Princess Kate ‘Touched’ by Support as Royal Family Reels From Cancer Diagnosis 

London — Catherine, Princess of Wales, has said she is “enormously touched” by the support she has received from around the world following her shock announcement that she is being treated for cancer.  Catherine, 42, revealed Friday that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy in a video message to the UK, triggering a wave of support from …

Pope Skips Homily at Start of Busy Holy Week during Palm Sunday Mass

Rome — Pope Francis decided at the last minute to skip his homily during Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, avoiding a strenuous speech at the start of a busy Holy Week that will test his increasingly frail health. Hobbled by bad knees and persistent respiratory problems, Francis also didn’t participate in the procession of …

Putin Says Gunmen in Moscow Attack Tried to Flee to Ukraine

MOSCOW — The suburban Moscow music hall where gunmen opened fire on concertgoers was a blackened, smoldering ruin Saturday as the death toll in the attack surpassed 130 and Russian authorities arrested four suspects. President Vladimir Putin claimed they were captured while fleeing to Ukraine. Kyiv strongly denied any involvement in Friday’s assault on the Crocus …

Pro-West Diplomat to Meet Ally of Slovakia’s Premier in Presidential Runoff

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — A pro-Western career diplomat defeated a close ally of Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico in the first round of the presidential election Sunday to set up a runoff between the two to decide who will succeed Zuzana Caputova, the country’s first female president.  Former Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok had 42.13% of the …

Acclaimed Italian Pianist Maurizio Pollini Dies at 82

ROME — Maurizio Pollini, a Grammy-winning Italian pianist who performed frequently at La Scala opera house in Milan, has died. He was 82. Pollini died Saturday, La Scala said in a statement. The announcement didn’t specify a cause of death, but Pollini had been forced to cancel a concert at the Salzburg Festival in 2022 because …

Ukraine Denies Involvement in Moscow Concert Attack Despite False Russian Claims

Moscow — The suburban Moscow music hall where gunmen opened fire on concertgoers was a blackened, smoldering ruin Saturday as the death toll in the attack surpassed 130 and Russian authorities arrested four suspects.  President Vladimir Putin claimed they were captured while fleeing to Ukraine.  Kyiv strongly denied any involvement in Friday’s assault on the Crocus …

Greece Slams Turkish President’s ‘Provocative Remarks’ on Cyprus

ATHENS — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Cyprus should be a Turkish state. Erdogan defended his country’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus, saying there would be no “Cyprus problem” had Turkish forces gone farther and taken over the entire state. The remarks angered Greece, sparking fresh tension between the two age-old foes. The …

New England Men’s Soccer Shirt Causes Stir With Recolored Flag

LONDON — England’s new men’s soccer team shirt is causing a bit of a stir. It’s not just the price that’s vexing some. The decision by Nike to change the color of the St. George’s Cross on the shirt from the traditional red and white has even prompted the prime minister and the man who is …

Gunmen Attack Moscow Concert Hall, Set It Ablaze; Toll Unknown

MOSCOW — Several gunmen burst into a big concert hall in Moscow on Friday and fired automatic weapons at the crowd, injuring an unspecified number of people and starting a massive blaze in an apparent terror attack days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on the country in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide.  Russian news …

Russia Hits Ukraine With Deadly Barrage; Zelensky Appeals for Aid

Kyiv, Ukraine — Russia launched a massive wave of deadly overnight attacks on Ukraine using more than 90 missiles and 60 Iranian-made drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday, in one of the largest offensives recently. “There were more than 60 ‘Shaheds’ and almost 90 missiles of various types overnight,” he said. “The world sees the targets …

Experts See Central Asia Emboldened by Russia’s Struggles in Ukraine

washington — Two years ago, as Russia invaded Ukraine’s heartland, Central Asian countries feared they would be next to feel the impact of President Vladimir Putin’s revanchist obsession.   But as Russia has struggled on the battlefield and suffered massive losses against a determined Ukrainian foe, experts and current and former policymakers in Washington see a …

Moldovan Parliament Backs Bid to Join EU, But Divisions Remain

CHISINAU, MOLDOVA — Moldova’s Parliament on Thursday endorsed an appeal to press on with a drive to join the European Union, but the opposition walked out of the vote and separatists in the Transnistria region urged authorities to drop their claim to the enclave. President Maia Sandu, who says Russia is the biggest threat to Moldova’s …