UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday unanimously decided that the long-running intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) on restructuring the UN Security Council (UNSC) will continue during its upcoming 79th session, with Pakistan calling the process the most appropriate platform to pursue 15-member body’s reform. “We welcome the adoption of the oral decision today to ‘roll over’ the negotiations on Security Council reform within the IGN process,” Ambassador Usman Jadoon, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the 193-member assembly after the vote. With the aim of instilling new life into the discussions on UNSC reform, the…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
US President Joe Biden is looking forward to talks with Xi Jinping in the “coming weeks”, top White House aide Jake Sullivan told the Chinese leader Thursday as they met for rare talks in Beijing. Sullivan, the first US national security advisor to visit China since 2016, met Xi as he wrapped up three days of talks in Beijing which also saw him sit down with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other high-ranking officials. His visit came as China was embroiled in security rows with US allies Japan and the Philippines. At a meeting with Xi in Beijing’s ornate Great Hall of the People Thursday,…
US Vice President Kamala Harris will give her first interview on Thursday since becoming the Democratic standard-bearer, after intense criticism from Republicans that she has been hiding from tough questions. Harris and her running mate Tim Walz will sit down with CNN during a campaign trip to Georgia, in a major test of the buzz surrounding her campaign on the 10-week sprint to election day. Donald Trump’s spokesman has slammed her for not doing the interview alone and accused her of using energetic Minnesota Governor Walz as a “human shield.” Republican former president Trump, itching to take the limelight back from Harris after her…
Intense monsoon rains and floods in India’s Gujarat state killed at least 28 people in the past three days, some drowning and others hit by falling trees, government officials said. The weather department warned more heavy rain is expected on Thursday in the western coastal state. Rivers have burst their banks and more than 30,000 people fled their homes. The state government said late Wednesday that 13 people had died from drowning and the rest from houses or trees collapsing on them. The Indian Express newspaper said 35 people had died so far across the state. Some 1,856 people were rescued by disaster…
KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA STRIP: Israeli forces intensified their operations in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, pushing tanks further into Khan Younis and conducting airstrikes across the region. These actions resulted in the deaths of at least 34 Palestinians, according to medical sources. Residents reported that Israeli tanks made an unexpected incursion into central Khan Younis, while the military issued evacuation orders in the eastern parts of the city. Many families fled for safety, though some found themselves trapped inside their homes. In recent days, Israel has issued multiple evacuation orders throughout Gaza, more than at any other point during…
Electricity prices vary around the world depending on factors like natural resources, government policies, and economic stability. Some countries offer significantly cheaper electricity compared to others, potentially boosting their economies, encouraging industrial growth, and easing financial burdens on residents. A report published by Insider Monkey has compiled a list of countries with the lowest electricity prices, based on the latest global petrol price data. The list includes : Iran – Oil and gas-rich Iran offers the world’s cheapest electricity at $0.002 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The energy sector is largely state-controlled, allowing the government to set prices without market influences. The government…
CYPRUS: Türkiye’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu met with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar on Wednesday during his visit for the groundbreaking of the Lefkosa Ring Road. The meeting, held at the TRNC Presidential Honor Hall, was attended by key Turkish officials, including Ambassador Yasin Ekrem Serim. President Tatar highlighted the increasing international recognition of the two states in Cyprus despite ongoing challenges. He expressed appreciation for Türkiye’s support, particularly for the Lefkosa Ring Road Project, stating: “Our goal is to move forward confidently with the support of our motherland, our homeland, and the Blue…
CANADA: The UN Security Council on Wednesday extended a mandate for UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for one year. The resolution, penned by the France, called for renewing the mandate for a 12-month period until Aug. 31, 2025. It garnered an overwhelming support in the council, with all 15 member states voting in favor. Nathalie Broadhurst, deputy permanent representative of France to the UN, told the Council before the vote that the renewal of the mandate is proposed “at a time when the Blue Helmets are in the line of fire, and they are doing remarkable job in extremely…
BEIJING: US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s top military officials on Thursday as he wrapped up three days of talks in Beijing intended to ease simmering tensions between the two superpowers. Sullivan was expected to push for enhanced working-level military to military communications in his session with General Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China’s paramount military body, the Central Military Commission, White House officials said. It is the first meeting between Zhang and a Biden administration official, and the first between a senior US official and a vice chair of the commission since 2018.…
ANKARA: The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on Wednesday said that it lost 212 of its staff members since the start of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza last October. “212 UNRWA colleagues have been killed since the war on (Gaza) began,” UNRWA said in a statement on its X account. Despite deaths, the UN agency said, it “continues to deliver humanitarian assistance wherever possible and in the most difficult circumstances.” UNRWA stressed that the humanitarian operation in Gaza “has become one of the most challenging in the world for UN right now.” Until the end of July, UNRWA said…
