Latest United Nations News & Updates

United Nations, April 17 (IANS) While expressing concern over the attacks on commercial shipping in the Hormuz Strait, India has taken a neutral stance on the veto by Russia and China of a Security Council resolution demanding that Iran stop attacks.Speaking on Thursday at a General Assembly meeting on the veto, India’s Permanent Representative skirted the issue and said, “We have urged all states to promote dialogue and diplomacy and de-escalation of tensions, and to purposefully address un…

United Nations, April 17 (IANS) United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, expressing hope that it would help advance efforts toward lasting peace in the region.“I welcome the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel & Lebanon, and commend the role of the US in facilitating it. I hope this will pave the way for negotiations towards a long-term solution to the conflict & contribute to ongoing efforts…

Beirut, April 17 (IANS) A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect on Friday, following an announcement earlier by US President Donald Trump.The truce aims to end more than a month of deadly escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, which has claimed over 2,000 lives. With the ceasefire in effect, the international community has welcomed the move and called on relevant parties to strictly observe the agreement and end hostilities, Xinhua news agency reported.”We welcome steps that …

New York, April 16 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon aimed at bringing a temporary cooling-off along another front linked to the Iran conflict.He said that after speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, the two sides agreed to a 10-day ceasefire beginning at 5 p.m. Washington time (2.30 a.m. Friday in India).The ceasefire is expected to pause hostilities that escalated when Israel op…

Tehran, April 16 (IANS) Iran will not compromise on its nuclear enrichment rights, said the country’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqaei, adding that its entitlement to nuclear energy is firmly grounded in international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), state media reported on Thursday.Addressing a press conference in Tehran, Baqaei dismissed what he described as baseless speculation in Western media regarding Iran’s enrichment programme, stressing that the count…

Washington, April 16 (IANS) The World Bank Group has launched a global initiative to improve water security for one billion people by 2030, linking access to reliable water directly to jobs, economic growth and stability across developing economies. The platform, called Water Forward, aims to align reforms, financing and partnerships to expand water services and strengthen resilience to droughts and floods.“Water is foundational to how economies function. When water systems work, farmers produ…

Kabul, April 15 (IANS) Police in Pakistan’s Quetta has arrested over 20 landlords and shop owners for renting properties to undocumented Afghan migrants, local media reported on Wednesday. The crackdown launched on Tuesday targetted those who “violated rental laws”, with cases lodged against those arrested under existing legal provisions governing housing and foreign residency, Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press reported.Hundreds of undocumented Afghans were identified and arrested d…

United Nations, April 15 (IANS) While opposing a discriminatory, two-tier permanent membership level in the Security Council, India has agreed to a G4 proposal that would defer veto powers for 15 years in a reformed body.”Expanding the permanent category with veto is critical to real reform of the Security Council”, India’s Permanent Representative P. Harish said on Tuesday. “A new category under the framework of UNSC (Security Council) reform with or without veto would complicate an already e…

Washington, April 15 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said a second round of direct talks with Iran could take place “over the next two days,” signalling a possible diplomatic opening even as the United States presses ahead with a naval blockade targeting Iranian-linked shipping.In an interview with The New York Post, Trump said negotiations could happen soon and pointed to Pakistan as a possible venue. “Something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go t…

Washington, April 14 (IANS) The East Turkistan Government-in-Exile (ETGE) strongly condemned the conviction of 19 Kazakh citizens, saying that they were punished for demanding the release of an ethnic Kazakh “illegally detained” in East Turkistan, also known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. The exiled authorities described the region as the ancestral homeland of the Uyghurs and home to millions of Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples. The statement came after a court in Ka…