AP

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — German lawmakers on Friday approved the government’s plan to attract more military recruits as the country tries to boost the ranks of its armed forces in the face of rising concern about the threat posed by Russia. The plan also foresees mandatory medical checks for young men.

ROME (AP) — A preliminary cauldron was lit by the Olympic flame at Italy’s presidential palace on Friday as the countdown to the Milan Cortina Winter Games approached the two-months-to-go mark. International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry and Italy President Sergio Mattarella were in attendance for the ceremony. Organizers specified the cauldron is not the

By ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian drones struck a house in central Ukraine, killing a 12-year-old boy, officials said, while long-range Ukrainian strikes reportedly targeted a Russian port and an oil refinery as U.S. peace efforts continued out of public view. U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has taken his biggest step yet to correct one of Pope Francis’ more problematic financial moves, canceling a special Holy See fundraising commission that was announced under questionable circumstances while Francis was hospitalized. Leo on Thursday formally suppressed the fundraising commission, abrogated its statutes

ISTANBUL (AP) — Prosecutors in Istanbul on Friday issued arrest warrants for dozens of soccer players and officials in relation to a betting scandal that has shaken Turkey. Among those detained in early morning police raids were players from Turkey’s leading clubs: Mert Hakan Yandas of Fenerbahce and Metehan Baltaci of national champions Galatasaray. The

By RAJESH ROY Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Chaos gripped major Indian airports Friday as passengers of the country’s biggest airline, IndiGo, scrambled to cope up with widespread flight disruptions and cancellations triggered by newly enforced rules limiting working hours for crew and pilots. Scenes of frustration played out as passengers slept on airport

By KANIS LEUNG Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — The deadliest fire in Hong Kong in decades is piling pressure on Beijing’s “patriots-only” governance system, casting a shadow on elections widely seen as a further step to tighten control over the city’s legislature. Sunday’s vote to elect new lawmakers to Hong Kong’s 90-member Legislative Council

By GONZALO SOLANO Associated Press JATUN RUMI, Ecuador (AP) — High in the mountains of the Ecuadorian Andes, a group of young Otavalo Indigenous people is using anime to inspire pride in their ancient culture and language, especially among Otavalo children. They produced an animated short film titled “We’re Aya” that follows the adventures of