European Union leaders have called for even greater efforts to help meet Ukraine's pressing military needs, and expressed support for the country's quest to join their ranks, but they made little headway with new sanctions against Russia.

At a summit Thursday in Brussels, the leaders said it was important to deliver more "air defense and anti-drone systems, and large-caliber ammunition, to help Ukraine, as it exercises its inherent right to self-defense, to protect its citizens and territory against Russia's intensified daily attacks."

Shares were mixed in Asia on Thursday after U.S. stocks stayed near their all-time highs as financial markets caught their breath following recent bouts of volatility.

The dollar weakened against the Japanese yen and euro and oil prices were steady.

For her 6th grade honors class, math teacher Ana Sepúlveda wanted to make geometry fun. She figured her students "who live and breathe soccer" would be interested to learn how mathematical concepts apply to the sport. She asked ChatGPT for help.

The World Bank announced on Wednesday it had approved a $250 million project to support Lebanon's reconstruction and recovery following last year's devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Oil prices accelerated losses on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said China can continue to buy Iranian oil, providing reassurance over crude supply in Middle East.

International benchmark Brent slumped 4.5 percent to $68.26 per barrel, while the main US crude contract WTI shed 4.6 percent to $65.34, after plunging earlier over a fragile Iran-Israel ceasefire.

The Federal Reserve will continue to wait and see how the economy evolves before deciding whether to reduce its key interest rate, Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday, a stance directly at odds with President Donald Trump's calls for immediate cuts.

"For the time being, we are well positioned to wait to learn more about the likely course of the economy before considering any adjustments to our policy stance," Powell said in prepared remarks he will deliver Tuesday before the House Financial Services Committee.

President Donald Trump took office in January pledging to "make America the crypto capital of the world." He has since harnessed wide swaths of the federal government to bolster the industry — all while raking in huge sums of money for his family's business.

By some estimates, crypto ventures now account for nearly 40% of the Trump Organization's $2.9 billion net worth. But the Republican president's championing of the industry has been just as big a boon for many of the industry's top names.

Oil prices are dropping further, and stocks are rallying worldwide Tuesday on hopes that Israel's war with Iran will not damage the global flow of crude, even if a tentative truce seemed to fray under fire in the morning.

The S&P 500 was 0.7% higher in early trading, following up on even bigger gains for stocks across Europe and Asia, after President Donald Trump said late Monday that Israel and Iran had agreed to a "complete and total ceasefire." The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 289 points, or 0.7%, as of 9:31 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.9% higher.

President Donald Trump on Monday called for the U.S. and other oil-producing economies to pump more oil as crude prices remain volatile following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Trump urged stepped-up production as the White House sharpened its warnings to Iran against closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and gas shipping lane, in retaliation for the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear program.

Major oil producers Russia and Iraq on Monday expressed "concern" over volatility in world energy markets amid the spiraling conflict between Iran and Israel following U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.

In a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the Kremlin said the two leaders "expressed concern about the emerging risks to global energy markets and emphasized the importance of continuing active cooperation within the OPEC+ format."