International

Alexei Navalny, galvanizing opposition leader and Putin’s fiercest foe, died in prison, Russia says
The stunning news — less than a month before an election that will give President Vladimir Putin another six years in power — brought renewed criticism and outrage directed at the Kremlin leader who has cracked down on all opposition at home.
Columbia Heights City Council to vote on cease-fire resolution
At a meeting in which community members spoke in support of a cease-fire for over an hour, the Columbia Heights mayor said a resolution is in the works and will be presented on Feb. 26.
Mediators are in Cairo working to secure a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas
The talks come as Israel signals it may soon launch an invasion of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip. The talks were expected to center on a plan that would pause the fighting for up to six weeks.
Senate advances military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan
The measure, which would provide $95 billion in military aid, has little hope of seeing a vote in the House where hard-line Republicans oppose the measure.
With Western military aid increasingly uncertain, Ukraine builds its own weapons
Ukraine's domestic arms manufacturers bristle at the notion the country relies entirely on military aid from the U.S. and Europe. The country's weapons development and production, they say, is robust.
Israel rescues 2 hostages, but Gaza officials say dozens were killed in the operation
Israeli military strikes in Rafah were part of an operation to rescue two Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7. There were initial reports that at least 50 Palestinians were killed in the raid.