Trump says he expects Ukraine will accept mineral deal soon
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he expects Ukraine to accept soon a proposed deal that would include U.S. investments in its mineral assets to help recoup some U.S. defense funding. “We’re signing an agreement, hopefully in the next…
‘Lack of consensus’ as G20 meets amid turbulent times
JOHANNESBURG — The two-day Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting wrapped up in Johannesburg on Friday. Aimed at addressing global problems, the talks between the world’s wealthiest countries instead underscored the fault lines in the current geopolitical climate. Despite the…
US Treasury’s Bessent, China’s He trade economic complaints in call
WASHINGTON — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traded policy complaints with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Friday, with Bessent telling Beijing to do more to curb fentanyl trafficking and rebalance its economy, and He voicing concerns about President Donald…
57% of Ukrainians trust President Zelenskyy, Ukrainian institute says
February 24 marks the three-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with international efforts aimed at ending the conflict in progress. Amid criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by the new Trump administration, research shows the majority of Ukraine’s population…
DR Congo crisis: Occupation blocks UN mission from protecting civilians
These operational challenges have been exacerbated by ongoing mis- and disinformation campaigns that are misinforming the public of the UN peacekeepers’ role, said the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in the DRC and head of the peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO,…
Gaza: Nearly 148,000 receive cash aid since ceasefire began
Since the ceasefire on 19 January, some 138,000 Palestinians have benefited from cash assistance, including people with disabilities and pregnant and breastfeeding women. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that market conditions across Gaza have improved since the ceasefire took…
Urgent appeal launched as DR Congo crisis fuels mass displacement to Burundi
As fighting escalates in eastern DRC, more than 40,000 Congolese refugees – primarily women and children – have crossed into Burundi since February, with over 9,000 arrivals recorded in a single day this week. Many are using makeshift boats to…
Colombia: Fleeing the thunder of violence in Catatumbo
Miguel Ángel López, the director of a funeral home in Tibú, used to recover bodies that appeared along the roads of one of Colombia’s most violent regions, Catatumbo. On 15 January, he was murdered along with his wife and their…
Full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has sown ‘psychological terror’, warns top aid coordinator
Briefing from Ukrainian capital Kyiv after another night of “air sirens and more loud explosions”, Mr. Schmale noted that the crisis began in 2014, with Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. “So, all children that were born since – all children…
Security Council urges Rwanda to stop supporting M23 in eastern DR Congo
The 15 members called on the Rwanda Defence Forces to stop supporting the armed group and immediately withdraw from Congolese territory “without preconditions.” The Council reiterated its urgent appeal for all parties to conclude an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, as…