UN Special Envoy continues shuttle diplomacy on Syria
Geir Pedersen is due to confer with Arab foreign ministers, the Foreign Minister of Türkiye, US Secretary of State and other senior officials who will be present at a meeting in Aqaba, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing reporters in…
Ukraine’s reformed military procurement agency drives country’s NATO ambitions
KYIV — Ukraine’s Defense Ministry unveiled a new state agency for its armed forces last year. It was the government’s answer to the rampant corruption within the ministry’s procurement companies and meant to be a driver of reform on the…
Russia launches massive aerial attack on Ukrainian infrastructure
KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia on Friday launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine, involving dozens of cruise missiles and drones, the latest such strike aimed at crippling the country’s electricity system. The Russian military targeted the Ukrainian power grid, energy…
US announces new arms aid package for Ukraine worth $500 million
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced another package of weapons aid for Ukraine on Thursday, valued at $500 million, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. White House spokesperson John Kirby said earlier the U.S. would continue to…
As tourists discover Finland’s Santa Claus Village, some locals call for rules to control the masses
Rovaniemi, Finland — Shuffling across icy ground on a cold December afternoon, lots of tourist groups poured into Santa Claus Village, a winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. They frolic in the snow, take a…
Taliban’s pursuit of ‘Islamic vision’ eroding freedoms in Afghanistan: Security Council
Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Roza Otunbayeva, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, painted a grim picture of escalating human rights abuses, diminishing freedoms and growing humanitarian challenges. “It is now approaching nearly 1,200 days without girls…
Gaza: ‘Devastation is absolutely staggering’, says senior WFP official
Speaking from Gaza, Jonathan Dumont said many people have been displaced multiple times, and that families are living either in tents or in the rubble of collapsed buildings, with no access to electricity or running water. The text has been…
The de facto authority in Syria is a designated terrorist group: What happens now?
However, according to a core Security Council resolution on Syria adopted at the height of the civil conflict, HTS is regarded as a terrorist group. Resolution 2254, which was adopted unanimously by the Council in 2015, calls on Member States…
NATO chief: Russia preparing for long-term confrontation with Ukraine, Europe
NATO’s secretary-general warned Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to “wipe Ukraine off the map,” and he urged the bloc “to shift to a wartime mindset and turbocharge our defense production and defense spending.” In a speech Thursday in…
South Korea’s tourism, soft power gains, at risk from extended political crisis
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — From plastic surgery clinics to tour firms and hotel chains, South Korea’s hospitality sector is wary of the potential impact of a protracted political crisis, as some overseas travelers cancel trips following last week’s brief bout…