Montenegro moved closer to becoming the European Union’s next member Friday as EU leaders signaled the Balkan nation could join the bloc by 2028, while officials also reflected on lessons learned from Hungary’s years of democratic backsliding under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Armed conflict intensified across the Middle East on Saturday as U.S. forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites after intercepting drones and missiles launched by Iran toward Arab Gulf states, while Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least nine people, including three members of the Lebanese military, officials said.

What began as a social media joke among India’s Generation Z, or Gen Z, has evolved into a growing protest movement challenging the country’s political establishment.

Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call for direct peace talks Friday, even as rare public criticism emerged from members of Russia’s political and business elite over the direction of the country’s wartime economy.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Thursday rejected a U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework between Israel and Lebanon, warning that the Iran-backed terrorist group would continue attacks as long as Israeli military operations continue in Lebanon.

Several Republican governors are marking June with observances centered on traditional family values, offering a contrast to the month’s broader association with LGBT Pride celebrations.

Israel’s Mossad reportedly carried out a covert operation to supply Kurdish militias with weapons and military aid as part of a broader effort to destabilize Iran’s ruling regime, according to recent investigative reports in Israeli media.

California’s primary election results remained unresolved Thursday, with two of the state’s most closely watched contests — the governor’s race and the Los Angeles mayoral race — still unsettled as officials continued counting mail-in and provisional ballots.

The Department of War has officially reduced the number of recognized religious affiliation codes available to U.S. service members, cutting the list from more than 200 faith codes to 31 in a sweeping reform of the Military Chaplain Corps.

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a ceasefire provided the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement also halts hostilities and withdraws its operatives from areas south of the Litani River, the United States announced Thursday.