Russia has strengthened its ties with North Korea since invading Ukraine in February 2022, with over 12,000 North Korean troops stationed in Russia and participating in fighting against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. This development was reported by Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Camille Shea at a United Nations Security Council meeting.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/01/09/asia-pacific/politics/us-north-korea-war-ukraine/Lebanon has elected Michel Aoun as its new president after a second round of voting, with 99 out of 128 votes in his favor. The election comes after a dozen previous attempts were unsuccessful due to tensions between the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and its opponents. International pressure had mounted for a successful outcome ahead of a ceasefire deadline to deploy Lebanese troops alongside U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon. Aoun, who is widely seen as the preferred pick of the United States and Saudi Arabia, received support from Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who expressed hope that the election would contribute to stability and good neighborly relations.
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/lebanon-army-chief-set-to-become-president-in-second-parliament-vote-204521The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk, has expressed alarm over the sharp increase in executions in Iran, calling on the country to halt all further executions of people facing the death penalty for various crimes. According to the U.N.'s high commissioner's office, at least 901 people were executed in 2024, with most being for drug-related offenses and some for their involvement in the 2022 protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. The number of executions has risen sharply since 2022, after a decline in previous years, with 853 people executed in 2023. The U.N. reports that at least 31 women were reportedly executed in 2024, and notes that dissidents and those connected to the protests were also targeted.
https://www.voanews.com/a/un-calls-for-halt-to-all-executions-in-iran-as-numbers-surge/7927391.htmlThe United States froze billions of dollars of central bank assets after the Taliban regained power in August 2021, but humanitarian aid to Afghanistan has continued under the supervision of the United Nations' UNAMA mission. The UNAMA mission refutes allegations that it is diverting funds to the Taliban, instead transporting cash into the country for use by vetted partners and U.N. agencies to assist millions of Afghans in need. This aid is deposited in designated U.N. accounts at a private bank before being distributed directly to approved entities, not the Central Bank of Afghanistan or the Taliban authorities.
https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-refute-trump-s-claims-on-us-financial-aid-to-afghanistan/7929790.htmlThe US Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, expressed concern that Sudan's gold trade with Russia could be detrimental to Sudan's long-term interests. The US mission to the U.N. spokesperson stated that any material support for the warring parties in Sudan, including illicit gold trading or military equipment, is condemned. In response, Russia's deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy accused the US of judging other countries by its own yardstick and trying to exploit them for its own enrichment. The issue has been a focus for Thomas-Greenfield during her four years at the UN, with President Joe Biden appointing her to the position.
https://www.firstpost.com/world/us-slams-russia-for-funding-both-sides-of-sudans-civil-war-13850526.html