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International efforts to defuse the situation in Ukraine will continue Thursday after a series of meetings Wednesday that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said made some progress. Meanwhile, tension over Russia's military moves boiled over in parts of eastern Ukraine.

Desperate crowd awaits relief aid at Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus.

China has announced another double-digit increase in defense spending, amid regional worries about its growing military assertiveness.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says international efforts to restrict Iran's nuclear program must include a complete end to its enriching uranium. Talks underway appear aimed at allowing Iran to enrich some uranium at lower-grade levels.

What should be done to resolve the crisis in Ukraine? Political leaders from around Europe and the world have had crisis talks for days in order to find the best way to deal with Russia over the divided country and prevent further escalation.

Since June 2013, attacks in northeastern Nigeria have resulted in school closures affecting thousands of students, many of whom have had no access to education in months.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany.

As the humanitarian crisis in Central African Republic continues to spill over into neighboring countries, UNICEF is raising the alert that more than 76,000 people, mostly women and children, fleeing the violence from CAR into Chad are in urgent need of additional assistance.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has strongly condemned Russia, saying there is nothing to justify its military presence in neighboring Ukraine.