Russia said Thursday its army had captured three more villages in eastern Ukraine, with its troops pressing on even as Moscow calls for fresh peace talks with Kyiv next week.

In a statement posted on social media, Russia's defense ministry said its army had captured the village of Stroivka in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, as well as Gnativka and Shevchenko Pershe in the Donetsk region.

Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top adviser to President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy.

His departure, announced Wednesday evening, marks the end of a turbulent chapter that included thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of government agencies and reams of litigation. Despite the upheaval, the billionaire entrepreneur struggled in the unfamiliar environment of Washington, and he accomplished far less than he hoped.

Chinese students studying in the U.S. are scrambling to figure out their futures after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that some students would have their visas revoked.

The U.S. will begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students, including those studying in "critical fields", and "those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party," according to the announcement.

Truck drivers in Iran blocked roads and ports Wednesday as part of their strike protesting low salaries, high insurance rates, and a possible hike in fuel prices.

The strikes, which began last Thursday in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, one of the country's main transportation and shipping hubs, have now spread across Iran. The protests are slowly gaining steam, supported by prominent dissident voices, and could morph into more serious protests against the government.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off from striking Iran as he voiced optimism about nuclear talks his administration is holding with Tehran.

The Kremlin on Wednesday rebuffed a call by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a three-way summit with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as Kyiv seeks to force Moscow to halt its three-year-long invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged NATO to invite Kyiv to a summit of the alliance in June, warning that excluding his country would be a victory for Russia.

"If Ukraine is not present at the NATO summit, it will be a victory for Putin, but not over Ukraine, but over NATO. Therefore, the decision lies with our partners," Zelensky told a press conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Iran on Wednesday said it may consider allowing U.S. inspectors with the United Nations nuclear watchdog to inspect its facilities if a deal is reached with the United States.

Iran has long been accused by Western powers of seeking to develop nuclear weapons -- a claim Tehran has consistently denied, insisting its nuclear program is solely for peaceful, civilian purposes.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Berlin will help Kyiv develop new long-range weapons that can hit targets in Russian territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday accused Russia of stalling peace talks and said Moscow did not want to halt its three-year invasion.