UN accuses Russia of waging war of attrition against Ukraine
GENEVA — U.N. human rights experts have accused Russia of waging a war of attrition against Ukraine by pursuing a policy of mass destruction to crush the spirit of the nation. A report issued by the Office of the High…
Clock ticks on US TikTok ban
The United States Supreme Court has fast-tracked oral arguments on a challenge by the Chinese company ByteDance — the owner of TikTok — to a new law that would ban the social media platform on grounds of national security. VOA’s…
Could bird flu pandemic ‘dwarf’ COVID-19?
For the first time, a person in the United States has died after being infected with the bird flu. Louisiana health officials reported the death on Monday. The World Health Organization says the risk of infection for the general population…
Zelenskyy urges coalition aiding Ukraine not to ‘drop the ball’
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, GERMANY/Washington — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Thursday told allies and partners in Germany that it would be “crazy to drop the ball now” and end support for Ukraine against Russia. “It’s clear that a new chapter starts…
Beijing says EU imposed unfair trade barriers on Chinese firms
Beijing — China said Thursday that an investigation had found the European Union imposed unfair “trade and investment barriers” on Beijing, marking the latest salvo in long-running commercial tensions between the two economic powers. Officials announced the probe in July…
UN Commission notes renewed sense of optimism in Syria during first-ever visit
Commissioner Hanny Megally led the team, which met with officials, including in the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs. Discussions covered justice for victims and families, the protection of mass graves and evidence, and continued engagement with the Commission, which…
Lebanon: UN hails election of new President as a critical first step
General Joseph Aoun was declared President on Thursday following voting in Lebanon’s parliament. UN Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated the new leader as he takes up his functions, saying this is a critical step towards overcoming Lebanon’s political and institutional impasse…
‘Children are now freezing to death’: harrowing updates from Gaza
Tragically in the last month alone, eight newborns have died of hypothermia and 74 children have already died amid the brutal conditions of winter in 2025. “We enter this New Year carrying the same horrors as the last – there’s…
More than 125,000 refugees return to Syria in desperate conditions
Leading calls for the international community to “move from words to action” to help the country’s most vulnerable returnees urgently, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said that many families have little shelter and few economic prospects. “In recent weeks, there…
Ukraine: Zaporizhzhia attack marks highest civilian casualties in nearly two years
Thirteen civilians were killed, and 110 injured, when two aerial bombs struck an industrial facility in the southern city. This marks the largest number of casualties the HRMMU has recorded since a residential building in Dnipro city was struck on…