Syria: Chemical weapons watchdog hits reset button in Damascus, following productive meetings
In a press release on Saturday the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Director-General Fernando Arias and his team had met interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and caretaker Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, at their invitation – drawing…
Zelenskyy hints at ‘intensive’ talks with Trump as US, Ukraine discuss peace deal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not confirmed that he will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump next week but said the coming weeks may be “very intensive in diplomacy.” Trump said on Feb. 7 that he is likely to meet…
What economic measures can US use to force Russia to end war?
VOA Russian spoke to U.S. experts who outline how a mix of U.S. sanctions, export controls and other methods of applying pressure on the Russian economy can help President Donald Trump’s administration to force Moscow to stop the war in…
US stocks slide amid inflation, tariff worries
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks slumped Friday amid worries about higher inflation and tariffs, while a closely watched report gave a mixed picture of the U.S. job market. The S&P 500 was down almost 1%, and the Dow Jones Industrial…
Live poultry markets ordered shut in New York because of avian flu outbreak
NEW YORK — All live poultry markets in New York City and some of its suburbs were ordered Friday to close for a week after the detection of seven cases of avian flu, which has also hit farms nationwide. Governor…
US flu season most intense in at least 15 years
NEW YORK — The U.S. winter virus season is in full force, and by one measure is the most intense in 15 years. One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. Last…
US to push Russia to end war in Ukraine through sanctions
The U.S. special envoy to Russia and Ukraine said Thursday the U.S. plans to significantly step up pressure on Russia through sanctions to end the war in Ukraine. In an exclusive interview with the New York Post, Special Envoy Keith…
Kyiv restaurateur treats Ukrainians to American burgers
Ukrainian restaurateur Igor Avramenko learned to love the hamburger business during his three decades living in the U.S. state of California. So, he decided to open a burger joint in Ukraine … six months before Russia invaded. But just like…
Palestinians’ rights matter, says UNRWA chief
In a social media post on Friday, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that “people in Gaza have undergone systematic dehumanization” since the war there began. He emphasized that “Palestinians do matter, including those in Gaza. Their rights, lives and futures matter,”…
First Person: Bodies of children in Haiti have turned into ‘battlegrounds’
The agency’s spokesperson James Elder has just visited Port-au-Prince, the capital of the embattled Caribbean nation and has been speaking about what he experienced there. Staggering abuse and neglect “There has been a staggering 1,000 per cent rise in sexual…