For three years, Sergei V. Kiriyenko has handled the political aspects of the war in Ukraine, rising among a cadre of skilled managers who oversee the sprawling Russian state.

The decision triggers fears that the U.S. might return to a pattern of military interference in the region that dates to the Monroe Doctrine.

Officials have picked up people across the country, most of them Muslim, citing a national security risk. Rights groups say the raids are targeting detainees’ religion and language.

The federally appointed government in the contested region has declared 25 books off limits, part of what many see as a pattern of repression.

Images of starving children and Israel’s planned expansion of settlements spurred Britain, France and Germany to a tougher stance. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was undeterred.

For President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, it is an opportunity not just to end the Ukraine war on his terms but to split apart the Western security alliance.

The Chinese leader’s crackdown on military corruption reveals how deep his concerns run, not only about battlefield readiness, but about political survival, as well.

Ukraine and its allies are concerned that President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin will do a deal without them and then impose it on Kyiv.

The Israeli cabinet agreed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military plan, but the quandary of who will eventually govern Gaza remains intractable.

Palestinians who fear being killed or seriously injured during rushes to obtain aid are being forced to pay exorbitant fees to take out money to buy food.