Biden caps Angola visit with stop at train terminal at western port
LOBITO, ANGOLA — In the blistering midday heat at Angola’s largest port, U.S. President Joe Biden beamed Wednesday as he shook hands, one by one, with nine smiling hard-hatted workers. He had journeyed all the way from Washington to meet…
Lavrov, Blinken trade blame for escalating Ukraine tensions
The top Russian and U.S. diplomats, Sergey Lavrov and Antony Blinken, traded sharp words Thursday at an international security conference over Moscow’s nearly three-year war in Ukraine, with each blaming the other’s country for escalating the conflict. Lavrov, the Russian…
Chinese online retailer Temu suspended in Vietnam
HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam has suspended the operations of Chinese online retailer Temu after it failed to meet a government deadline to register the company by the end of November. It is unclear if Temu, a unit of Chinese e-commerce…
Bitcoin storms above $100,000 as bets on Trump fuel crypto euphoria
Bitcoin catapulted above $100,000 for the first time on Thursday, a milestone hailed even by skeptics as a coming-of-age for digital assets as investors bet on a friendly U.S. administration to cement the place of cryptocurrencies in financial markets. Once…
UN and partners assist scores affected by crises in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza
Speaking in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the recent escalation in northwest Syria, saying it was painful to see the country’s progressive fragmentation. The Syrian war began nearly 14 years ago, sparked by a civil uprising against the Government. …
Mexico: Boom in organised crime making femicide invisible, local activist says
Local activist Norma Andrade, who was recently at the UN Office in Geneva to raise awareness about femicide, knows the issue first-hand. Her own daughter, Lilia Alejandra, was murdered in that same city in 2001. “As my granddaughter would sum it…
Guterres calls for ‘serious dialogue’ to end surging violence in Syria
António Guterres held a stakeout outside the Security Council chamber to address the “grave and dramatic developments” that are unfolding. “I just spoke with President Erdoğan of Türkiye to discuss the latest,” he said. “I emphasized the urgent need for…
Afghanistan: UN condemns Taliban ban on women attending medical classes
OHCHR Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani described the new directive, which reportedly took effect on Tuesday, as “yet another direct blow” by the de facto authorities against Afghan women and girls. “It is profoundly discriminatory, short-sighted and puts the lives of women…
Children of Sudan show ‘a strength that deserves recognition’
Despite the staggering challenges, he found hope and resilience in their stories. The nearly 19 months of relentless conflict in Sudan has devastated millions, with children bearing the brunt of the crisis. Over five million children have been forcibly displaced,…
Analysts troubled by trend of internet, social media shutdowns in Africa
WASHINGTON — Amid widespread protests in Kenya this summer over a controversial finance bill, the country’s Communications Authority announced it did not intend to shut down internet access. The next day, however, Kenya experienced a countrywide loss in internet connectivity….