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…
Resilience of Ukrainians remains high, as UN maps aid and reconstruction needs for 2025
It has been almost three years since the 24 February 2022 full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has killed thousands of civilians and destroyed vital infrastructure, putting the economy under enormous strain. The UN has recorded more than 28,000 civilian…
UN chief offers condolences amid devastating wildfires in California
The fires, described as some of the worst in the city’s history, have burned thousands of acres, destroyed homes and left firefighters battling to contain multiple blasts in unprecedented conditions. “The Secretary-General is shocked and saddened by the widespread devastation…
Russian shellings kill four in Ukraine
Four people were killed in shellings in Ukraine on Thursday, regional officials said. In Donetsk region, where Russia is slowly advancing westward, regional Governor Vadym Filashkin said on Telegram that two people were killed by Russian shelling in the town…
New research shows a quarter of freshwater animals are threatened with extinction
WASHINGTON — Nearly a quarter of animals living in rivers, lakes and other freshwater sources are threatened with extinction, according to new research published Wednesday. “Huge rivers like the Amazon can appear mighty, but at the same time freshwater environments…