John Healey, the defense secretary, said the vessels were gathering information about undersea pipelines, and said he believed President Vladimir V. Putin “would want us to be distracted by the Middle East.”

For Iran’s theocratic rulers, just surviving the U.S.-Israeli onslaught means victory. But the seeds of their next crisis may already be planted.

An entrepreneur behind drones that make the final strike themselves epitomizes the transformation of Ukraine’s civilian technology industry into a defense powerhouse.

Zealous officials burned their predecessors’ romance novels. Now, young Muslim women in northern Nigeria publish their erotic books in installments on WhatsApp.

No oil and gas tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the truce took effect. Hezbollah said it was firing rockets at Israel early Thursday.

Critics wonder if this is America’s “Suez moment,” when a leading power signals the start of its international decline.

A study said church attendance had soared among British young people, a trend reversal that excited religious conservatives around the world. Turns out it wasn’t true.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party is expected to win two special elections that could give the government broader powers in Parliament.

Countries including Australia, Spain and others have already passed bans or are working on plans to restrict teenagers’ access to social sites.

Some wells can be turned on in days or weeks, but bringing the Gulf’s energy system back to something akin to normal will take months.