‘Dying hungry and in pain’: An increasingly likely outcome in Gaza
Speaking to correspondents via video link on Thursday, the senior OCHA official underscored the grim reality facing over two million people trapped in Gaza, where basic necessities like food, shelter, and safety have become scarce. “Dying hungry and in pain”…
Reconstruction and vital repairs underway in Syria, as ‘security conditions’ permit
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at the daily briefing on Thursday that bakeries in Aleppo are at near full capacity – “but partners report that they have seen long queues and crowding.” The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reports that the rehabilitation…
Putin says Russia ready to compromise with Trump on Ukraine war
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he was ready to compromise over Ukraine in possible talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on ending the war and had no conditions for starting talks with the Ukrainian authorities….
US deaths are down and life expectancy is up, but improvements are slowing
NEW YORK — U.S. life expectancy jumped last year, and preliminary data suggests there may be another — much smaller — improvement this year. Death rates fell last year for almost all leading causes, notably COVID-19, heart disease and drug…
Russian officials report oil refinery fire after Ukraine targets border regions with dozens of drones
Officials in Russia’s Rostov region reported a fire Thursday at an oil refinery after a wave of attacks from several dozen Ukrainian aerial drones. Rostov acting Governor Yuri Slyusar said on Telegram that the fire happened at the Novoshakhtinsk refinery…
Zelenskyy: Ukraine lacks military strength to recover its Russian-occupied land
Ukraine’s president told a French newspaper Wednesday that his country does not have the military might to take back its Russian-occupied territories. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Le Parisien that Ukraine’s military does not possess the strength it needs to expel…
Expert: North Korea accelerating production, transfer of arms to Russia
UNITED NATIONS — An independent weapons expert told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that North Korea is procuring parts for missiles from third countries and producing and transferring them to Russia faster than previously thought, for use in its…
Bluesky could become target of foreign disinformation, experts warn
washington — Experts on cybersecurity and online foreign influence campaigns are urging social media company Bluesky, whose app has exploded in popularity in recent weeks, to step up moderation to counter potential state-sponsored influence efforts. Over the past month, Bluesky,…
NATO chief aims to put Ukraine in position of strength for peace talks with Russia
BRUSSELS — NATO’s secretary-general said he wants to discuss ways to put Ukraine in a position of strength for any future peace talks with Russia during a meeting Wednesday with Ukraine’s president and a small number of European leaders. But…
Thailand joins other Asia nations in battle against cheap Chinese imports
Bangkok — For many countries in Southeast Asia, Chinese investment and tourism are key to their economies. However, cheap low-quality Chinese products that are flooding markets across the region are also raising concerns about how they are undercutting local businesses,…