Global crises and diplomatic moves dominate today's international briefing

Russian forces escalated their campaign against Ukraine, launching missiles and drones that killed seven civilians and struck the national power grid, according to President Zelenskyy. Tehran was informed that Washington had officially responded to Iran's most recent proposal for ending the conflict. In Venezuela, an AP probe revealed that coastal housing towers collapsed after withstanding seismic forces they could not endure.

A disturbing incident on a FlyDubai flight involved a pilot stabbing another passenger and apparently trying to bring down the plane. Meanwhile, the United Nations is weighing the candidacy of a woman for its top post, a move many observers say is overdue. The U.S. military announced the completion of its troop pullout from Iraq. Other headlines featured a Sotheby's auction of works by van Gogh and Cézanne expected to fetch $450 million, Brazilian election candidates courting women with promises to curb gender-based violence, and an Israel-destined aircraft diverting to Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.