CNN Top Stories

Russian President Vladimir Putin downplayed suggestions Friday there was a risk of a new nuclear arms race between Russia and the United States, shrugging off comments by US President-elect Donald Trump on Twitter as "nothing new."

Christmas came early for three little girls found in dire circumstances, thanks to the concern and generosity of several Chicago police officers.

Looks like President-elect Donald Trump will be holding an Inauguration Day Spectacular.

Say woof? World-renowned researcher Temple Grandin and her colleagues revealed in a new study that dogs may experience premature graying when they're stressed, just like American presidents and the rest of us.

Authorities in Malta are dealing with a potential bomb threat on a hijacked plane diverted from Libya.

Donald Trump wants yuge celebrities to perform at his presidential inaugural events next month. In fact, Trump's former campaign manager and now adviser Kellyanne Conway even made a plea on national TV a few weeks ago, asking Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars to call her to be part of the festivities.

New light has been shed on the German terrorist network behind the Berlin attack in 345 pages of German investigative files that CNN has obtained.

The cash-strapped state has pulled scholarship funding out from under them, raising their tuition cost for the spring semester to 50% more than they had expected.

Take a look at 30 photos of the week from December 16 through December 22.

New video of an electronic cigarette exploding on a Fresno, California, bus renews concerns about the safety of electronic cigarettes. CNN's Rene Marsh reports.

The Egyptians are delaying a showdown vote at the UN Security Council on a resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity after pressure from the Israelis to do so, a Western official said Thursday.

President-elect Donald Trump signaled Thursday that he will look to "strengthen and expand" the US's nuclear capability.

Authorities in Malta are dealing with a "potential hijack" of a Libyan airliner said to be heading to the country.

Hillary Clinton felt compelled to run for president despite lacking a clear campaign vision, Vice President Joe Biden argued in an interview published Thursday.

Aging is generally associated with improvements in our quality of life: We become more proficient in our work, learn how to manage our finances better and our bonds with loved ones deepen.

The Syrian regime says it has taken full control of Aleppo, marking a major turning point in the nation's five-year civil war. Syrian government forces and their allies are now in control of eastern Aleppo, ending more than four years of rebel rule in the area. The government made significant territorial gains in eastern Aleppo after forces backed by airstrikes entered rebel-held areas in late November. An estimated 400,000 Syrians have been killed and more than 4.81 million have fled the country since the war began in 2011, according to the United Nations.

An experimental vaccine against the Ebola virus was found to be 100% effective, according to a study published in The Lancet on Thursday.

Police in Germany say they have foiled a possible terror plot to attack Europe's largest shopping mall and a popular Christmas market in the western city of Oberhausen.

Police in Mumbai have arrested six people in connection with a baby smuggling ring.

A journalist has been slain in the Philippines after writing a column criticizing local officials for alleged "negligence" over an illegal drug factory.