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…
Australia to charge tech companies for news content if they do not pay
SYDNEY — Australia’s center-left government said on Thursday it planned new rules that would charge big tech firms millions of dollars if they did not pay Australian media companies for news hosted on their platforms. The move piles pressure on…
EU imposes new sanctions on Russia
European Union ambassadors have agreed to a new raft of sanctions against Russia because of its war on Ukraine, mainly targeting Russia’s massive shadow fleet of ships, the EU’s Hungarian presidency said Wednesday. The Associated Press reports the new sanctions…
US: Russia could target Ukraine again with new missile
A U.S. intelligence assessment has concluded that Russia could launch another of its experimental hypersonic ballistic missiles against Ukraine in the coming days, although Washington does not consider it to be decisive in the nearly three-year war, a U.S. official…
Zimbabwe aims to end HIV/AIDS as public health threat by 2030
MARONDERA, ZIMBABWE — Zimbabwean health officials said Tuesday they aim to eliminate HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, crediting the United States with making such progress possible through aid and support. U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pamela Tremont and…
2024: Ukraine-Russia war deadlock sets stage for possible negotiations
In 2024, Russia’s war in Ukraine reached a near-standstill, with Russia pressing forward while Ukraine’s counterattacks faltered. Both sides, well matched in advanced military tech, struggled to make headway, shifting attention toward possible peace talks. Ukraine launched strikes into Russian…