Putin congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his election, expressing hope for continued dialogue based on "shared Christian values."

The Catholic Church has a new leader and congratulations are pouring in as Pope Leo XIV prepares to celebrate his first Mass

Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, a surprise choice who took the name Leo XIV to become the first U.S. pontiff.

A growing crop of Russian soldiers have been tapped to fill a wave of government positions after serving in Ukraine, raising the prestige of military service and encouraging more people to enlist.

As the clock approached the time the Kremlin said its guns would fall silent for three days, the men at the National Guard monitoring center in eastern Ukraine had absolutely no faith in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ceasefire.

U.S. President Donald Trump called on Thursday for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and said that both countries will be held accountable for the "sanctity of these direct negotiations.

China and Russia pledged to deepen their relationship and oppose "power politics" amid tough negotiations with President Donald Trump on trade and war.

The Trump administration has said it wants to pull apart Russia and China, but the two countries need each other too much.

Vladimir Putin welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday for talks in the Kremlin that Moscow hopes will provide a diplomatic boost for the Russian leader at a key moment in the war with Ukraine.