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NEW YORK, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks dipped on Friday to end a tumultuous year as market participants remain concerned about the economic and profitability landscape.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 73.55 points, or 0.22 percent, to 33,147.25. The S&P 500 sank 9.78 points, or 0.25 percent, to 3,839.5. The Nasdaq Composite Index dipped 11.60 points, or 0.11 percent, to 10,466.48.

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The General Assembly on Friday approved an annual regular budget for the United Nations of about 3.396 billion U.S. dollars.

The 2023 budget is higher than that of 2022, which stood at 3.122 billion dollars.

The regular budget covers UN activities across a range of areas, including political affairs, international justice and law, regional cooperation for development, human rights and humanitarian affairs, and public information.

NEW YORK, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Wall Street had a brutal 2022, as surging U.S. inflation has prompted the most aggressive Federal Reserve rate hike campaign in decades, raising fears about a potential recession.

All three major indexes suffered their worst year since 2008. The Dow dropped 8.8 percent in 2022, while the S&P 500 tanked 19.4 percent and the technology-heavy Nasdaq slumped 33.1 percent.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly has asked the U.N.’s highest judicial body to give its opinion on the legality of Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The Assembly voted by a wide margin, but with over 50 countries abstaining, on Friday evening to send one of the world’s longest-running and thorniest disputes to the International Court of Justice, a request promoted by the Palestinians and opposed vehemently by Israel.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. Rep.-elect George Santos of New York was under investigation by Long Island prosecutors on Wednesday, after revelations surfaced that the now-embattled Republican lied about his heritage, education and professional pedigree as he campaigned for office.

Despite intensifying doubt about his fitness to hold federal office, Santos has shown no signs of stepping aside — even as he publicly admitted to a long list of lies.

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 28 (APP): The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, Tuesday called on the Taliban to revoke immediately a raft of policies that target the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, saying that they cause “terrible, cascading effects” on their lives and risk destabilizing the nation.

“No country can develop – indeed survive – socially and economically with half its population excluded”, he said in a statement.

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 27 (NNN-UNNS) — A hundred million people across the world were forced to leave their homes in 2022 and the United Nations is continuing to help those in need in a myriad of ways, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said.

Filippo Grandi, head of the agency, described the figure as “a record that should never have been set,” UN News Service (UNNS) said.

UNITED NATIONS, December 27. /TASS/: Russia’s UN mission has responded to a proposal by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba to hold a "peace summit" at the United Nations by late February with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres acting as a mediator.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Ukraine’s top diplomat said Russia must face a tribunal before it could be invited to this event.

Dec 27 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq fell on Tuesday, led by declines in some megacap growth stocks and Tesla, with optimism around China further easing its COVID-19 curbs limiting losses on the indexes.

Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) slid 5% after Reuters reported that the electric vehicle maker plans to extend a reduced production schedule at its Shanghai plant into January.

Megacap growth stocks Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) slipped between 1% and 2%, dented by a rise in U.S. Treasury yields.

PIDIE, Indonesia (AP) — At least 26 Rohingya Muslims had died in dire conditions during a month at open sea while making a dangerous voyage that brought scores of others to safety in Indonesia, a U.N. agency said Tuesday, adding there will likely be more.

Exhausted women and children were among 185 people who disembarked from a rickety wooden boat on Monday in a coastal village in Aceh’s Pidie district, authorities said. A distressing video circulated widely on social media showed the Rohingya worn out and emaciated, with many crying for help.