Israeli settlers vandalized a mosque in the Israeli-occupied West Bank early Monday, spray-painting offensive phrases and setting a fire, according to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Worshippers arriving for the day's first prayers found the damage and a smoldering fire that spewed black smoke across the entrance of the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque in the town of Tell, near Nablus, and stained the ornate doorway.

Ramadan in the Arab world is a time of fasting and prayer, but it brings another beloved tradition: the much-anticipated TV drama series shot each year to be aired during the holy month.

After breaking their daily fast, families gather to watch their picks from the year's crop of soap operas and political and historical dramas, snacking on sweets and nuts and drinking tea and coffee until late in the evening.

More than a dozen civilians were killed after being lured from their homes by fighters allied to South Sudan 's government under the pretense of being registered for humanitarian food aid, according to two people who survived the attack.

The killings took place on Saturday morning in the village of Pankor, in Ayod County, in the conflict-hit Jonglei State, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of the capital, Juba. Women and children were among the victims.

A U.S. State Department official said the U.S. has ordered nonessential diplomats and family members to leave Lebanon as tensions over Iran rise with the threat of a potentially imminent military strike.

The official said a continuous assessment of the regional security environment determined it was “prudent” to draw down the U.S. Embassy’s footprint so that only essential personnel remained at their posts.

Millions of people in New York City and a large swath of the northeastern U.S. were stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings Monday as heavy snow and strong winds intensified, creating whiteout conditions in the densely populated region.

Snow fell at a rate of 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.6 centimeters) an hour early Monday from New York through Massachusetts. Some areas have gotten well over a foot (30 centimeters) of snow since Sunday, along with wind gusts of over 30 mph (48 kph) and low visibility.

European Union diplomats scrambled Monday to overcome Hungary's veto threats as they seek to finalize new sanctions on Russia and a massive new loan for Ukraine.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc's 27 foreign ministers gathering in Brussels would likely not agree on the 20th package of sanctions targeting Russia's shadow fleet and energy revenues, which it hoped to pass ahead of the fourth anniversary Tuesday of Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine — a war that has left perhaps 1.8 million dead, wounded or missing.

Rob Jetten has become the youngest and first openly gay prime minister of the Netherlands.

Before Jetten, 38, took the oath of office on Monday to lead a minority three-party ruling coalition, Christian Democrat Ruud Lubbers held the record as the youngest premier when he took office in 1982 at age 43. Lubbers went on to become one of the country's longest-serving leaders.

A dispute between Iraq and Kuwait over their maritime border that reignited over the weekend has prompted Gulf Arab countries to side with Kuwait, putting Baghdad on the defensive on Monday over its demand.

The dispute came after Iraq recently submitted a map and geographic coordinates to the United Nations to delineate what it says are Iraqi areas in the Persian Gulf waters — some of which Kuwait claims infringe on its territory.

Politically charged thriller "One Battle After Another" won six prizes, including best picture, at the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, building momentum ahead of Hollywood's Academy Awards next month.

Blues-steeped vampire epic "Sinners" and gothic horror story "Frankenstein" won three awards each, while Shakespearean family tragedy "Hamnet" won two including best British film.

The Supreme Court's ruling against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs has countries like China and South Korea watching for Washington's next steps, while financial markets took the news in stride.

The decision announced Friday could potentially disrupt arrangements worked out in trade negotiations since Trump announced sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries in April 2025.