President Vladimir Putin proclaimed Russia's annexation of a swath of Ukraine on Friday - a move firmly rejected by Western countries - but the event was overshadowed by one of Russia's worst battlefield defeats of the war, with one of its main garrisons surrounded.
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Iran's clerical rulers are eager to crush mass anti-government protests, but maneuvering over the eventual succession to the supreme leader and rifts over security tactics have complicated efforts to curb the unrest, three analysts and an official said.
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Hurricane Ian batters the Gulf Coast