 3,500-year-old artifact in museum

A boy visiting a museum in Israel accidentally knocked over a 3,500-year-old jar, breaking the ancient artifact. “There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police,” Lihi Laszlo of the Hecht Museum told the BBC. “In this case, however, this was not the … Read more