Guterres ‘unequivocally condemns’ continued civilian deaths in Gaza
“Civilians must be respected and protected at all times” and the UN chief “remains deeply alarmed by the rapidly deteriorating situation for civilians in northern Gaza, including mass displacement and the lack of essentials for survival,” said UN Deputy Spokesperson…
Microsoft to allow autonomous AI agent development starting next month
Microsoft will allow customers to build autonomous artificial intelligence agents starting in November, the software giant said on Monday, in its latest move to tap the booming technology. The company is positioning autonomous agents — programs which require little human…
Environmental delegates gather in Colombia for conference on dwindling global biodiversity
Bogota, Colombia — Global environmental leaders gather Monday in Cali, Colombia to assess the world’s plummeting biodiversity levels and commitments by countries to protect plants, animals and critical habitats. The two-week United Nations Biodiversity Conference, or COP16, is a follow-up…
US says it ‘will get Ukraine what it needs’ to maintain fight against Russia
The United States “will get Ukraine what it needs” to continue to fight its 32-month war with Russia, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a visit to Kyiv on Monday. But he gave no indication the U.S. would consent…
Wounded Ukrainian war vets train for wintry sports competition
In February, Canada will host the first-ever winter Invictus Games, an athletic competition for wounded and injured veterans from around the world. This year, 550 athletes from 25 countries will compete in both traditional Invictus Games sports as well as…
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy seeks strong reaction to North Korean involvement in war
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday he was seeking a strong reaction from countries who have acknowledged that North Korea is becoming more involved in Russia’s more than 2-1/2-year-old war against Ukraine. Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said…
US writer Anne Applebaum calls for arms for Ukraine, accepts German peace prize
WARSAW, Poland — The prominent American journalist and historian Anne Applebaum urged continued support for Ukraine as she accepted a prestigious German prize Sunday, arguing that pacifism in the face of aggression is often nothing more than appeasement. Applebaum made…
WHO urges Rwanda to see off Marburg outbreak
Geneva — The WHO chief on Sunday urged Rwanda to keep up its fightback against Marburg, as the country battles an outbreak of one of the world’s deadliest viruses. There have been 62 confirmed cases and 15 deaths in the…
Israeli army ‘deliberately demolished’ watchtower, fence at UN peacekeeping site in southern Lebanon
A press statement issued by the Mission, formally known as the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, said Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) “deliberately demolished” the watchtower and the fence surrounding the Marwahin site. “Yet again, we remind the IDF and all…
Kyiv launches more than 100 drones over Russia; missile strike on Ukraine injures 17
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian air defenses shot down more than 100 Ukrainian drones Sunday over Russia’s western regions, Moscow officials said, while 17 people were injured in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih in a ballistic missile attack. The Russian…