Russia pushed back Wednesday against the idea of European peacekeeping troops being deployed to Ukraine, and downplayed chances of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in another blow to the chances of a peace deal.

U.S. President Donald Trump called Wednesday for billionaire George Soros and his son to face criminal charges over unfounded claims that the family, a favorite target of the right, is behind "violent protests" around the country.

Clashes during a raid in Iran's restive southeast killed at least 13 militants as well as a Revolutionary Guard, state media reported Wednesday.

The head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog has said a team of its inspectors are "back in Iran," the first to enter since Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities this year.

Ukraine acknowledged for the first time on Tuesday that Russia's army has entered the Dnipropetrovsk region, a central administrative area previously spared from intense fighting.

A diplomatic row between the United States and France escalated on Monday when Washington decided to stand firmly behind its ambassador's criticism of the French response to a rising tide of antisemitism.

Iran vowed reciprocal action on Tuesday after Australia expelled its ambassador over accusations that Tehran was behind antisemitic arson attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.

Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said Monday his government would request a vote of confidence on September 8 as he sought parliamentary backing for his battle against soaring public debt.

An extraordinary session of the National Assembly would be asked to conform the "confirm the scale of the effort", Bayrou told a news conference, as the government seeks 44 billion euros (51 billion dollars) in spending cuts.

Norway's multibillion-dollar military and civilian support for Ukraine's fight to defeat Russia's invasion will stretch into next year, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Monday during a visit to Kyiv, as uncertainty surrounds U.S.-led efforts to secure a peace settlement.

Store, whose country borders Russia, told a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine is "defending a critical principle on the European level" by refusing to accept Russia's seizure of territory.

The Iranian and Russian presidents discussed Tehran's nuclear program on Monday as European powers threaten to reimpose sanctions on Tehran over the moribund 2015 deal.

Britain, France and Germany have threatened to trigger a "snapback mechanism" to reintroduce U.N. sanctions that were lifted under the agreement unless Iran agrees to curb its uranium enrichment and restore cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) inspectors.