WORLD

UNITED NATIONS, UK | Xinhua | The General Assembly has approved an annual regular budget for the United Nations of about 3.59 billion U.S. dollars, UN News reported on Sunday. The 2024 budget is higher than that of 2023, which stood at nearly 3.4 billion dollars. The regular budget covers …

GENEVA | Xinhua | The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on the threat of dengue Friday as the mosquito-borne disease has spread to previously untouched countries, infecting over 5 million and killing more than 5,000 this year. Nearly 80 percent of those cases, or 4.1 million, have been …

TOKYO | Xinhua | The Japanese government on Friday adopted a draft budget of 112.07 trillion yen (about 787 billion U.S. dollars) for fiscal year 2024, with defense spending hitting an all-time high for the 10th straight year. The figure approved by the cabinet for the fiscal period from April …

Liverpool, UK | THE INDEPENDENT |  An end-to-end encounter at Anfield ended all square despite Gabriel giving Arsenal a fourth minute lead. The Brazilian headed home Martin Odegaard’s free-kick to give Arsenal the perfect start, but Mohamed Salah rifled home a first-half equaliser. Both sides remained firmly intent on going …

UNITED NATIONS | Xinhua | The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, has been officially listed as a UN floating holiday in its calendar of conferences and meetings as from 2024. The UN General Assembly, in a resolution, acknowledges the significance of the Lunar New Year, which is observed in …

MOSCOW | Xinhua |  Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro expressed common ground on establishing a fair world order during a phone conversation on Thursday, the Kremlin said in a statement. “During an exchange of views on the international agenda, an emphasis was placed on the …

New York | Xinhua |  The United Nations on Thursday expressed concern over the Israeli order for the evacuation of civilians in southern Gaza. The Israeli military on Wednesday designated a new area covering about 20 percent of central and south of Khan Younis city for immediate evacuation. Prior to …

NEW YORK | Xinhua |  Rudy Giuliani, who once worked as a personal lawyer for former U.S. President Donald Trump, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York on Thursday, one day after he was ordered to begin paying 146 million U.S. dollars to two former Georgia election workers. …

PRAGUE | Xinhua |  The Czech Republic on Thursday night announced a state mourning on Dec. 23 following a university shooting in the capital Prague that has left at least 14 people dead. The Czech government made the announcement following an extraordinary meeting. State flags will be lowered to half-mast …

KUWAIT CITY | Xinhua | Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah officially assumed the role of emir of Kuwait on Wednesday, taking an oath before the Kuwaiti National Assembly. He succeeds the late Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who passed away at the age of 86 on December 16. Sheikh …