A court in Damascus is trying one official in former President Bashar Assad’s government in person, and several more in absentia. Assad and his brother are among the defendants. Both are thought to have fled to Russia.

Suspected guerillas carried out a deadly explosives attack on the Pan-American Highway in southwest Colombia. The region has been gripped by violence over the past few days.

Russia’s defense minister and the chairman of the State Duma are both visiting North Korea. One helped inaugurate a memorial to North Korean soldiers killed fighting Ukraine, the other hashed out a new defense deal.

Global military spending hit a record high in 2025. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) warns the trend is likely to continue — and carries additional risks.

After the catastrophic accident in the nearby nuclear reactor, the city of Pripyat had to be completely evacuated. Some 50,000 people left their homes forever. DW visited the town with a former resident 40 years later.