International

A pro-peace Russian presidential hopeful is blocked by election commission
Yekaterina Duntsova is a former journalist-turned-politician who opposes the Ukraine war and hopes to challenge Putin, but her efforts to run stalled after election officials rejected her nomination.
Gaza health officials say Israel's offensive has now killed more than 20,000 people
Just more than 10 weeks into the conflict, the number of people killed in Gaza is nearing 1 percent of the territory's pre-war population. The rising death toll has fueled calls for Israel to shift strategy.
It's the winter solstice. Here are 5 ways people celebrate the return of light
Winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, and it falls at exactly 9:27 p.m. CT on Thursday in the Northern Hemisphere. Here are five ways it's celebrated around the world.
At least 15 people are dead after a mass shooting at a Prague university
A lone gunman opened fire Thursday in a university building in downtown Prague, killing at least 15 people and injuring more than 20 in the Czech Republic's worst mass shooting, officials said.
As Israel fights to destroy Hamas, the group's popularity surges among Palestinians
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a recent poll found 68 percent of Palestinians say the Oct. 7 Hamas attack was a legitimate act of defiance and support for the group has more than tripled to 44 percent.
Pentagon announces new international maritime protection force for the Red Sea
The U.S. and other nations are creating a force to protect ships transiting the Red Sea that have come under attack from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced.
A volcano in Iceland erupts weeks after thousands were evacuated from a nearby town
Police evacuated Grindavik in November after strong seismic activity in the area damaged homes and raised fears of an imminent eruption. Officials said magma could continue in that direction.