Putin warns that Russia will seek to extend its gains in Ukraine if peace talks fail

(AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin is warning that Moscow will extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands in peace talks. Speaking at an annual meeting with top military officers Wednesday, Putin said Moscow would prefer to achieve its goals and “eliminate the root causes of the conflict” by diplomatic means. But he added that “if the opposing side and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive dialogue, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means.” Putin was referring to Ukrainian territory seized by Russia — action widely condemned in the West as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and an unprovoked act of aggression.

Louvre workers vote to extend a strike as the museum partially reopens

PARIS (AP) — Employees at the Louvre Museum have voted to extend a strike that has disrupted operations at the world’s most visited museum. The Louvre partially opened Wednesday to allow visitors to enjoy the Mona Lisa and other highlights. The museum said visitors had access to a limited “masterpiece route.” Union workers are protesting chronic under-staffing, building deterioration and recent management decisions. The pressures were intensified by a brazen crown jewels heist in October that exposed serious security lapses. Culture Ministry officials held crisis talks with unions Monday and proposed measures that union leaders said fell short.

Israel fires mortar into Gaza residential area, wounding at least 10

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli troops fired a mortar shell over the ceasefire line into a Palestinian residential area in the Gaza Strip, in the latest incident to rock the tenuous ceasefire with Hamas. Health officials said at least 10 people were wounded, and the army said it was investigating. The military said the mortar was fired during an operation in the area of the “Yellow Line,” which was drawn in the ceasefire agreement and divides the Israeli-held majority of Gaza from the rest of the territory. The military did not say what troops were doing or whether they had crossed the line. It said the mortar had veered from its intended target, which it did not specify.

Over 1,600 have been killed in attacks on health centers in Sudan this year, WHO chief says

CAIRO (AP) — The United Nations health agency says that more than 1,600 people have been killed in attacks on medical facilities and health care centers in war-torn Sudan this year. The head of the World Health Organization said on Wednesday that since January, the agency has documented 65 attacks. He says 276 people have also been wounded in the attacks at the medical centers. The most recent was a drone attack over the weekend in Diling, in South Kordofan province, that killed nine and wounded 17. The Sudan Doctor’s Network, which tracks casualties in the country’s conflict, blames the Sudanese paramilitary forces for the drone attack.