A Hamas leader on Tuesday threatened to not move forward into the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement until more pressure is placed on Israel to open up a key border crossing, cease deadly strikes and allow more aid into the Palestinian territory.

The accusation came as Israel's government says it's ready to move into the next, more complicated phase of the ceasefire deal – even as it has called on the militant group to return the remains of the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza.

Lithuania's government on Tuesday declared a national emergency over security risks posed by meteorological balloons from Russia-allied Belarus that have violated its airspace in recent weeks.

Tensions between Lithuania and Belarus have escalated after the balloons forced Lithuania to repeatedly shut down its main airport, leaving thousands of people stranded.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Tuesday that the Trump administration's new national security strategy underscores the need for Europe to become "much more independent" from the United States in terms of security policy.

Merz also pushed back against the notion that European democracy needs saving.

The world needs a new approach to environmental crises threatening the health of people and the planet by adopting policies to jointly tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution, according to a U.N. report released Tuesday.

Those issues are inextricably linked and require solutions that include increased spending and financial incentives to transition away from fossil fuels, encourage sustainable agricultural practices, curb pollution and limit waste, the authors of the U.N. Environment Programme's quadrennial Global Environment Outlook said.

Cambodia's powerful Senate President Hun Sen on Tuesday vowed that his country would carry out a fierce fight against Thailand as a second day of widespread renewed combat between the Southeast Asian neighbors drove tens of thousands of people to flee border areas.

Fighting broke out following a skirmish on Sunday during which two Thai soldiers were injured, derailing a ceasefire that ended fighting over competing territorial claims in July. The five days of fighting then left dozens dead on both sides, and forced the evacuation of over 100,000 civilians.

A fire tore through an office building in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, on Tuesday, killing at least 17 people, police said.

Flames engulfed the seven-story building, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky and causing panic among nearby residents and workers in a neighborhood in Central Jakarta.

Judges at the International Criminal Court sentenced a leader of the feared Sudanese Janjaweed militia to 20 years imprisonment Tuesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the catastrophic conflict in Darfur more than 20 years ago.

At a hearing last month, prosecutors sought a life sentence for Ali Muhammad Ali Abd–Al-Rahman who was was convicted in October of 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity that included ordering mass executions and bludgeoning two prisoners to death with an ax in 2003-2004.

The Associated Press' top photos from the Middle East and the surrounding region in 2025 capture conflict, resilience, and moments of quiet wonder. Taken across Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates, the 35 images reveal a turbulent year.

Photographers documented the human toll of war and violence: civilians affected by the Israeli crackdown in the occupied West Bank, devastation and death in Gaza, and hostages returning from Gaza. In Lebanon, a child injured by an exploding pager in an Israeli attack targeting Hezbollah members shows the intimate cost of conflict. In Syria, the aftermath of a bomb attack on a church and a fallen statue of late Syrian President Hafez Assad are juxtaposed with the exuberance of a night out at a bar.

Japan was assessing damage Tuesday and cautioning people of potential aftershocks after a late-night 7.5 magnitude earthquake caused injuries, light damage and a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities.

At least 33 people were injured, one seriously, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. Most of them were hit by falling objects, public broadcaster NHK reported.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met British, French and German leaders in London on Monday in a show of European support for Ukraine at what they called a "critical moment" in the U.S.-led effort to end Russia's war in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer held talks with Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the British leader's 10 Downing St. residence to try to strengthen Ukraine's hand amid mounting impatience from U.S. President Donald Trump.