Israel bombarded as many as 80 locations in the narrow Gaza enclave, flattening Gaza's police headquarters and taking the Palestinian death toll to nearly 100 in six days of onslaught.
"Italy is willing to try the marines at home, but in the meantime we ask for their freedom," said Interior Minister Angelino Alfano was quoted as saying by ANSA news agency.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked Sri Lanka to find a speedy political solution to the underlying factors behind the country's civil war which ended three years ago.
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi is 'happy; that the United States is lifting sanctions on her country as she feels her countrymen should now take responsibility for its democratisation, a process she sees as a 'common goal' with President Thein Sein.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon recently announced the appointment of Lakshmi Puri as the Assistant Secretary-General for Intergovernmental Support and Strategic Partnerships at the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women.
Pakistan has formally communicated to the United Nations its protest and condemnation of the air-strike by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation that killed 24 soldiers and has strained ties between Washington and Islamabad. Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations Abdullah Hussain Haroon has written a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, informing him of the NATO attack of November 26 "on Pakistan's border posts (that) resulted in the martyrdom of 24 officers".
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the transition of power in Yemen, saying all sides should now honour their commitments to immediately bring to an end all violence and refrain from further provocations.
United Nations and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has resigned from his post as international envoy for Syria after trying in vain for six months to broker peace and bring the country's warring parties to the table.
Demanding that those involved in the alleged Iranian attempt to assassinate its ambassador to the United States should be brought to justice, Saudi Arabia has asked the United Nations chief to bring the "heinous plot" before the Security Council.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the world needs sustainable development.
With the unrest in Africa and West Asia triggering a refugee deluge, the United Nations on Tuesday urged countries to welcome millions of such asylum seekers fleeing threats to their lives and not turn away from them citing budget constraints.
Defying the United States, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas formally requested that the United Nations recognise the Palestinian state.
'The world's drylands are too often an investment desert, seen by governments and the international community as a lost cause,' says Ban.
In a historic meeting on non-communicable diseases, the international community called on the food and beverages industry as well as the tobacco and pharmaceutical industry to be held accountable for putting profit ahead of public health.
Seven United Nations peacekeepers from the west African country of Niger were killed in an ambush while they were on a patrol in a southwest region of Ivory Coast, an attack which drew strong condemnation from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday welcomed US President Barack Obama's new Af-Pak strategy, in particular the initiative to boost 'civilian efforts' to make Afghan institutions stronger and entrust more responsibilities to domestic authorities.
The world on Saturday condemned the three explosions that rattled Nigeria's 50th independence day in Abuja and claimed 15 lives. Condemning the attacks, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan promised that those behind the act "will pay dearly for this heinous crime." Nigeria's former colonial master Britain condemned the act and promised to help the oil-rich African nation in bringing the attackers to book.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon met with Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Myanmar's National League for Democracy, for the first time at her lakeside residence in Yangon on Tuesday, the last day of Ban's three-day official visit to the country. Ban hailed Suu Kyi's efforts to advance democracy in Myanmar, congratulating her for being elected as a parliamentarian and admiring her decision to prepare for the parliament debut.
India on Thursday urged United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to ask member nations not to cut down financial and technical aid for public health initiatives across the globe.
India will convey its views on major regional and global issues apart from strongly pitching for an expansion of the Security Council with its inclusion as a permanent member during the four-day visit of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday.
Terming as "very positive" and "encouraging" the recent efforts by India and Pakistan to normalise their relations, United Nations chief Ban Ki Moon on Tuesday expressed hope that the two neighbours will continue the dialogue process and play a greater role for peace, security and harmony in the region.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday expressed concern over the recent developments in Sri Lanka, including the detention of two UN staff members without charges.
In a departure from diplomatic norms, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has issued a statement voicing concern over the security situation in Kashmir over the past one month.
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has appointed Atul Khare of India as head of its Change Management Team tasked with suggesting reforms to make the global organisation work more efficiently.
Veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar has been appointed as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special adviser on Myanmar, the UN chief announced on Thursday
Concerned over the plight of civilians caught up in the ongoing fighting in Sri Lanka, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has dispatched his Chef de Cabinet Vijay Nambiar, a former Indian diplomat, to the island nation to underscore his message for protection of civilians and resolution of the humanitarian situation there. Members of the UN Security Council on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the worsening crisis in northern Sri Lanka.
Pakistan has taken up the "despicable act" of desecration of the Quran in Florida with the United Nations, and urged it to take urgent steps to promote inter-faith harmony in the wake of increasing acts of Islamophobia.
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has appointed Atul Khare of India as assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations.
Underlining that the UN will lead the climate change negotiations, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has rejected the possibility of a "double track" approach being adopted on Climate Change where simultaneous talks between the big economies run in parallel with the United Nations negotiations.
Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, is among 19 members chosen by UN chief Ban Ki-moon for a high-level advisory group on Climate Change Financing tasked with mobilising funds pledged during the Copenhagen meet to tackle global warming.
Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been appointed as the United Nations' special envoy for global education.
The death of Libya's former strongman Muammar Gaddafi marks an "historic transition" for the North African country, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday, as he urged Libyans to lay down their arms and unite in this "time of rebuilding."
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has rejected the UN deadline of January 31 for submission of emission targets and climate actions under the Copenhagen Accord.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said the progress at the climate conference here have been "insufficient", warning that the absence of a "breakthrough" would condemn the lives of billions of people "to smaller futures".
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Friday handed over a landmark request to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon seeking a full United Nations membership for a Palestinian state.
'The die is cast. The wave is for her.' 'We will win this. The numbers are going to be higher than people are saying.' 'It is going to be more closer to Obama's numbers than Biden's numbers.'
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday said the UN would play a role in resolving the situation in Kashmir when India and Pakistan wanted the world body to step in.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel to Myanmar later this week where he will meet pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Ahead of a visit to India, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday expressed hope that the Security Council's reform process will be accelerated to meet expectations of countries like India which are keen to play a bigger role as permanent members of the powerful UN body.
"The Secretary-General regrets the latest loss of life. He (Ban) calls for an immediate end to violence and urges calm and restraint by all concerned," Martin Nesirky told media persons on Wednesday, adding that Ban was "closely following events".
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