Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the United States and Russia are still "actively engaged" in talks for a prisoner swap to free imprisoned WNBA star Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, a retired Marine.

Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Mount Semeru, a volcano in the East Java province of Indonesia, has erupted with plumes of volcanic ash reaching roughly 50,000 feet into the air.

The first official day of winter might be a couple weeks away, but it might be feeling wintry by the end of this week in Midwest, Northeast.

Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Iran is reportedly shutting down the country's morality police after an internal uprising and violent protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini.

Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Nine people are dead and eight more are missing after a rush of water swept churchgoers down the Jukskei River in South Africa.

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- A Georgia man has been arrested after he allegedly shot a 15-year-old teen who was volunteering to canvas for Raphael Warnock's campaign in his runoff election for the U.S. Senate.

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Poland's Ministry of Culture and Natural Heritage said it will take legal action and seek restitution after a Wassily Kandinsky painting allegedly stolen from the National Museum in Warsaw was sold at a German auction.

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. Geological Survey on Saturday announced that it has added several new webcam views and a livestream of the eruption of Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano.

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Just Stop Oil protestors continued their demonstrations on Saturday, tucking themselves into bed displays at Harrods in London to protest Britain's high energy bills.

Dec. 3 (UPI) -- The Kremlin on Saturday rejected an agreement by the European Union and other advanced economies placing a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian oil exports.