Ukraine: Ukrainian defence chiefs predicted Russia will launch a new offensive early next year that could include a second attempt to take the capital Kyiv, as Western allies stepped up their support with additional funding and military training. Moscow’s new offensive could happen as soon as January, President Volodymyr Zelensky, General Valery Zaluzhniy and General … Read more
Iran on Thursday accused the United States of orchestrating its removal from a UN women’s rights body over its response to protests triggered by death of Mahsa Amini. The Islamic republic has seen waves of protests since the September 16 custodial death of Amini, a young Iranian Kurd who had been arrested for allegedly violating … Read more
France and the United Kingdom, two veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council, reiterated their support for a permanent seat for India at the powerful horse-shoe table. READ | S Jaishankar unveils Mahatma Gandhi statue at UN headquarters “France supports the candidacy of Germany, Brazil, India and Japan as permanent members. It also wishes to … Read more
New York: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Mahatma Gandhi an “uncompromising advocate for peaceful co-existence” and said that Gandhi’s bust at the organization would serve as a reminder of the values he upheld. “Mahatma Gandhi was an uncompromising advocate for peaceful co-existence, non-discrimination and pluralism. The new installation located at @UN Headquarters will serve … Read more
London: Former British prime minister Boris Johnson has already earned more than £1 million ($1.2 million) for giving paid speeches since leaving office in September, according to an official register of UK parliamentarians’ interests. READ | US Forces launch space unit in S Korea amid N Korea threats Famous for his rhetorical flourishes, Johnson has … Read more
Rabat: Morocco’s national airline said it was cancelling all flights it had scheduled for Wednesday to carry fans to Doha for the World Cup semi-final, citing what it said was a decision by Qatari authorities. READ | Messi might break two spectacular world records in FIFA WC 2022 final “Following the latest restrictions imposed by … Read more
Seoul: US Forces Korea launched a new space forces unit on Wednesday as the allies ramp up efforts to better counter North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats. The US Space Forces Korea is the second overseas space component of the Space Force and is tasked with monitoring, detecting, and tracking incoming missiles, as well … Read more
Washington: The White House has said the Biden administration is glad that both India and China quickly disengaged after clashing in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector. During a press briefing on Tuesday (local time), White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the US is closely monitoring the situation and encourages both sides to utilize existing … Read more
Iran appears set to be ousted from a UN women’s body on Wednesday for policies contrary to the rights of women and girls, but several countries are expected to abstain from the vote requested by the United States, diplomats said. The 54-member UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will vote on a U.S.-drafted resolution to … Read more
Singapore: A Singaporean man has been jailed for selling nearly $1 million worth of strawberry milk and coffee to North Korea, following other sanctions-busting trades from the city-state that have included sending wine, whisky, and perfume to Pyongyang. North Korea has been hit with a barrage of sanctions, including from the United Nations, over its … Read more
New Delhi: Google has a “moral obligation” to stop a democracy protest song from appearing in search results, Hong Kong’s leader said Tuesday, as the row over China’s national anthem widened to include the tech giant. Hong Kong officials have been infuriated by a series of mistakes at international sporting events in recent weeks when … Read more
Twitter CEO Elon Musk has targeted the top infectious disease official and the key advisor to the US response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Anthony Fauci, in a tweet that has sparked backlash. In the latest tweet, Elon Musk wrote: ‘My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci’, alluding to the practice of indicating gender pronouns after one’s name. My … Read more
Beijing: The Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday that U.S. sanctions on two senior Chinese officials over alleged human rights abuses in Tibet were illegal and seriously harmed Sino-U.S.-relations. READ | US nuclear weapons report is speculation, says China The US Treasury Department said on Friday it imposed sanctions on Wu Yingjie, the Chinese Communist … Read more
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday spoke to his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly with a focus on possible areas of cooperation between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of growing global concern over China’s increasing military muscle-flexing in the region. READ | “UN Security Council Far From Reflecting True … Read more
United Nations: Asserting that UN reform has been left open-ended without a set timeline and the Security Council far from reflecting true diversity, a concept note by India said new global challenges such as terrorism, radicalism, pandemics, disruptive role of non-State actors, and intensifying geopolitical competition call for a robust multilateral response and nimble platform … Read more