Defiant and determined, House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back against mounting Republican anger over his proposed U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, and rejected a call to step aside or risk a vote to oust him from office.

A fire has swept through one of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings, causing the collapse of the iconic spire from the 17th-century Old Stock Exchange. Passersby rushed to help emergency services save priceless paintings and other valuables.

The hostile new world Emmanuel Macron has been warning Europeans about is rapidly emerging but the French president is still struggling to persuade partners to trust his judgment.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law to boost conscription to replenish depleted forces to fend off Russia’s continued aggression. The mobilization law, signed Tuesday, is expected to take effect in a month and make it easier to identify every draft-eligible man in the country.

Ukrainian and Western officials see Russia’s escalated bombardment of Ukraine’s No. 2 city as a way to force the evacuation of civilians.

U.S. European Command wants $22 million to replace an aging aeromedical evacuation center at Ramstein Air Base, where “life-threatening equipment malfunctions” could put troops at risk, according to budget documents.

Intelligence officials are warning of a deepening strategic partnership between Moscow and Tehran — an alliance that could emerge as a significant factor as Israeli leaders weigh possible retaliatory military strikes.

President Joe Biden urged the U.S. House to immediately take up Senate-passed supplemental funding for Ukraine and Israel on Monday as he hosted Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in the Oval Office.

Ukraine has been attacked by Russian missiles and Iranian-made drones for more than two years but the U.S. and other countries do not intervene directly as they did to help Israel.

Addressing the attendees of the Second Black Sea Security Conference in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, via a video feed, Anthony Blinken underscored the importance of investing in the region’s security to ensure peace and freedom across Europe.