U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll held talks on late on Monday and Tuesday with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi as part of an intense new push by President Donald Trump's administration to end the war in Ukraine, Driscoll's spokesperson said.

Item 1 of 6 Birds fly over an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, November 25, 2025. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

[1/6]Birds fly over an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, November 25, 2025. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

British retailers have reported the sharpest drop in confidence in 17 years and their sales fell again ahead of Wednesday's budget which is likely to include tax increases, according to a survey published on Tuesday.

The former Bank of England economist - the first female chancellor of the exchequer - has staked her political identity on being the antidote to the chaos that roiled British politics in recent years.

The ranking, which has analysed the innovation capacity of major economies since 2005, is again led by smaller, highly specialized nations: Switzerland in first position, Singapore in second and Denmark in third.

Countries must act now to keep slowing population growth from wreaking havoc on their long-term economic prospects, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said.

Inflation has helped set back income growth to levels comparable to the slow recovery from the Great Recession more than a decade ago, according to an analysis of bank account data from the JPMorgan Chase Institute.

U.S. states have set up insurers to provide protection in disaster-prone areas that private insurance has avoided. They are taking on more risks as calamities become widespread.

A federal judge on Monday dismissed criminal charges against two perceived adversaries of President Donald Trump, FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling the U.S. attorney he hand picked to prosecute them was unlawfully appointed.

He is expected to make appeals for peace in the region and urge unity among long-divided Christian churches.

Happily ever after doesn't require any complicated maths, the Vatican said on Tuesday -- for Catholics, one spouse is enough.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has the flexibility and the incentive to offer crude oil cargoes, which the country mostly sells to China, as a bargaining chip if Venezuela were to hold negotiations with the United States.

Venezuela's government rejected what it called a "ridiculous" U.S. plan to designate the "non-existent" group.

Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in Gaza near the line demarcating areas of Israeli control, underlining the struggle to broaden a fragile ceasefire deal.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it was ending its operations after months of criticism over the deaths of Palestinians trying to reach GHF hubs.

For investors buying gold as a bastion of stability, it should give pause that one of bullion's biggest buyers in recent months is a lynchpin of the hyper-speculative world of crypto.

South Africa led the way in the 2025 World Rugby Men's 15s Dream Team of the Year announced on Tuesday, with six Springboks selected, headlined by Player of the Year Malcolm Marx.