Occupied Palestinian Territory: Security Council hears of ongoing violence, ‘relentless’ Israeli settlement expansion
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General in the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), presented the latest quarterly report on the implementation of Council resolution 2334 (2016). It calls for Israel to immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in…
‘We must not normalise the war in Ukraine,’ warns country coordinator
The UN’s top official in the country – who also coordinates all the organization’s humanitarian work there – emphasised the urgent need for peace, justice, and sustained international support. In October and November alone, over 2,180 civilian deaths and injuries…
VOA Kurdish: Syrian currency gets boost in value, but prices remain high
After the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the value of the Syrian currency increased against the U.S. dollar, but the price of goods remains high. Residents say that traders are exploiting this situation and that official monitoring institutions…
G20 watchdog urges governments to address non-bank financial risks
ZURICH — The Financial Stability Board (FSB) on Wednesday pitched recommendations for governments to reduce risks around hedge funds, insurers and other non-bank financial intermediaries, which now account for almost half of global financial assets. The sector of non-bank financial…
Nissan, Honda confirm talks on closer collaboration but say there’s been no decision on a merger
BANGKOK — Japanese automakers Nissan Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. confirmed Wednesday that they are discussing closer collaboration but denied reports they have decided on a merger. Nissan’s share price soared more than 22% in Tokyo after reports citing…
Zelenskyy to meet with NATO, European leaders in push to bolster defenses
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet Wednesday with NATO chief Mark Rutte and European leaders in Brussels as Ukraine seeks to bolster its defenses against Russian forces. Zelenskyy on Tuesday cited an urgent need to boost military aid…
Congo files criminal complaints against Apple in Europe over conflict minerals
Paris — The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech firm of using conflict minerals in its supply chain, lawyers for the Congolese government told Reuters. Congo is a…
VOA interview: US urges Europe to end energy dependency on Russia
The outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden plans in its final weeks to “continue tightening the noose” around Russia’s key energy exports with new sanctions to deprive Moscow of revenue for its war on Ukraine, according to Assistant Secretary…
On NATO’s eastern flank, 2025 brings concerns about alliance’s future
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to end the war in Ukraine quickly is triggering concerns among Russia’s neighbors. In Estonia, some fear a deal to end the war may strengthen Moscow. Elizabeth Cherneff narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina on…
EU investigates TikTok over Romanian presidential election
LONDON — European Union regulators said Tuesday they’re investigating whether TikTok breached the bloc’s digital rulebook by failing to deal with risks to Romania’s presidential election, which has been thrown into turmoil over allegations of electoral violations and Russian meddling….