WORLD

Tehran, Iran | Xinhua | Iran reiterated on Thursday that it has sent no military hardware to any side in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, according to a statement published by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. The remarks by Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani came in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “repeated …

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Xinhua | Brazilian football legend Pele will spend the festive season in hospital as he fights advancing cancer, doctors and his family confirmed. The 82-year-old was admitted to Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein hospital late last month to treat a respiratory infection and reassess chemotherapy. “[Pele] presents …

Ankara, Turkey | Xinhua | Turkey decided on Tuesday to start mass production of its indigenous air defense systems and its first national tactical ballistic missile Tayfun, the country’s defense industry executive committee said. The committee made such decisions regarding 25 important defense industry projects during a meeting chaired by President Recep …

United Nations | Xinhua | UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous on Wednesday called for the restoration of Afghan women’s right to higher education after the Taliban-run administration barred them from university. The Taliban’s new order, announced Tuesday, effectively bans women from higher education, she said in a statement. “It is …

Tokyo, Japan | Xinhua | A former chairman and two other senior managers of Japanese major business suit retailer Aoki Holdings Inc. admitted in court Thursday to having bribed a former Tokyo Olympic organizing committee executive to win sponsorship rights for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Hironori Aoki, 84, along …

Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled on Wednesday that the United States was violating international trading laws by requiring Hong Kong products to be labeled as “Made in China.” The U.S. origin marking requirement has violated the country’s obligation under the trade body’s rules, said a …

United Nations | Xinhua | The General Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution to designate Feb. 12 each year as the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism. The resolution was adopted with 154 votes in favor, 0 against, and 4 abstentions. Belarus, the …

Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | The combat capability of the Russian armed forces is “increasing day by day” and Russia will certainly step up this process, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. “Today, our goal is to implement the entire scope of necessary measures to achieve a qualitative renewal and improvement …

Los Angeles, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. pharmacies CVS and Walgreens are limiting purchases of children’s pain-relief medications amid a winter “tripledemic” of respiratory viruses. CVS said in a statement it is restricting both in-person and online purchases of two children’s pain relief products. Walgreens has also limited online purchases of …

Brussels, Belgium | Xinhua | Amazon, the world’s biggest retailer, has committed to making changes to its practices on its e-commerce marketplace in response to the European Commission’s competition concerns, Margrethe Vestager, the Commission’s executive vice president, said on Tuesday. Vestager, who is also the European commissioner for competition, said in …